CHAPTER 2: Summary (Mr Teddy Henfrey’s First Impressions)
Mr Teddy Henfrey was a clock-repairman who arrived at the inn to repair the old clock kept in the parlour. Mrs Hall opened the door without knocking and was shocked to see that the stranger had no lower jaw beneath his bandaged mouth. However, she assumed that the dim light must have deceived her.
Mr Henfrey was also taken aback by the ghostly appearance of the stranger. The stranger asked Mrs Hall about his luggage and informed the two that he was an experimental investigator. Hence, his luggage was very important. He further told them that he had come to Iping for solitude and after the ‘accident’ — that had left him in bandages — it had become a necessity.
Mrs Hall left Henfrey to fix the clock. Henfrey took a long time with the clock on purpose, so that he could see more of the stranger. He tried to start a conversation with him, but the Invisible Man got irritated with him and told him to finish his task quickly and get out. Henfrey was very annoyed. On his way, Henfrey thought that the stranger was perhaps wanted by the police as he was all wrapped and had bandaged to conceal his identity. He met Mr Hall at a crossing. Mr Hall has recently married Mrs Hall and drove a carriage. He appeared to be drunk. Teddy Henfrey told him about the stranger and said that his appearance appeared to be a disguise. He sowed seeds of doubt in his mind. When Mr Hall returned to the inn he inquired about the stranger from his wife. He was rebuked by her and told to mind his own business. However, the same night Mrs Hall has a nightmare which makes it clear that Mrs Hall herself was uncomfortable about the stranger’s presence in her inn.
Q1. Why was Teddy Henfrey sent to the stranger’s room by Mrs Hall? What was Teddy Henfrey’s impression of the Invisible Man?
 Ans. Teddy Henfrey was a villager and a clock- jobber or the clock repairman. Mrs Hall wanted him to repair the clock in the parlour.
The Invisible Man was sleeping when Mrs Hall came with Mr Teddy Henfrey and he woke up with a startle. When Teddy entered, he was ‘taken aback’ by the bandaged appearance of the man. Getting his consent, Mr Teddy Henfrey proceeded to work. But he worked as slowly as possible. He wanted to know more about the stranger. The stranger kept staring at him and the silence of the room made Teddy nervous. He tried to start a conversation, but the stranger snubbed him. Moreover, the stranger got irritated with his delaying tactics and told him very rudely that he was wasting time and he should concentrate on his work and leave. Mr Teddy was really annoyed at this behaviour. He was the first one to spread rumours about the Invisible Man. He thought that the man was bandaged as he was trying to run away from the police. He told Mr Hall the same thing and asked him to take a note of the situation and be careful of the people his wife allowed into the inn, Coach and Horses.
