暗黑小说

THE LAST NIGHT（第2页）

avoiceansweredfromwithin:"tellhimicannotseeanyone，"itsaidplainingly。

"thankyou，sir，"saidpoole，withanoteofsomethingliketriumphinhisvoice;andtakinguphiscandle，heledmr。uttersonbackacrosstheyardandintothegreatkitchen，wherethefirewasoutandthebeetleswereleapingonthefloor。

"sir，"hesaid，lookingmr。uttersonintheeyes，"wasthatmymastersvoice?"

"itseemsmuchchanged，"repliedthelawyer，verypale，butgivinglookforlook。

"changed?well，yes，ithinkso，"saidthebutler。"haveibeentwentyyearsinthismanshouse，tobedeceivedabouthisvoice?no，sir;mastersmadeawaywith;hewasmade，awaywitheightdaysago，whenweheardhimcryoutuponthenameofgod;andwhosinthereinsteadofhim，andwhyitstaysthere，isathingthatcriestoheaven，mr。utterson!"

"thisisaverystrangetale，poole;thisisratherawildtale，myman，"saidmr。utterson，bihisfinger。"supposeitwereasyousuppose，supposingdr。jekylltohavebeen—well，murdered，whatcouldinducethemurderertostay?thatwontholdwater;itdoesntmenditselftoreason。"

"well，mr。utterson，youareahardmantosatisfy，butilldoityet，"saidpoole。"allthislastweek（youmustknow）him，orit，orwhateveritisthatlivesinthatcabi，hasbeencryingnightanddayforsomesortofmedicineandcannotgetittohismind。itwassometimeshisway—themasters，thatis—towritehisordersonasheetofpaperandthrowitonthestair。wevehadnothingelsethisweekback;nothingbutpapers，andacloseddoor，ledinwhennobodywaslooking。well，sir，everyday，ay，andtwiceandthriceinthesameday，therehavebeenordersandplaints，andihavebeensentflyingtoallthewholesalechemistsintown。everytimeibroughtthestuffback，therewouldbeanotherpapertellingmetoreturnit，becauseitwasnotpure，andanotherordertoadifferentfirthisdrugiswantedbitterbad，sir，whateverfor。"

"haveyouanyofthesepapers?"askedmr。utterson。

poolefeltinhispocketandhandedoutacrumplednote，whichthelawyer，bendingnearertothecandle，carefullyexamined。itscontentsranthus:"dr。jekyllpresentshisplimentstomessrs。maw。heassuresthemthattheirlastsampleisimpureandquiteuselessforhispresentpurpose。intheyear18—-，dr。j。purchasedasomewhatlargequantityfrommessrs。m。henowbegsthemtosearchwiththestsedulouscare，andshouldanyofthesamequalitybeleft，toforwardittohimatonce。expenseisnoconsideration。theimportanceofthistodr。j。erated。"sofartheletterhadrunposedlyenough，butherewithasuddensp露tterofthepen，thewritersetionhadbrokenloose。"forgodssake，"hehadadded，"findmesomeoftheold。

"thisisastrangenote，"saidmr。utterson;andthensharply，"howdoyouetohaveitopen?"

"themanatmawswasmainangry，sir，andhethrewitbacktomelikesomuchdirt，"returnedpoole。

"thisisunquestionablythedoctorshand，doyouknow?"resumedthelawyer。

"ithoughtitlookedlikeit，"saidtheservantrathersulkily;andthen，withanothervoice，"butwhatmattershand-of-write?"hesaid。"iveseenhim!"

"seenhim?"repeatedmr。utterson。"well?"

"thatsit!"saidpoole。"itwasthisway。icamesuddenlyintothetheatrefromthegarden。itseemshehadslippedouttolookforthisdrugorwhateveritis;forthecabidoorwasopen，ingangthecrates。helookedupwhenicamein，gaveakindofcry，andwhippedup-stairsintothecabi。itwasbutforoneminutethatisawhim，butthehairstooduponmyheadlikequills。sir，ifthatwasmymaster，whyhadheamaskuponhisface?ifitwasmymaster，whydidhecryoutlikearat，andrunfromme?ihaveservedhimlongenough。andthen…"themanpausedandpassedhishandoverhisface。

"theseareallverystrangecircumstances，"saidmr。utterson，"butithinkibegintoseedaylight。yourmaster，poole，isplainlyseizedwithoneofthosemaladiesthatbothtortureanddeformthesufferer;hence，foraughtiknow，thealterationofhisvoice;hencethemaskandtheavoidanceofhisfriends;hencehiseagernesstofindthisdrug，bymeansofwhichthepoorsoulretainssomehopeofultimaterecovery—godgrantthathebenotdeceived!thereismyexplanation;itissadenough，poole，ay，andappallingtoconsider;butitisplainandnatural，hangswelltogether，anddeliversusfromallexorbitantalarms。"

"sir，"saidthebutler，turningtoasortofttledpallor，"thatthingwasnotmymaster，andtheresthetruth。mymaster"herehelookedroundhimandbegantowhisper—"isatall，finebuildofaman，andthiswasreofadwarf。"uttersonattemptedtoprotest。"o，sir，"criedpoole，"doyouthinkidonotknowmymasteraftertwentyyears?doyouthinkidonotknowwherehisheadestointhecabidoor，whereisawhimeveryrningofmylife?no，sir，thatthinginthemaskwasneverdr。jekyll—godknowswhatitwas，butitwasneverdr。jekyll;anditisthebeliefofmyheartthattherewasmurderdone。"

"poole，"repliedthelawyer，"ifyousaythat，itwillbeemydutytomakecertain。muchasidesiretospareyourmastersfeelings，muchasiampuzzledbythisnotewhichseemstoprovehimtobestillalive，ishallconsideritmydutytobreakinthatdoor。"

"ahmr。utterson，thatstalking!"criedthebutler。

"andnowesthesecondquestion，"resumedutterson:"whoisgoingtodoit?"

"why，youandme，"wastheundauntedreply。

"thatsverywellsaid，"returnedthelawyer;"andwhateveresofit，ishallmakeitmybusinesstoseeyouarenoloser。"

"thereisanaxeinthetheatre，"continuedpoole;"andyoumighttakethekitchenpokerforyourself。"

thelawyertookthatrudebutweightyinstrumentintohishand，andbalancedit。"doyouknow，poole，"hesaid，lookingup，"thatyouandiareabouttoplaceourselvesinapositionofsomeperil?"

"youmaysayso，sir，indeed，"returnedthebutler。

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