But there was nothing to throw light on the connexion between the Invisible Man and the Tramp; for Mr. Marvel had supplied no information about the three books, or the money with which he was lined.
The incredulous tone had vanished and a shoal of reporters and inquirers were already at work elaborating the matter.
Kemp read every scrap of the report and sent his housemaid out to get everyone of the morning papers she could.
These also he devoured.
"He is invisible!" he said.
"And it reads like rage growing to mania!
The things he may do!
The things he may do!
And he's upstairs free as the air.
What on earth ought I to do?"
"For instance, would it be a breach of faith if—? No."
He went to a little untidy desk in the corner, and began a note.
He tore this up half written, and wrote another.
He read it over and considered it.
Then he took an envelope and addressed it to
"Colonel Adye, Port Burdock."
The Invisible Man awoke even as Kemp was doing this.
He awoke in an evil temper, and Kemp, alert for every sound, heard his pattering feet rush suddenly across the bedroom overhead.
Then a chair was flung over and the wash-hand stand tumbler smashed.
Kemp hurried upstairs and rapped eagerly.
Chapter 19 Certain First Principles
"What's the matter?" asked Kemp, when the Invisible Man admitted him.
"Nothing," was the answer. "But, confound it!
The smash?"
"Fit of temper," said the Invisible Man.
"Forgot this arm; and it's sore."
"You're rather liable to that sort of thing."
"I am."
Kemp walked across the room and picked up the fragments of broken glass.
"All the facts are out about you," said Kemp, standing up with the glass in his hand; "all that happened in Iping, and down the hill.
The world has become aware of its invisible citizen.
But no one knows you are here."
The Invisible Man swore.
"The secret's out.
I gather it was a secret.
I don't know what your plans are, but of course I'm anxious to help you."
The Invisible Man sat down on the bed.
"There's breakfast upstairs," said Kemp, speaking as easily as possible, and he was delighted to find his strange guest rose willingly.
Kemp led the way up the narrow staircase to the belvedere.
"Before we can do anything else," said Kemp, "I must understand a little more about this invisibility of yours."
He had sat down, after one nervous glance out of the window, with the air of a man who has talking to do.
His doubts of the sanity of the entire business flashed and vanished again as he looked across to where Griffin sat at the breakfast-table—a headless, handless dressing-gown, wiping unseen lips on a miraculously held serviette.
"It's simple enough—and credible enough," said Griffin, putting the serviette aside and leaning the invisible head on an invisible hand.
"No doubt, to you, but—" Kemp laughed.
"Well, yes; to me it seemed wonderful at first, no doubt. But now, great God! … But we will do great things yet!
I came on the stuff first at Chesilstowe."
"Chesilstowe?"
"I went there after I left London.
You know I dropped medicine and took up physics?
No; well, I did.