The Invisible Man - Summary of Chapter 5

The Burglary at the Vicarage

Mrs Bunting disturbed in her sleep:

This curious incident happened  in the small hours of Whit Monday* at the vicarage. Mrs Bunting woke up suddenly with the strong impression that the door of their bedroom had opened and closed. She woke up her husband quietly only after making herself sure that some distinct sound of barefoot. Somebody seemed to be walking towards the stairs from their adjoining room. Rev. Mr Bunting came out of their room quietly without striking a light. He too heard some distinct sounds at his study desk down-stairs and a violent sneeze. He was damn sure that somebody had broke into his house. He returned to his bedroom, armed himself with the poker and moved down the stairs noiselessly. 

Rev. Mr. Bunting with the poker:

It was about four o' clock. There was a faint light in the hall. The study door was ajar and it was dark inside. There were slight movements in the study.  Suddenly the drawer was pulled open. There was a rustle of papers. The room was lit brightly as a match was struck. Thought the crack of the door Mr Bunting could see the open drawer and a burning candle. There was nobody inside. Mr. Bunting was confused. Mrs Bunting's face was white with fear. She crept slowly downstairs after her husband. They heard the chink of the money. The realised that the robber was taking the gold sovereign coins. Mr Bunting seemed to have thought that enough was enough. Gripping the room firmly, he rushed into the room and ordered the intruder to surrender. To his great amazement, he found the room perfectly empty. 

The search for the intruder:

The couple were sure that they had heard somebody moving in the room. They searched behind the curtains, under the desk, and even looked up the chimney. They were puzzled at finding nobody. They  could not understand who had lit the candle and how the money was missing. 

Suddenly they heard a violent sneeze in the passage. They rushed out of the room. As they did so, they found somebody slamming the kitchen door.  Before they rushed to the kitchen, they had heard the bolts shot back. As Mr Bunting opened the kitchen door, he found that the back door was just opening. The garden beyond was faintly visible in the light of early dawn. He saw nobody. So he could not understand how the doors opened and closed by themselves. 

The confused couple:

The couple refastened the back door, searched the kitchen and the surroundings thoroughly. They searched the cellar and the whole house thoroughly but in vain. They were completely confused, unable to understand what really had happened. 

Comments:

The burglary at the vicarage is one of the most interesting episodes in the story. The couple were sure that somebody was in the study. They heard the chink of money, saw the room lit with a candle but found nothing. After a minute or two, they even heard somebody sneezing in the passage. They also heard somebody sneezing loudly. They heard and seen the doors opening and shutting by themselves.  The sudden sneeze in the passage make us wonder if there was any link between the intruder and the stranger at Coach and Horses.  The couple were took shocked at finding nobody despite their thorough search.  If the intruder was the stranger, what made him break into the house?  The money was stolen. Was he running out of his resources?

*Whit Monday or Pentecost Monday (also known as Monday of the Holy Spirit) is the holiday celebrated the day after Pentecost, a moveable feast in the Christian calendar. It is moveable because it is determined by the date of Easter.