The Story of the Late Mr. Elvesham by H.G. Wells
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a minute . here ." he handed me out a little flat thing like aseidlitz- powder ." take that in water as_you_are going to bed . the other thing was a drug . not till you're ready to_go to bed, mind . it_will clear your head . that's all . one more shake--Futurus ! "

I gripped his shrivelled claw ." good-bye," he_said, and by_the droop of_his eyelids I judged he too was a little under the influence of_that brain-twisting cordial .

he recollected something else with a start, felt in_his breast- pocket, and produced another packet, this_time a cylinder the size and shape of ashaving- stick ." here," said he ."I'd almost forgotten .Don't open this until I come to- morrow-- but take it now ."

it_was so heavy that I wellnigh dropped it ." all ri' ! " said I, and he grinned at me through_the cab window as_the cabman flicked his horse into wakefulness . it_was a white packet he had given me, with red seals at either end and along its edge ." if_this isn't money," said I, " it's platinum or lead ."

I stuck it with elaborate care into my pocket, and with awhirling brain walked home through_the regent street loiterers and_the dark back streets beyond Portland road .I remember the sensations of_that walk very vividly, strange as_they were . i_was still so_far myself that I_could notice my strange mental state, and wonder whether this stuff I had had was opium--a drug beyond my experience . it_is hard now to describe the peculiarity of_my mental strangeness-- mental doubling vaguely expresses it . as i_was walking up regent street I_found in my mind a queer persuasion that_it_was Waterloo station, and had an odd impulse to_get into_the polytechnic as a man might get into a train .I put a knuckle in my eye, and it_was regent street . how can I express it ? you_see askilful actor looking quietly at you, he pulls a grimace, and lo ! -- another person . is_it too extravagant if I tell you that_it seemed to_me as_if regent street had, for_the moment, done that ? then, being persuaded it_was regent street again, i_was oddly muddled about some fantastic reminiscences that cropped up ."Thirty years_ago," thought I, " it_was here that I quarrelled with my brother ." then I burst out laughing, to_the astonishment and encouragement of a group of night prowlers .Thirty years_ago I_did_not exist, and never in my life had I boasted a brother . the stuff was surely liquid folly, for_the poignant regret for_that lost brother still clung to_me . along Portland road the madness took another turn .I began to recall vanished shops, and to compare the street with what it used to_be . confused, troubled thinking is comprehensible enough after_the drink I had taken, but what puzzled me were these curiously vivid phantasm memories that had crept into my mind, and not_only the memories that had crept in, but also the memories that had slipped out .I stopped opposite Stevens', the natural history dealer's, and cudgelled my brains to_think what he had to_do with me .a' bus went by, and sounded exactly like the rumbling of a train .I seemed to_be dipping into some dark, remote pit for_the recollection ." of_course," said I, at last, " he has promised me three frogs to- morrow . odd i_should_have forgotten ."

do they still show children dissolving views ? in those I remember one view would begin like a faint ghost, and grow and oust another . in just that way it seemed to_me that a ghostly set of new sensations was struggling with those of_my ordinary self .

I went on through Euston road to Tottenham court road, puzzled, and a little frightened, and scarcely noticed the unusual way i_was taking, for commonly I used to cut through_the intervening network of back streets .I turned into university street, to discover that I had forgotten my number . only by a strong effort did I recall 11A, and even then it seemed to_me that_it_was a thing some forgotten person had told me .I tried to steady my mind by recalling the incidents of_the dinner, and for_the life of me I_could conjure up no picture of_my host's face; I_saw him only as a shadowy outline, as one might see oneself reflected in a window through which one was looking . in_his place, however, I had a curious exterior vision of myself, sitting at a table, flushed, bright- eyed, and talkative .

" I_must take this other powder," said I ." this_is getting impossible ."

I tried the wrong side of_the hall for_my candle and_the matches, and had a doubt of_which landing my room might_be on ."I'm drunk," I_said, " that's certain," and blundered needlessly on_the staircase to sustain the proposition .

at_the first glance my room seemed unfamiliar ." what rot ! " I_said, and stared about me .I seemed to bring myself back by_the effort, and_the odd phantasmal quality passed into_the concrete familiar . there_was the old glass still, with my notes on_the albumens stuck in_the corner of_the frame, my old everyday suit of clothes pitched about_the floor . and yet it_was not so real after all . I_felt an idiotic persuasion trying to creep into my mind, as it were, that i_was in a railway carriage in a train just stopping, that i_was peering out_of_the window at some unknown station .I gripped the bed- rail firmly to reassure myself ." it's clairvoyance, perhaps," I_said ." I_must write to_the psychical research society ."

I put the rouleau on my dressing- table, sat on my bed, and began to_take off my boots . it_was as if_the picture of_my present sensations was painted over some other picture that was trying to show through ." curse it ! " said I; " my wits are going, or am I in two places at once ? " half- undressed, I tossed the powder into a glass and drank it off . it effervesced, and became a fluorescent amber colour . before i_was in bed my mind was already tranquillised . I_felt the pillow at my cheek, and thereupon I_must_have fallen asleep .

* * * * *

I awoke abruptly out of a dream of strange beasts, and found myself lying on my back . probably every_one knows that dismal, emotional dream from_which one escapes, awake indeed, but strangely cowed . there_was a curious taste in my mouth, a tired feeling in my limbs, a sense of cutaneous discomfort .I lay with my head motionless on my pillow, expecting that my feeling of strangeness and terror would pass away, and_that i_should then doze off again to sleep . but instead of_that, my uncanny sensations increased . at first I_could perceive nothing wrong about me . there_was a faint light in_the room, so faint that_it_was the very next thing to darkness, and_the furniture stood out in_it as vague blots of absolute darkness .I stared with my eyes just over the bedclothes .

it came into my mind that some one had entered the room to rob me of_my rouleau of money, but after lying for some moments, breathing regularly to simulate sleep, I realised this_was mere fancy . nevertheless, the uneasy assurance of something wrong kept fast hold of me . with an effort I raised my head from_the pillow, and peered about me at_the dark . what it_was I_could_not conceive .I looked at_the dim shapes around me, the greater and lesser darknesses that indicated curtains, table, fireplace, bookshelves, and so forth . then I began to perceive something unfamiliar in_the forms of_the darkness . had the bed turned round ? yonder should_be the bookshelves, and something shrouded and pallid rose there, something that_would not answer to_the bookshelves, however I looked at it . it_was far too big to_be my shirt thrown on a chair .

Overcoming a childish terror, I threw back the bedclothes and thrust my leg out of bed . instead of coming out of_my truckle- bed upon_the floor, I_found my foot scarcely reached the edge of_the mattress . I_made another step, as it were, and sat up on_the edge of_the bed . by_the side of_my bed should_be the candle, and_the matches upon_the broken chair .I put out my hand and touched-- nothing .I waved my hand in_the darkness, and it came against some heavy hanging, soft and thick in texture, which gave arustling noise at my touch .I grasped this and pulled it; it appeared to_be a curtain suspended over the head of_my bed .

i_was now thoroughly awake, and beginning to realise that i_was in a strange room . i_was puzzled .I tried to recall the overnight circumstances, and I_found them now, curiously enough, vivid in my memory: the supper, my reception of_the little packages, my wonder whether i_was intoxicated, my slow undressing, the coolness to my flushed face of_my pillow . I_felt a sudden distrust . was_that last night, or the night before ? at any rate, this room was strange to_me, and I_could_not imagine how I had got into_it . the dim, pallid outline was growing paler, and I perceived it_was a window, with_the dark shape of an oval toilet- glass against the weak intimation of_the dawn that filtered through_the blind .I stood up, and was surprised by a curious feeling of weakness and unsteadiness . with trembling hands outstretched, I walked slowly towards the window, getting, nevertheless, a bruise on_the knee from a chair by_the_way .I fumbled round the glass, which_was large, with handsome brass sconces, to_find the blind cord . I_could_not find any . by chance i_took hold of_the tassel, and with_the click of a spring the blind ran up .

I_found myself looking out upon ascene that was altogether strange to_me . the night was overcast, and through_the flocculent grey of_the heaped clouds there filtered a faint half- light of dawn . just at_the edge of_the sky the cloud- canopy had a blood- red rim . below, everything was dark and indistinct, dim hills in_the distance, a vague mass of buildings running up into pinnacles, trees like spilt ink, and below the window a tracery of black bushes and pale grey paths . it_was so unfamiliar that for_the moment i_thought myself still dreaming . I_felt the toilet- table; it appeared to_be made of some polished wood, and was rather elaborately furnished-- there were little cut- glass bottles and a brush upon it . there_was also a queer little object, horse- shoe shape it felt, with smooth, hard projections, lying in a saucer . I_could find no matches nor candlestick .

I turned my eyes to_the room again . now the blind was up, faint spectres of_its furnishing came out_of_the darkness . there_was a huge curtained bed, and_the fireplace at its foot had a large white mantel with something of_the shimmer of marble .

I leant against the toilet- table, shut my eyes and opened them again, and tried to_think . the whole thing was far too real for dreaming . i_was inclined to imagine there_was still some hiatus in my memory, as a consequence of_my draught of_that strange liqueur; that I had come into my inheritance perhaps, and suddenly lost my recollection of everything since my good fortune had_been announced . perhaps if I waited a little, things would_be clearer to_me again . yet my dinner with old Elvesham was now singularly vivid and recent . the champagne, the observant waiters, the powder, and_the liqueurs-- I_could_have staked my soul it all happened a few hours_ago .

and then occurred a thing so trivial and yet so terrible to_me that I

shiver now to_think of_that moment .I spoke aloud . I_said, " how the devil did I get here ? " .. . and_the voice was not my own .

it_was not my own, it_was thin, the articulation was slurred, the resonance of_my facial bones was different . then, to reassure myself I ran one hand over the other, and felt loose folds of skin, the bony laxity of age ." surely," I_said, in_that horrible voice that had somehow established itself in my throat, " surely this thing is a dream ! " almost as quickly as_if I_did it involuntarily, I thrust my fingers into my mouth . my teeth had gone . my finger-tips ran on_the flaccid surface of an even row of shrivelled gums . i_was sick with dismay and disgust .

I_felt then a passionate desire to_see myself, to realise at once in its full horror the ghastly change that had come upon me .I tottered to_the mantel, and felt along it for matches . as I_did so, abarking cough sprang up in my throat, and I clutched the thick flannel nightdress I_found about me . there were no matches there, and I suddenly realised that my extremities were cold .Sniffing and coughing, whimpering a little, perhaps, I fumbled back to bed ." it_is surely a dream," I whispered to myself as I clambered back, " surely a dream ." it_was a senile repetition .I pulled the bedclothes over my shoulders, over my ears, I thrust my withered hand under the pillow, and determined to compose myself to sleep . of_course it_was a dream . in_the morning the dream would_be over, and i_should wake up strong and vigorous again to my youth and studies .I shut my eyes, breathed regularly, and, finding myself wakeful, began to count slowly through_the powers of three .

but the thing I desired would_not come . I_could_not get

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