Chapter 6

           Itmayseemoddtoyou,butitwastwodaysbeforeIcouldfollowupthenew-foundclueinwhatwasmanifestlytheproperway. Ifeltapeculiarshrinkingfromthosepallidbodies. Theywerejustthehalf-bleachedcolourofthewormsandthingsoneseespreservedinspiritinazoologicalmuseum. Andtheywerefilthilycoldtothetouch. ProbablymyshrinkingwaslargelyduetothesympatheticinfluenceoftheEloi,whosedisgustoftheMorlocksInowbegantoappreciate. 

           ‘ThenextnightIdidnotsleepwell. Probablymyhealthwasalittledisordered. Iwasoppressedwithperplexityanddoubt. OnceortwiceIhadafeelingofintensefearforwhichIcouldperceivenodefinitereason. Iremembercreepingnoiselesslyintothegreathallwherethelittlepeopleweresleepinginthemoonlight—thatnightWeenawasamongthem—andfeelingreassuredbytheirpresence. Itoccurredtomeeventhen,thatinthecourseofafewdaysthemoonmustpassthroughitslastquarter,andthenightsgrowdark,whentheappearancesoftheseunpleasantcreaturesfrombelow,thesewhitenedLemurs,thisnewverminthathadreplacedtheold,mightbemoreabundant. AndonboththesedaysIhadtherestlessfeelingofonewhoshirksaninevitableduty. IfeltassuredthattheTimeMachinewasonlytoberecoveredbyboldlypenetratingtheseundergroundmysteries. YetIcouldnotfacethemystery. IfonlyIhadhadacompanionitwouldhavebeendifferent. ButIwassohorriblyalone,andeventoclamberdownintothedarknessofthewellappalledme. Idon’tknowifyouwillunderstandmyfeeling,butIneverfeltquitesafeatmyback. 

           ‘Itwasthisrestlessness,thisinsecurity,perhaps,thatdrovemefurtherandfurtherafieldinmyexploringexpeditions.