Человек-невидимка

           "'It'sanemptysleeve,isit?Yousawitwasanemptysleeve?' Hestooduprightaway.Istooduptoo. Hecametowardsmeinthreeveryslowsteps,andstoodquiteclose.Sniffedvenomously. Ididn'tflinch,thoughI'mhangedifthatbandagedknobofhis,andthoseblinkers,aren'tenoughtounnerveanyone,comingquietlyuptoyou. 

           "'Yousaiditwasanemptysleeve?'hesaid. 'Certainly,'Isaid. Atstaringandsayingnothingabarefacedman,unspectacled,startsscratch. Thenveryquietlyhepulledhissleeveoutofhispocketagain,andraisedhisarmtowardsmeasthoughhewouldshowittomeagain. Hediditvery,veryslowly. Ilookedatit. Seemedanage. 'Well?'saidI,clearingmythroat,'there'snothinginit.' 

           "Hadtosaysomething.Iwasbeginningtofeelfrightened.Icouldseerightdownit. Heextendeditstraighttowardsme,slowly,slowly—justlikethat—untilthecuffwassixinchesfrommyface. Queerthingtoseeanemptysleevecomeatyoulikethat! Andthen—" 

           "Well?" 

           "Something—exactlylikeafingerandthumbitfelt—nippedmynose." 

           Buntingbegantolaugh. 

           "Therewasn'tanythingthere!"saidCuss,hisvoicerunningupintoashriekatthe"there." "It'sallverywellforyoutolaugh,butItellyouIwassostartled,Ihithiscuffhard,andturnedaround,andcutoutoftheroom—Ilefthim—" 

           Cussstopped. Therewasnomistakingthesincerityofhispanic. Heturnedroundinahelplesswayandtookasecondglassoftheexcellentvicar'sveryinferiorsherry.