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.