The Time Machine | Page 6

have you been up to, man?' said the Doctor. The
Time Traveller did not seem to hear. `Don't let me disturb you,' he said, with a certain
faltering articulation. `I'm all right.' He stopped, held out his glass for more, and took it
off at a draught. `That's good,' he said. His eyes grew brighter, and a faint colour came
into his cheeks. His glance flickered over our faces with a certain dull approval, and then
went round the warm and comfortable room. Then he spoke again, still as it were feeling
his way among his words. `I'm going to wash and dress, and then I'll come down and
explain things. . . Save me some of that mutton. I'm starving for a bit of meat.'

He looked across at the Editor, who was a rare visitor, and hoped he was all right. The
Editor began a question. `Tell you presently,' said the Time Traveller. `I'm--funny! Be all
right in a minute.'
He put down his glass, and walked towards the staircase door. Again I remarked his
lameness and the soft padding sound of his footfall, and standing up in my place, I saw
his feet as he went out. He had nothing on them but a pair of tattered blood-stained socks.
Then the door closed upon him. I had half a mind to follow, till I remembered how he
detested any fuss about himself. For a minute, perhaps, my mind was wool-gathering.
Then, 'Remarkable Behaviour of an Eminent Scientist,' I heard the Editor say, thinking
(after his wont) in headlines. And this brought my attention back to the bright
dinner-table.
`What's the game?' said the Journalist. `Has he been doing the Amateur Cadger? I don't
follow.' I met the eye of the Psychologist, and read my own interpretation in his face. I
thought of the Time Traveller limping painfully upstairs. I don't think any one else had
noticed his lameness.
The first to recover completely from this surprise was the Medical Man, who rang the
bell--the Time Traveller hated to have servants waiting at dinner--for a hot plate. At that
the Editor turned to his knife and fork with a grunt, and the Silent Man followed suit. The
dinner was resumed. Conversation was exclamatory for a little while, with gaps of
wonderment; and then the Editor got fervent in his curiosity. `Does our friend eke out his
modest income with a crossing? or has he his Nebuchadnezzar phases?' he inquired. `I
feel assured it's this business of the Time Machine,' I said, and took up the Psychologist's
account of our previous meeting. The new guests were frankly incredulous. The Editor
raised objections. `What WAS this time travelling? A man couldn't cover himself with
dust by rolling in a paradox, could he?' And then, as the idea came home to him, he
resorted to caricature. Hadn't they any clothes-brushes in the Future? The Journalist too,
would not believe at any price, and joined the Editor in the easy work of heaping ridicule
on the whole thing. They were both the new kind of journalist--very joyous, irreverent
young men. `Our Special Correspondent in the Day after To-morrow reports,' the
Journalist was saying--or rather shouting--when the Time Traveller came back. He was
dressed in ordinary evening clothes, and nothing save his haggard look remained of the
change that had startled me.
`I say,' said the Editor hilariously, `these chaps here say you have been travelling into the
middle of next week! Tell us all about little Rosebery, will you? What will you take for
the lot?'
The Time Traveller came to the place reserved for him without a word. He smiled quietly,
in his old way. `Where's my mutton?' he said. `What a treat it is to stick a fork into meat
again!'
`Story!' cried the Editor.
`Story be damned!' said the Time Traveller. `I want something to eat. I won't say a word

until I get some peptone into my arteries. Thanks. And the salt.'
`One word,' said I. `Have you been time travelling?'
`Yes,' said the Time Traveller, with his mouth full, nodding his head.
`I'd give a shilling a line for a verbatim note,' said the Editor. The Time Traveller pushed
his glass towards the Silent Man and rang it with his fingernail; at which the Silent Man,
who had been staring at his face, started convulsively, and poured him wine. The rest of
the dinner was uncomfortable. For my own part, sudden questions kept on rising to my
lips, and I dare say it was the same with the others. The Journalist tried to relieve the
tension by telling anecdotes of Hettie Potter. The Time Traveller devoted his attention to
his dinner, and displayed the appetite of a tramp. The Medical Man smoked a cigarette,
and watched the Time Traveller