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And directly the crates were unpacked the stranger went to the window and set to work, not troubling in the least about the litter of straw, the fire which had gone out, the box of books outside, nor for the trunks and other luggage that had gone upstairs.
When Mrs. Hall took his di
“I wish you wouldn’t come in without knocking,” he said, in the tone of abnormal exasperation that seemed so characteristic of him.
“I knocked, but seemingly—”
“Perhaps you did. But in my investigations—my really very urgent and necessary investigations—the slightest disturbance, the jar of a door… I must ask you—”
“Certainly, sir. You can turn the lock if you’re like that, you know. Any time.”
“A very good idea,” said the stranger.
“This stror, sir. If I might make so bold as to remark—”
“Don’t. If the straw makes trouble, put it down in the bill.” And he mumbled at her—words suspiciously like curses.
He was so odd, standing there, so aggressive and explosive, bottle in one hand and test tube in the other,[12] that Mrs. Hall was quite alarmed. But she was a resolute woman. “In which case, I should like to know, sir, what you consider—”
“A shilling—put down a shilling. Surely a shilling’s enough?”
“So be it,” said Mrs. Hall, taking up the tablecloth and begi
He turned and sat down with his coat collar towards her.
All the afternoon he worked with the door locked, and, as Mrs. Hall testifies, for the most part in silence. But once there was a concussion and a sound of bottles ringing together, as though the table had been hit, and the smash of glass flung violently down, and then a rapid pacing athwart the room. Fearing something was the matter, she went to the door and listened, not caring to knock.
“I can’t go on,” he was raving; “I can’t go on! Three hundred thousand, four hundred thousand! The huge multitude! Cheated! All my life it may take me!… Patience! Patience, indeed!… Fool! fool!”
There was a noise of hobnails on the bricks in the bar, and Mrs. Hall very reluctantly had to leave the rest of his soliloquy. When she returned the room was silent again, save for the faint crepitation of his chair and the occasional clink of a bottle. It was all over; the stranger had resumed work.
When she took in his tea she saw broken glass in the corner of the room under the concave mirror, and a golden stain that had been carelessly wiped. She called attention to it.
“Put it down in the bill,” snapped her visitor. “For God’s sake don’t worry me! If there’s damage done, put it down in the bill,” and he went on ticking a list[13] in the exercise–book before him.
“I’ll tell you something,” said Fearenside mysteriously. It was late in the afternoon, and they were in the little beershop of Iping Hanger.
“Well?” said Teddy Henfrey.
“This chap you’re speaking of, what my darg bit. Well—he’s black. Leastways his legs are.”
“I seed through the tear of his trousers and the tear of his glove. You’d have expected a sort of pinky to show, wouldn’t you? Well—there wasn’t none. Just blackness. I tell you he’s as black as my hat.”
“My sakes!” said Henfrey. “It’s a rummy case altogether. Why, his nose is as pink as paint!”
“That’s true,” said Fearenside. “I knows that. And I tell ’ее what I’m thinking. That marn’s a piebald, Teddy; black here and white there—in patches. And he’s ashamed of it. He’s a kind of half–breed, and the colour’s come off patchy instead of mixing.[14] I’ve heard of such things before. And it’s the common way with harses, as any one can see.”
CHAPTER IV
MR. CUSS INTERVIEWS THE STRANGER
I have told the circumstances of the stranger’s arrival in Iping with a certain fullness of detail, in order that the curious impression he created may be understood by the reader. But excepting two odd incidents, the circumstances of his stay until the extraordinary day of the club festival may be passed over very cursorily. There were a number of skirmishes with Mrs. Hall on matters of domestic discipline, but in every case until late in April, when the first signs of penury began, he overrode her by the easy expedient of an extra payment.[1] Hall did not like him, and whenever he dared he talked of the advisability of getting rid of him; but he showed his dislike mainly by concealing it ostentatiously, and avoiding his visitor as much as possible. “Wait till the summer,” said Mrs. Hall sagely, “when the artisks[2] are begi
The stranger did not go to church, and indeed made no difference between Sunday and the irreligious days, even in costume. He worked, as Mrs. Hall thought, very fitfully. Some days he would[3] come down early and be continuously busy. On others he would rise late, pace his room, fretting audibly for hours together, smoke, or sleep in the arm–chair by the fire. Communication with the world beyond the village he had none.[4] His temper continued very uncertain; for the most part his ma
He rarely went abroad by day, but at twilight he would go out muffled up enormously, whether the weather was cold or not, and he chose the loneliest paths and those most over–shadowed by trees and banks. His goggling spectacles and ghastly, bandaged face under the penthouse of his hat came with a disagreeable sudde
It was inevitable that a person of so remarkable an appearance and bearing should form a frequent topic in such a village as Iping. Opinion was greatly divided about his occupation. Mrs. Hall was sensitive on the point. When questioned, she explained very carefully that he was an “experimental investigator,” going gingerly over the syllables[7] as one who dreads pitfalls. When asked what an experimental investigator was, she would say with a touch of superiority that most educated people knew such things as that, and would then explain that he “discovered things.” Her visitor had had an accident, she said, which temporarily discoloured his face and hands, and being of a sensitive disposition was averse to any public notice of the fact.
3.12
bottle in one hand and test tube in the other — Отсутствие артикля (точнее «нулевой артикль») обычно для независимых конструкций, служащих обстоятельством образа действия. См. также knife in hand
3.13
went on ticking a list — продолжал делать пометки в списке
3.14
the colour’s come off patchy instead of mixing — (более тёмная) окраска выступила пятнами вместо того, чтобы смешиваться
4.1
overrode her by the easy expedient of an extra payment — легко побеждал её, предлагая дополнительную плату
4.2
artisks (искажённое artists) — художники
4.3
Здесь would указывает на повторность действия
4.4
Communication with the world beyond the village he had none. — необычный порядок слов (дополнение стоит на первом месте) выделяет слово communication как самое важное, и кроме того, даёт возможность употребить местоимение none, более выразительное, чем no
4.5
grew steadily upon him — всё усиливалась у него
4.6
could make neither head nor tail (of) — не могла решительно ничего понять
4.7
going gingerly over the syllables — осторожно произнося по слогам