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The Invisible Man
Chapter 17. THE INVISIBLE MAN SLEEPS
Exhausted and wounded as the Invisible Man was, he refused to accept Kemp's word that his freedom would be respected.
He looked at the bedroom's two windows, pulled up the blinds and opened them to check Kemp's claim he could escape.
Outside the night was very quiet and still, and the new moon was setting over the down.
Then he looked at the bedroom key and the two dressing-room keys to make sure they could secure his freedom.
Finally he said he was satisfied.
He stood on the hearth rug and Kemp heard the sound of a yawn.
"I'm sorry," said the Invisible Man.
"If I can't tell you all that I've done tonight, I'm sorry, but I am worn out and it's strange and horrible."
"Believe me, Kemp, in spite of your arguments this morning, this is quite a possible thing. I have made a discovery."
"I meant to keep it to myself, but I cannot. I must have a partner."
"You. We can do such things . But tomorrow. Now, Kemp, I feel as though I must sleep or die."
Kemp stood in the middle of the room staring at the headless garment.
"I suppose I must leave you," he said.
"It's, unbelievable. Three things happening like this, changing all my ideas, would make me crazy. But it's real! Is there anything more that I can get you?"
"Only say good-night to me," said Griffin.
"Good-night," said Kemp, and shook an invisible hand.
He walked sideways to the door.
Suddenly the dressing-gown walked quickly towards him.
"Understand me!" said the dressing-gown.
"No attempts to stop me, or catch me! Or, "
Kemp's face changed a little with surprise and a quick look of doubt.
"I thought I gave you my word," he said.
Kemp closed the door softly behind him, and the key was turned on him at once.
Then, while he stood with a look of surprise, quick feet reached the dressing-room door and it too was locked.
Kemp hit his forehead with his hand.
"Am I dreaming? Has the world gone mad, or have I?"
He laughed, and put his hand to the locked door.
"Locked out of my own bedroom, by a complete nonsense!" he said.
He walked to the top of the staircase, turned, and stared at the locked doors.
"It's fact," he said.
He put his fingers to his slightly bruised neck.
"A fact that can't be denied"!
"But, "
He shook his head hopelessly, turned, and went downstairs.
He lit the dining-room lamp, got out a cigar, and began walking around the room, talking to himself.
Now and then he'd argue with himself.
"Invisible!" he said.
"Is there such a thing as an invisible animal? ".
In the sea, yes, Thousands, millions.
All the young ones, all the little nauplii and tornarias, all the tiny things, the jelly-fish.
In the sea there are more things invisible than visible!
I never thought of that before.
And in the ponds too! All those little pond-life things, specks of colourless clear jelly! But in air? No!
"It can't be".
"But after all, why not"?
"If a man was made of glass he'd still be visible."
He began to think very deeply, his mind turning over many strange ideas.
The remains of three cigars had become invisible or spread as a white ash over the carpet before he spoke again.
Then it was just an exclamation.
He turned aside, walked out of the room, and went into his little consulting-room and lit the gas there.
It was a small room, because Dr. Kemp didn't live by his practice, and in it were the day's newspapers.
The morning's paper lay carelessly opened and thrown aside.
He picked it up, turned it over, and read the account of a "Strange Story from Iping"
That the sailor at Port Stowe had read so painfully to Mr. Marvel, Kemp read it quickly.
"Wrapped up!" said Kemp.
"Disguised! Hiding it! 'No one seems to have known about his problem.' What the devil is his game?"
He dropped the paper, and his eye went looking.
"Ah!" he said, and picked up the St. James' Gazette, lying folded up as it arrived.
"Now we'll get the truth," said Dr. Kemp.
He tore the paper open, a couple of columns faced him.
"An Entire Village in Sussex goes Mad" was the heading.
"Good Heavens!" said Kemp, reading eagerly a story he couldn't believe about the events in Iping, of the previous afternoon, that have already been described.
Over the page the report in the morning paper had been printed again.
He read the short report again, slowly and with more doubt.
"It said he ran through the streets hitting left and right, Jaffers was unconscious, and Mr. Huxter was in great pain."
"He was still unable to describe what he saw, the vicar felt painful embarrassment, a woman was ill with terror, and windows were broken."
He dropped the paper and stared blankly in front of him.
"Probably a lie!"
He picked up the paper again, and read the whole thing again.
"But when does the Tramp come in? Why the devil was he chasing a tramp?"
He sat down suddenly on the surgical bench.
"He's not only invisible," he said, "but he's mad! Murderous!"
At dawn, pale light mixed with the dining-room lamp and cigar smoke, and Kemp still walked up and down, trying to understand
He was far too excited to sleep.
His servants, coming down sleepily, found him, and thought that too much study had done this to him.
He told them to prepare breakfast for two in the belvedere study, then stay in the basement and on the ground floor.
Then he continued to walk around the dining-room until the morning's paper came.
That said much but told little, giving confirmation of the night before and a poorly written account of another Port Burdock story.
This gave Kemp the main points of the happenings at the "Jolly Cricketers," and the name of Marvel.
"He's made me stay with him twenty-four hours," Marvel said.
Some small facts were added to the Iping story, especially the cutting of the village telegraph-wire.
There was nothing to explain the connection between the Invisible Man and the Tramp.
Mr. Marvel had given no information about the three books or the money he had.
The doubtful tone had gone and a crowd of reporters and questioners were already at work looking into the matter.
Kemp read every piece of the report and sent his housemaid out to get every one of the morning papers she could.
He also read all of these newspapers quickly, turning pages with growing worry.
"He's invisible!" he said.
"And it reads like anger growing to madness!"
"The things he may do!"
"The things he may do!"
"And he's upstairs free as the air."
"What on earth should I do?"
"For example, would it be a breaking of my promise if, ? No."
He went to a small messy desk in the corner, and began a note.
He tore this up half written, and wrote another.
He read it over and thought about it.
Then he took an envelope and wrote on it "To Colonel Adye, Port Burdock."
The Invisible Man woke up even as Kemp was doing this.
He woke up in a bad mood, and Kemp, listening for every sound, heard his quick feet run suddenly across the bedroom above.
Then a chair was knocked over and the wash-hand stand glass broke.
Kemp hurried upstairs and knocked eagerly.