暗黑小说

THE LAST NIGHT（第4页）

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

"thisdoesnotlooklikeuse，"observedthelawyer。

"use!"echoedpoole。"doyounotsee，sir，itisbroken?muchasifamanhadstampedonit。"

"ay，"continuedutterson，"andthefractures，too，arerusty。"thetwomenlookedateachotherwithascare。"thisisbeyondme，poole，"saidthelawyer。"letusgobacktothecabi。"

theyuntedthestairinsilence，asionalawe-struckglanceatthedeadbody，proceededrethoroughlytoexamihecontentsofthecabi。atoable，thereweretracesofchemicalwork，variousmeasuredheapsofsomewhitesaltbeinglaidonglasssaucers，asthoughforanexperimentinwhichtheunhappymanhadbeenprevented。

"thatisthesamedrugthatiwasalwaysbringinghim，"saidpoole;andevenashespoke，thekettlewithastartlingnoiseboiledover。

thisbroughtthemtothefireside，wheretheeasychairwasdrawncosil玉p，andthetea-thingsstoodreadytothesitterselbow，theverysugarinthecup。therewereseveralbooksonashelf;onelaybesidethetea-thingsopen，anduttersonwasamazedtofinditacopyofapiouswork，forwhichjekyllhadseveraltimesexpressedagreatesteem，annotated，inhisownhand，withstartlingblasphemies。

next，inthecourseoftheirreviewofthechamber，thesearcherscametothechevalglass，intowhosedepthstheylookedwithaninvo露ntaryhorror。butitwassoturnedastoshowthemnothingbuttherosyglowplayingontheroof，thefiresparklingina混dredrepetitionsalongtheglazedfrontofthepresses，andtheirownpaleandfearfulcountenancesstoopingtolookin。

"thisglasshaveseensomestrangethings，sir，"whisperedpoole。

"andsurelynonestrangerthanitself，"echoedthelawyerinthesametones。"forwhatdidjekyll"—hecaughthimselfupatthewordwithastart，andthenconqueringtheweakness—"whatcouldjekyllwantwithit?"hesaid。

"youmaysaythat!"saidpoole。nexttheyturnedtothebusiness-table。onthedeskangtheneatarrayofpapers，alargeenvelopewasupperst，andbore，inthedoctorshand，thenameofmr。utterson。thelawyerunsealedit，andseveralenclosuresfelltothefloor。thefirstwasawill，entrictermsastheonewhichhehadreturnedsixnthsbefore，toserveasatestamentincaseofdeathandasadeedofgiftincaseofdisappearance;but，inplaceofthenameofedwardhyde，thelawyer，withindescribableamazement，readthenameofgabrieljohnutterson。helookedatpoole，andthenbackatthepaper，andlastofallatthedeadmalefactorstretcheduponthecarpet。

"myheadgoesround，"hesaid。"hehasbeenallthesedaysinpossession;hehadnocausetolikeme;hemusthaveragedtoseehimselfdisplaced;andhehasnotdestroyedthisdocument。"

hecaughtupthenextpaper;itwasabriefnoteinthedoctorshandanddatedatthetop。

"opoole!"thelawyercried，"hewasaliveandherethisday。hecannothavebeendisposedofinsoshortaspace，hemustbestillalive，hemusthavefled!andthen，whyfled?andhow?andinthatcase，canweventuretodeclarethissuicide?oh，wemustbecareful。iforeseethatwemayyetinvolveyourmasterinsomedirecatastrophe。"

"whydontyoureadit，sir?"askedpoole。

"becauseifear，"repliedthelawyersolemnly。"godgrantihavenocauseforit!"andwiththathebroughtthepapertohiseyesandreadasfollows:

"mydearutterson，—whenthisshallfallintoyourhands，ishallhavedisappeared，underwhatcircumstancesihavenottheperationtoforesee，butmyinstinctandallthecircumstancesofmynamelesssituationtellmethattheendissureandmustbeearly。gothen，andfirstreadthenarrativewhichlanyonwarnedmehewastoplaceinyourhands;andifyoucaretohearre，turntotheconfessionof

"yourunworthyandunhappyfriend，"henryjekyll。"

"therewasathirdenclosure?"askedutterson。

"here，sir，"saidpoole，andgaveintohishandsaconsiderablepacketsealedinseveralplaces。

thelawyerputitinhispocket。"iwouldsaynothingofthispaper。ifyourmasterhasfledorisdead，wemayatleastsavehiscredit。itisnowten;imustgohomeandreadthesedocumentsinquiet;butishallbebackbeforemidnight，whenweshallsendforthepolice。"

theywentout，lockingthedoorofthetheatrebehindthem;andutterson，oncereleavingtheservantsgatheredaboutthefireinthehall，trudgedbacktohisofficetoreadthetwonarrativesinwhichthismysterywasnowtobeexplained。