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- Герберт Уеллс
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- Человек-невидимка
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Invisible Man
The
stranger
came
early
in
February
,
one
wintry
day
,
through
a
biting
wind
and
a
driving
snow
,
the
last
snowfall
of
the
year
,
over
the
down
,
walking
from
Bramblehurst
railway
station
,
and
carrying
a
little
black
portmanteau
in
his
thickly
gloved
hand
.
He
was
wrapped
up
from
head
to
foot
,
and
the
brim
of
his
soft
felt
hat
hid
every
inch
of
his
face
but
the
shiny
tip
of
his
nose
;
the
snow
had
piled
itself
against
his
shoulders
and
chest
,
and
added
a
white
crest
to
the
burden
he
carried
.
He
staggered
into
the
"
Coach
and
Horses
"
more
dead
than
alive
,
and
flung
his
portmanteau
down
.
"
A
fire
,
"
he
cried
,
"
in
the
name
of
human
charity
!
A
room
and
a
fire
!
"
He
stamped
and
shook
the
snow
from
off
himself
in
the
bar
,
and
followed
Mrs.
Hall
into
her
guest
parlour
to
strike
his
bargain
.
And
with
that
much
introduction
,
that
and
a
couple
of
sovereigns
flung
upon
the
table
,
he
took
up
his
quarters
in
the
inn
.
Mrs.
Hall
lit
the
fire
and
left
him
there
while
she
went
to
prepare
him
a
meal
with
her
own
hands
.
A
guest
to
stop
at
Iping
in
the
wintertime
was
an
unheard-of
piece
of
luck
,
let
alone
a
guest
who
was
no
"
haggler
,
"
and
she
was
resolved
to
show
herself
worthy
of
her
good
fortune
.
As
soon
as
the
bacon
was
well
under
way
,
and
Millie
,
her
lymphatic
maid
,
had
been
brisked
up
a
bit
by
a
few
deftly
chosen
expressions
of
contempt
,
she
carried
the
cloth
,
plates
,
and
glasses
into
the
parlour
and
began
to
lay
them
with
the
utmost
éclat
.
Although
the
fire
was
burning
up
briskly
,
she
was
surprised
to
see
that
her
visitor
still
wore
his
hat
and
coat
,
standing
with
his
back
to
her
and
staring
out
of
the
window
at
the
falling
snow
in
the
yard
.
His
gloved
hands
were
clasped
behind
him
,
and
he
seemed
to
be
lost
in
thought
.
She
noticed
that
the
melting
snow
that
still
sprinkled
his
shoulders
dripped
upon
her
carpet
.
"
Can
I
take
your
hat
and
coat
,
sir
?
"
she
said
,
"
and
give
them
a
good
dry
in
the
kitchen
?
"
"
No
,
"
he
said
without
turning
.
She
was
not
sure
she
had
heard
him
,
and
was
about
to
repeat
her
question
.
He
turned
his
head
and
looked
at
her
over
his
shoulder
.
"
I
prefer
to
keep
them
on
,
"
he
said
with
emphasis
,
and
she
noticed
that
he
wore
big
blue
spectacles
with
sidelights
,
and
had
a
bush
side-whisker
over
his
coat-collar
that
completely
hid
his
cheeks
and
face
.
"
Very
well
,
sir
,
"
she
said
.
"
As
you
like
.
In
a
bit
the
room
will
be
warmer
.
"
He
made
no
answer
,
and
had
turned
his
face
away
from
her
again
,
and
Mrs.
Hall
,
feeling
that
her
conversational
advances
were
ill-timed
,
laid
the
rest
of
the
table
things
in
a
quick
staccato
and
whisked
out
of
the
room
.
When
she
returned
he
was
still
standing
there
,
like
a
man
of
stone
,
his
back
hunched
,
his
collar
turned
up
,
his
dripping
hat-brim
turned
down
,
hiding
his
face
and
ears
completely
.
She
put
down
the
eggs
and
bacon
with
considerable
emphasis
,
and
called
rather
than
said
to
him
,
"
Your
lunch
is
served
,
sir
.
"
"
Thank
you
,
"
he
said
at
the
same
time
,
and
did
not
stir
until
she
was
closing
the
door
.
Then
he
swung
round
and
approached
the
table
with
a
certain
eager
quickness
.
As
she
went
behind
the
bar
to
the
kitchen
she
heard
a
sound
repeated
at
regular
intervals
.
Chirk
,
chirk
,
chirk
,
it
went
,
the
sound
of
a
spoon
being
rapidly
whisked
round
a
basin
.
"
That
girl
!
"
she
said
.
"
There
!
I
clean
forgot
it
.
It
's
her
being
so
long
!
"
And
while
she
herself
finished
mixing
the
mustard
,
she
gave
Millie
a
few
verbal
stabs
for
her
excessive
slowness
.
She
had
cooked
the
ham
and
eggs
,
laid
the
table
,
and
done
everything
,
while
Millie
(
help
indeed
!
)
had
only
succeeded
in
delaying
the
mustard
.
And
him
a
new
guest
and
wanting
to
stay
!
Then
she
filled
the
mustard
pot
,
and
,
putting
it
with
a
certain
stateliness
upon
a
gold
and
black
tea-tray
,
carried
it
into
the
parlour
.
