THE STRANGE MAN'S ARRIVAL

The stranger came early in february, one wintry day, through a biting wind and a driving snow, the last snowfall of the year, over the down, walking from Bramblehurst railway station, and carrying a liitle black portmanteau in his thickly gloved hand. He was wrapped up from head to foot, and the brim of his soft nose felt had hid every inch of his face but the shiny tip of the nose; the snow had piled itself against his shoulder and chest, and added whiht crest to the burden he carried. He staggered into the "Coach of Horses" more dead than alive, and flung his portmanteau down. "A fire," he cried, "in the name of human charity! A room and a fire!" He stampedand shook the snow from off himself in the bar, and followed Mrs. Hall into her guest parlour to strike his bargain. And with that much introduction, that a couple of sovereigns flung upon the table, he took up his quarters in the inn.

Mrs. Hall lit the fire and him there while she went to prepare him a meal with her own hands. A guest to stop at Iping in the wintertime was an unheard-of piece of luck, let alone a guest who was no "haggler," and she was resolved to show herself worthy of her good fortune. As soon as the bacon was well under way, and Millie, her lymphatic maid, had been brisked up a bit by a few deftly chosen expressions of contempt, she carrired the cloth, plates, and glasses into the parlour and began to lay them with the utmost eclat. Although the fire was up briskly, she was surprised to that her visiter still wore his hat and coat, standing with his back to her and staring out of the window at, the falling snow in the yard. His gloved hands were clasped behind him, and he seemed to be lost in thought. She noticed that the melting snow that still sprinkled his shoulders dripped upon her carpet. "Can i take your hat and coat, sir?" She said, "and give them a good dry in the kitchen?"

"No," he said without turning.

She was not sure she had heard him, and was about to reapeat her question.

He turned his head and looked at her over his shoulder. "I prefer to keep them on," he said with emphasis, and she noticed that he wore big blue spectacles with sidelights, and had a bush side whisker over his coatcollar that completely hid his cheeks and face.

"Very well, sir," she said. "As you like. In a bit the room will be warmer."

He made no answer, and had turned his face away from her again, and Mrs. Hall, feeling that her conversational advances were ill-timed, laid the rest of the table things in a quick staccato and whisked out the room. when she turned he was still standing there, like a man of stone, his back hunched , his collar turned up, his dripping hat - brim turned down, hiding his face and was completely. She put down the eggs and the bacon with considerable emphasis, and called rather than said to him, "your lunch is served , sir."

"Thank you," he said at the same time, and didn't sir until she was closing the door. Then he swung round and approached the table with certain eager quickness.

As she went behind the bar to the kitchen she heard a sound repeated at regular intervals. Chirk, Chirk, chirk, it went , the sound of a spoon being rapidly whisked round a basin. "The girl!" she said . "There! I clean forgot it . it's her being so long!" And while she herself finished mixing the mustard, she gave Millie a few verbal stand for her excessive slowness . She had cooked the ham and eggs, laid the table, and done everything, while Millie had only succeeded in delaying the mustard. And him a guest and wanting to stay! Then filled the mustard pot, and putting it with a certain stateliness upon a gold and black tea-tray, carrired it into the parlour.

Mrs.Hall then got involved in the conversation with him. She told him it was steep road by the down . There a carriage had been unsettled a year ago and a gentleman and his coachman had been killed . Accidents frequently happened there. But the stranger was reclusive and unfriendly . He was not to be drawn in conversation so easily. "They do ", he said through his muffler; When she told him about the accident of her sister's son , he simply said, "I can quite understand that." When she told him that at one time he had thought that he would have to have an operation . The stranger laughed abruptly and said, "Was he?" She told him that there was nothing to laugh about.

"Will you get me some matches ?" said the visitor , quite abruptly, "My pipe is out." She considered him rude and went for the matches. He thanked her and stared out of the window. Evidently, he was sensitive on the topic of operations and bandages. But his snubbing way had irritated her. The stranger remained in the parlour until 4 o'clock. For the most part he was quiet . Then he was audible pacing the room. He seemed to be talking to himself.

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