English
IthinkthatatthattimenoneofusquitebelievedintheTimeMachine.
Thefactis,theTimeTravellerwasoneofthosemenwhoaretooclevertobebelieved:youneverfeltthatyousawallroundhim;youalwayssuspectedsomesubtlereserve,someingenuityinambush,behindhislucidfrankness.
HadFilbyshownthemodelandexplainedthematterintheTimeTraveller'swords,weshouldhaveshownhimfarlessscepticism.
Forweshouldhaveperceivedhismotives;aporkbutchercouldunderstandFilby.
ButtheTimeTravellerhadmorethanatouchofwhimamonghiselements,andwedistrustedhim.
Thingsthatwouldhavemadetheframeofalessclevermanseemedtricksinhishands.
Itisamistaketodothingstooeasily.
Theseriouspeoplewhotookhimseriouslyneverfeltquitesureofhisdeportment;theyweresomehowawarethattrustingtheirreputationsforjudgmentwithhimwaslikefurnishinganurserywithegg–shellchina.
SoIdon'tthinkanyofussaidverymuchabouttimetravellingintheintervalbetweenthatThursdayandthenext,thoughitsoddpotentialitiesran,nodoubt,inmostofourminds:itsplausibility,thatis,itspracticalincredibleness,thecuriouspossibilitiesofanachronismandofutterconfusionitsuggested.
Formyownpart,Iwasparticularlypreoccupiedwiththetrickofthemodel.
ThatIrememberdiscussingwiththeMedicalMan,whomImetonFridayattheLinnaean.
HesaidhehadseenasimilarthingatTubingen,andlaidconsiderablestressontheblowingoutofthecandle.
Buthowthetrickwasdonehecouldnotexplain.
ThenextThursdayIwentagaintoRichmond—IsupposeIwasoneoftheTimeTraveller'smostconstantguests—and,arrivinglate,foundfourorfivemenalreadyassembledinhisdrawing–room.
TheMedicalManwasstandingbeforethefirewithasheetofpaperinonehandandhiswatchintheother.
IlookedroundfortheTimeTraveller,and—'It'shalf–pastsevennow,'saidtheMedicalMan.'Isupposewe'dbetterhavedinner?'
'Where's——?'saidI,namingourhost.
'You'vejustcome?It'sratherodd.He'sunavoidablydetained.Heasksmeinthisnotetoleadoffwithdinneratsevenifhe'snotback.Sayshe'llexplainwhenhecomes.'
'Itseemsapitytoletthedinnerspoil,'saidtheEditorofawell–knowndailypaper;andthereupontheDoctorrangthebell.
ThePsychologistwastheonlypersonbesidestheDoctorandmyselfwhohadattendedthepreviousdinner.
TheothermenwereBlank,theEditoraforementioned,acertainjournalist,andanother—aquiet,shymanwithabeard—whomIdidn'tknow,andwho,asfarasmyobservationwent,neveropenedhismouthalltheevening.
Therewassomespeculationatthedinner–tableabouttheTimeTraveller'sabsence,andIsuggestedtimetravelling,inahalf–jocularspirit.
TheEditorwantedthatexplainedtohim,andthePsychologistvolunteeredawoodenaccountofthe'ingeniousparadoxandtrick'wehadwitnessedthatdayweek.
Hewasinthemidstofhisexpositionwhenthedoorfromthecorridoropenedslowlyandwithoutnoise.
Iwasfacingthedoor,andsawitfirst.'Hallo!'Isaid.'Atlast!'
Andthedooropenedwider,andtheTimeTravellerstoodbeforeus.Igaveacryofsurprise.'Goodheavens!man,what'sthematter?'
criedtheMedicalMan,whosawhimnext.
Andthewholetablefulturnedtowardsthedoor.
Hewasinanamazingplight.Hiscoatwasdustyanddirty,andsmearedwithgreendownthesleeves;hishairdisordered,andasitseemedtomegreyer—eitherwithdustanddirtorbecauseitscolourhadactuallyfaded.
Hisfacewasghastlypale;hischinhadabrowncutonit—acuthalfhealed;hisexpressionwashaggardanddrawn,asbyintensesuffering.
Foramomenthehesitatedinthedoorway,asifhehadbeendazzledbythelight.Thenhecameintotheroom.
HewalkedwithjustsuchalimpasIhaveseeninfootsoretramps.
Westaredathiminsilence,expectinghimtospeak.
Hesaidnotaword,butcamepainfullytothetable,andmadeamotiontowardsthewine.
TheEditorfilledaglassofchampagne,andpushedittowardshim.
Hedrainedit,anditseemedtodohimgood:forhelookedroundthetable,andtheghostofhisoldsmileflickeredacrosshisface.
'Whatonearthhaveyoubeenupto,man?'saidtheDoctor.
TheTimeTravellerdidnotseemtohear.
'Don'tletmedisturbyou,'hesaid,withacertainfalteringarticulation.'I'mallright.'
Hestopped,heldouthisglassformore,andtookitoffatadraught.'That'sgood,'hesaid.
Hiseyesgrewbrighter,andafaintcolourcameintohischeeks.
Hisglanceflickeredoverourfaceswithacertaindullapproval,andthenwentroundthewarmandcomfortableroom.
Thenhespokeagain,stillasitwerefeelinghiswayamonghiswords.
'I'mgoingtowashanddress,andthenI'llcomedownandexplainthings...Savemesomeofthatmutton.I'mstarvingforabitofmeat.'
HelookedacrossattheEditor,whowasararevisitor,andhopedhewasallright.TheEditorbeganaquestion.'Tellyoupresently,'saidtheTimeTraveller.'I'm—funny!Beallrightinaminute.'
Heputdownhisglass,andwalkedtowardsthestaircasedoor.
AgainIremarkedhislamenessandthesoftpaddingsoundofhisfootfall,andstandingupinmyplace,Isawhisfeetashewentout.
Hehadnothingonthembutapairoftattered,blood–stainedsocks.Thenthedoorcloseduponhim.
Ihadhalfamindtofollow,tillIrememberedhowhedetestedanyfussabouthimself.
Foraminute,perhaps,mymindwaswool–gathering.
Then,'RemarkableBehaviourofanEminentScientist,'IheardtheEditorsay,thinking(afterhiswont)inheadlines.
Andthisbroughtmyattentionbacktothebrightdinner–table.
'What'sthegame?'saidtheJournalist.'HashebeendoingtheAmateurCadger?Idon'tfollow.'
ImettheeyeofthePsychologist,andreadmyowninterpretationinhisface.
IthoughtoftheTimeTravellerlimpingpainfullyupstairs.
Idon'tthinkanyoneelsehadnoticedhislameness.
ThefirsttorecovercompletelyfromthissurprisewastheMedicalMan,whorangthebell—theTimeTravellerhatedtohaveservantswaitingatdinner—forahotplate.
AtthattheEditorturnedtohisknifeandforkwithagrunt,andtheSilentManfollowedsuit.Thedinnerwasresumed.
Conversationwasexclamatoryforalittlewhile,withgapsofwonderment;andthentheEditorgotferventinhiscuriosity.
'Doesourfriendekeouthismodestincomewithacrossing?orhashehisNebuchadnezzarphases?'heinquired.'
Ifeelassuredit'sthisbusinessoftheTimeMachine,'Isaid,andtookupthePsychologist'saccountofourpreviousmeeting.
Thenewguestswerefranklyincredulous.TheEditorraisedobjections.'Whatwasthistimetravelling?
Amancouldn'tcoverhimselfwithdustbyrollinginaparadox,couldhe?'
Andthen,astheideacamehometohim,heresortedtocaricature.
Hadn'ttheyanyclothes–brushesintheFuture?
TheJournalisttoo,wouldnotbelieveatanyprice,andjoinedtheEditorintheeasyworkofheapingridiculeonthewholething.
Theywereboththenewkindofjournalist—veryjoyous,irreverentyoungmen.
'OurSpecialCorrespondentintheDayafterTo–morrowreports,'theJournalistwassaying—orrathershouting—whentheTimeTravellercameback.
Hewasdressedinordinaryeveningclothes,andnothingsavehishaggardlookremainedofthechangethathadstartledme.
'Isay,'saidtheEditorhilariously,'thesechapsheresayyouhavebeentravellingintothemiddleofnextweek!TellusallaboutlittleRosebery,willyou?Whatwillyoutakeforthelot?'
TheTimeTravellercametotheplacereservedforhimwithoutaword.Hesmiledquietly,inhisoldway.'Where'smymutton?'hesaid.'Whatatreatitistostickaforkintomeatagain!'
'Story!'criedtheEditor.
'Storybedamned!'saidtheTimeTraveller.'Iwantsomethingtoeat.Iwon'tsayaworduntilIgetsomepeptoneintomyarteries.Thanks.Andthesalt.'
'Oneword,'saidI.'Haveyoubeentimetravelling?'
'Yes,'saidtheTimeTraveller,withhismouthfull,noddinghishead.
'I'dgiveashillingalineforaverbatimnote,'saidtheEditor.
TheTimeTravellerpushedhisglasstowardstheSilentManandrangitwithhisfingernail;atwhichtheSilentMan,whohadbeenstaringathisface,startedconvulsively,andpouredhimwine.
Therestofthedinnerwasuncomfortable.
Formyownpart,suddenquestionskeptonrisingtomylips,andIdaresayitwasthesamewiththeothers.
TheJournalisttriedtorelievethetensionbytellinganecdotesofHettiePotter.
TheTimeTravellerdevotedhisattentiontohisdinner,anddisplayedtheappetiteofatramp.
TheMedicalMansmokedacigarette,andwatchedtheTimeTravellerthroughhiseyelashes.
TheSilentManseemedevenmoreclumsythanusual,anddrankchampagnewithregularityanddeterminationoutofsheernervousness.
AtlasttheTimeTravellerpushedhisplateaway,andlookedroundus.'IsupposeImustapologize,'hesaid.'Iwassimplystarving.I'vehadamostamazingtime.'
Hereachedouthishandforacigar,andcuttheend.'Butcomeintothesmoking–room.
It'stoolongastorytotellovergreasyplates.'
Andringingthebellinpassing,heledthewayintotheadjoiningroom.
'YouhavetoldBlank,andDash,andChoseaboutthemachine?'hesaidtome,leaningbackinhiseasy–chairandnamingthethreenewguests.
'Butthething'samereparadox,'saidtheEditor.
'Ican'targueto–night.Idon'tmindtellingyouthestory,butIcan'targue.
Iwill,'hewenton,'tellyouthestoryofwhathashappenedtome,ifyoulike,butyoumustrefrainfrominterruptions.Iwanttotellit.Badly.Mostofitwillsoundlikelying.Sobeit!
It'strue—everywordofit,allthesame.
Iwasinmylaboratoryatfouro'clock,andsincethen...I'velivedeightdays...suchdaysasnohumanbeingeverlivedbefore!
I'mnearlywornout,butIshan'tsleeptillI'vetoldthisthingovertoyou.ThenIshallgotobed.Butnointerruptions!Isitagreed?'
'Agreed,'saidtheEditor,andtherestofusechoed'Agreed.'
AndwiththattheTimeTravellerbeganhisstoryasIhavesetitforth.
Hesatbackinhischairatfirst,andspokelikeawearyman.Afterwardshegotmoreanimated.
InwritingitdownIfeelwithonlytoomuchkeennesstheinadequacyofpenandink—and,aboveall,myowninadequacy—toexpressitsquality.
Youread,Iwillsuppose,attentivelyenough;butyoucannotseethespeaker'swhite,sincerefaceinthebrightcircleofthelittlelamp,norheartheintonationofhisvoice.
Youcannotknowhowhisexpressionfollowedtheturnsofhisstory!
Mostofushearerswereinshadow,forthecandlesinthesmoking–roomhadnotbeenlighted,andonlythefaceoftheJournalistandthelegsoftheSilentManfromthekneesdownwardwereilluminated.
Atfirstweglancednowandagainateachother.
Afteratimeweceasedtodothat,andlookedonlyattheTimeTraveller'sface.
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