At that time, none of us believed in the Time Machine. The Time Traveller was a very clever man. We often felt that he had a secret. If Filby told us the story, we would believe him. Filby was a simple man who sold meat. But the Time Traveller had many strange ideas. Serious people did not always trust him.
I thought about the trick with the model machine all week. I talked to the Medical Man about it on Friday. The Medical Man saw a similar trick before. But the Medical Man could not explain the wind. He did not know how the candle went out.
The next Thursday, I went to Richmond again. I arrived late at the house of the Time Traveller. Four or five men were in the room. The Medical Man stood near the fire. He looked at his watch. He said it was half-past seven. He said we should start dinner.
I asked where the Time Traveller was. The Medical Man said the Time Traveller was busy. The Time Traveller left a note for us. The note said we should start dinner at seven o'clock. He said he would explain everything later. The Editor of a newspaper was there too. He did not want the food to get cold. The Medical Man rang the bell for the servants.
The Psychologist and the Medical Man were there. The Editor and a journalist (a person who writes for a newspaper) were there too. There was also a quiet man with a beard. I did not know this man. He did not speak all evening. We talked about the Time Traveller. I made a joke about time travel. The Psychologist told the new guests about the model machine.
Suddenly, the door opened very slowly. I saw the Time Traveller. I gave a cry of surprise. The Medical Man saw him next. Everyone at the table turned to the door. The Time Traveller looked terrible. His coat was dusty and dirty. His sleeves had green stains on them.
The Time Traveller’s hair was messy. His face was very pale. He had a small cut on his chin. He looked very tired and sad. He stood in the doorway for a moment. He looked like the light hurt his eyes. Then he walked into the room. He walked with a limp (a slow, painful way of walking).
The Time Traveller did not speak. He walked to the table and reached for the wine. The Editor gave him a glass of champagne. The Time Traveller drank it all at once. He looked a little better. He smiled a tiny bit. The Medical Man asked what happened. The Time Traveller did not answer the question.
"I am all right," the Time Traveller said slowly. He asked for more wine. His eyes became brighter. He looked at the warm room. He said he wanted to wash his face. Then he said he would explain everything. He asked us to save some mutton (meat from an adult sheep) for him. He was very hungry.
The Time Traveller walked toward the stairs. I saw his feet as he left the room. He did not have shoes. He only wore old, dirty socks. There was blood on the socks. I wanted to follow him, but I knew he liked to be alone. The Editor said the scientist was acting very strange.
The journalist asked if it was a game. I looked at the Psychologist. I thought about the Time Traveller and his painful walk. The Medical Man rang the bell for a hot plate. We started to eat again. The Editor asked more questions. He did not believe the story of the Time Machine. He made jokes about the future.
The journalist shouted a joke about the news. Then the Time Traveller came back. He wore clean evening clothes now. He still looked very tired. But he looked like himself again. The Editor made more jokes. He asked about the politics of the future.
The Time Traveller sat in his chair. He did not speak at first. He asked for his mutton. He said it was good to eat meat again. The Editor asked for the story. The Time Traveller said he must eat first. He said he would not speak until he finished his food.
I asked one question. I asked if he traveled through time. The Time Traveller had his mouth full of food. He nodded his head to say yes. The Editor wanted to write the story down. The Time Traveller finished his dinner. He ate like a man who had no food for a long time. The Medical Man watched him carefully.
Finally, the Time Traveller pushed his plate away. He said he was very hungry. He said his time was amazing. He took a cigar (a roll of dried tobacco for smoking). He told us to go into the smoking room. He said the story was too long for the dinner table. We all went into the next room.
The Time Traveller sat in a large chair. He told us he would tell the story. But he said we must not interrupt him. He said the story would sound like a lie. But he said every word was true. He said he lived for eight days since four o'clock today. He was very tired.
We all agreed not to interrupt. The Time Traveller began his story. He sat back in his chair. He looked very tired at first. Then he became more excited as he spoke. The room was dark. We could only see the Time Traveller's pale face in the lamp light. We stopped looking at each other. We only looked at him.