“Ɖ mtirịl v ɖ Palis pruvd on xaṃneśn t b indd porṣlin, n alñ ɖ fes v it I sw an inscripśn in sm uņoun caṛctr. I ʈt, rɖr fūliśli, ɖt Wīna mt hlp m t intrprit ɖs, bt I onli lrnt ɖt ɖ bér îdīa v raitñ hd nvr entrd hr hed. Ś olwz sīmd t m, I fansi, mor hymn ɖn ś wz, phps bcz hr afx́n wz so hymn.

“Wɖn ɖ big valvz v ɖ dor—ẃć wr opn n brocn—w faund, instd v ɖ custmri hōl, a loñ gaḷri lit bî mni sîd windoz. At ɖ frst glans I wz rmîndd v a ḿziym. Ɖ tîld flor wz ʈic wɖ dust, n a rmarcbl are v miṣleńs objicts wz śrǎdd in ɖ sem gre cuṿrñ. Ɖen I psivd, standñ strenj n gōnt in ɖ sntr v ɖ hōl, ẃt wz clirli ɖ lowr part v a hyj scelitn. I recgnîzd bî ɖ oblic fīt ɖt it wz sm xtñt crīćr aftr ɖ faśn v ɖ Meġʈirịm. Ɖ scul n ɖ upr bonz le bsd it in ɖ ʈic dust, n in wn ples, ẃr renwōtr hd dropt ʈru a līc in ɖ rūf, ɖ ʈñ itslf hd bn wòrn awe. Frɖr in ɖ gaḷri wz ɖ hyj scelitn baṛl v a Bronṭsoṛs. Mî ḿziymhîpoʈ̇sis wz cnfrmd. Gwñ twdz ɖ sîd I faund ẃt apird t b slǒpñ śelvz, n clirñ awe ɖ ʈic dust, I faund ɖ old fmiłr glas cesz v ǎr ǒn tîm. Bt ɖe mst hv bn er-tît t juj fṛm ɖ fer preẓveśn v sm v ɖer contents.

“Clirli w std amñ ɖ ruinz v sm latr-de Sǎʈ Cenzñtn! Hir, apaṛntli, wz ɖ Palionṭlojicl Sx́n, n a vri splendid are v foṣlz it mst hv bn, ɖo ɖ inevitbl proses v dce ɖt hd bn stevd of fr a tîm, n hd, ʈru ɖ xtñśn v bactiria n fungî, lost nînti-nîn hundṛdʈs v its fors, wz nvɖls, wɖ xtrim śurnis f wɖ xtrim slǒnis at wrc agn upn ol its treźrz. Hir n ɖr I faund tresz v ɖ litl ppl in ɖ śep v rer foṣlz brocn t pìsz or ʈredd in strñz upn rìdz. N ɖ cesz hd in sm instnsz bn boḍli rmuvd—bî ɖ Morlocs az I jujd. Ɖ ples wz vri sîḷnt. Ɖ ʈic dust dednd ǎr ftsteps. Wīna, hu hd bn rolñ a sìŕćin dǎn ɖ slǒpñ glas v a ces, prezntli cem, az I stérd abt m, n vri qaytli tc mî hand n std bsd m.

“N at frst I wz so mć ṣprîzd bî ɖs enćnt mońmnt v an inṭlecćl ej, ɖt I gev no ʈt t ɖ posbiḷtiz it prizntd. Īvn mî priokpeśn abt ɖ Tîm̦śīn rsidd a litl fṛm mî mînd.

“T juj fṛm ɖ sîz v ɖ ples, ɖs Palis v Grīn Porṣlin hd a gret dīl mor in it ɖn a Gaḷri v Paliontoḷji; poṣbli historicl gaḷriz; it mt b, īvn a lîbrri! T m, at lìst in mî preznt srcmstansz, ɖz wd b vastli mor inṭrestñ ɖn ɖs spectcl v old-tîm jioḷji in dce. Xplorñ, I faund anɖr śort gaḷri runñ trnzvrsli t ɖ frst. Ɖs apird t b dvotd t minṛlz, n ɖ sît v a bloc v sulfr set mî mînd runñ on gunpǎdr. Bt I cd fînd no sōltpītr; indd, no nîtrets v eni cnd. Dǎtlis ɖe hd deliqest ejz ago. Yt ɖ sulfr huñ in mî mînd, n set p a tren v ʈncñ. Az fr ɖ rest v ɖ contents v ɖt gaḷri, ɖo on ɖ hol ɖe wr ɖ bst prizrvd v ol I sw, I hd litl inṭrest. I am no speṣ́list in miṇraḷji, n I wnt on dǎn a vri ruiṇs ail runñ paṛlel t ɖ frst hōl I hd entrd. Apaṛntli ɖs sx́n hd bn dvotd t naćṛl hisṭri, bt evrʈñ hd loñ sins pást ǎt v recgniśn. A fy śrivld n blacnd vsṭjz v ẃt hd wns bn stuft animlz, deṣcetd múmiz in jarz ɖt hd wns hld spirit, a brǎn dust v dpartd plants: ɖt wz ol! I wz sori fr ɖt, bcz I śd hv bn glad t tres ɖ petnt ri’justmnts bî ẃć ɖ conqest v aṇmetd nećr hd bn atend. Ɖen w cem t a gaḷri v simpli c’losl pṛporśnz, bt snğlrli il-lit, ɖ flor v it runñ dǎnẉd at a slît angl fṛm ɖ end at ẃć I entrd. At inṭvlz ẃît globz huñ fṛm ɖ sīlñ—mni v ɖm cract n smaśt—ẃć sjstd ɖt orijnli ɖ ples hd bn arṭfiṣ́li lit. Hir I wz mor in mî eḷmnt, fr rîzñ on îɖr sîd v m wr ɖ hyj bulcs v big mśīnz, ol gretli c’rodd n mni brocn dǎn, bt sm stl ferli cmplit. Y nǒ I hv a srtn wìcnis fr mec̣nizm, n I wz inclînd t lingr amñ ɖz; ɖ mor so az fr ɖ most part ɖe hd ɖ inṭrest v puzlz, n I cd mc onli ɖ vegist gesz at ẃt ɖe wr fr. I fansid ɖt f I cd solv ɖer puzlz I śd fînd mslf in pześn v pǎrz ɖt mt b v ys agnst ɖ Morlocs.

“Sudnli Wīna cem vri clos t mî sîd. So sudnli ɖt ś startld m. Hd it nt bn fr hr I d nt ʈnc I śd hv notist ɖt ɖ flor v ɖ gaḷri slǒpt at ol. [Ftnot: It me b, v cors, ɖt ɖ flor dd nt slǒp, bt ɖt ɖ ḿziym wz bilt intu ɖ sîd v a hil.—ED.] Ɖ end I hd cm in at wz qt abv grǎnd, n wz lit bî rer slitlîc windoz. Az y wnt dǎn ɖ leñʈ, ɖ grǎnd cem p agnst ɖz windoz, untl at last ɖr wz a pit lîc ɖ “eria” v a Lundn hǎs bfr ć, n onli a naro lîn v dêlît at ɖ top. I wnt slǒli alñ, puẓlñ abt ɖ mśīnz, n hd bn tù intnt upn ɖm t notis ɖ grajl diṃńśn v ɖ lît, untl Wīna’z incrisñ aprihnśnz drù mî atnśn. Ɖen I sw ɖt ɖ gaḷri ran dǎn at last intu a ʈic darcnis. I heztetd, n ɖen, az I lct rnd m, I sw ɖt ɖ dust wz les abundnt n its srfis les īvn. Frɖr awe twdz ɖ dimnis, it apird t b brocn bî a numbr v smōl naro ftprints. Mî sns v ɖ imījt prezns v ɖ Morlocs rvîvd at ɖt. I flt ɖt I wz westñ mî tîm in ɖ acdemic xaṃneśn v mśīnri. I cōld t mînd ɖt it wz olrdi far advanst in ɖ aḟṭnun, n ɖt I hd stl no wepn, no refyj, n no mīnz v mcñ a fîr. N ɖen dǎn in ɖ rmot blacnis v ɖ gaḷri I hrd a pkłr paṭrñ, n ɖ sem od nôzz I hd hrd dǎn ɖ wel.

“I tc Wīna’z hand. Ɖen, struc wɖ a sudn îdīa, I left hr n trnd t a mśīn fṛm ẃć pṛjctd a līvr nt unlîc ɖoz in a sigṇlbox. Clambrñ upn ɖ stand, n graspñ ɖs līvr in mî handz, I pt ol mî weit upn it sîdwez. Sudnli Wīna, dzrtd in ɖ sntṛl ail, bgan t ẃimpr. I hd jujd ɖ streñʈ v ɖ līvr priti c’recli, fr it snapt aftr a minit’s stren, n I rjônd hr wɖ a mês in mî hand mor ɖn sfiśnt, I jujd, fr eni Morloc scul I mt incǎntr. N I loñd vri mć t cil a Morloc or so. Vri inhymn, y me ʈnc, t wont t g cilñ wn’z ǒn dsndnts! Bt it wz imposibl, smhǎ, t fīl eni hymaṇti in ɖ ʈñz. Onli mî disincḷneśn t līv Wīna, n a psweźn ɖt f I bgan t slec mî ʈrst fr mrdr mî Tîm̦śīn mt sufr, rstrend m fṛm gwñ stret dǎn ɖ gaḷri n cilñ ɖ brūts I hrd.

“Wel, mês in wn hand n Wīna in ɖ uɖr, I wnt ǎt v ɖt gaḷri n intu anɖr n stl larjr wn, ẃć at ɖ frst glans rmîndd m v a miḷtri ćapl huñ wɖ tatrd flagz. Ɖ brǎn n ćard ragz ɖt huñ fṛm ɖ sîdz v it, I prezntli recgnîzd az ɖ dceyñ vsṭjz v bcs. Ɖe hd loñ sinz dropt t pìsz, n evri sembḷns v print hd left ɖm. Bt hir n ɖr wr worpt bordz n cract mtalic clasps ɖt tld ɖ têl wel inuf. Hd I bn a litrri man I mt, phps, hv moṛlîzd upn ɖ fytiḷti v ol ambiśn. Bt az it wz, ɖ ʈñ ɖt struc m wɖ cīnist fors wz ɖ inorṃs west v lebr t ẃć ɖs sombr wilḍnis v rotñ pepr tsṭfaid. At ɖ tîm I wl cnfes ɖt I ʈt ćīfli v ɖ Fiḷsoficl Trnzax́nz n mî ǒn sevntīn peprz upn fizicl optics.

“Ɖen, gwñ p a brōd sterces, w cem t ẃt me wns hv bn a gaḷri v tecnicl ceṃstri. N hir I hd nt a litl hop v ysfl dscuvriz. Xpt at wn end ẃr ɖ rūf hd c’lapst, ɖs gaḷri wz wel prizrvd. I wnt īgrli t evri unbrocn ces. N at last, in wn v ɖ riyli er-tît cesz, I faund a box v maćz. Vri īgrli I traid ɖm. Ɖe wr prf̣cli gd. Ɖe wr nt īvn damp. I trnd t Wīna. “Dans,” I craid t hr in hr ǒn tuñ. Fr nǎ I hd a wepn indd agnst ɖ horibl crīćrz w fird. N so, in ɖt deṛlict ḿziym, upn ɖ ʈic soft carṗtñ v dust, t Wīna’z hyj dlît, I soḷmli pformd a cnd v comṗzit dans, ẃiṣlñ Ɖ Land v ɖ Līl az ćirf̣li az I cd. In part it wz a modist cancan, in part a stepdans, in part a scrtdans (so far az mî teilcot pmitd), n in part orijnl. Fr I am naćṛli invntiv, az y nǒ.

“Nǎ, I stl ʈnc ɖt fr ɖs box v maćz t hv iscept ɖ wer v tîm fr immorịl yirz wz a most strenj, az fr m it wz a most forćṇt ʈñ. Yt, odli inuf, I faund a far unlîclịr substns, n ɖt wz camfr. I faund it in a sìld jar, ɖt bî ćans, I ṣpoz, hd bn riyli hrmeticli sìld. I fansid at frst ɖt it wz paṛfinwax, n smaśt ɖ glas acordñli. Bt ɖ ǒdr v camfr wz unmstecbl. In ɖ yṇvrsl dce ɖs voḷtîl substns hd ćanst t svîv, phps ʈru mni ʈǎzndz v snć̣riz. It rmîndd m v a sīpịpentñ I hd wns sìn dn fṛm ɖ ñc v a fosil Beḷmnît ɖt mst hv periśt n bcm foṣlîzd miłnz v yirz ago. I wz abt t ʈro it awe, bt I rmembrd ɖt it wz inflaṃbl n brnd wɖ a gd brît flem—wz, in fact, an xḷnt candl—n I pt it in mî pocit. I faund no xplozvz, hvr, nr eni mīnz v brecñ dǎn ɖ bronz dorz. Az yt mî ayn crǒbar wz ɖ most hlpfl ʈñ I hd ćanst upn. Nvɖls I left ɖt gaḷri gretli iletd.

“I canot tel y ol ɖ stori v ɖt loñ afṭnun. It wd rqîr a gret ef̣t v meṃri t rcōl mî xpḷreśnz in at ol ɖ propr ordr. I rmembr a loñ gaḷri v rustñ standz v armz, n hǎ I heztetd btwn mî crǒbar n a haćit or a sord. I cd nt cari bʈ, hvr, n mî bar v ayn promist bst agnst ɖ bronz gets. Ɖr wr numbrz v gunz, pistlz, n rîflz. Ɖ most wr masz v rust, bt mni wr v sm ny metl, n stl ferli sǎnd. Bt eni cartṛjz or pǎdr ɖr me wns hv bn hd rotd intu dust. Wn cornr I sw wz ćard n śatrd; phps, I ʈt, bî an xploźn amñ ɖ spesimnz. In anɖr ples wz a vast are v aidlz—Poḷnīźn, Mxicn, Grìśn, Fnīśn, evri cuntri on ŕʈ I śd ʈnc. N hir, yīldñ t an irizistibl impuls, I rout mî nem upn ɖ nǒz v a stiytît monstr fṛm Sǎʈ America ɖt ptiklrli tc mî fansi.

“Az ɖ īvnñ drù on, mî inṭrest wend. I wnt ʈru gaḷri aftr gaḷri, dusti, sîḷnt, ofn ruiṇs, ɖ xibits smtmz mir hīps v rust n lignît, smtmz freśr. In wn ples I sudnli faund mslf nir ɖ modl v a tinmain, n ɖen bî ɖ mirist axidnt I dscuvrd, in an er-tît ces, tū dîṇmît cartṛjz! I śǎtd “Yrīca!” n smaśt ɖ ces wɖ jô. Ɖen cem a dǎt. I heztetd. Ɖen, ṣlectñ a litl sîd gaḷri, I md mî ese. I nvr flt sć a dis’pôntmnt az I dd in wêtñ fîv, ten, fiftīn minits fr an xploźn ɖt nvr cem. V cors ɖ ʈñz wr dumiz, az I mt hv gést fṛm ɖer prezns. I riyli ḅliv ɖt hd ɖe nt bn so, I śd hv ruśt of incontinntli n bloun Sfnx, bronz dorz, n (az it pruvd) mî ćansz v fîndñ ɖ Tîm̦śīn, ol tgɖr intu nonxistns.

“It wz aftr ɖt, I ʈnc, ɖt w cem t a litl opn cort wɖn ɖ palis. It wz trft, n hd ʈri frūțrīz. So w restd n rfreśt ǎrslvz. Twdz súnset I bgan t cnsidr ǎr pziśn. Nît wz crīpñ upn s, n mî in’xesibl hîdñples hd stl t b faund. Bt ɖt trubld m vri litl nǎ. I hd in mî pześn a ʈñ ɖt wz, phps, ɖ bst v ol dfnsz agnst ɖ Morlocs—I hd maćz! I hd ɖ camfr in mî pocit, tù, f a blêz wr nīdd. It sīmd t m ɖt ɖ bst ʈñ w cd d wd b t pas ɖ nît in ɖ opn, pṛtctd bî a fîr. In ɖ mornñ ɖr wz ɖ gtñ v ɖ Tîm̦śīn. Twdz ɖt, az yt, I hd onli mî ayn mês. Bt nǎ, wɖ mî growñ nolij, I flt vri difṛntli twdz ɖoz bronz dorz. P t ɖs, I hd rfrend fṛm forsñ ɖm, larjli bcz v ɖ misṭri on ɖ uɖr sîd. Ɖe hd nvr imprest m az biyñ vri stroñ, n I hopt t fînd mî bar v ayn nt oltgɖr inadiqt fr ɖ wrc.