暗黑小说

DR. LANYONS NARRATIVE（第1页）

ontheninthofjanuary，nowfourdaysago，ireceivedbytheeveningdeliveryaregisteredenvelope，addressedinthehandofmycolleagueandoldschool-panion，henryjekyll。iwasagooddealsurprisedbythis;forwewerebynomeansinthehabitofcorrespondence;ihadseentheman，dinedwithhim，indeed，thenightbefore;andicouldimaginenothinginourintercoursethatshouldjustifyformalityofregistration。thecontentsincreasedmywonder;forthisishowtheletterran:

"10thdecember，18—

"dearlanyon，youareoneofmyoldestfriends;andalthoughwemayhavedifferedattimesonscientificquestions，icannotremember，atleastonmyside，anybreakinouraffection。therewasneveradaywhen，ifyouhadsaidtome，jekyll，mylife，myhonour，myreason，dependuponyou，iwouldnothavesacrificedmylefthandtohelpyou。lanyon，mylife，myhonourmyreason，areallatyourmercy;ifyoufailmeto-nightiamlost。youmightsuppose，afterthispreface，thatiamgoingtoaskyouforsomethingdishonourabletogrant。judgeforyourself。

"iwantyoutopostponeallotherengagementsforto-night—ay，evenifyouweresumnedtothebedsideofanemperor;totakeacab，unlessyourcarriageshouldbeactuallyatthedoor;andwiththisletterinyourhandforconsultation，todrivestraighttomyhouse。poole，mybutler，hashisorders;youwillfind，himwaiyourarrivalwithalocksmith。thedoorofmycabiisthentobeforced:andyouaretogoinalone;toopentheglazedpress（lettere）onthelefthand，breakingthelockifitbeshut;andtodrawout，withallitscontentsastheystand，thefourthdrawerfromthetopor（whichisthesamething）thethirdfromthebottoinmyextremedistressofwind，ihavearbidfearofmisdirecyou;butevenifiaminerror，youmayknowtherightdrawerbyitscontents:somepowders，aphialandapaperbook。thisdraweribegofyoutocarrybackwithyoutocavendishsquareexactlyasitstands。

"thatisthefirstpartoftheservice:nowforthesecond。youshouldbeback，ifyousetoutatonceonthereceiptofthis，longbeforemidnight;butiwillleaveyouthatauntofmargin，notonlyinthefearofoneofthoseobstaclesthatcanneitherbepreventednorforeseen，butbecauseanhourwhenyourservantsareinbedistobepreferredforwhatwillthenremaintodo。atmidnight，then，ihavetoaskyoutobealoneinyourconsulroom，toadmitwithyourownhandintothehouseamanwhowillpresenthimselfinmyname，andtoplaceinhishandsthedrawerthatyouwillhavebroughtwithyoufrommycabi。thenyouwillhaveplayedyourpartandearnedmygratitudepletely。fiveminutesafterwards，ifyouinsistuponanexplanation，youwillhaveunderstoodthatthesearrangementsareofcapitalimportance;andthatbytheneglectofoneofthem，fantasticastheymustappear，youmighthavechargedyourconsciencewithmydeathortheshipwreckofmyreason。

"confidentasiamthatyouwillnottriflewiththisappeal，myheartsinksandmyhandtremblesatthebarethoughtofsuchapossibility。thinkofmeatthishour，inastrangeplace，erate，andyetwellawarethat，ifyouwillbutpunctuallyserveme，mytroubleswillrollawaylikeastorythatistold。serveme，mydearlanyon，andsave"yourfriend，"h。j。

"p。s。ihadalreadysealedthisupwhenafreshterrorstruckuponmysoul。itispossiblethatthepostofficemayfailme，andthisletternoteintoyourhandsuntilto-rrowrning。inthatcase，dearlanyon，domyerrandwhenitshallbestconvenientforyouinthecourseoftheday;andoncereexpectmymessengeratmidnight。itmaythenalreadybetoolate;andifthatnightpasseswithoutevent，youwillknowthatyouhaveseenthelastofhenryjekyll。"

uponthereadingofthisletter，imadesuremycolleaguewasinsane;buttillthatwasprovedbeyondthepossibilityofdoubt，ifeltboundtodoasherequested。thelessiunderstoodofthisfarrago，thelessiwasinapositiontojudgeofitsimportance;andanappealsowordedcouldnotbesetasidewithoutagraveresponsibility。ordinglyfromtable，gotintoahansom，anddrovestraighttojekyllshouse。thebutlerwasawaimyarrival;hehadreceivedbythesamepostasminearegisteredletterofinstruction，andhadsentatonceforalocksmithandacarpenter。thetradesmencamewhilewewereyetspeaking;andwevedinabodytoolddr。denmanssurgicaltheatre，fromwhich（asyouaredoubtlessaware）jekyllsprivatecabiisstconvenientlyentered。thedoorwasverystrong，thelockexcellent;thecarpenteravowedhewouldhavegreattroubleandhavetodomuchdamage，ifforceweretobeused;andthelocksmithwasneardespair。butthislastwasahandyfellow，andaftertwohourswork，thedoorstoodopen。thepressmarkedewasunlocked;anditookoutthedrawer，haditfilledupwithstrawandtiedinasheet，andreturnedwithittocavendishsquare。

hereiproceededtoexamineitscontents。thepowderswereneatlyenoughmadeup，butnotwiththenicetyofthedispensingchemist;sothatitwasplaintheywereofjekyllsprivatemanufacture;andwheniopenedoneofthewrappersifoundwhatseemedtomeasimplecrystallinesaltofawhitecolour。thephial，towhichinextturnedmyattention，mighthavebeenabouthalf-fullofablood-redliquor，whichwashighlypungenttothesenseofsmellandseemedtometocontainphosphorusandsomevolatileether。attheotheringredientsicouldmakenoguess。thebookwasanordinaryversion-bookandcontainedlittlebutaseriesofdates。thesecoveredaperiodofmanyyears，butiobservedthattheentriesceasednearlyayearagoandquiteabruptly。hereandthereabriefremarkwasappendedtoadate，usuallynorethanasingleword:"double"ourringperhapssixtimesinatotalofseveral混dredentries;andonceveryearlyinthelistandfollowedbyseveralmarksofexclamation，"totalfai露re!!!"allthis，thoughitwhettedmycuriosity，toldmelittlethatwasdefinite。herewereaphialofsometincture，apaperofsomesalt，andtherecordofaseriesofexperimentsthathadled（liketoomanyofjekyllsinvestigations）tonoendofpractica露sefulness。howcouldthepresenceofthesearticlesinmyhouseaffecteitherthehonour，thesanity，orthelifeofmyflightycolleague?ifhismessengercouldgotooneplace，whycouldhenotgotoanother?andevengransomeimpediment，whywasthisgentlemantobereceivedbymeinsecret?thereireflectedthereconvincedigrewthatiwasdealingwithacaseofcerebraldisease:andthoughidismissedmyservantstobed，iloadedanoldrevolver，thatimightbefoundinsomepostureofself-defence。

twelveoclockhadscarcerungoutoverlondon，eretheknockersoundedverygentlyonthedoor。iwentmyselfatthesumns，andfoundasmallmancrouchingagainstthepillarsoftheportico。

"areyouefromdr。jekyll?"iasked。

hetoldme"yes"byaconstrainedgesture;andwhenihadbiddenhimenter，hedidnotobeymewithoutasearchingbackwardglanceintothedarknessofthesquare。therewasapolicemannotfaroff，advancingwithhisbullseyeopen;andatthesight，ithoughtmyvisitorstartedandmadegreaterhaste。

theseparticularsstruckme，iconfess，disagreeably;andasifollowedhimintothebrightlightoftheconsul-room，ikeptmyhandreadyonmyweapon。here，atlast，ihadachanceofclearlyseeinghiihadneverseteyesonhimbefore，somuchwascertain。hewassmall，asihavesaid;iwasstruckbesideswiththeshockingexpressionofhisface，withhisremarkablebinationofgreatmuscularactivityandgreatapparentdebilityofconstitution，and—lastbutnotleast—withtheodd，subjectivedisturbancecausedbyhisneighbourhood。thisboresomeresemblancetoincipientrigour，ompaniedbyamarkedsinkingofthepulse。atthetime，isetitdowntosomeidiosyncratic，personaldistaste，andmerelywonderedattheacutenessofthesymptoms;butihavesincehadreasontobelievethecausetoliemuchdeeperinthenatureofman，andtoturnonsomenoblerhingethantheprincipleofhatred。

thisperson（whohadthus，fromthefirstmentofhisentrance，struckinmewhaticanonlydescribeasadisgustfulcuriosity）wasdressedinafashionthatwouldhavemadeanordinarypersonlaughable;hisclothes，thatistosay，althoughtheywereofrichandsoberfabric，wereenoruslytoolargeforhimineverymeasurement—thetrousershangingonhislegsandrolleduptokeepthemfromtheground，thewaistofthecoatbelowhishaunches，andthecollarsprawlingwideuponhisshoulders。strangetorelate，outrementwasfarfromvingmetolaughter。rather，astherewassomethingabnormalandmisbegottenintheveryessenceofthecreaturethatnowfacedme—somethingseizing，surprising，andrevol—thisfreshdisparityseemedbuttofitinwithandtoreinforceit;sothattomyinterestinthemansnatureandcharacter，therewasaddedacuriosityastohisorigin，hislife，hisfortuneandstatusintheworld。

theseobservations，thoughtheyhavetakensogreataspacetobesetdownin，wereyettheworkofafewseconds。myvisitorwas，indeed，onfirewithsombreexcitement。

"haveyougotit?"hecried。"haveyougotit?"andsolivelywashisimpatiencethatheevenlaidhishanduponmyarmandsoughttoshakeme。

iputhimback，consciousathistouchofacertainicypangalongmyblood。"e，sir，"saidi。"youforgetthatihavenotyetthepleasureofyouracquaintance。beseated，ifyouplease。"gregmarkfortherecordofinfringementofcopyrightjustincase。andishowedhimanexample，andsatdownmyselfinmycustomaryseatandwithasfairanimitationofmyordinarymannertoapatient，asthelatenessofthehour，thenatureofmypre-oupations，andthehorrorihadofmyvisitor，wouldsuffermetomuster。