‘One word,’ said I.  ‘Have you been time travelling?’

‘Yes,’ said the Time Traveller, with his mouth full, nodding his head.

‘I’d give a shilling a line for a verbatim note,’ said the Editor.  The Time Traveller pushed his glass towards the Silent Man and rang it with his fingernail; at which the Silent Man, who had been staring at his face, started convulsively, and poured him wine.  The rest of the dinner was uncomfortable.  For my own part, sudden questions kept on rising to my lips, and I dare say it was the same with the others.  The Journalist tried to relieve the tension by telling anecdotes of Hettie Potter.  The Time Traveller devoted his attention to his dinner, and displayed the appetite of a tramp.  The Medical Man smoked a cigarette, and watched the Time Traveller through his eyelashes.  The Silent Man seemed even more clumsy than usual, and drank champagne with regularity and determination out of sheer nervousness.  At last the Time Traveller pushed his plate away, and looked round us.  ‘I suppose I must apologize,’ he said.  ’I was simply starving.  I’ve had a most amazing time.’  He reached out his hand for a cigar, and cut the end.  ’But come into the smoking-room.  It’s too long a story to tell over greasy plates.’  And ringing the bell in passing, he led the way into the adjoining room.

‘You have told Blank, and Dash, and Chose about the machine?’ he said to me, leaning back in his easy-chair and naming the three new guests.

‘But the thing’s a mere paradox,’ said the Editor.

’I can’t argue to-night.  I don’t mind telling you the story, but I can’t argue.  I will,’ he went on, ’tell you the story of what has happened to me, if you like, but you must refrain from interruptions.  I want to tell it.  Badly.  Most of it will sound like lying.  So be it!  It’s true—­every word of it, all the same.  I was in my laboratory at four o’clock, and since then ...  I’ve lived eight days ... such days as no human being ever lived before!  I’m nearly worn out, but I shan’t sleep till I’ve told this thing over to you.  Then I shall go to bed.  But no interruptions!  Is it agreed?’

‘Agreed,’ said the Editor, and the rest of us echoed ‘Agreed.’  And with that the Time Traveller began his story as I have set it forth.  He sat back in his chair at first, and spoke like a weary man.  Afterwards he got more animated.  In writing it down I feel with only too much keenness the inadequacy of pen and ink—­and, above all, my own inadequacy—­to express its quality.  You read, I will suppose, attentively enough; but you cannot see the speaker’s white, sincere face in the bright circle of the little lamp, nor hear the intonation of his voice.  You cannot know how his expression followed the turns of his story!  Most of us hearers were in shadow, for the candles in the smoking-room had not been lighted, and only the face of the Journalist and the legs of the Silent Man from the knees downward were illuminated.  At first we glanced now and again at each other.  After a time we ceased to do that, and looked only at the Time Traveller’s face.