The Moth by H.G. Wells
Section [1 | 2]
about_the strange moth, especially as he had failed to catch it . no one but an entomologist would understand quite how he_felt . she was probably frightened at his behaviour, and yet he failed to_see how he_could explain it . he decided to_say nothing further about_the events of last night . after breakfast he_saw her in her garden, and decided to_go out and talk to reassure her . he talked to her about beans and potatoes, bees, caterpillars, and_the price of fruit . she replied in her usual manner, but she looked at him a little suspiciously, and kept walking as he walked, so_that there_was always a bed of flowers, or a row of beans, or something of_the sort, between_them . after a while he began to_feel singularly irritated at_this, and to conceal his vexation went indoors and presently went out for a walk .

the moth, or butterfly, trailing an odd flavour of Pawkins with it, kept coming into that walk, though he_did his best to_keep his mind off it . once he_saw it quite distinctly, with its wings flattened out, upon_the old stone wall that runs along the west edge of_the park, but going up to_it he_found it_was only two lumps of grey and yellow lichen ." this," said Hapley, " is_the reverse of mimicry . instead of a butterfly looking like a stone, here_is a stone looking like a butterfly ! " once something hovered and fluttered round his head, but by an effort of will he drove that impression out of_his mind again .

in_the afternoon Hapley called upon_the vicar, and argued with_him upon theological questions . they sat in_the little arbour covered with briar, and smoked as_they wrangled ." look at_that moth ! " said Hapley, suddenly, pointing to_the edge of_the wooden table .

" where ? " said the vicar .

" you don't see a moth on_the edge of_the table there ? " said Hapley .

" certainly not," said the vicar .

Hapley was thunderstruck . he gasped . the vicar was staring at him . clearly the man saw nothing ." the eye of faith is no better than_the eye of science," said Hapley awkwardly .

"I don't see your point," said the vicar, thinking it_was part of_the argument .

that night Hapley found the moth crawling over his counterpane . he sat on_the edge of_the bed in_his shirt sleeves and reasoned with himself . was_it pure hallucination ? he_knew he_was slipping, and he battled for_his sanity with_the same silent energy he had formerly displayed against Pawkins . so persistent is mental habit, that he_felt as_if it were still a struggle with Pawkins . he_was well versed in psychology . he_knew that such visual illusions do come as_a_result of mental strain . but the point was, he_did_not only see the moth, he had heard it when it touched the edge of_the lampshade, and afterwards when it hit against the wall, and he had felt it strike his face in_the dark .

he looked at it . it_was not at all dreamlike, but perfectly clear and solid- looking in_the candle- light . he_saw the hairy body, and_the short feathery antennae, the jointed legs, even a place where the down was rubbed from_the wing . he suddenly felt angry with himself for being afraid of a little insect .

his landlady had got the servant to sleep with her that night, because she was afraid to_be alone . in_addition she had locked the door, and put the chest of drawers against it . they listened and talked in whispers after they had gone to bed, but nothing occurred to alarm them . about eleven they had ventured to_put the candle out, and had both dozed off to sleep . they woke up with a start, and sat up in bed, listening in_the darkness .

then they heard slippered feet going to and fro in Hapley's room .a chair was overturned, and there_was a violent dab at_the wall . then a china mantel ornament smashed upon_the fender . suddenly the door of_the room opened, and_they heard him upon_the landing . they clung to one another, listening . he_seemed to_be dancing upon_the staircase . now he_would go down three or four steps quickly, then up again, then hurry down into_the hall . they heard the umbrella stand go over, and_the fanlight break . then the bolt shot and_the chain rattled . he_was opening the door .

they hurried to_the window . it_was a dim grey night; an almost unbroken sheet of watery cloud was sweeping across the moon, and_the hedge and trees in front of_the house were black against the pale roadway . they saw Hapley, looking like a ghost in_his shirt and white trousers, running to and fro in_the road, and beating the air . now he_would stop, now he_would dart very rapidly at something invisible, now he_would move upon it with stealthy strides . at last he went out of sight up the road towards the down . then, while they argued who_should go down and lock the door, he returned . he_was walking very fast, and he_came straight into_the house, closed the door carefully, and went quietly up to_his bedroom . then everything was silent .

" Mrs Colville," said Hapley, calling down the staircase next morning, " I_hope I_did_not alarm you last night ."

" you_may well ask that ! " said Mrs Colville .

" the fact is, I_am a sleep- walker, and_the last two nights I_have_been without my sleeping mixture . there_is nothing to_be alarmed about, really . I_am sorry I_made such an ass of myself . i_will go over the down to Shoreham, and get some stuff to_make me sleep soundly .I ought_to_have done that yesterday ."

but half- way over the down, by_the chalk pits, the moth came upon Hapley again . he went on, trying to_keep his mind upon chess problems, but it_was no good . the thing fluttered into his face, and he struck at it with_his hat in self-defence . then rage, the old rage-- the rage he had so often felt against Pawkins-- came upon him again . he went on, leaping and striking at_the eddying insect . suddenly he trod on nothing, and fell headlong .

there_was a gap in_his sensations, and Hapley found himself sitting on_the heap of flints in front of_the opening of_the chalk-pits, with a leg twisted back under him . the strange moth was still fluttering round his head . he struck at it with_his hand, and turning his head saw two men approaching him . one was_the village doctor . it occurred to Hapley that_this was lucky . then it came into his mind with extraordinary vividness, that no one would ever be_able to_see the strange moth except himself, and_that it behoved him to_keep silent about_it .

late that night, however, after his broken leg was set, he_was feverish and forgot his self- restraint . he_was lying flat on_his bed, and he began to run his eyes round the room to_see if_the moth was still about . he tried not to do_this, but it_was no good . he soon caught sight of_the thing resting close to_his hand, by_the night- light, on_the green table- cloth . the wings quivered . with a sudden wave of anger he smote at it with_his fist, and_the nurse woke up with a shriek . he had missed it .

" that moth ! " he_said; and then, " it_was fancy . nothing ! "

all the time he could_see quite clearly the insect going round the cornice and darting across the room, and he_could also see that_the nurse saw nothing of it and looked at him strangely . he_must keep himself in hand . he_knew he_was a lost man if he_did_not keep himself in hand . but as_the night waned the fever grew upon him, and_the very dread he had of seeing the moth made him see it . about five, just as_the dawn was grey, he tried to_get out of bed and catch it, though his leg was afire with pain . the nurse had to struggle with_him .

on account of_this, they tied him down to_the bed . at_this the moth grew bolder, and once he_felt it settle in_his hair . then, because he struck out violently with_his arms, they tied these also . at_this the moth came and crawled over his face, and Hapley wept, swore, screamed, prayed for_them to_take it off him, unavailingly .

the doctor was a blockhead, a just- qualified general_practitioner, and quite ignorant of mental science . he simply said there_was no moth . had he possessed the wit, he might still, perhaps, have saved Hapley from_his fate by entering into his delusion, and covering his face with gauze, as he prayed might_be done . but, as I_say, the doctor was a blockhead, and until the leg was healed Hapley was kept tied to_his bed, and with_the imaginary moth crawling over him . it never left him while he_was awake and it grew to a monster in_his dreams . while he_was awake he longed for sleep, and from sleep he awoke screaming .

so now Hapley is spending the remainder of_his days in a padded room, worried by a moth that no one else can_see . the asylum doctor calls it hallucination; but Hapley, when he_is in_his easier mood, and can talk, says it_is_the ghost of Pawkins, and consequently a unique specimen and well worth the trouble of catching .

Section [1 | 2]