The Invisible Man - by H.G. Wells - Chapters 15- 17

"The Invisible Man" is a classic science fiction novel written by H.G. Wells and first published in 1897. The story revolves around the character of Griffin, a brilliant but eccentric scientist who discovers a way to become invisible. After successfully making himself invisible, Griffin quickly realizes that his newfound power comes with significant challenges and consequences.The novel explores the themes of power, morality, and the consequences of unchecked scientific curiosity. Griffin's invisible state allows him to indulge in his darker impulses, leading him down a path of cruelty and criminality. As he struggles to find a way to reverse his condition, he becomes increasingly isolated and desperate.Griffin's invisibility becomes both a physical and metaphorical representation of his detachment from society and his descent into madness. He becomes a symbol of the dangers of unchecked scientific experimentation and the potential for individuals to abuse their power.Throughout the novel, Griffin's actions create a sense of fear and unease in the townspeople who encounter him. As he becomes more unhinged, he becomes a menace, and the novel explores the efforts of those around him to stop his reign of terror."The Invisible Man" is not only a thrilling and suspenseful tale but also a thought-provoking commentary on the human condition and the consequences of playing with forces beyond one's control. It remains a seminal work in the science fiction genre and continues to be studied and adapted into various forms of media.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
This is a LibriVox recording. AllLibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
For more information not a volunteer,please visit www dot LibriVox dot org.
To day's reading by Alex Foster wwwdot Alex Foster dot me dot UK.
The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells, Chapter fifteen, The Man

(00:23):
who was running In the early eveningtime, Doctor Kemp was sitting in his
study in the Belvidere on the hilloverlooking Burdock. It was a pleasant little
room with three windows north west andsouth, and book shelves covered with books
and scientific publications, and a broadwriting table, and underneath the north window

(00:46):
a microscope, glass lips, minuteinstruments, some cultures, and scattered bottles
of reagents. Doctor Kemp's solar lampwas lit, albeit the sky was still
bright with the sunset light, andhis blinds were up because there was no
offense of peering outsiders to require thempulled down. Doctor Kemp was a tall
and slender young man, with flaxenhair and a mustache almost white, and

(01:10):
the work he was upon would earnhim. He hoped the fellowship of the
Royal Society. So highly did hethink of it and his eye, presently
wandering from his work, caught thesunset blazing at the back of the hill
that is over against his own.For a minute, perhaps he sat pen
in mouth, admiring the rich goldencolor above the crest, And then his

(01:32):
attention was attracted by the little figureof a man, inky black, running
over the hill brow towards him.He was a shortish little man, and
he wore a high hat, andhe was running so fast that his legs
verily twinkled. Another of those fools, said doctor Kemp, like that ass
who ran into me this morning arounda corner with visible man a coming,

(01:55):
Sir, I can't imagine what possessespeople one might think we were in the
thirteenth century. He got up,went to the window and stared at the
dusky hillside and the dark little figuretearing down it. He seems in a
confounded hurry, said doctor Kemp.But he doesn't seem to be getting on.
If his pockets were full of lead, he couldn't run. Heavier spurted,

(02:17):
sir, said doctor Kemp. Inanother moment, the higher of the
villas that had clambered up the hillfrom Burdock had occluded the running figure.
He was visible again for a moment, and again, and then again three
times between the three detached houses thatcame next, and then the terrace hid
him, asses, said doctor Kemp, swinging around on his heel and walking

(02:38):
back to his writing table. Butthose who saw the fugitive nearer and perceived
the abject terror on his perspiring face, being themselves in the open roadway,
did not share in the doctor's contempt. The man pounded, and as he
ran, he chinked like a wellfilled purse that is tossed to and fro.

(03:00):
He looked neither to the right northe left, but his dilated eyes
stared straight down hill, to wherethe lamps were being lit, and the
people were crowded in the street,and his ill shaped mouth fell apart,
and a glary foam lay on hislips, and his breath came hoarse and
noisy. All he passed stopped andbegan staring up the road and down and
interrogating one another with an inkling ofdiscomfort for the reason of his haste.

(03:23):
And then presently far up the hill, a dog playing in the road yelped
and ran under a gate, Andas they still wandered, something a wind,
a pad pad pad, a soundlike a panting breathing rushed by.
People screamed, people sprang off thepavement. It passed in shouts, It

(03:44):
passed by instinct down the hill.They were shouting in the street before Marvel
was half way there. They werebolting into houses and slamming the doors behind
them. And with the news heheard it and made one last desperate spurt.
Fear came striding by, rushed aheadof him, and in a moment
had seized the town. The InvisibleMan is coming, The Invisible Man,

(04:10):
Chapter sixteen in The Jolly Cricketers.The Jolly Cricketers is just at the bottom
of the hill where the tram linesbegin. The barman leant his fat red
arms on the counter and talked ofhorses with an anemic cabman, while a
black bearded man in a gray snappedup biscuits and cheese, drank burton,

(04:30):
and conversed in American with a policemanoff duty. What's the shouting about,
said the anemic cabman, going offat a tangent, trying to see up
the hill over the dirty yellow blindin the low window of the inn.
Somebody ran by outside fire perhaps,said the barman. Footsteps approached, running
heavily. The door was pushed openviolently, and Marvel, weeping and disheveled,

(04:55):
his hat gone, the neck ofhis coat torn open, rushed in,
made a convulsive turn and attempted toshut the door. It was half
held open by a strap. Coming. He bawled, his voice shrieking with
terror. He's coming, the visibleman after me. For God's sake,
help help, help shut the doors, said the policeman, who's coming.

(05:18):
What's the row? He went tothe door, released the strap, and
it slammed. The American closed theother door. Let me go inside,
said Marvel, staggering and weeping,but still clutching the books. Let me
go inside. Lock me in somewhere. I tell you he's after me.
I gave him the slip. Hesaid he'd kill me, and you will.

(05:40):
You're safe, said the man withthe black beard. The door's shut.
What's it all about? Let mego inside, said Marvel, and
shrieked aloud as a blow suddenly madethe fastened door shiver, and was followed
by a hurried rapping and a shoutingoutside. Hello, cried the policeman,
who's there, mister Marvel began tomake frantic dives at panels that looked like

(06:01):
doors. E'll kill me. He'sgot a knife or something. For God's
sake, here you are, saidthe barman. Come in here, and
he held up the flap of thebar. Mister Marvel rushed behind the bar
as the summon's outside was repeated.Don't open the door, he screamed,
Please, don't open the door.Where shall I eide this? This invisible

(06:25):
man then asked the man with theblack beard, with one hand behind him,
Oh, yes, it's about timewe saw him. The window of
the inn was suddenly smashed in,and there was a screaming and running to
and fro in the street. Thepoliceman had been standing on the settee staring
out, craning to see who wasat the door. He got down with
raised eyebrows. It's that, hesaid. The barman stood in front of

(06:49):
the bar parlor, which was nowlocked on. Mister Marvel stared at the
smashed window and came round to theother two men. Everything was suddenly I
wish I had my truncheon, saidthe policeman, going irresolutely to the door.
Once we open and he comes,there's no stop in him. Don't

(07:10):
you be in too much hurry aboutthat door, said the anemic cabman.
Actionously, draw the bolts, saidthe man with the black beard, And
if he comes, he showed arevolver in his hand. That won't do,
said the policeman. That's murder.I know what country I'm in,
said the man with the beard.I'm going to let off at his legs,

(07:31):
draw the bolts. Not with thatblinking tingering off behind me, said
the barman, craning over the blindVery well, said the man with a
black beard, and stooping down.Revolver already drew himself. Barman, cabman
and policeman faced about. Come in, said the bearded man in an undertone,
standing back and facing the unbolted doorswith his pistol behind him. No

(07:55):
one came in. The door remainedclosed five minutes afterwards, when a second
cabman pushed his head in cautiously.They were still waiting, and an anxious
face peered out of the bar parlorand supplied information. Are all the doors
of the house shut? Asked Marvel. He's going round, prowling round.
He's as artful as the devil,good Lord, said the burly barman.

(08:20):
There's the back. Just watch themdoors, I say. He looked about
him helplessly. The bar parlor doorslammed, and they heard the key turn.
There's the yard door and the privatedoor. The yard door. He
rushed out of the bar. Ina minute he reappeared with a carving knife
in his hand. The yard doorwas open, he said, and his

(08:41):
fat under lip dropped. He maybe in the house now, said the
first cabman. He's not in thekitchen, said the barman. There's two
women there, and I've stabbed everyinch of it with his little beef slicer.
And they don't think he's come in. They haven't noticed. Have you
fastened it, asked the first cabman. A mote of frocks, said the
barman. The man with the beardreplaced his revolver, and even as he

(09:05):
did so, the flap of thebar was shut down and the bolt clicked,
And then with a tremendous thud,the catch of the door snapped,
and the bar parlor door pursed open. The heard marvel squeal like a caught
leverage, and forthwith they were clamberingover the bar to his rescue. The
bearded man's revolver cracked, and thelooking glass at the back of the parlor
starred and came smashing and tinkling down. As the barman entered the room,

(09:30):
he saw Marvel curiously crumpled up andstruggling against the door that led to the
yard and kitchen. The door flewopen while the barman hesitated, and Marvel
was dragged into the kitchen. Therewas a scream and a clatter of hands.
Marvel, head down and lugging backobstinately, was forced to the kitchen
door, and the bolts were drawn. Then the policeman, who had been

(09:52):
trying to pass the barman, rushedin, followed by one of the cabin
grabbed the wrist of the invisible handthat collared Marvel, was hit in the
face and went reeling back. Thedoor opened and Marvel made a frantic effort
to obtain a lodgment behind it.Then the cabman collared something. I got
him, said the cabman. Thebarman's red hands came clawing at the unseen

(10:15):
here he is, said the barman. Mister Marvel released suddenly dropped to the
ground and made an attempt to crawlbehind the legs of the fighting men.
The struggle blundered around the edge ofthe door. The voice of the invisible
man was heard for the first time, yelling out sharply as the policeman trod
on his foot. Then he criedout passionately, and his fists flew round

(10:35):
like flails. The cabman suddenly whoopedand doubled up, kicked under the diaphragm.
The door into the bar parlor fromthe kitchen slammed and covered mister Marvell's
retreat. The men in the kitchenfound themselves clutching at and struggling with empty
air. Where is he gone,cried the man with a beard. Out

(10:56):
this way, said the policeman,stepping into the yard, and stopping.
A piece of time whizzed by hishead and smashed among the crockery on the
kitchen table. I'll show him,shouted the man with a black beard.
And suddenly a steel barrel shone overthe policeman's shoulder, and five bullets had
followed one another into the twilight.Whence the missile had come. As he
fired, the man with the beardmoved his hand in a horizontal curve,

(11:18):
so that his shots radiated out intothe narrow yard, like spokes from a
wheel. A silence followed. Fivecartridges, said the man with a black
beard, that's the best of allfour aces, and a joker get a
lantern. Some one uncome and feelabout for his body. Chapter seventeen,

(11:41):
Doctor Kemp's visitor. Doctor Kemp hadcontinued writing in his study until the shots
aroused him. Crack, crack,crack. They came, one after another.
Hallo, said doctor Kemp, puttinghis pen into his mouth again and
listening. Who's letting revolvers off inBurdock? What are the asses at now?

(12:03):
He went to the south window,threw it up, and leaning out,
stared down on the network of windows, beaded gas lamps, and shops
with its black interstices of roof andyard that made up the town at night.
Looked like a crowd down the hill, he said, by the cricketers,
and remained watching. Thence his eyeswandered over the town to far away,
where the ship's lights shone and thepier glowed a little illuminated faceted pavilion

(12:28):
like a gem of yellow light.The moon in his first quarter hung over
the westward hill, and the starswere clear and almost tropically bright. After
five minutes, during which his mindhad traveled into a remote speculation of social
conditions of the future, and lostitself at last over the time dimension,
Doctor Kemp roused himself with a sigh, pulled down the window again, and

(12:50):
returned to his writing desk. Itmust have been about an hour after this
that the front door bell rang.He had been writing slightly and with intervals
of abstraction since the shots. Hesat listening. He heard the servant answer
the door, and waited for herfeet on the staircase, but she did
not come. Wonder what that was, said doctor Kemp. He tried to

(13:13):
resume his work, failed, gotup, went downstairs from his study to
the landing rang, and called overthe balustrade to the housemaid as she appeared
in the hall below. Was thata letter, he asked, Only a
runaway ring, sir, she answered, I'm restless to night, he has
said to himself. He went backto his study and this time attacked his

(13:35):
work resolutely. In a little whilehe was hard at work again, and
the only sounds in the room werethe ticking of the clock and the subdued
shrillness of his quill hurrying in thevery center of the circle of light his
lamp shade threw on his table.It was two o'clock before doctor Kemp had
finished his work for the night.He rose, yawned, and went downstairs

(13:56):
to bed. He had already removedhis coat and vest when he noticed that
he was thirsty. He took acandle and went down to the dining room
in search of a siphon and whiskey. Doctor Kemp's scientific pursuits have made him
a very observant man, and ashe recrossed the hall, he noticed a
dark spot on the linoleum near themat at the foot of the stairs.

(14:18):
He went on upstairs, and thenit suddenly occurred to him to ask himself
what the spot on the linonium mightbe. Apparently some subconscious element was at
work. At any rate, heturned with his burden, went back to
the hall, put down the siphonand whiskey, and bending down, touched
the spot. Without any great surprise, he found it had the stickiness and

(14:39):
color of drying blood. He tookup his burden again and returned upstairs.
Looking about him and trying to accountfor the blood spot on the landing,
he saw something and stopped, Astonished. The door handle of his own room
was blood stained. He looked athis own hand it was quite clean.
And then he remembered the door ofhis room had been open when he came

(15:01):
down from his study, and thatconsequently he had not touched the handle at
all. He went straight into hisroom, his face quite calm, perhaps
a trifle more resolute than usual.His glance wandering inquisitively fell on the bed.
On the counterpane was a mess ofblood, and the sheet had been
torn. He had not noticed thisbefore because he had walked straight to the

(15:22):
dressing table on the further side.The bedclothes were depressed, as if someone
had recently been sitting there. Thenhe had an odd impression that he heard
a low voice say, good,Heaven's Kemp. But doctor Kemp was no
believer in voices. He stood staringat the tumbled sheets. Was that really

(15:43):
a voice? He looked about again, but noticed nothing further than the disordered
and bloodstained bed. Then he distinctlyheard a movement across the room near the
wash handstand. All men, however, highly educated, retained some superstitious inklings.
The feeling that is called eerie cameupon him. He closed the door

(16:04):
of the room, came forward tothe dressing table and put down his burdens.
Suddenly, with a start, heperceived a coiled and blood stained bandage
of linen rag hanging in mid airbetween him and the washhandstand. He stared
at this in amazement. It wasan empty bandage, a bandage properly tied,

(16:25):
but quite empty. He would haveadvanced to grasp it, but a
touch arrested him, and a voicespeaking quite close to him. Kemp said
the voice. Eh, said Kemp, with his mouth open. Keep your
nerve, said the voice, Iam an invisible man. Kemp made no
answer for a space, simply staredat the bandage. Invisible man, he

(16:48):
said, I am an invisible man, repeated the voice. The story he
had been active to ridicule only thatmorning rushed through Kemp's brain. He does
not appear to have been either verymuch frightened or very greatly surprised at the
moment. Realization came later. Ithought it was all a lie, he

(17:10):
said. The thought uppermost in hismind was the reiterated arguments of the morning.
Have you a Bandagejohn, he asked, Yes, said the invisible man.
Oh, said Kemp, and thenroused himself. I say, he
said, but this is nonsense.It's some trick. He stepped forward.
Suddenly in his hand extended towards thebandage, met invisible fingers. He recoiled

(17:36):
at the touch and his color changed. Keep steady, Kemp, for God's
sake, I want help badly.Stop. The hand gripped his arm.
He struck at it. Kemp criedthe voice, Kemp, keep steady,
and the grip tightened. A franticdesire to free himself took possession of Kemp.
The hand of the bandaged arm grippedhis shoulder, and he was suddenly

(17:56):
tripped and flung backwards upon the bed. He opened his mouth to shout,
and the corner of the sheet wasthrust between his teeth. The invisible man
had him down grimly, but hisarms were free, and he struck and
tried to kick savagely. Listen toreason, will you, said the invisible
man, sticking to him, inspite of a pounding in the ribs.
By Heaven, you'll madden me ina minute. Lie still, you fool,

(18:19):
bawled the invisible man in Kemp's ear. Kemp struggled for another moment,
and then lay still. If youshout, I'll smash your face, said
the invisible man, relieving his mouth. I'm an invisible man. It's no
foolish and no magic. I reallyam an invisible man, and I want
your help. I don't want tohurt you, but if you behave like

(18:41):
a frantic rustic I must. Don'tyou remember me? Kemp Gryffin of University
College. Let me get up,said Kemp. I'll stop where I am
and let me sit quiet for aminute. He sat up and felt his
neck. I am Gryffin of UniversityCollege, and I have made myself invisible.
I am just an ordinary man,a man you have known, made

(19:06):
invisible, Gryffin, said Kemp.Gryffin answered the voice, A younger student
than you were, almost an albino, six feet high and broad, with
a pink and white face and redeyes, who won the medal for chemistry.
I am confused, said Kemp.My brain is rioting. What has
this to do with Gryffin? Iam Griffin? Kemp thought. It's horrible,

(19:32):
he said, but what devilry musthappen to make a man invisible?
It's no devilry, It's a process, sane and intelligible enough. It's horrible,
said Kemp. How on earth it'shorrible enough. But I am wounded
and in pain and tired. GreatGod, Kemp, you are a man.
Take it steady, Give me somefood and drink, and let me

(19:53):
sit down here. Kemp stared atthe bandage as it moved across the room,
then saw a basket chair dragged acrossthe floor and come to rest near
the bed. It creaked, andthe seat was depressed by the quarter of
an inch or so. He rubbedhis eyes and felt his neck again.
This beats ghosts, he said,and laughed stupidly. That's better, Thank

(20:18):
Heaven. You're getting sensible or silly, said Kemp, and knuckled his eyes.
Give me some whisky. I'm neardead, it didn't feel so.
Where are you? If I getup, I run into you? There?
All right? Whisky here? Whereshall I give it to you?
The chair creaked, and Kemp feltthe glass drawn away from him. He

(20:38):
let go by an effort, hisinstinct was all against it. It came
to rest poised twenty inches above thefront edge of the seat of the chair.
He stared at it in infinite perplexity. This is this must be hypnotism.
You have suggested you are invisible.Nonsense, said the voice. It's

(20:59):
fram Listen to me. I demonstratedconclusively this morning, began Kemp that invisibility.
Never mind what you've demonstrated. I'mstarving, said the voice, and
the night is chilly to a manwithout clothes. Food, said Kemp.
The tumbler of whiskey tilted itself,Yes, said the invisible man, wrapping
it down. Have you a dressinggown? Kemp made some exclamation in an

(21:23):
undertone. He walked to a wardrobeand produced a robe of Dingy's corlet.
This do, he asked? Itwas taken from him. It hung limp
for a moment in mid air,fluttered weirdly, stood full and decorously,
buttoning itself, and sat down inhis chair. Drawers, socks, slippers
would be a comfort, said theunseen curtly, and food, anything,

(21:45):
but this is the insanest thing Iwas ever in in my life. He
turned out his drawers for the articles, and then went downstairs to ransack his
larder. He came back with somecold cutlets and bread, pulled up a
light table, and placed them beforehis guest. Never mind knives, said
his visitor, and a cutlet hungin mid air with a sound of gnawing.

(22:07):
Invisible, said Kemp, and satdown on a bedroom chair. I
always like to get something about mebefore I eat, said the invisible man,
with a full mouth, eating greedily. Queer fancy. I suppose that
wrist is all right, said Kemp. Trust me, said the invisible man.
I've all the strange and wonderful exactly. But it's odd I should blunder

(22:27):
into your house to get my bandaging, my first stroke of luck. Anyhow,
I meant to sleep in this houseto night. You must stand that
it's a filthy nuisance. My bloodshowing, Isn't it quite a clot?
Over there? Gets visible as itcoagulates. You see, it's the only
living tissue I've changed, and onlyfor as long as I'm alive. I've
been in the house three hours.But how's it done? Began Kemp in

(22:52):
a tone of exasperation. Confound itthe whole business. It's unreasonable, from
beginning to end. Quite reasonable,said the invisible man, per perfectly reasonable.
He reached over and secured the whiskeybottle. Kemp stared at the devouring
dressing gown, a ray of candlelight penetrating a torn patch in the right
shoulder made a triangle of light underthe left ribs. Where are the shots?

(23:12):
He asked? How did the shootingbegin? There was a real fool
of a man, a sort ofconfederate of mine. Curse him who tried
to steal my money has done so? Is he invisible too? No?
Well, can't I have some moreto eat before I tell you all that
I'm hungry in pain, and youwant me to tell stories? Kemp got

(23:34):
up. You didn't do any shooting, he asked, Not me, said
his visitor. Some fool I'd neverseen fired at random. A lot of
em got scared. They all gotscared at me. Curse them. I
say, I want more to eatthan this, Kemp. I'll see what
there is to eat downstairs, saidKemp, not much, I'm afraid.
After he had done eating, andhe had made a heavy meal, the

(23:56):
invisible man demanded a cigar. Hebit the end savagely before Kemp could find
a knife, and cursed. Whenthe outer leaf loosened, it was strange
to see him smoking his mouth andthroat. Phananx and narrows became visible as
a sort of whirling smoke. Castthis blessed gift of smoking, he said,
and puffed vigorously. I am luckyto have fallen upon you, Kemp.

(24:18):
You must help me. Fancy tumblingon you just now. I'm in
a devilish scrape. I've been mad. I think the things I've been through.
But we will do things yet,let me tell you. He helped
himself to more whiskey and soda.Kemp got up, looked about him,
and fetched a glass from his spareroom. It's wild, but I suppose
I may drink. You haven't changedmuch, Kemp, these dozen years.

(24:40):
You fair men don't cool and methodical. After the first collapse, I must
tell you. We will work together. But how was it all done?
Said Kemp? And how did youget like this? For God's sake,
let me smoke in peace for alittle while, and then I will begin
to tell you. But the storywas not told that night. The Invisible
Man's wrist was growing pain. Hewas feverish, exhausted, and his mind

(25:02):
came round to brood upon his chasedown the hill and the struggle about the
inn. He spoke in fragments ofmarvel. He smoked faster, his voice
grew angry. Kemp tried to gatherwhat he could. He was afraid of
me. I could see that hewas afraid of me, said the invisible
man. Many times over he meantto give me the slip. He was
always casting about. What a foolI was the cur I should have killed

(25:26):
him. Where did you get themoney? Asked Kemp abruptly. The invisible
man was silent for a space.I can't tell you to night, he
said. He groaned suddenly and leantforward, supporting his invisible head on invisible
hands. Kemp he said, I'vehad no sleep for near three days,
except a couple of dozes an hour. I must sleep soon. Well have

(25:47):
my room? Have this room?But how can I sleep? If I
sleep, he will get away?Ugh, what does it matter? What's
the shot wound? Asked Kemp abruptly. Nothing scratch and blood? Oh God,
how I want sleep? Why not? Invisible man appeared to be regarding
Kemp. Because I've a particular objectionto being caught by my fellow men,

(26:08):
he said slowly. Kemp started foolthat I am, said the invisible man,
striking the table smartly. I've putthe idea into your head. End
of Chapter seventeen, read in Nottingham, England, on the fifth of April
twenty o six by Alex Foster ww W dot Alex Foster dot me dot yu k