Человек-невидимка
The Thousand and One Bottles
Andfromithebegantoproducebottles—littlefatbottlescontainingpowders,smallandslenderbottlescontainingcolouredandwhitefluids,flutedbluebottleslabeledPoison, bottleswithroundbodiesandslendernecks,largegreen-glassbottles,largewhite-glassbottles,bottleswithglassstoppersandfrostedlabels,bottleswithfinecorks,bottleswithbungs,bottleswithwoodencaps,winebottles,salad-oilbottles —puttingtheminrowsonthechiffonnier,onthemantel,onthetableunderthewindow,roundthefloor,onthebookshelf—everywhere. Thechemist'sshopinBramblehurstcouldnotboasthalfsomany. Quiteasightitwas. Crateaftercrateyieldedbottles,untilallsixwereemptyandthetablehighwithstraw; theonlythingsthatcameoutofthesecratesbesidesthebottleswereanumberoftest-tubesandacarefullypackedbalance.
Anddirectlythecrateswereunpacked,thestrangerwenttothewindowandsettowork,nottroublingintheleastaboutthelitterofstraw,thefirewhichhadgoneout,theboxofbooksoutside,norforthetrunksandotherluggagethathadgoneupstairs.
WhenMrs.Halltookhisdinnerintohim,hewasalreadysoabsorbedinhiswork,pouringlittledropsoutofthebottlesintotest-tubes,thathedidnothearheruntilshehadsweptawaythebulkofthestrawandputthetrayonthetable,withsomelittleemphasisperhaps,seeingthestatethatthefloorwasin. Thenhehalfturnedhisheadandimmediatelyturneditawayagain. Butshesawhehadremovedhisglasses;theywerebesidehimonthetable,anditseemedtoherthathiseyesocketswereextraordinarilyhollow. Heputonhisspectaclesagain,andthenturnedandfacedher. Shewasabouttocomplainofthestrawonthefloorwhenheanticipatedher.
