THE LAST NIGHT（第3页）

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

"well，sir，itwentsoquick，andthecreaturewassodoubledup，thaticouldhardlysweartothat，"wastheanswer."butifyoumean，wasitmr.hyde?—why，yes，ithinkitwas!yousee，itwasmuchofthesamebigness;andithadthesamequick，lightwaywithit;andthenwhoelsecouldhavegotinbythelaboratorydoor?youhavenotforgot，sirthatatthetimeofthemurderhehadstillthekeywithhim?butthatsnotall.idontknow，mr.utterson，ifeveryoumetthismr.hyde?"

"yes，"saidthelawyer，"ioncespokewithhi"

"thenyoumustknowaswellastherestofusthattherewassomethingqueeraboutthatgentleman—somethingthatgaveamanaturn—idontknowrightlyhowtosayit，sir，beyondthis:thatyoufeltitinyourmarrowkindofcoldandthin."

"iownifeltsomethingofwhatyoudescribe，"saidmr.utterson.

"quiteso，sir，"returnedpoole."well，whenthatmaskedthinglikeankeyjumpedfromangthechemicalsandwhippedintothecabi，itwentdownmyspinelikeice.oh，iknowitsnotevidence，mr.utterson.imbook-learnedenoughforthat;butamanhashisfeelings，andigiveyoumybible-worditwasmr.hyde!"

"ay，ay，"saidthelawyer."myfearsincliothesamepoint.evil，ifear，founded—evilwassuretoe—ofthatconnection.ay，truly，ibelieveyou;ibelievepoorharryiskilled;andibelievehismurderer（forwhatpurpose，godalonecantell）isstill露rkinginhisvictimsroowell，letournamebevengeance.callbradshaw."

thefootmancameatthesumns，verywhiteandnervous.

"pullyourselftogether，bradshaw，"saidthelawyer."thissuspense，iknow，istellinguponallofyou;butitisnowourintentiontomakeanendofit.poole，here，andiaregoingtoforceourwayintothecabi.ifalliswell，myshouldersarebroadenoughtobeartheblame.meanwhile，lestanythingshouldreallybeamiss，oranymalefactorseektoescapebytheback，youandtheboymustgoroundthecornerwithapairofgoodsticksandtakeyourpostatthelaboratorydoor.wegiveyoutenminutestogettoyourstations."

asbradshawleft，thelawyerlookedathiswatch."andnow，poole，letusgettoours，"hesaid;andtakingthepokerunderhisarm，ledthewayintotheyard.thescudhadbankedovertheon，anditwasnowquitedark.thewind，whichonlybrokeinpuffsanddraughtsintothatdeepwellofbuilding，tossedthelightofthecandletoandfroabouttheirsteps，untiltheycameintotheshelterofthetheatre，wheretheysatdownsilentlytowait.londonhummedsolemnlyallaround;butnearerathand，thestillnesswasonlybrokenbythesoundsofafootfallvingtoandfroalongthecabifloor.

"soitwillwalkallday，sir，"whisperedpoole;"ay，andthebetterpartofthenight.onlywhenanewsampleesfromthechemist，theresabitofabreak.ah，itsanillconsciencethatssuchanenemytorest!ah，sir，theresbloodfoullyshedineverystepofit!butharkagain，alittlecloser—putyourheartinyourears，mr.utterson，andtellme，isthatthedoctorsfoot?"

thestepsfelllightlyandoddly，withacertainswing，foralltheywentsoslowly;itwasdifferentindeedfromtheheavycreakingtreadofhenryjekyll.uttersonsighed."isthereneveranythingelse?"heasked.

poolenodded."once，"hesaid."onceihearditweeping!"

"weeping?howthat?"saidthelawyer，consciousofasuddenchillofhorror.

"weepinglikeawomanoralostsoul，"saidthebutler."icameawaywiththatuponmyheart，thaticouldhavewepttoo."

butnowthetenminutesdrewtoanend.pooledisinterredtheaxefromunderastackofpackingstraw;thecandlewassetuponthenearesttabletolightthemtotheattack;andtheydrewnearwithbatedbreathtowherethatpatientfootwasstillgoingupanddown，upanddown，inthequietofthenight.

"jekyll，"criedutterson，withaloudvoice，"idemandtoseeyou."hepausedament，buttherecamenoreply."igiveyoufairwarning，oursuspicionsarearoused，andimustandshallseeyou，"heresumed;"ifnotbyfairmeans，thenbyfoul!ifnotofyourconsent，thenbybruteforce!"

"utterson，"saidthevoice，"forgodssake，havemercy!"

"ah，thatsnotjekyllsvoice—itshydes!"criedutterson."downwiththedoor，poole!"

pooleswungtheaxeoverhisshoulder;theblowshookthebuilding，andtheredbaizedoorleapedagainstthelockandhinges.adismalscreech，asofmereanimalterror，rangfromthecabi.upwenttheaxeagain，andagainthepanelscrashedandtheframebounded;fourtimestheblowfell;butthewoodwastoughandthefitswereofexcellentworkmanship;anditwasnotuntilthefifth，thatthelockburstinsunderandthewreckofthedoorfellinwardsonthecarpet.

thebesiegers，eeded，stoodbackalittleandpeeredin.therelaythecabibeforetheireyesinthequietlamplight，agoodfireglowingandchatteringonthehearth，thekettlesingingitsthinstrain，adrawerortwoopen，papersneatlysetforthonthebusiness-table，andnearerthefire，thethingslaidoutfortea:thequietestroom，youwouldhavesaid，and，butfortheglazedpressesfullofchemicals，thestnplacethatnightinlondon.

rightinthemidsttherelaythebodyofamansorelycontortedandstilltwitching.theydrewnearontiptoe，turneditonitsbackandbeheldthefaceofedwardhyde.hewasdressedinclothesfartoolargeforhim，clothesofthedoctorsbigness;thecordsofhisfacestillvedwithasemblanceoflife，butlifewasquitegone;andbythecrushedphialinthehandandthestrongsmellofkernelsthat混gupontheair，uttersonknewthathewaslookingonthebodyofaself-destroyer.

"wehaveetoolate，"hesaidsternly，"whethertosaveorpunish.ount;anditonlyremainsforustofindthebodyofyourmaster.

upiedbythetheatre，whichfilledalstthewholegroundstoryandwaslightedfromabove，andbythecabi，whichformedanupperstoryatoneendandlookeduponthecourt.acorridorjoinedthetheatretothedoorontheby-street;andwiththisthecabimunicatedseparatelybyasecondflightofstairs.therewerebesidesafewdarkclosetsandaspaciouscellar.allthesetheynowthoroughlyexamined.eachclosetneededbutaglance，forallwereempty，andall，bythedustthatfellfromtheirdoors，hadstoodlongunopened.thecellar，indeed，wasfilledwithcrazy露mber，stlydafromthetimesofthesurgeonwhowasjekyllspredecessor;butevenastheyopenedthedoortheywereadvertisedoftheuselessnessoffurthersearch，bythefallofaperfectmatofcobwebwhichhadforyearssealeduptheentrance.nowherewasthereanytraceofhenryjekyll，deadoralive.

poolestampedontheflagsofthecorridor."hemustbeburiedhere，"hesaid，hearkeningtothesound.

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