INCIDENT OF THE LETTER（第2页）

thisnewssentoffthevisitorwithhisfearsrenewed.plainlytheletterhadebythelaboratorydoor;possibly，indeed，ithadbeenwritteninthecabi;andifthatwereso，itmustbedifferentlyjudged，andhandledwiththerecaution.thenewsboys，ashewent，werecryingthemselveshoarsealongthefootways:"specialedition.shockingmurderofanm.p."thatwasthefuneralorationofonefriendandclient;andhecouldnothelpacertainapprehensionlestthegoodnameofanothershouldbesuckeddownintheeddyofthescandal.itwas，atleast，aticklishdecisionthathehadtomake;andself-reliantashewasbyhabit，hebegantocherishalongingforadvice.itwasnottobehaddirectly;butperhaps，hethought，itmightbefishedfor.

presentlyafter，hesatononesideofhisownhearth，withmr.guest，hisheadclerk，upontheother，andmidwaybetween，atanicelycalculateddistancefromthefire，abottleofaparticularoldwihathadlongdweltunsunnedinthefoundationsofhishouse.thefogstillsleptonthewingabovethedrownedcity，wherethelampsglimmeredlikecarbuncles;andthroughthemuffleandstherofthesefallenclouds，theprocessionofthetownslifewasstillrollinginthroughthegreatarterieswithasoundasofamightywind.buttheroomwasgaywithfirelight.inthebottletheacidswerelongagoresolved;theimperialdyehadsoftenedwithtime，asthecolourgrowsricherinstainedwindows;andtheglowofhotautumnafternoonsonhillsidevineyardswasreadytobesetfreeandtodispersethefogsoflondon.insensiblythelawyermelted.therewasnomanfromwhomhekeptfewersecretsthanmr.guest;andhewasnotalwayssurethathekeptasmanyashemeant.guesthadoftenbeenonbusinesstothedoctors;heknewpoole;hecouldscarcehavefailedtohearofmr.hydesfamiliarityaboutthehouse;hemightdrawconc露sions:wasitnotaswell，then，thatheshouldseealetterwhichputthatmysterytorights?andaboveallsinceguest，beingagreatstudentandcriticofhandwri，wouldconsiderthestepnaturalandobliging?theclerk，besides，wasamanofcounsel;hewouldscarcereadsostrangeadocumentwithoutdroppingaremark;andbythatremarkmr.uttersonmightshapehisfuturecourse.

"thisisasadbusinessaboutsirdanvers，"hesaid.

"yes，sir，indeed.ithaselicitedagreatdealofpublicfeeling，"returnedguest."theman，ofcourse，wasmad."

"ishouldliketohearyourviewsonthat，"repliedutterson."ihaveadocumenthereinhishandwri;itisbetweenourselves，foriscarceknowwhattodoaboutit;itisanuglybusinessatthebest.butthereitis;quiteinyourwayamurderersautograph."

guestseyesbrightened，andhesatdownatonceandstudieditwithpassion."no，sir，"hesaid:"notmad;butitisanoddhand."

"ountsaveryoddwriter，"addedthelawyer.

justthentheservantenteredwithanote.

"isthatfromdr.jekyll，sir?"inquiredtheclerk."ithoughtiknewthewri.anythingprivate，mr.

utterson?"

"onlyaninvitationtodinner.why?doyouwanttoseeit?"

"onement.ithankyou，sir";andtheclerklaidthetwosheetsofpaperalongsideandsedulouslyparedtheircontents."thankyou，sir，"hesaidatlast，returningboth;"itsaveryinteresautograph."

therewasapause，duringwhichmr.ledwithhimself."whydidyouparethem，guest?"heinquiredsuddenly.

"well，sir，"returnedtheclerk，"theresarathersingularresemblance;thetwohandsareinmanypointsidentical:onlydifferentlysloped."

"ratherquaint，"saidutterson.

"itis，asyousay，ratherquaint，"returnedguest.

"iwouldntspeakofthisnote，youknow，"saidthemaster.

"no，sir，"saidtheclerk."iunderstand."

butnosoonerwasmr.uttersonalohatnightthanhelockedthenoteintohissafe，whereitreposedfromthattimeforward."what!"hethought."henryjekyllforgeforamurderer!"andhisbloodrancoldinhisveins.