按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
we were not inthe habit of writing to each other， and I had had dinner withhim the night before． When I came to read the letter， I waseven more surprised． The letter said：
Dear Lanyon，
You are one of my oldest friends． Although we havesometimes disagreed on scientific matters，I have alwaysremained your friend． I would do anything for you， Lanyon…please will you do something for me now？
Please， old friend，come to my house at once wth thisletter in your hand Poole，my servant， has his orders． Hewill be here with a locksmith．Break the lock of my studydoor， and then you must go in there alone．Open the glassfronted cupboard on the left－hand side and look on the fourthshelf from the top．On it you will find some pacKets of chemical powders， a small bottle and a book．Please take everything back to your house．
If you leave as soon as you receve this letter， you shouldbe back home before midnight．At that time you will recevea visit from a man．Please give him the bottle， the powdersand the book， and I shall aways be grateful to you．
Do not fail me， Lanyon． Believe me， my life and mypeace of mind depend on you．I am in fearful danger and only you can save me．
Your friend，
Henry Jekyll
After reading this letter， I was sure that Doctor Jekyll wasmad． But a friend is a friend， and so I went at once to hishouse．Jekyll's servant had received by the same post a letter similar to mine， and he was waiting for me with the locksmith．Together we went through the old laboratory andclimbed the stairs to the doctor's private study．The doorwas very strong， with an excellent lock， but the locksmithknew his job．Soon the door stood open and I entered thestudy．I opened the cupboard and found the shelf．Sureenough，the powders，the bottle and the book were there，and I took them home with me．
At home I lcoked at everything more carefully．There wereseveral packets of white powder and a bottle of red，strong－smelling liquid．The book contained nothing except alist of dates， going back several years．The last date wasnearly a year ago．Here and there the doctor had added afew words．The word‘donble’appeared very early in thelist， followed by the word‘Failed！！’．‘Double’appeared inthe list several more times…What was Jekyll doing？Thebook looked like a list of unsuccessful experiments．Howcould I，by taking these things to my house，save my friend's life and peace of mind？And what was the reason for thismidnight visitor？ I put my old gun in my pocket， then I putevery thing in a box for my midnight visitor to collect．
At midnight exactly there was a knock on my door． A shortman was standing in the shadows．
‘Are you from Doctor Jekyll？’I asked．He bent his head．
Although I could not see his face，there was something unpleasing about him and I was glad I had a weapon．I invitedhim into the house and there， in the bright light， I took a closer look at him．
His appearance was extremely strange． His clothes werewell made and expensive， but they were far too large forhim． He looked like a child wearing his father's clothes， butthere was nothing childlike about this man． He was short， asI have said， but very strong At the same time there was alook of sickness and horror about him，and his face was amask of pain， violence and hate．As a doctor I could pernapsfeel sorry for him；as a mau I felt only fear and dislike．
‘you got it？’said the stranger impatiently，reachingout his hand and touching my arm． His touch made my bloodrun cold．I shook off his hand．‘Come， sir，’ I said calmly．‘Sit down and introduce yourself．’
‘I apologize， Doctor Lanyon，’the stranger said more politely．‘Doctor Henry Jekyll sent me here on an importantmatter．I have to collect something from you．’
I gave him the box．He took it with trembling hands．‘ Atlast！’he cried．He turned to me．His face was deathly pale．‘Have you a medicine glass？’he asked．
I gave it to him．He put a little of the red liquid in the glassand added a packet of powder．A small cloud of smoke rosefrom the glass and the colour of the liquid changed from redto purple， and from purple to a watery green．The strangerput the glass down on the table and looked sharply at me．
‘And now，’he said，‘choose carefully．You can leave theroom now ．Or you can stay and experience something new，something unknown to science． You can be rich，famous andsuccessful，if only you will believe’
‘Sir，’I said，trying to remain calm，‘I don't understandwhat you're trying to say，and I think you are probably madBut I will stay．’
‘Very well，’said the stranger．‘Now remember yourpromise． You've been an unbeliever all your life．Youlaughed at Doctor Jekyll's ideas and called them unscientificrubbish…now see for yourself！’
He put the glass to his lips and drank the liquid．His wholebody shook and jumped and he almost fell．He held onto theedge of the table， breathing fast through his open mouth． AsI watched，his whole body seemed to change．He seemed tobecome taller， fatter…his face turned black and its shapebegan to change…The next moment I jumped back againstthe wall，trembling with fear and horror．There before myeyes， pale and shaken and sick， stood Henry Jekyll！
I cannot make myself write down the things that Jekyll，with tears in his eyes， confessed to me that night
Now fear and horror are my only companions．Sleep has left me and I feel that I have not long to live． As I write， Iwonder． Did I imagine it all？As a scientist I cannot believeit…but I saw it happen with my own eyes．
I will say just one thing more，Utterson．The evil thing thatcame into my house that night…as Jekyll told me…wasknown by the name of Hyde， and was wanted by the policefor the murder of Sir Danvers Carew．
Hastie Lanyon
With fear in his heart，Mr Utterson put away Doctor Lanyon's letter， and then opened the confession of Doctor Henry Jekyll．
9 Doctor Jekyll's confession
I was born in the year 18…． I inherited a large fortune，a strong healthy body and an excellent mind． I wasnaturally hard－working and soon I was extremely successful inmy chosen work as a scientist．Although I was still young，important people came to me for advice．At an age when mostyoung men are going out and having fun， I was behaving like agrey－haired old man．
This was not easy for me．The outside world saw a serious，hard－working doctor． Behind this quiet character， however，was an active， fun…loving young man…about…town． This， ofcourse， was nothing to be ashamed of， but I did not realizethat at the time． I was ashamed， and I soon learned to keepmy two lives separate．
I was not dishonest in any way．Both these people were me．The serious， successful young doctor was me， and the wild，fun…loving，irresponsible young man was me too．I thought about this for a long time and slowly I realized that I was notextraordinary in this． Every man has two sides to hischaracter． He is two people．They live together…often uncomfortably in the same body．
‘How fantastic，’I thought， if I could separate these twocharacters and give my fun－loving side his freedom． Then hecould go out and enjoy himself unashamedly and leave serious，studious Doctor Jekyll to get on with his important， life…savingwork．’
‘Was it possible，’ I wondered，‘to find a drug that couldgive each side of my characier its own separate face and body？’
After much thought and careful study I believed I had foundthe answer．I had read many scientific books and spent manyhours in my laboratory，searching for the right mixture ofchemicals to make my drug．At last I had everything I neededexcept a special kind of salt． I bought some from a chemist，and then I was ready．
I hesitated for a long time before I began my experiment．Only a small mistake in the mixture of the drug could meanimmediate death．But in the end，my wish to know wasstronger than my fear．And so， late one disastrous night， Imixed everything together and prepared my drug．I watchedthe smoke rising from the liquid as it changed colour from redto purple and at last to green．Then， bravely，I drank everybitter drop．
I felt a violent sickness in my stomach and a terrible pain inall my bones．The room seemed to turn round and round and Itrembled with fear．Then the fear and pain disappeared and astrange， sweet feeling took its place． Wild thoughts dancedthrough my mind． They were not good，serious thoughtsThey were the wild passions of an evil and cruel stranger． Butinside myself I felt younger， lighter， more carefree than everbefore．‘If this is pure evil，’I thought，‘I like it．’
I stood there． enjoying these strange new thoughts and passions…and suddenly realized that I was shorter．At that timethere was no mirror in my stidy． Later I put one on the wallof my study so that I could watch these changes in my appearance Now，however，it was three o’clock in the morning andall the servants were asleep．I decided it was safe to go to mybedroom in my new body and take a look at myself in the mirror there．I crossed the garden and entered my house like astranger． As I came into