暗黑小说

DR. LANYONS NARRATIVE（第2页）

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

"ibegyourpardon，dr。lanyon，"herepliedcivillyenough。"whatyousayisverywellfounded;andmyimpatiencehasshownitsheelstomypoliteness。iehereattheinstanceofyourcolleague，dr。henryjekyll，onapieceofbusinessofsomement;andiunderstood…"hepausedandputhishandtohisthroat，andicouldsee，inspiteofhiscollectedmanner，thathewaswrestlingagainsttheapproachesofthehysteria—"iunderstood，adrawer…"

buthereitookpityonmyvisitorssuspense，andsomeperhapsonmyowngrowingcuriosity。

"thereitis，sir，"saidi，pointothedrawer，whereitlayonthefloorbehindatableandstillcoveredwiththesheet。

hesprangtoit，andthenpaused，andlaidhishanduponhisheart:icouldhearhisteethgratewiththeconvulsiveactionofhisjaws;andhisfacewassoghastlytoseethatigrewalarmedbothforhislifeandreason。

"poseyourself，"saidi。

heturnedadreadfulsmiletome，andasifwiththedecisionofdespair，p露ckedawaythesheet。atsightofthecontents，heutteredoneloudsobofsuchimmensereliefthatisatpetrified。andthenextment，inavoicethatwasalreadyfairlywel露ndercontrol，"haveyouagraduatedglass?"heasked。

irosefrommyplacewithsomethingofaneffortandgavehimwhatheasked。

hethankedmewithasmilingnod，measuredoutafewminimsoftheredtinctureandaddedoneofthepowders。themixture，whichwasatfirstofareddishhue，began，inproportionasthecrystalsmelted，tobrightenincolour，toeffervesceaudibly，andtothrowoffsmallfumesofvapour。suddenlyandatthesamement，theebullitionceasedandthepoundchangedtoadarkpurple，whichfadedagainreslowlytoawaterygreen。myvisitor，whohadwatchedthesemetarphoseswithakeeneye，smiled，setdowntheglassuponthetable，andthenturnedandlookeduponmewithanairofscrutiny。

"andnow，"saidhe，"tosettlewhatremains。willyoubewise?willyoubeguided?willyousuffermetotakethisglassinmyhandandtogoforthfromyourhousewithoutfurtherparley?orhasthegreedofcuriositytoomuchmandofyou?thinkbeforeyouanswer，foritshallbedoneasyoudecide。asyoudecide，youshallbeleftasyouwerebefore，andneitherrichernorwiser，unlessthesenseofservicerenderedtoamaninrtaldistressmaybecountedasakindofrichesofthesoul。or，ifyoushallsoprefertochoose，anewprovinceofknowledgeandnewavenuestofameandpowershallbelaidopentoyou，here，inthisroom，upontheinstant;ertheunbeliefofsatan。"

"sir，"saidi，affecacoolnessthatiwasfarfromtrulypossessing，"youspeakenigmas，andyouwillperhapsnotwonderthatihearyouwithnoverystrongimpressionofbelief。butihavegooofarinthewayofinexplicableservicestopausebeforeiseetheend。"

"itiswell，"repliedmyvisitor。"lanyon，yourememberyourvows:whatfollowsisunderthesealofourprofession。andnow，youwhohavesolongbeenboundtothestnarrowandmaterialviews，youwhohavedeniedthevirtueoftranscendentalmedicine，youwhohavederidedyoursuperiors—behold!"

heputtheglasstohislipsanddrankatonegulp。acryfollowed;hereeled，ered，c露tchedatthetableandheldon，staringwithinjectedeyes，gaspingwithopenuth;andasilookedtherecame，ithought，achange—heseemedtoswell—hisfacebecamesuddenlyblackandthefeaturesseemedtomeltandalter—andthenextment，ihadsprungtomyfeetandleapedbackagainstthewall，myarmraisedtoshieldmefromthatprodigy，mymindsubmergedinterror。

"ogod!"iscreamed，and"ogod!"againandagain;fortherebeforemyeyes—paleandshaken，andhalf-fain，andgropingbeforehimwithhishands，likeamanrestoredfromdeath—therestoodhenryjekyll!

whathetoldmeinthenexthour，icannotbringmymindtosetonpaper。isawwhatisaw，iheardwhatiheard，andmysoulsickenedatit;andyetnowwhenthatsighthasfadedfrommyeyes，iaskmyselfifibelieveit，andicannotanswer。mylifeisshakentoitsroots;sleephasleftme;thedeadliestterrorsitsbymeatallhoursofthedayandnight;ifeelthatmydaysarenumbered，andthatimustdie;andyetishalldieincredulous。asfortheralturpitudethatmanunveiledtome，evenwithtearsofpenitence，icannot，eveninmery，dwellonitwithoutastartofhorror。iwillsaybutohing，utterson，andthat（ifyoucanbringyourmindtocreditit）willberethanenough。thecreaturewhocreptintomyhousethatnightwas，onjekyllsownconfession，knownbythenameofhydeand混tedforineverycornerofthelandasthemurdererofcarew。