after me in spadefuls. Nobody heeded me, nobody was aware of me. I

made convulsive struggles and awoke.

"The pale London dawn had come, the place was full of a chilly grey

light that filtered round the edges of the window blinds. I sat up,

and for a time I could not think where this ample apartment, with

its counters, its piles of rolled stuff, its heap of quilts and

cushions, its iron pillars, might be. Then, as recollection came

back to me, I heard voices in conversation.

Then far down the place, in the brighter light of some department

which had already raised its blinds, I saw two men approaching. I

scrambled to my feet, looking about me for some way of escape, and

even as I did so the sound of my movement made them aware of me. I

suppose they saw merely a figure moving quietly and quickly away.

'Who's that?' cried one, and 'Stop there!' shouted the other. I

dashed around a corner and came full tilt--a faceless figure,

mind you!--on a lanky lad of fifteen. He yelled and I bowled him

over, rushed past him, turned another corner, and by a happy

inspiration threw myself behind a counter. In another moment feet

went running past and I heard voices shouting, 'All hands to the

doors!' asking what was 'up,' and giving one another advice how to

catch me.

Lying on the ground, I felt scared out of my wits. But--odd as

it may seem--it did not occur to me at the moment to take off my

The Invisible Man