Kitabı oku: «The Invisible Man. B2 / Человек-невидимка», sayfa 3

Yazı tipi:

He was holding a white cloth-it was a serviette he had brought with him-over the lower part of his face, so that his mouth and jaws were completely hidden, and that was the reason for hismuffled voice.

But it was not that whichstartled Mrs. Hall. It was the fact that all his forehead above his blue glasses was covered by a white bandage, and that another covered his ears, leaving only his pink nose. It was bright, pink, and shiny just as it had been at first. He wore a dark-brown velvet jacket with a high, black collar turned up about his neck. His thick black hair, between the cross bandages, gave him the strangest appearance imaginable.

He did not remove the serviette, but remained holding it with a brown gloved hand. “Leave the hat,” he said, speaking very distinctly through the white cloth.

Her nerves began to recover from the shock they had received. She placed the hat on the chair again by the fire. “I didn't know, sir,” she began, “that-” and she stopped embarrassed.

“Thank you,” he said dryly, glancing from her to the door and then at her again.

She shivered a little as she closed the door behind her and went quite softly to the kitchen, too preoccupied even to ask her maid Millie what she wasmessing about with.

“The poor soul's had an accident or an operation, or something,” said Mrs. Hall to herself.

The visitor was smoking a pipe and never took off his silkmuffler he had wrapped round the lower part of his face. “I have some luggage,” he said, “at Bramblehurst station,” and he asked her how he could get it. “Tomorrow!” he said. “There is no quicker delivery?” he asked and seemed quite disappointed when she answered, “No.” Was she quite sure?

“It's a steep road, sir,” she said, “It was there a carriage was overturned more than a year ago. A gentleman and his coachman were killed. Accidents, sir, happen in a moment, don't they?”

“They do,” he said through hismuffler, eyeing her quietly through his impenetrable glasses.

“Will you get me some matches?” said he, quite abruptly. “My pipe is out.”

Mrs. Hall went for the matches.

“Thanks,” he said, as she put them down, and turning his shoulder upon her,stared out of the window again.