The Story of the Late Mr. Elvesham by H.G. Wells
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get to sleep . and_the persuasion of_the inexorable reality of_the change that had happened to_me grew steadily . presently I_found myself with my eyes wide open, the powers of three forgotten, and my skinny fingers upon my shrivelled gums, i_was, indeed, suddenly and abruptly, an old man .I had in some unaccountable manner fallen through my life and come to old age, in some way I had_been cheated of all the best of_my life, of love, of struggle, of strength, and_hope .I grovelled into_the pillow and tried to_persuade myself that such hallucination was possible .Imperceptibly, steadily, the dawn grew clearer .

at last, despairing of further sleep, I sat up in bed and looked about me .a chill twilight rendered the whole chamber visible . it_was spacious and well- furnished, better furnished than any room I had ever slept in before .a candle and matches became dimly visible upon a little pedestal in a recess .I threw back the bedclothes, and, shivering with_the rawness of_the early morning, albeit it_was summer- time, I got out and lit the candle . then, trembling horribly, so that_the extinguisher rattled on its spike, I tottered to_the glass and saw--_Elvesham's face ! it_was none the less horrible because I had already dimly feared as_much . he had already seemed physically weak and pitiful to_me, but seen now, dressed only in a coarse flannel nightdress, that fell apart and showed the stringy neck, seen now as my own body, I_cannot describe its desolate decrepitude . the hollow cheeks, the straggling tail of dirty grey hair, the rheumy bleared eyes, the quivering, shrivelled lips, the lower displaying a gleam of_the pink interior lining, and those horrible dark gums showing . you who_are mind and body together, at your natural years, cannot imagine what this fiendish imprisonment meant to_me . to_be young and full of_the desire and energy of youth, and to_be caught, and presently to_be crushed in_this tottering ruin of a body .. .

but I wander from_the course of_my story . for some_time I_must_have been stunned at_this change that had come upon me . it_was daylight when I_did so_far gather myself together as to_think . in some inexplicable way I had_been changed, though how, short of magic, the thing had_been done, I could_not_say . and as i_thought, the diabolical ingenuity of Elvesham came home to_me . it seemed plain to_me that as I_found myself in_his, so he_must_be in possession of_my body, of_my strength, that_is, and my future . but how to_prove it ? then, as i_thought, the thing became so incredible, even to_me, that my mind reeled, and I had to pinch myself, to_feel my toothless gums, to_see myself in_the glass, and touch the things about me, before I_could steady myself to_face the facts again . was all life hallucination ? was I indeed Elvesham, and he me ? had I been dreaming of Eden overnight ? was there any Eden ? but if i_was Elvesham, i_should remember where i_was on_the previous morning, the name of_the town in_which I lived, what happened before_the dream began .I struggled with my thoughts .I recalled the queer doubleness of_my memories overnight . but now my mind was clear . not the ghost of any memories but those proper to Eden could I raise .

" this_way lies insanity ! " I cried in my piping voice .I staggered to my feet, dragged my feeble, heavy limbs to_the washhand- stand, and plunged my grey head into a basin of cold water . then, towelling myself, I tried again . it_was no good . I_felt beyond all question that i_was indeed Eden, not Elvesham . but Eden in Elvesham's body !

had I been a man of any_other age, I_might_have given myself up_to my fate as one enchanted . but in_these sceptical days miracles do_not pass current . here was some trick of psychology . what a drug and a steady stare could do, a drug and a steady stare, or some similar treatment, could surely undo . men have lost their memories before . but to exchange memories as one does umbrellas ! I laughed . alas ! not a healthy laugh, but awheezing, senile titter . I_could_have fancied old Elvesham laughing at my plight, and a gust of petulant anger, unusual to_me, swept across my feelings .I began dressing eagerly in_the clothes I_found lying about on_the floor, and only realised when i_was dressed that_it_was an evening suit I had assumed .I opened the wardrobe and found some more ordinary clothes, a pair of plaid trousers, and an old- fashioned dressing- gown .I put a venerable smoking-cap on my venerable head, and, coughing a little from my exertions, tottered out upon_the landing .

it_was then, perhaps, a quarter to six, and_the blinds were closely drawn and_the house quite silent . the landing was a spacious one, a broad, richly- carpeted staircase went down into_the darkness of_the hall below, and before me a door ajar showed me awriting- desk, arevolving bookcase, the back of a study chair, and a fine array of bound books, shelf upon shelf .

" my study," I mumbled, and walked across the landing . then at_the sound of_my voice a thought struck me, and I went back to_the bedroom and put in_the set of false teeth . they slipped in with_the ease of old, habit ." that's better," said I, gnashing them, and so returned to_the study .

the drawers of_the writing- desk were locked . its revolving top was also locked .I could_see no indications of_the keys, and there were none in_the pockets of_my trousers .I shuffled back at once to_the bedroom, and went through_the dress suit, and afterwards the pockets of all the garments I_could find . i_was very eager, and one might_have imagined that burglars had_been at work, to_see my room when I had done . not_only were there no keys to_be found, but not a coin, nor a scrap of paper-- save only the receipted bill of_the overnight dinner .

a curious weariness asserted itself .I sat down and stared at_the garments flung here and there, their pockets turned inside out . my first frenzy had already flickered out . every moment i_was beginning to realise the immense intelligence of_the plans of_my enemy, to_see more and more clearly the hopelessness of_my position . with an effort I rose and hurried hobbling into_the study again . on_the staircase was a housemaid pulling up the blinds . she stared, i_think, at_the expression of_my face .I shut the door of_the study behind me, and, seizing a poker, began an attack upon_the desk . that_is how they found me . the cover of_the desk was split, the lock smashed, the letters torn out_of_the pigeon-holes, and tossed about_the room . in my senile rage I had flung about_the pens and other such light stationery, and overturned the ink . moreover, a large vase upon_the mantel had got broken-- I_do_not know how . I_could find no cheque- book, no money, no indications of_the slightest use for_the recovery of_my body . i_was battering madly at_the drawers, when_the butler, backed by two women-servants, intruded upon me .

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that simply is_the story of_my change . no one will believe my frantic assertions . I_am treated as one demented, and even at_this moment I_am under restraint . but I_am sane, absolutely sane, and to_prove it I_have sat down to write this story minutely as_the things happened to_me .I appeal to_the reader, whether there_is any trace of insanity in_the style or method, of_the story he has_been reading . I_am a young man locked away in an old man's body . but the clear fact is incredible to everyone . naturally I appear demented to_those who_will_not believe this, naturally I_do_not know the names of_my secretaries, of_the doctors who come to_see me, of_my servants and neighbours, of_this town ( wherever it_is) where I_find myself . naturally I lose myself in my own house, and suffer inconveniences of every sort . naturally I ask_the oddest questions . naturally I weep and cry out, and_have paroxysms of despair . I_have no money and no cheque- book . the bank will not recognise my signature, for I suppose that, allowing for_the feeble muscles I now have, my handwriting is still Eden's . these people about me will not let me go to_the bank personally . it seems, indeed, that_there_is no bank in_this town, and_that I_have an account in some part of London . it seems that Elvesham kept the name of_his solicitor secret from all his household . I_can ascertain nothing .Elvesham was, of_course, a profound student of mental science, and all my declarations of_the facts of_the case merely confirm the theory that my insanity is_the outcome of overmuch brooding upon psychology .Dreams of_the personal identity indeed ! two days_ago i_was a healthy youngster, with all life before me; now I_am a furious old man, unkempt, and desperate, and miserable, prowling about a great, luxurious, strange house, watched, feared, and avoided as a lunatic by everyone about me . and in London is Elvesham beginning life again in a vigorous body, and with all the accumulated knowledge and wisdom of threescore and ten . he has stolen my life .

what has happened I_do_not clearly know . in_the study are volumes of manuscript notes referring chiefly to_the psychology of memory, and parts of what may_be either calculations or ciphers in symbols absolutely strange to_me . in some passages there_are indications that he_was also occupied with_the philosophy of mathematics .I take it he has transferred the whole of_his memories, the accumulation that makes up his personality, from_this old withered brain of_his to mine, and, similarly, that he has transferred mine to_his discarded tenement . practically, that_is, he has changed bodies . but how such a change may_be possible is without the range of_my philosophy . I_have_been a materialist for all my thinking life, but here, suddenly, is a clear case of man's detachability from matter .

one desperate experiment I_am about to_try .I sit writing here before putting the matter to issue . this_morning, with_the help of a table- knife that I had secreted at breakfast, I succeeded in breaking open a fairly obvious secret drawer in_this wrecked writing- desk .I discovered nothing save a little green glass phial containing a white powder . round the neck of_the phial was a label, and thereon was written this_one word, "_Release ." this_may_be-- is most probably-- poison . I_can understand Elvesham placing poison in my way, and i_should_be sure that_it_was his intention so to_get rid of_the only living witness against him, were it not for_this careful concealment . the man has practically solved the problem of immortality . save for_the spite of chance, he_will live in my body until it has aged, and then, again, throwing that aside, he_will assume some other victim's youth and strength . when one remembers his heartlessness, it_is terrible to_think of_the ever-growing experience that .. . how long has he been leaping from body to body ? .. . but I tire of writing . the powder appears to_be soluble in water . the taste is_not unpleasant .

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there the narrative found upon Mr Elvesham's desk ends . his dead body lay between_the desk and_the chair . the latter had_been pushed back, probably by his last convulsions . the story was written in pencil and in a crazy hand, quite unlike his usual minute characters . there remain only two curious facts to record .Indisputably there_was some connection between Eden and Elvesham, since_the whole of Elvesham's property was bequeathed to_the young man . but he never inherited . when Elvesham committed suicide, Eden was, strangely enough, already dead .Twenty-four hours before, he had_been knocked down by a cab and killed instantly, at_the crowded crossing at_the intersection of Gower street and Euston road . so that_the only human being who could_have thrown light upon_this fantastic narrative is beyond the reach of questions . without further comment I leave this extraordinary matter to_the reader's individual judgment .

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