Itwaslateintheafternoon, whenMr. UttersonfoundhiswaytoDr. Jekyll’s door, wherehewasatonceadmittedbyPoole, andcarrieddownbythekitchenofficesandacross a yardwhichhadoncebeen a garden, tothebuildingwhichwasindifferentlyknownasthelaboratoryordissectingrooms. Thedoctorhadboughtthehousefromtheheirsof a celebratedsurgeon; andhisowntastesbeingratherchemicalthananatomical, hadchangedthedestinationoftheblockatthebottomofthegarden. Itwasthefirsttimethatthelawyerhadbeenreceivedinthatpartofhisfriend’s quarters; andheeyedthedingy, windowlessstructurewithcuriosity, andgazedroundwith a distastefulsenseofstrangenessashecrossedthetheatre, oncecrowdedwitheagerstudentsandnowlyinggauntandsilent, thetablesladenwithchemicalapparatus, thefloorstrewnwithcratesandlitteredwithpackingstraw, andthelightfallingdimlythroughthefoggycupola. Atthefurtherend, a flightofstairsmountedto a doorcoveredwithredbaize; andthroughthis, Mr. Uttersonwasatlastreceivedintothedoctor’s cabinet. Itwas a largeroomfittedroundwithglasspresses, furnished, amongotherthings, with a cheval-glassand a businesstable, andlookingoutuponthecourtbythreedustywindowsbarredwithiron. Thefireburnedinthegrate; a lampwassetlightedonthechimneyshelf, foreveninthehousesthefogbegantoliethickly; andthere, closeuptothewarmth, satDr. Jekyll, lookingdeathlysick. Hedidnotrisetomeethisvisitor, butheldout a coldhandandbadehimwelcomein a changedvoice.
Thedoctorshuddered. "Theywerecryingitinthesquare," hesaid. "I heardtheminmydining-room."
3
"Oneword," saidthelawyer. "Carewwasmyclient, butsoareyou, and I wanttoknowwhat I amdoing. Youhavenotbeenmadenoughtohidethisfellow?"
4
"Utterson, I sweartoGod," criedthedoctor, "I sweartoGod I willneverseteyesonhimagain. I bindmyhonourtoyouthat I amdonewithhiminthisworld. Itisallatanend. Andindeedhedoesnotwantmyhelp; youdonotknowhimas I do; heissafe, heisquitesafe; markmywords, hewillnevermorebeheardof."
5
Thelawyerlistenedgloomily; hedidnotlikehisfriend’s feverishmanner. "Youseemprettysureofhim," saidhe; "andforyoursake, I hopeyoumayberight. Ifitcameto a trial, yournamemightappear."
6
"I amquitesureofhim," repliedJekyll; "I havegroundsforcertaintythat I cannotsharewithanyone. Butthereisonethingonwhichyoumayadviseme. I have—I havereceived a letter; and I amat a losswhether I shouldshowittothepolice. I shouldliketoleaveitinyourhands, Utterson; youwouldjudgewisely, I amsure; I havesogreat a trustinyou."
7
"Youfear, I suppose, thatitmightleadtohisdetection?" askedthelawyer.
8
"No," saidtheother. "I cannotsaythat I carewhatbecomesofHyde; I amquitedonewithhim. I wasthinkingofmyowncharacter, whichthishatefulbusinesshasratherexposed."
Theletterwaswritteninanodd, uprighthandandsigned "EdwardHyde": anditsignified, brieflyenough, thatthewriter’s benefactor, Dr. Jekyll, whomhehadlongsounworthilyrepaidfor a thousandgenerosities, needlabourundernoalarmforhissafety, ashehadmeansofescapeonwhichheplaced a suredependence. Thelawyerlikedthisletterwellenough; itput a bettercolourontheintimacythanhehadlookedfor; andheblamedhimselfforsomeofhispastsuspicions.
11
"Haveyoutheenvelope?" heasked.
12
"I burnedit," repliedJekyll, "before I thoughtwhat I wasabout. Butitborenopostmark. Thenotewashandedin."
13
"Shall I keepthisandsleepuponit?" askedUtterson.
14
"I wishyoutojudgeformeentirely," wasthereply. "I havelostconfidenceinmyself."
15
"Well, I shallconsider," returnedthelawyer. "Andnowonewordmore: itwasHydewhodictatedthetermsinyourwillaboutthatdisappearance?"
16
Thedoctorseemedseizedwith a qualmoffaintness; heshuthismouthtightandnodded.
17
"I knewit," saidUtterson. "Hemeanttomurderyou. Youhad a fineescape."
18
"I havehadwhatisfarmoretothepurpose," returnedthedoctorsolemnly: "I havehad a lesson—O God, Utterson, what a lesson I havehad!" Andhecoveredhisfacefor a momentwithhishands.
19
Onhiswayout, thelawyerstoppedandhad a wordortwowithPoole. "Bythebye," saidhe, "therewas a letterhandedinto-day: whatwasthemessengerlike?" ButPoolewaspositivenothinghadcomeexceptbypost; "andonlycircularsbythat," headded.
20
Thisnewssentoffthevisitorwithhisfearsrenewed. Plainlytheletterhadcomebythelaboratorydoor; possibly, indeed, ithadbeenwritteninthecabinet; andifthatwereso, itmustbedifferentlyjudged, andhandledwiththemorecaution. Thenewsboys, ashewent, werecryingthemselveshoarsealongthefootways: "Specialedition. Shockingmurderofan M.P." Thatwasthefuneralorationofonefriendandclient; andhecouldnothelp a certainapprehensionlestthegoodnameofanothershouldbesuckeddownintheeddyofthescandal. Itwas, atleast, a ticklishdecisionthathehadtomake; andself-reliantashewasbyhabit, hebegantocherish a longingforadvice. Itwasnottobehaddirectly; butperhaps, hethought, itmightbefishedfor.
21
Presentlyafter, hesatononesideofhisownhearth, withMr. Guest, hisheadclerk, upontheother, andmidwaybetween, at a nicelycalculateddistancefromthefire, a bottleof a particularoldwinethathadlongdweltunsunnedinthefoundationsofhishouse. Thefogstillsleptonthewingabovethedrownedcity, wherethelampsglimmeredlikecarbuncles; andthroughthemuffleandsmotherofthesefallenclouds, theprocessionofthetown’s lifewasstillrollinginthroughthegreatarterieswith a soundasof a mightywind. Buttheroomwasgaywithfirelight. Inthebottletheacidswerelongagoresolved; theimperialdyehadsoftenedwithtime, asthecolourgrowsricherinstainedwindows; andtheglowofhotautumnafternoonsonhillsidevineyards, wasreadytobesetfreeandtodispersethefogsofLondon. Insensiblythelawyermelted. TherewasnomanfromwhomhekeptfewersecretsthanMr. Guest; andhewasnotalwayssurethathekeptasmanyashemeant. Guesthadoftenbeenonbusinesstothedoctor’s; heknewPoole; hecouldscarcehavefailedtohearofMr. Hyde’s familiarityaboutthehouse; hemightdrawconclusions: wasitnotaswell, then, thatheshouldsee a letterwhichputthatmysterytoright? andaboveallsinceGuest, being a greatstudentandcriticofhandwriting, wouldconsiderthestepnaturalandobliging? Theclerk, besides, was a manofcounsel; hecouldscarcereadsostrange a documentwithoutdropping a remark; andbythatremarkMr. Uttersonmightshapehisfuturecourse.
22
"Thisis a sadbusinessaboutSirDanvers," hesaid.
23
"Yes, sir, indeed. Ithaselicited a greatdealofpublicfeeling," returnedGuest. "Theman, ofcourse, wasmad."
24
"I shouldliketohearyourviewsonthat," repliedUtterson. "I have a documenthereinhishandwriting; itisbetweenourselves, for I scarceknowwhattodoaboutit; itisanuglybusinessatthebest. Butthereitis; quiteinyourway: a murderer’s autograph."