Invisible Man (Abbreviated Edition)

Author: H.G. Wells (Original), T.S. Gregory (Adapted)
Translator: Zhao Shenghua
Country: United Kingdom
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-11-01
Features: She wasn’t sure if she had heard him clearly and was about to ask again. At that moment, he turned around and looked at her. “I would rather keep them on,” he said firmly; she noticed that he wore big blue glasses and had a bushy beard over his coat collar that almost hid his face. “Very well, sir,” she said. “As you like. Very soon the room will be warmer.” He made no answer and turned his face away from her again. Mrs. Hall, feeling that her talk was unwelcome, finished laying the table quickly and hurried out of the room. When she returned, he was still standing there like a man of stone, his collar turned up, the edge of his hat turned down, almost hiding his face and ears. She put down the eggs and meat noisily, and, called rather than said to him: “Your lunch is served, sir.” “Thank you,” he said. He did not move until she was closing the door. Then he turned round and walked eagerly up to the table. Mrs. Hall filled the butter dish in the kitchen and took it to the parlour. She knocked and entered at once. As she did so, her visitor moved quickly, so that she only saw something white disappearing behind the table. He seemed to be picking something up from the floor. She put down the butter dish on the table and noticed that the visitor’s hat and coat were hanging over a chair in front of the fire. “I suppose I may have them to dry now?” she said, in a voice that could not be refused. “Leave the hat,” said her visitor, and turning, she saw he had raised his head and was looking at her. For a moment she stood looking at him, too surprised to speak.
Hall stood staring. “He was bitten,” said Hall. “I’d better go and see him.” And he went to find the stranger. He met his wife in the passage. “The carrier’s dog—bit him,” he told her. He went straight upstairs, pushed open the stranger’s door, and went in. The blind was down and the room dark. He caught sight of a strange thing, a handless arm that seemed to be waving toward him, and a face of three large dark spots on white. Then he was struck in the chest and thrown out of the room, the door shut in his face and locked. All this happened so fast that it gave him no time to see anything clearly. A waving of shapes, a blow, and a noise like a gun. He stood in the dark little passage wondering what he had seen. After a few minutes he came back to the little group that had formed outside the inn. There was Fearnside telling the story all over again for the second time; there was Mrs. Hall saying his dog had no right to bite her guest; there was Huxter, the shopkeeper from over the road, asking questions; Sandy Wadgers looking solemn, and women and children, all talking. Mr. Hall, staring at them from the steps and listening, could not believe that he had seen anything very strange happen upstairs. “He wants no help, he says,” he said in answer to his wife’s question. “We’d better take his luggage in.” “He ought to have his leg looked after at once,” said Mr. Huxter. “I’d shoot the dog, that’s what I’d do,” said a lady in the group. Suddenly the dog began growling again.
The man with the beard put the gun back in his pocket. Just then, the lock of the door broke, something rushed past them, and the parlour door burst open. They heard Marvel scream and rant for his rescue. The man with the beard’s revolver went off, and the mirror at the back of the parlour came crashing down on the floor. When the barman came into the room, he saw Marvel struggling against the door that led to the yard and kitchen. The door flew open and Marvel was dragged into the kitchen. The policeman, who had been trying to pass the barman, rushed in, followed by the cabman. The policeman caught hold of the invisible hand that held Marvel, was hit in the face, and fell down. Then the cabman took hold of something. “I’ve got him,” said the cabman. “Here he is!” said the barman. Mr. Marvel suddenly dropped to the ground and made an attempt to creep behind the legs of the fighting men. The struggle went backwards and forwards about the door. The voice of the Invisible Man was heard for the first time, as the policeman stepped on his foot. Then he cried out, and his arms flew out. The cabman suddenly cried and fell, with a kick in the stomach. The door into the bar parlour from the kitchen slammed as Mr. Marvel escaped through it. The men in the kitchen found themselves struggling with empty air.