and still. So still that it frightened Henfrey. He felt alone in the room and looked up, and there, grey and shadowy, were the bandaged head and large dark glasses staring straight in front of them. It was so strange to Henfrey that for a minute they stood staring at each other. Then Henfrey looked down again. He would have liked to say something. Should he say that the weather was very cold for the time of the year? 'The weather-' he began. 'Why don't you finish and go?' said the stiff figure, angrily. 'All you've got to do is to fix the hour hand. You're simply wasting time.' 'Certainly, sir - one minute more. I forgot . . .' And Mr Henfrey finished and left the room. 'Really!' said Mr Henfrey to himself, walking down the village street through the falling snow. 'A man must mend a clock sometimes, surely' And then,'Can't a man look at you? Ugly!' And yet again, 'It seems he can't. If you were wanted by the police, you couldn't be more wrapped and bandaged.' At the street corner he saw Hall, who had recently married the lady of the inn. 'Hello, Teddy' said Hall, as he passed. 'You've got a strange visitor!' said Teddy. Hall stopped. 'What did you say?' he asked. 'A strange man is staying at the inn,' said Teddy. And he described Mrs Hall's guest. 'It looks strange, doesn't it? I'd like to see a man's face if I had him staying in my house. But women are so foolish with strangers. He's taken your rooms, and he hasn't even given a name.' 'Is that so?' said Hall, rather stupidly. 'Yes,' said Teddy. 'And he's got a lot of boxes coming tomorrow, so he says.' Teddy walked on, easier in his mind. And after the stranger had gone to bed, which he did at about half past nine, Mr Hall went into the parlour and looked very
8
and still. So still that it frightened Henfrey. He felt alone in the room and looked up, and there, grey and shadowy, were the bandaged head and large dark glasses staring straight in front of them. It was so strange to Henfrey that for a minute they stood staring at each other. Then Henfrey looked down again. He would have liked to say something. Should he say that the weather was very cold for the time of the year? 'The weather-' he began. 'Why don't you finish and go?' said the stiff figure, angrily. 'All you've got to do is to fix the hour hand. You're simply wasting time.' 'Certainly, sir - one minute more. I forgot . . .' And Mr Henfrey finished and left the room. 'Really!' said Mr Henfrey to himself, walking down the village street through the falling snow. 'A man must mend a clock sometimes, surely' And then,'Can't a man look at you? Ugly!' And yet again, 'It seems he can't. If you were wanted by the police, you couldn't be more wrapped and bandaged.' At the street corner he saw Hall, who had recently married the lady of the inn. 'Hello, Teddy' said Hall, as he passed. 'You've got a strange visitor!' said Teddy. Hall stopped. 'What did you say?' he asked. 'A strange man is staying at the inn,' said Teddy. And he described Mrs Hall's guest. 'It looks strange, doesn't it? I'd like to see a man's face if I had him staying in my house. But women are so foolish with strangers. He's taken your rooms, and he hasn't even given a name.' 'Is that so?' said Hall, rather stupidly. 'Yes,' said Teddy. 'And he's got a lot of boxes coming tomorrow, so he says.' Teddy walked on, easier in his mind. And after the stranger had gone to bed, which he did at about half past nine, Mr Hall went into the parlour and looked very 8
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