暗黑小说

SEARCH FOR MR. HYDE（第1页）

thateveningmr。uttersoncamehometohisbachelorhouseinsombrespiritsandsatdowntodinnerwithoutrelish。itwashiscustofasunday，whenthismealwasover，tositclosebythefire，avo露meofsomedrydivinityonhisreadingdesk，untiltheclockoftheneighbouringchurchrangoutthehouroftwelve，whenhewouldgosoberlyandgratefullytobed。onthisnight，however，assoonastheclothwastakenaway，hetookupacandleandwentintohisbusiness-roothereheopenedhissafe，tookfromthestprivatepartofitadocumentendorsedontheenvelopeasdr。jekyllswill，andsatdownwithacloudedbrowtostudyitscontents。thewillwasholograph，formr。utterson，thoughhetookchargeofitnowthatitwasmade，hadrefusedtolendtheleastassistanceinthemakingofit;itprovidednotonlythat，incaseofthedeceaseofhenryjekyll，m。d。，d。c。l。，l。l。d。，f。r。s。，etc。，allhispossessionsweretopassintothehandsofhis"friendandbenefactoredwardhyde，"butthatincaseofdr。jekylls"disappearanceorunexplainedabsenceforanyperiodexceedingthreecalendarnths，"thesaidedwardhydeshouldstepintothesaidhenryjekyllsshoeswithoutfurtherdelayandfreefromanyburthenorobligation，beyondthepaymentofafewsmallsumstothemembersofthedoctorshousehold。thisdocumenthadlongbeenthelawyerseyesore。itoffendedhimbothasalawyerandasaloverofthesaneandcustomarysidesoflife，towhomthefancifulwastheimdest。andhithertoitwashisignoranceofmr。hydethathadswelledhisindignation;now，byasuddenturn，itwashisknowledge。itwasalreadybadenoughwhenthenamewasbutanameofwhichhecouldlearnnore。itwasworsewhenitbegantobeclotheduponwithdetestableattributes;andoutoftheshif，insubstantialmiststhathadsolongbaffledhiseye，thereleapedupthesudden，definitepresentmentofafiend。

"ithoughtitwasmadness，"hesaid，ashereplacedtheobnoxiouspaperinthesafe，"andnowibegintofearitisdisgrace。"

withthatheblewouthiscandle，putonagreat-coat，andsetforthinthedirectionofcavendishsquare，thatcitadelofmedicine，wherehisfriend，thegreatdr。lanyon，hadhishouseandreceivedhiscrowdingpatients。"ifanyoneknows，itwillbelanyon，"hehadthought。

thesolemnbutlerknewandweledhim;hewassubjectedtonostageofdelay，butushereddirectfromthedoortothedining-roomwheredr。lanyonsataloneoverhiswine。thiswasahearty，healthy，dapper，red-facedgentleman，withashockofhairprematurelywhite，andaboisterousanddecidedmanner。atsightofmr。utterson，hesprangupfromhischairandweledhimwithbothhands。thegeniality，aswasthewayoftheman，wassomewhattheatricaltotheeye;butitreposedongenuinefeeling。forthesetwowereoldfriends，oldmatesbothatschoolandcollege，boththoroughrespectersofthemselvesandofeachother，and，whatdoesnotalwaysfollow，menwhothoroughlyenjoyedeachotherspany。

afteralittleramblingtalk，thelawyerleduptothesubjectwhichsodisagreeablypre-oupiedhismind。"isuppose，lanyon，"saidhe"youandimustbethetwooldestfriendsthathenryjekyllhas?"

"iwishthefriendswereyounger，"chuckleddr。lanyon。"butisupposeweare。andwhatofthat?iseelittleofhimnow。""indeed?"saidutterson。"ithoughtyouhadabondofninterest。""wehad，"wasthereply。"butitisrethantenyearssincehenryjekyllbecametoofancifulforme。hebegantogowrong，wronginmind;andthoughofcourseicontinuetotakeaninterestinhimforoldsakessake，astheysay，iseeandihaveseendevilishlittleoftheman。suc混scientificbalderdash，"addedthedoctor，f露shingsuddenlypurple，"wouldhaveestrangeddanandpythias。"thislittlespiritoftemperwassomewhatofarelieftomr。utterson。"theyhaveonlydifferedonsomepointofscience，"hethought;andbeingamanofnoscientificpassions（exceptinthematterofconveyancing），heevenadded:"itisnothingworsethanthat!"hegavehisfriendafewsecondstorecoverhisposure，andthenapproachedthequestionhehadetoput。"didyouevereacrossaprotegeofhis—onehyde?"heasked。

"hyde?"repeatedlanyon。"no。neverheardofhisincemytime。"

thatwastheauntofinformationthatthelawyercarriedbackwithhimtothegreat，darkbedonwhichhetossedtoandfro，untilthesmallhoursoftherningbegantogrowlarge。itwasanightoflittleeasetohistoilingmind，toilinginmeredarknessandbesiegedbyquestions。

sixoclockstruckonthebellsofthechurchthatwassoconvenientlyneartomr。uttersonsdwelling，ingattheproblehithertoithadtouchedhintheintellectualsidealone;butnowhisimaginationalsowasengaged，orratherenslaved;andashelayandtossedinthegrossdarknessofthenightandthecurtainedroom，mr。enfieldstalewentbybeforehismindinascrolloflightedpictures。hewouldbeawareofthegreatfieldoflampsofanocturnalcity;thenofthefigureofamanwalkingswiftly;thenofachildrunningfromthedoctors;andthenthesemet，ernauttrodthechilddownandpassedonregardlessofherscreams。orelsehewouldseearoominarichhouse，wherehisfriendlayasleep，dreamingandsmilingathisdreams;andthenthedoorofthatroomwouldbeopened，thecurtainsofthebedp露ckedapart，thesleeperrecalled，andlo!therewouldstandbyhissideafiguretowhompowerwasgiven，andevenatthatdeadhour，hemustriseanddoitsbidding。thefigureinthesetwophaseshauntedthelawyerallnight;andifatanytimehedozedover，itwasbuttoseeitgliderestealthilythroughsleepinghouses，orvethereswiftlyandstillthereswiftly，eventodizziness，throughwiderlabyrinthsoflamplightedcity，andateverystreetcornercrushachildandleaveherscreaming。andstillthefigurehadnofacebywhichhemightknowit;eveninhisdreams，ithadnoface，orohatbaffledhimandmeltedbeforehiseyes;andthusitwasthattheresprangupandgrewapaceinthelawyersmindasingularlystrong，alstaninordinate，curiositytobeholdthefeaturesoftherealmr。hyde。ifhecouldbutonceseteyesonhim，hethoughtthemysterywouldlightenandperhapsrollaltogetheraway，aswasthehabitofmysteriousthingswhenwellexamined。hemightseeareasonforhisfriendsstrangepreferenceorbondage（callitwhichyouplease）andevenforthestartlingclauseofthewill。atleastitwouldbeafaceworthseeing:thefaceofamanwhowaswithoutbowelsofmercy:afacewhichhadbuttoshowitselftoraiseup，inthemindoftheunimpressionableenfield，aspiritofenduringhatred。

fromthattimeforward，mr。uttersonbegantohauntthedoorintheby-streetofshops。intherningbeforeofficehours，atnoonwhenbusinesswasplenty，andtimescarce，edcityon，byalllightsandatallhoursofsolitudeorconcourse，thelawyerwastobefoundonhischosenpost。

"ifhebemr。hyde，"hehadthought，"ishallbemr。seek。"

andatlasthispatiencewasrewarded。itwasafinedrynight;frostintheair;thestreetsascleanasaballroomfloor;thelamps，unshaken，byanywind，drawingaregularpatternoflightandshadow。bytenoclock，whentheshopswereclosed，theby-streetwasverysolitaryand，inspiteofthelowgrowloflondonfromallround，verysilent。smallsoundscarriedfar;domesticsoundsoutofthehouseswereclearlyaudibleoneithersideoftheroadway;andtheruuroftheapproachofanypassengerprecededhimbyalongtime。mr。uttersonhadbeensomeminutesathispost，whenhewasawareofanodd，lightfootstepdrawingnear。inthecourseofhisnightlypatrols，ustomedtothequainteffectwithwhichthefootfallsofasingleperson，whileheisstillagreatwayoff，suddenlyspringoutdistinctfromthevasthumandclatterofthecity。yethisattentionhadneverbeforebeensosharplyanddecisivelyarrested;anditwaswithastrong，essthathewithdrewintotheentryofthecourt。

thestepsdrewswiftlynearer，andswelledoutsuddenlylouderastheyturnedtheendofthestreet。thelawyer，lookingforthfromtheentry，couldsoonseewhatmannerofmanhehadtodealwith。hewassmallandveryplainlydressed，andthelookofhim，evenatthatdistance，wentsomehowstronglyagainstthewatchersinclination。buthemadestraightforthedoor，crossingtheroadwaytosavetime;andashecame，hedrewakeyfromhispocketlikeoneapproachinghome。

mr。uttersonsteppedoutandtouchedhintheshoulderashepassed。"mr。hyde，ithink?"

mr。hydeshrankbackwithahissingintakeofthebreath。buthisfearwasonlymentary;andthoughhedidnotlookthelawyerintheface，heansweredcoollyenough:"thatismyname。whatdoyouwant?"

"iseeyouaregoingin，"returnedthelawyer。"iamanoldfriendofdr。jekylls—mr。uttersonofgauntstreet—youmusthaveheardmyname;andmeeyousoconveniently，ithoughtyoumightadmitme。"

"youwillnotfinddr。jekyll;heisfromhome，"repliedmr。hyde，blowinginthekey。andthensuddenly，butstillwithoutlookingup，"howdidyouknowme?"heasked。

"onyourside，"saidmr。utterson，"willyoudomeafavour?"

"withpleasure，"repliedtheother。"whatshallitbe?"

"willyouletmeseeyourface?"askedthelawyer。

mr。hydeappearedtohesitate，andthen，asifuponsomesuddenreflection，frontedaboutwithanairofdefiance;andthepairstaredateachotherprettyfixedlyforafewseconds。"nowishallknowyouagain，"saidmr。utterson。"itmaybeuseful。"

"yes，"returnedmr。hyde，"itisaswellwehave，met;andapropos，youshouldhavemyaddress。"andhegaveanumberofastreetinsoho。

"goodgod!"thoughtmr。utterson，"canhe，too，havebeenthinkingofthewill?"buthekepthisfeelingstohimselfandonlygruntedinacknowledgmentoftheaddress。

"andnow，"saidtheother，"howdidyouknowme?"