Second paragraph of third chapter:

Now, the Vicar of Siddermorton had two rivals in his scientific pursuits; Gully of Sidderton, who had actually seen the glare, and who it was sent the drawing to Nature, and Borland the natural history dealer, who kept the marine laboratory at Portburdock. Borland, the Vicar thought, should have stuck to his copepods, but instead he kept a taxidermist, and took advantage of his littoral position to pick up rare sea birds. It was evident to anyone who knew anything of collecting that both these men would be scouring the country after the strange visitant, before twenty-four hours were out.

Wells’ second novel, published just after The Time Machine and just before The Island of Dr Moreau, but much less well known. The Reverend Hilyer, vicar of Siddermorton, shoots what he thinks is a strange bird, but it turns out to be an angel fallen to Earth, whose wing has been badly damaged by the clergyman. Lots of fish-out-of-water humour as the angel attempts to get to grips with Victorian society, and of course society reckons it is too good for the stranger; the local landowner accuses the angel (with reason) of being a socialist, and disaster ensues, with the vicar’s comely maidservant turning out to be the only one worthy of redemption. It’s a short book, and the satire is a bit obvious in places and rather dated as well. You can get it here.

You can also get, via the Internet Archive, a 2008 BBC radio dramatisation of the novel, script by Stephen Gallagher (of Doctor Who and other fame) and with the vicar played by Bernard Cribbins. At least for now, that’s available with a bunch of other Wells dramatisations here.

Next up on my Wells pile: Marriage.