Let's see your experiment anyhow,' said the Psychologist, 'though

it's all humbug, you know.'

The Time Traveller smiled round at us. Then, still smiling faintly,

and with his hands deep in his trousers pockets, he walked slowly

out of the room, and we heard his slippers shuffling down the long

passage to his laboratory.

The Psychologist looked at us. 'I wonder what he's got?'

'Some sleight-of-hand trick or other,' said the Medical Man, and

Filby tried to tell us about a conjurer he had seen at Burslem; but

before he had finished his preface the Time Traveller came back, and

Filby's anecdote collapsed.

The thing the Time Traveller held in his hand was a glittering

metallic framework, scarcely larger than a small clock, and very

delicately made. There was ivory in it, and some transparent

crystalline substance. And now I must be explicit, for this that

follows--unless his explanation is to be accepted--is an absolutely

unaccountable thing. He took one of the small octagonal tables that

were scattered about the room, and set it in front of the fire, with

two legs on the hearthrug. On this table he placed the mechanism.

Then he drew up a chair, and sat down. The only other object on the

table was a small shaded lamp, the bright light of which fell upon

the model. There were also perhaps a dozen candles about, two in

The Time Machine