The Invisible Man - Summary of Chapter 4

Mr. Cuss Interviews the Stranger

Mrs Hall's compromise: 

Mrs Hall had a number of clashes with her strange guest regarding 'domestic discipline'. Every objection by her was overruled by him by making an extra payment. Hall did not like him at all and avoided him as much as possible. Mrs Hall asked her impatient husband to wait till summer which was the time he inn usually received more visitors and did good business. Presently, she was content with the prompt payment of bills by the visitor

The stranger's routine:

The stranger did not visit church. According to Mrs Hall, he worked passionately. When he was not working, he would walk across the room, talk to himself for hours together, smoke or sleep  in the armchair by the fire. He hardly communicated with the world beyond the village. His temper was unpredictable. Sometimes he broke things in a sudden fit of rage. Most of the time he seemed to be in a bad temper and talked to himself. Mrs Hall tried hard to listen but she could understand what she heard. 

The reaction of villagers and Children:

The stranger rarely left the inn during day light but he would venture out at twilight. He usually chose the loneliest paths and the ones overshadowed by trees and banks. His goggled and bandaged face, felt hat, coat, etc.  scared the villagers and even Teddy Henry. Children who saw him had nightmares. They disliked him as much as the stranger disliked them. His usual appearance and strange conduct  now became the talk of the town.

Elders and Women

People discussed what the stranger's occupation might be. Mrs Hall told her curious customers that he was an "experimental investigator." She told them that he "discovered things." She added that her visitor had an accident and did not like public attention. A good number of people believed that he was a criminal on the run. The bandages helped him to hide himself from the police. Teddy Henfrey spread this rumour.  But the village was free of any thefts or other crimes . A probationary assistant  in the National School sowed the theory that the stranger was an Anarchist and was preparing explosives to undertake some secret detective operations whenever he found time. Some people supported Mr. Fearenside's belief that the stranger must have been a piebald.  Some believed that he was a harmless lunatic. But the rumour that he might have had some supernatural powers originated among the women of Sussex after the events of early April.

Reaction of youth and children:

By and large people differed in their opinions about the stranger but they all agreed in disliking him. They did not like his irritability. His lonely walks through the deserted place at odd times, his indiffrence to the enquires of the villagers, the closing of doors, the pulling down of blinds added to the elements of mystery. People drew aside when they met him in the village. Some youngsters followed him, imitating his strange appearance. Some villagers started whistling a few lines of the song 'The Bogey Man.' Excited children called him 'Bogey Man' from  behind and ran away laughing wildly. They were happy at not getting caught.

Cuss's excuse to talk to the stranger:

Cuss was the general practitioner in the village of Iping. He grew very curious about the stranger. The badges the stranger wore, the report of the thousand one bottle roused his curiosity and jealousy. He looked forward to talking to the stranger. He finally hit up the idea of collecting subscriptions for a village nurse as an excuse to meet him. 

Mrs Hall's account:

Firstly, Cuss enquired Mrs. Hall. He was surprised to find that Mrs. Hall did no his name. Before entering the stranger's room, he knocked on the door. He was sure he had heard some curses from within. He humbly apologised for the intrusion, and entered the room. Mrs. Hall stayed behind the door. Initially she heard the murmur of voices for about ten minutes. Then she heard a cry of surprise, sounds of quick feet, flinging aside of a chair, a loud laughter, and quick steps towards the door. She saw Cuss rushing out the stranger's room. His face was white . He was staring over his shoulder. He did not stop to close the door properly.  He did not even wait to talk to Mrs Hall who was eagerly waiting to hear him.  She saw him rushing down the steps and leaving the inn in no time.  She heard the stranger laughing loudly inside his room. She also heard the sound of footsteps rushing towards the door. The door was shut loudly  and the place was silent once again.

Cuss' account:

Cuss went straight up the village to Rev. Mr. Bunting, the vicar. He was evidently very scared. The vicar gave him a glass of cheap sherry to steady his nerves. Cuss began his narration of the strange things that had happened at Iping inn. Firstly, he asked the stranger to contribute some money for the Nurse's fund. The stranger evidently caught cold and sniffed frequently. He agreed that he had a  interest in scientific things. While talking to the stranger, Cuss attention  wandered from bottles to chemicals, and everywhere. The stranger said that he would consider subscribing to the fund. Cuss asked him if he was engaged in research. The stranger answered positively. But it was clear that he was growing more and more impatient and did not want Cuss to pester him with more and more questions. 

During this time a strange incident happened. Some valuable piece of paper containing some list of ingredients was lifted off the table by a gush of wind from the window and landed in the fireplace. It was about to move up the chimney. The stranger stretch his arm to catch hold of the prescription paper. But to the great shock of Cuss, he found an arm without a hand. He saw only an empty sleeve.  He was sure of it. He could see a glimmer of light shining through a tear in the cloth. The stranger realised that Cuss had been bewildered at the sight of his empty sleeve. He quickly put his hand in his pocket. Cuss made the matters worse for himself by asking him a more embarrassing question. He wanted to know how he could move an empty sleeve. The stranger stood up. Cuss also stood up. The stranger took three slow steps and stood close. He was evidently furious. The strange appearance of the stranger now standing so close was enough to scare Cuss but he was not intimidated. Then the stranger took out his hand from his pocket pocket and raised his arm towards Cuss  slowly. The sleeve was up in the air with nothing in it. Cuss began to feel frightened. He was hurt as an invisible finger and a thumb like things nipped his nose. He grew panicky, hit the stranger's cuff hard, turned round and rushed out of the room. 

Bunting laughed at hearing all this. But Cuss was genuinely frightened.  Cuss made it clear that he felt the stranger's solid arm  when he hit him. The arm was not visible but it was there.

Bunting was suspicious of Cuss's narration though he did not say it openly. He said that it was a remarkable story. 

Comments

The wrier throws more light on the stranger's character in this chapter. He describes the reactions of the villagers of Iping at the presence of the stranger. People start weaving their own stories about the stranger. Rumours start spreading but many of them are baseless. Youngsters and children were having some fun with the stranger. The poor stranger must have been annoyed but the writer gives no account of it. The stranger had to leave his room  every now and then for a breath of fresh air.  But something makes him choose only lonely paths. He doesn't encourage conversation, which allows gossips to spread.  The visit of Cuss reveals that the stranger was really a mystery man. The experience of Cuss was hilarious but it can be frightening in real life.  To see a handless arm is  enough  to send chills down one's spine. The Vicar laughs at Cuss because the story appeared to good for him to be true. We are now left to wonder what exactly was the stranger doing in the room.  Why was the prescription so important? Now villagers like Cuss and Bunting knew some extraordinary things about the stranger. The seeds of suspicion were sowed. Will they keep the knowledge of these things confidential? How long? Mrs Hall had no clues about the sudden opening of the door and Mr Cuss leaving the inn a hurry.  But it was enough to confirm her worst suspicions about her guest.