Kitabı oku: «The Invisible Man. B2 / Человек-невидимка», sayfa 9

Yazı tipi:

“Well?”

“No hand-just an empty sleeve. There was nothing in it, I tell you. Nothing. I could see right down it to the elbow. Lord! I thought, that's adeformity! 'Good God!' I said. Then he stopped. Stared at me with those black goggles of his, and then at his sleeve.”

“Well?”

“That's all. He never said a word; just glared, and put his sleeve back in his pocket quickly. 'How the devil,' said I, 'can you move an empty sleeve like that?' 'Empty sleeve?' 'Yes,' said I, 'an empty sleeve.'

“'It's an empty sleeve, is it? You saw an empty sleeve?' He stood up right away. I stood up too. He came towards me in three very slow steps, and stood quite close.

“'You said it was an empty sleeve?' he said. 'Certainly,' I said. Then very quietly he pulled his sleeve out of his pocket again, and raised his arm towards me as though he would show it to me again. He did it very, very slowly. I looked at it. Seemed an age. 'Well?' said I, clearing my throat, 'there's nothing in it.'

“Had to say something. I was beginning to feel frightened. I could see right down it. He extended it straight towards me, slowly, slowly- And then-”

“Well?”

“Something-exactly like a finger and thumb it felt-nipped my nose.”

Bunting began to laugh.

“There wasn't anything there!” said Cuss andlet out a shriek at the word “there.” “It's all very well for you to laugh, but I tell you I was so startled, I hit his cuff hard, and turned around, and ran out of the room-”

Cuss stopped. “When I hit his cuff,” said Cuss, “I tell you, it felt exactly like hitting an arm. And there wasn't an arm!”

Mr. Bunting thought it over. “It's a remarkable story,” he said. He looked very wise and grave indeed. “It's really,” said Mr. Bunting, “a remarkable story.”