The Story of the Late Mr. Elvesham by H.G. Wells
Section [1 | 2 | 3]
the story of_the late Mr Elvesham

by H .G .Wells

I set this story down, not expecting it_will_be believed, but, if possible, to_prepare a way of escape for_the next victim . he, perhaps, may profit by my misfortune . my own case, I_know, is hopeless, and I_am now in some measure prepared to meet my fate .

my name is Edward George Eden . i_was born at Trentham, in Staffordshire, my father being employed in_the gardens there .I lost my mother when i_was three years old, and my father when i_was five, my uncle, George Eden, then adopting me as his own son . he_was a single man, self- educated, and well- known in Birmingham as an enterprising journalist; he educated me generously, fired my ambition to succeed in_the_world, and at his death, which happened four years_ago, left me his entire fortune, a matter of about five hundred pounds after all outgoing charges were paid . i_was then eighteen . he advised me in_his will to expend the money in completing my education .I had already chosen the profession of medicine, and through his posthumous generosity and my good fortune in a scholarship competition, I became a medical student at university college, London . at_the_time of_the beginning of_my story I lodged at 11A university street in a little upper room, very shabbily furnished and draughty, overlooking the back of Shoolbred's premises .I used this little room both to live in and sleep in, because i_was anxious to eke out my means to_the very last shillings- worth .

i_was taking a pair of shoes to_be mended at a shop in_the Tottenham court road when I first encountered the little old man with_the yellow face, with_whom my life has now become so inextricably entangled . he_was standing on_the kerb, and staring at_the number on_the door in a doubtful way, as I opened it . his eyes-- they were dull grey eyes, and reddish under the rims--fell to my face, and_his countenance immediately assumed an expression of corrugated amiability .

" you come," he_said, " apt to_the moment .I had forgotten the number of your house . how do_you do, Mr Eden ? "

i_was a little astonished at his familiar address, for I had never set eyes on_the man before . i_was a little annoyed, too, at his catching me with my boots under my arm . he noticed my lack of cordiality .

" wonder who the deuce I_am, eh ? a friend, let me assure you . I_have_seen you before, though you haven't seen me . is_there anywhere where I_can talk to_you ? "

I hesitated . the shabbiness of_my room upstairs was not a matter for every stranger ." perhaps," said I, " we_might walk down the street .I'm unfortunately prevented--" my gesture explained the sentence before I had spoken it .

" the very thing," he_said, and faced this_way, and then that ." the street ? which_way shall we go ? " I slipped my boots down in_the passage ." look here ! " he_said abruptly; " this business of_mine is arigmarole . come and lunch with me, Mr Eden .I'm an old man, a very old man, and not good at explanations, and what with my piping voice and_the clatter of_the traffic----"

he laid a persuasive skinny hand that trembled a little upon my arm .

i_was not so old that an old man might_not treat me to a lunch . yet at_the same time i_was not altogether pleased by_this abrupt invitation ."I had rather----" I began ." but I had rather," he_said, catching me up, " and a certain civility is surely due to my grey hairs ."

and so I consented, and went with_him .

he_took me to Blavitiski's; I had to walk slowly to accommodate myself to_his paces; and over such a lunch as I had never tasted before, he fended off my leading question, and i_took a better note of_his appearance . his clean-shaven face was lean and wrinkled, his shrivelled, lips fell over a set of false teeth, and_his white hair was thin and rather long; he_seemed small to_me,-- though indeed, most people seemed small to_me,-- and_his shoulders were rounded and bent . and watching him, I_could_not help but observe that he too was taking note of me, running his eyes, with a curious touch of greed in_them, over me, from my broad shoulders to my suntanned hands, and up_to my freckled face again ." and now," said he, as_we lit our cigarettes, " I_must tell you of_the business in hand .

" I_must tell you, then, that I_am an old man, a very old man ." he paused momentarily ." and it happens that I_have money that I_must presently be leaving, and never a child have I to leave it to ." i_thought of_the confidence trick, and resolved i_would_be on_the alert for_the vestiges of_my five hundred pounds . he proceeded to enlarge on_his loneliness, and_the trouble he had to_find a proper disposition of_his money ." I_have weighed this plan and_that plan, charities, institutions, and scholarships, and libraries, and I_have come to_this conclusion at last,"-- he fixed his eyes on my face,--" that I will_find some young fellow, ambitious, pure- minded, and poor, healthy in body and healthy in mind, and, in short, make him my heir, give him all that I_have ." he repeated, " give him all that I_have . so_that he_will suddenly be lifted out of all the trouble and struggle in_which his sympathies have_been educated, to freedom and influence ."

I tried to seem disinterested . with a transparent hypocrisy I_said, " and you_want my help, my professional services maybe, to_find that person ."

he smiled, and looked at me over his cigarette, and I laughed at his quiet exposure of_my modest pretence .

" what a career such a man might_have ! " he_said ." it fills me with envy to_think how I_have accumulated that another man may spend----

" but there_are conditions, of_course, burdens to_be imposed . he_must, for instance, take my name . you_cannot expect everything without some return . and I_must go into all the circumstances of_his life before I_can accept him . he_must_be sound . I_must know his heredity, how his parents and grandparents died, have the strictest inquiries made into his private morals ."

this modified my secret congratulations a little .

" and do I understand," said I, " that I----"

" yes," he_said, almost fiercely ." you . you ."

I answered never a word . my imagination was dancing wildly, my innate scepticism was useless to modify its transports . there_was not a particle of gratitude in my mind-- I_did_not know what to_say nor how to_say it ." but why me in_particular ? " I_said at last .

he had chanced to hear of me from professor Haslar; he_said, as a typically sound and sane young man, and he_wished, as far as possible, to leave his money where health and integrity were assured .

that was my first meeting with_the little old man . he_was mysterious about himself; he_would_not give his name yet, he_said, and after I had answered some questions of_his, he left me at_the Blavitiski portal .I noticed that he drew a handful of gold coins from_his pocket when it came to paying for_the lunch . his insistence upon bodily health was curious . in accordance with an arrangement we had made I applied that day for a life policy in_the loyal insurance company for a large sum, and i_was exhaustively overhauled by_the medical advisers of_that company in_the subsequent week . even that did_not satisfy him, and he insisted I_must_be re- examined by_the great doctor Henderson .

it_was Friday in Whitsun week before he_came to a decision . he_called me down, quite late in_the evening,-- nearly nine it_was,-- from cramming chemical equations for_my preliminary scientific examination . he_was standing in_the passage under the feeble gas- lamp, and_his face was a grotesque interplay of shadows . he_seemed more bowed than when I had first seen him, and_his cheeks had sunk in a little .

his voice shook with emotion ." everything is satisfactory, Mr Eden," he_said ." everything is quite, quite satisfactory . and this night of all nights, you_must dine with me and celebrate your-- accession ." he_was interrupted by a cough ." you won't have long to wait, either," he_said, wiping his handkerchief across his lips, and gripping my hand with_his long bony claw that was disengaged ." certainly not very long to wait ."

we went into_the street and called a cab .I remember every incident of_that drive vividly, the swift, easy motion, the vivid contrast of gas and oil and electric light, the crowds of people in_the streets, the place in regent street to_which we went, and_the sumptuous dinner we were served with there . i_was disconcerted at first by_the well- dressed waiter's glances at my rough clothes, bothered by_the stones of_the olives, but as_the champagne warmed my blood, my confidence revived . at first the old man talked of himself . he had already told me his name in_the cab; he_was Egbert Elvesham, the great philosopher, whose name I had known since i_was alad at school . it seemed incredible to_me that_this man, whose intelligence had so early dominated mine, this great abstraction, should suddenly realise itself as_this decrepit, familiar figure .I daresay every young fellow who has suddenly fallen among celebrities has felt something of_my disappointment . he_told me now of_the future that_the feeble streams of_his life would presently leave dry for_me, houses, copyrights, investments; I had never suspected that philosophers were so rich . he watched me drink and eat with a touch of envy ." what a capacity for living you_have ! " he_said; and then with a sigh, a sigh of relief I_could_have thought it, " it_will_not_be long ."

"Ay," said I, my head swimming now with champagne; " I_have a future perhaps-- of apassing agreeable sort, thanks to_you . I_shall now have the honour of your_name . but you_have a past . such a past as is worth all my future ."

he shook his head and smiled, as i_thought, with half sad appreciation of_my flattering admiration ." that future," he_said, " would you in truth change it ? " the waiter came with liqueurs ." you_will_not perhaps mind taking my name, taking my position, but would you indeed-- willingly-- take my years ? "

" with your achievements," said I gallantly .

he smiled again ."Kummel-- both," he_said to_the waiter, and turned his attention to a little paper packet he had taken from_his pocket ." this hour," said he, " this after-dinner hour is_the hour of small things . here_is a scrap of_my unpublished wisdom ." he opened the packet with_his shaking yellow fingers, and showed a little pinkish powder on_the paper ." this," said he--" well, you_must guess what it_is . but Kummel-- put but a dash of_this powder in_it-- is Himmel ."

his large greyish eyes watched mine with an inscrutable expression .

it_was a bit of a shock to_me to_find this great teacher gave his mind to_the flavour of liqueurs . however, I feigned an interest in_his weakness, for i_was drunk enough for such small sycophancy .

he parted the powder between_the little glasses, and, rising suddenly, with a strange unexpected dignity, held out his hand towards me .I imitated his action, and_the glasses rang ." to a quick succession," said he, and raised his glass towards his lips .

" not that," I_said hastily ." not that ."

he paused with_the liqueur at_the level of_his chin, and_his eyes blazing into mine .

" to a long life," said I .

he hesitated ." to a long life," said he, with a sudden bark of laughter, and with eyes fixed on one another we tilted the little glasses . his eyes looked straight into mine, and as I drained the stuff off, I_felt a curiously intense sensation . the first touch of it set my brain in a furious tumult; I seemed to_feel an actual physical stirring in my skull, and aseething humming filled my ears . I_did_not notice the flavour in my mouth, the aroma that filled my throat; I_saw only the grey intensity of_his gaze that burnt into mine . the draught, the mental confusion, the noise and stirring in my head, seemed to last an interminable time . curious vague impressions of half- forgotten things danced and vanished on_the edge of_my consciousness . at last he broke the spell . with a sudden explosive sigh he put down his glass .

" well ? " he_said .

" it's glorious," said I, though I had_not tasted the stuff .

my head was spinning .I sat down . my brain was chaos . then my perception grew clear and minute as_though I_saw things in a concave mirror . his manner seemed to_have changed into something nervous and hasty . he pulled out his watch and grimaced at it ."Eleven-seven ! and to- night I_must-- Seven-twenty-five . Waterloo ! I_must go at once ." he_called for_the bill, and struggled with_his coat . officious waiters came to our assistance . in another moment i_was wishing him good-bye, over the apron of a cab, and still with an absurd feeling of minute distinctness, as_though-- how can I express it ? --I not_only saw but felt through an inverted opera- glass .

" that stuff," he_said . he put his hand to_his forehead ."I ought not to_have given it to_you . it_will make your head split to- morrow . wait a

Section [1 | 2 | 3]