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Chapter no 13 – MR. MARVEL DISCUSSES HIS RESIGNATION

The Invisible Man

When the dusk was gathering and Iping was just beginning to peep timorously forth again upon the shattered wreckage of its Bank Holiday, a short, thick-set man in a shabby silk hat was marching painfully through the twilight behind the beechwoods on the road to Bramblehurst. He carried three books bound together by some sort of ornamental elastic ligature, and a bundle wrapped in a blue table-cloth. His rubicund face expressed consternation and fatigue; he appeared to be in a spasmodic sort of hurry. He was accompanied by a voice other than his own, and ever and again he winced under the touch of unseen hands.

โ€œIf you give me the slip again,โ€ said the Voice, โ€œif you attempt to give me the slip againโ€”โ€

โ€œLord!โ€ said Mr. Marvel. โ€œThat shoulderโ€™s a mass of bruises as it is.โ€

โ€œOn my honour,โ€ said the Voice, โ€œI will kill you.โ€

โ€œI didnโ€™t try to give you the slip,โ€ said Marvel, in a voice that was not far remote from tears. โ€œI swear I didnโ€™t. I didnโ€™t know the blessed turning, that was all! How the devil was I to know the blessed turning? As it is, Iโ€™ve been knocked aboutโ€”โ€

โ€œYouโ€™ll get knocked about a great deal more if you donโ€™t mind,โ€ said the Voice, and Mr. Marvel abruptly became silent. He blew out his cheeks, and his eyes were eloquent of despair.

โ€œItโ€™s bad enough to let these floundering yokels explode my little secret, withoutย yourย cutting off with my books. Itโ€™s lucky for some of them they cut and ran when they did! Here am I … No one knew I was invisible! And now what am I to do?โ€

โ€œWhat amย Iย to do?โ€ asked Marvel,ย sotto voce.

โ€œItโ€™s all about. It will be in the papers! Everybody will be looking for me; everyone on their guardโ€”โ€ The Voice broke off into vivid curses and ceased.

The despair of Mr. Marvelโ€™s face deepened, and his pace slackened.

โ€œGo on!โ€ said the Voice.

Mr. Marvelโ€™s face assumed a greyish tint between the ruddier patches.

โ€œDonโ€™t drop those books, stupid,โ€ said the Voice, sharplyโ€”overtaking him.

โ€œThe fact is,โ€ said the Voice, โ€œI shall have to make use of you…. Youโ€™re a poor tool, but I must.โ€

โ€œIโ€™m aย miserableย tool,โ€ said Marvel.

โ€œYou are,โ€ said the Voice.

โ€œIโ€™m the worst possible tool you could have,โ€ said Marvel.

โ€œIโ€™m not strong,โ€ he said after a discouraging silence.

โ€œIโ€™m not over strong,โ€ he repeated.

โ€œNo?โ€

โ€œAnd my heartโ€™s weak. That little businessโ€”I pulled it through, of courseโ€”but bless you! I could have dropped.โ€

โ€œWell?โ€

โ€œI havenโ€™t the nerve and strength for the sort of thing you want.โ€

โ€œIโ€™llย stimulate you.โ€

โ€œI wish you wouldnโ€™t. I wouldnโ€™t like to mess up your plans, you know. But I mightโ€”out of sheer funk and misery.โ€

โ€œYouโ€™d better not,โ€ said the Voice, with quiet emphasis.

โ€œI wish I was dead,โ€ said Marvel.

โ€œIt ainโ€™t justice,โ€ he said; โ€œyou must admit…. It seems to me Iโ€™ve a perfect rightโ€”โ€

โ€œGetย on!โ€ said the Voice.

Mr. Marvel mended his pace, and for a time they went in silence again.

โ€œItโ€™s devilish hard,โ€ said Mr. Marvel.

This was quite ineffectual. He tried another tack.

โ€œWhat do I make by it?โ€ he began again in a tone of unendurable wrong.

โ€œOh!ย shut up!โ€ said the Voice, with sudden amazing vigour. โ€œIโ€™ll see to you all right. You do what youโ€™re told. Youโ€™ll do it all right. Youโ€™re a fool and all that, but youโ€™ll doโ€”โ€

โ€œI tell you, sir, Iโ€™m not the man for it. Respectfullyโ€”but itย isย soโ€”โ€

โ€œIf you donโ€™t shut up I shall twist your wrist again,โ€ said the Invisible Man. โ€œI want to think.โ€

Presently two oblongs of yellow light appeared through the trees, and the square tower of a church loomed through the gloaming. โ€œI shall keep my hand on your shoulder,โ€ said the Voice, โ€œall through the village. Go straight through and try no foolery. It will be the worse for you if you do.โ€

โ€œI know that,โ€ sighed Mr. Marvel, โ€œI know all that.โ€

The unhappy-looking figure in the obsolete silk hat passed up the street of the little village with his burdens, and vanished into the gathering darkness beyond the lights of the windows.

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