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.