Человек-невидимка
In Drury Lane
"Icouldhavesmashedthesillydevils. Atlast,faintwiththedesirefortastefulfood,Iwentintoanotherplaceanddemandedaprivateroom. 'Iamdisfigured,'Isaid.'Badly.' Theylookedatmecuriously,butofcourseitwasnottheiraffair—andsoatlastIgotmylunch. Itwasnotparticularlywellserved,butitsufficed;andwhenIhadhadit,Isatoveracigar,tryingtoplanmylineofaction. Andoutsideasnowstormwasbeginning.
"ThemoreIthoughtitover,Kemp,themoreIrealisedwhatahelplessabsurdityanInvisibleManwas—inacoldanddirtyclimateandacrowdedcivilisedcity. BeforeImadethismadexperimentIhaddreamtofathousandadvantages. Thatafternoonitseemedalldisappointment. Iwentovertheheadsofthethingsamanreckonsdesirable. Nodoubtinvisibilitymadeitpossibletogetthem,butitmadeitimpossibletoenjoythemwhentheyaregot. Ambition—whatisthegoodofprideofplacewhenyoucannotappearthere? WhatisthegoodoftheloveofwomanwhenhernamemustneedsbeDelilah? Ihavenotasteforpolitics,fortheblackguardismsoffame,forphilanthropy,forsport. WhatwasItodo? AndforthisIhadbecomeawrapped-upmystery,aswathedandbandagedcaricatureofaman!"
Hepaused,andhisattitudesuggestedarovingglanceatthewindow.
"ButhowdidyougettoIping?"saidKemp,anxioustokeephisguestbusytalking.
"Iwenttheretowork. Ihadonehope. Itwasahalfidea!Ihaveitstill.Itisafullblownideanow. Awayofgettingback! OfrestoringwhatIhavedone.WhenIchoose.WhenIhavedoneallImeantodoinvisibly. AndthatiswhatIchieflywanttotalktoyouaboutnow."
