The first to recover completely from this surprise was the Medical Man,
who rang the bell the Time Traveller hated to have servants waiting at
dinner for a hot plate. At that the Editor turned to his knife and fork
with a grunt, and the Silent Man followed suit. The dinner was resumed.
Conversation was exclamatory for a little while with gaps of
wonderment; and then the Editor got fervent in his curiosity. Does our
friend eke out his modest income with a crossing? or has he his
Nebuchadnezzar phases? he inquired. I feel assured it s this business
of the Time Machine, I said, and took up the Psychologist s account of
our previous meeting. The new guests were frankly incredulous. The
Editor raised objections. What _was_ this time travelling? A man
couldn t cover himself with dust by rolling in a paradox, could he?
And then, as the idea came home to him, he resorted to caricature.
Hadn t they any clothes-brushes in the Future? The Journalist too,
would not believe at any price, and joined the Editor in the easy work
of heaping ridicule on the whole thing. They were both the new kind of
journalist very joyous, irreverent young men. Our Special
Correspondent in the Day after Tomorrow reports, the Journalist was
saying or rather shouting when the Time Traveller came back. He was
dressed in ordinary evening clothes, and nothing save his haggard look
remained of the change that had startled me.
I say, said the Editor hilariously, these chaps here say you have
been travelling into the middle of next week! Tell us all about little
Rosebery, will you? What will you take for the lot?
The Time Traveller came to the place reserved for him without a word.
He smiled quietly, in his old way. Where s my mutton? he said. What
a treat it is to stick a fork into meat again!
Story! cried the Editor.
Story be damned! said the Time Traveller. I want something to eat. I
won t say a word until I get some peptone into my arteries. Thanks. And
the salt.
One word, said I. Have you been time travelling?
Yes, said the Time Traveller, with his mouth full, nodding his head.
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