Mrs. Hall was about to leave the room, when her visitor asked her if she had made any arrangements about his boxes at Bramblehurst. She told him she had mentioned the matter to the postman, and that the carrier could bring them tomorrow.
“You are certain that is the earliest?” he said.
She was certain.
“I should explain,” he added, “what I was really too cold and fatigued to do it before, that I am an experimental investigator.”
“Indeed, sir,” said Mrs. Hall.
“And my baggage contains apparatus and appliances.”
“Very useful things indeed they are, sir,” said Mrs. Hall.
“And I’m very anxious to get on with my inquiries.”
“Of course, sir.”
“My reason for coming to Iping,” he proceeded, “was a desire for solitude. I do not wish to be disturbed in my work. In addition to my work, an accident-”
“I thought so,” said Mrs. Hall to herself.
“-necessitates a retirement. My eyes are sometimes so weak and painful that I have to shut myself up in the dark for hours. Lock myself up. Sometimes. Not at present, certainly. So the stranger in the room is a source of excruciating annoyance to me-these things should be understood.”
“Certainly, sir,” said Mrs. Hall. “And may I ask-”
“I think, that is all,” said the stranger.
After Mrs. Hall had left the room, he remained standing in front of the fire, glaring at the clock-mending. Mr. Henfrey wanted to delay his departure and perhaps fall into conversation with the stranger. But the stranger stood perfectly silent and still. So still, it got on Henfrey’s nerves. He felt alone in the room and looked up, and there, grey and dim, was the bandaged head. It was so uncanny to Henfrey that for a minute they remained staring blankly at one another. One must say something. Should he remark that the weather was very cold for the time of year?
“The weather-” Henfrey began.
“Why don’t you finish and go?” said the rigid figure, evidently in a state of painfully suppressed rage. “All you’ve got to do is to fix the clock.”
“Certainly, sir-one minute more,” and Mr. Henfrey finished and went.
But he went feeling excessively annoyed.
“Damn it!” said Mr. Henfrey to himself, going through the thawing snow; “seems like the police is wanting him.”
At the corner he saw Hall, who had recently married the stranger’s hostess at the “Coach and Horses.”