暗黑小说

THE LAST NIGHT（第3页）

"itiswell，then，thatweshouldbefrank，"saidtheother。"weboththinkrethanwehavesaid;letusmakeacleanbreast。thismaskedfigurethatyousaw，didyourecogniseit?"

"well，sir，itwentsoquick，andthecreaturewassodoubledup，thaticouldhardlysweartothat，"wastheanswer。"butifyoumean，wasitmr。hyde?—why，yes，ithinkitwas!yousee，itwasmuchofthesamebigness;andithadthesamequick，lightwaywithit;andthenwhoelsecouldhavegotinbythelaboratorydoor?youhavenotforgot，sirthatatthetimeofthemurderhehadstillthekeywithhim?butthatsnotall。idontknow，mr。utterson，ifeveryoumetthismr。hyde?"

"yes，"saidthelawyer，"ioncespokewithhi"

"thenyoumustknowaswellastherestofusthattherewassomethingqueeraboutthatgentleman—somethingthatgaveamanaturn—idontknowrightlyhowtosayit，sir，beyondthis:thatyoufeltitinyourmarrowkindofcoldandthin。"

"iownifeltsomethingofwhatyoudescribe，"saidmr。utterson。

"quiteso，sir，"returnedpoole。"well，whenthatmaskedthinglikeankeyjumpedfromangthechemicalsandwhippedintothecabi，itwentdownmyspinelikeice。oh，iknowitsnotevidence，mr。utterson。imbook-learnedenoughforthat;butamanhashisfeelings，andigiveyoumybible-worditwasmr。hyde!"

"ay，ay，"saidthelawyer。"myfearsincliothesamepoint。evil，ifear，founded—evilwassuretoe—ofthatconnection。ay，truly，ibelieveyou;ibelievepoorharryiskilled;andibelievehismurderer（forwhatpurpose，godalonecantell）isstill露rkinginhisvictimsroowell，letournamebevengeance。callbradshaw。"

thefootmancameatthesumns，verywhiteandnervous。

"pullyourselftogether，bradshaw，"saidthelawyer。"thissuspense，iknow，istellinguponallofyou;butitisnowourintentiontomakeanendofit。poole，here，andiaregoingtoforceourwayintothecabi。ifalliswell，myshouldersarebroadenoughtobeartheblame。meanwhile，lestanythingshouldreallybeamiss，oranymalefactorseektoescapebytheback，youandtheboymustgoroundthecornerwithapairofgoodsticksandtakeyourpostatthelaboratorydoor。wegiveyoutenminutestogettoyourstations。"

asbradshawleft，thelawyerlookedathiswatch。"andnow，poole，letusgettoours，"hesaid;andtakingthepokerunderhisarm，ledthewayintotheyard。thescudhadbankedovertheon，anditwasnowquitedark。thewind，whichonlybrokeinpuffsanddraughtsintothatdeepwellofbuilding，tossedthelightofthecandletoandfroabouttheirsteps，untiltheycameintotheshelterofthetheatre，wheretheysatdownsilentlytowait。londonhummedsolemnlyallaround;butnearerathand，thestillnesswasonlybrokenbythesoundsofafootfallvingtoandfroalongthecabifloor。

"soitwillwalkallday，sir，"whisperedpoole;"ay，andthebetterpartofthenight。onlywhenanewsampleesfromthechemist，theresabitofabreak。ah，itsanillconsciencethatssuchanenemytorest!ah，sir，theresbloodfoullyshedineverystepofit!butharkagain，alittlecloser—putyourheartinyourears，mr。utterson，andtellme，isthatthedoctorsfoot?"

thestepsfelllightlyandoddly，withacertainswing，foralltheywentsoslowly;itwasdifferentindeedfromtheheavycreakingtreadofhenryjekyll。uttersonsighed。"isthereneveranythingelse?"heasked。

poolenodded。"once，"hesaid。"onceihearditweeping!"

"weeping?howthat?"saidthelawyer，consciousofasuddenchillofhorror。

"weepinglikeawomanoralostsoul，"saidthebutler。"icameawaywiththatuponmyheart，thaticouldhavewepttoo。"

butnowthetenminutesdrewtoanend。pooledisinterredtheaxefromunderastackofpackingstraw;thecandlewassetuponthenearesttabletolightthemtotheattack;andtheydrewnearwithbatedbreathtowherethatpatientfootwasstillgoingupanddown，upanddown，inthequietofthenight。

"jekyll，"criedutterson，withaloudvoice，"idemandtoseeyou。"hepausedament，buttherecamenoreply。"igiveyoufairwarning，oursuspicionsarearoused，andimustandshallseeyou，"heresumed;"ifnotbyfairmeans，thenbyfoul!ifnotofyourconsent，thenbybruteforce!"

"utterson，"saidthevoice，"forgodssake，havemercy!"

"ah，thatsnotjekyllsvoice—itshydes!"criedutterson。"downwiththedoor，poole!"

pooleswungtheaxeoverhisshoulder;theblowshookthebuilding，andtheredbaizedoorleapedagainstthelockandhinges。adismalscreech，asofmereanimalterror，rangfromthecabi。upwenttheaxeagain，andagainthepanelscrashedandtheframebounded;fourtimestheblowfell;butthewoodwastoughandthefitswereofexcellentworkmanship;anditwasnotuntilthefifth，thatthelockburstinsunderandthewreckofthedoorfellinwardsonthecarpet。

thebesiegers，eeded，stoodbackalittleandpeeredin。therelaythecabibeforetheireyesinthequietlamplight，agoodfireglowingandchatteringonthehearth，thekettlesingingitsthinstrain，adrawerortwoopen，papersneatlysetforthonthebusiness-table，andnearerthefire，thethingslaidoutfortea:thequietestroom，youwouldhavesaid，and，butfortheglazedpressesfullofchemicals，thestnplacethatnightinlondon。

rightinthemidsttherelaythebodyofamansorelycontortedandstilltwitching。theydrewnearontiptoe，turneditonitsbackandbeheldthefaceofedwardhyde。hewasdressedinclothesfartoolargeforhim，clothesofthedoctorsbigness;thecordsofhisfacestillvedwithasemblanceoflife，butlifewasquitegone;andbythecrushedphialinthehandandthestrongsmellofkernelsthat混gupontheair，uttersonknewthathewaslookingonthebodyofaself-destroyer。

"wehaveetoolate，"hesaidsternly，"whethertosaveorpunish。ount;anditonlyremainsforustofindthebodyofyourmaster。

upiedbythetheatre，whichfilledalstthewholegroundstoryandwaslightedfromabove，andbythecabi，whichformedanupperstoryatoneendandlookeduponthecourt。acorridorjoinedthetheatretothedoorontheby-street;andwiththisthecabimunicatedseparatelybyasecondflightofstairs。therewerebesidesafewdarkclosetsandaspaciouscellar。allthesetheynowthoroughlyexamined。eachclosetneededbutaglance，forallwereempty，andall，bythedustthatfellfromtheirdoors，hadstoodlongunopened。thecellar，indeed，wasfilledwithcrazy露mber，stlydafromthetimesofthesurgeonwhowasjekyllspredecessor;butevenastheyopenedthedoortheywereadvertisedoftheuselessnessoffurthersearch，bythefallofaperfectmatofcobwebwhichhadforyearssealeduptheentrance。nowherewasthereanytraceofhenryjekyll，deadoralive。

poolestampedontheflagsofthecorridor。"hemustbeburiedhere，"hesaid，hearkeningtothesound。

"orhemayhavefled，"saidutterson，andheturnedtoexamihedoorintheby-street。itwaslocked;andlyingnearbyontheflags，theyfoundthekey，alreadystainedwithrust。