Людина-невидимка
The Siege of Kemp’s House
Thencamearingingandknockingatthefrontdoor,thatgrewatlasttumultuous,butpursuanttoKemp'sinstructionstheservantshadlockedthemselvesintotheirrooms. Thiswasfollowedbyasilence. Kempsatlisteningandthenbeganpeeringcautiouslyoutofthethreewindows,oneafteranother. Hewenttothestaircaseheadandstoodlisteninguneasily. Hearmedhimselfwithhisbedroompoker,andwenttoexaminetheinteriorfasteningsoftheground-floorwindowsagain. Everythingwassafeandquiet.Hereturnedtothebelvedere. Adyelaymotionlessovertheedgeofthegraveljustashehadfallen. Comingalongtheroadbythevillaswerethehousemaidandtwopolicemen.
Everythingwasdeadlystill. Thethreepeopleseemedveryslowinapproaching. Hewonderedwhathisantagonistwasdoing.
Hestarted. Therewasasmashfrombelow. Hehesitatedandwentdownstairsagain. Suddenlythehouseresoundedwithheavyblowsandthesplinteringofwood. Heheardasmashandthedestructiveclangoftheironfasteningsoftheshutters. Heturnedthekeyandopenedthekitchendoor. Ashedidso,theshutters,splitandsplintering,cameflyinginward.Hestoodaghast. Thewindowframe,saveforonecrossbar,wasstillintact,butonlylittleteethofglassremainedintheframe. Theshuttershadbeendriveninwithanaxe,andnowtheaxewasdescendinginsweepingblowsuponthewindowframeandtheironbarsdefendingit. Thensuddenlyitleaptasideandvanished.
