THE LAST NIGHT（第2页）

avoiceansweredfromwithin:"tellhimicannotseeanyone，"itsaidplainingly.

"thankyou，sir，"saidpoole，withanoteofsomethingliketriumphinhisvoice;andtakinguphiscandle，heledmr.uttersonbackacrosstheyardandintothegreatkitchen，wherethefirewasoutandthebeetleswereleapingonthefloor.

"sir，"hesaid，lookingmr.uttersonintheeyes，"wasthatmymastersvoice?"

"itseemsmuchchanged，"repliedthelawyer，verypale，butgivinglookforlook.

"changed?well，yes，ithinkso，"saidthebutler."haveibeentwentyyearsinthismanshouse，tobedeceivedabouthisvoice?no，sir;mastersmadeawaywith;hewasmade，awaywitheightdaysago，whenweheardhimcryoutuponthenameofgod;andwhosinthereinsteadofhim，andwhyitstaysthere，isathingthatcriestoheaven，mr.utterson!"

"thisisaverystrangetale，poole;thisisratherawildtale，myman，"saidmr.utterson，bihisfinger."supposeitwereasyousuppose，supposingdr.jekylltohavebeen—well，murdered，whatcouldinducethemurderertostay?thatwontholdwater;itdoesntmenditselftoreason."

"well，mr.utterson，youareahardmantosatisfy，butilldoityet，"saidpoole."allthislastweek（youmustknow）him，orit，orwhateveritisthatlivesinthatcabi，hasbeencryingnightanddayforsomesortofmedicineandcannotgetittohismind.itwassometimeshisway—themasters，thatis—towritehisordersonasheetofpaperandthrowitonthestair.wevehadnothingelsethisweekback;nothingbutpapers，andacloseddoor，ledinwhennobodywaslooking.well，sir，everyday，ay，andtwiceandthriceinthesameday，therehavebeenordersandplaints，andihavebeensentflyingtoallthewholesalechemistsintown.everytimeibroughtthestuffback，therewouldbeanotherpapertellingmetoreturnit，becauseitwasnotpure，andanotherordertoadifferentfirthisdrugiswantedbitterbad，sir，whateverfor."

"haveyouanyofthesepapers?"askedmr.utterson.

poolefeltinhispocketandhandedoutacrumplednote，whichthelawyer，bendingnearertothecandle，carefullyexamined.itscontentsranthus:"dr.jekyllpresentshisplimentstomessrs.maw.heassuresthemthattheirlastsampleisimpureandquiteuselessforhispresentpurpose.intheyear18—-，dr.j.purchasedasomewhatlargequantityfrommessrs.m.henowbegsthemtosearchwiththestsedulouscare，andshouldanyofthesamequalitybeleft，toforwardittohimatonce.expenseisnoconsideration.theimportanceofthistodr.j.erated."sofartheletterhadrunposedlyenough，butherewithasuddensp露tterofthepen，thewritersetionhadbrokenloose."forgodssake，"hehadadded，"findmesomeoftheold.

"thisisastrangenote，"saidmr.utterson;andthensharply，"howdoyouetohaveitopen?"

"themanatmawswasmainangry，sir，andhethrewitbacktomelikesomuchdirt，"returnedpoole.

"thisisunquestionablythedoctorshand，doyouknow?"resumedthelawyer.

"ithoughtitlookedlikeit，"saidtheservantrathersulkily;andthen，withanothervoice，"butwhatmattershand-of-write?"hesaid."iveseenhim!"

"seenhim?"repeatedmr.utterson."well?"

"thatsit!"saidpoole."itwasthisway.icamesuddenlyintothetheatrefromthegarden.itseemshehadslippedouttolookforthisdrugorwhateveritis;forthecabidoorwasopen，ingangthecrates.helookedupwhenicamein，gaveakindofcry，andwhippedup-stairsintothecabi.itwasbutforoneminutethatisawhim，butthehairstooduponmyheadlikequills.sir，ifthatwasmymaster，whyhadheamaskuponhisface?ifitwasmymaster，whydidhecryoutlikearat，andrunfromme?ihaveservedhimlongenough.andthen…"themanpausedandpassedhishandoverhisface.

"theseareallverystrangecircumstances，"saidmr.utterson，"butithinkibegintoseedaylight.yourmaster，poole，isplainlyseizedwithoneofthosemaladiesthatbothtortureanddeformthesufferer;hence，foraughtiknow，thealterationofhisvoice;hencethemaskandtheavoidanceofhisfriends;hencehiseagernesstofindthisdrug，bymeansofwhichthepoorsoulretainssomehopeofultimaterecovery—godgrantthathebenotdeceived!thereismyexplanation;itissadenough，poole，ay，andappallingtoconsider;butitisplainandnatural，hangswelltogether，anddeliversusfromallexorbitantalarms."

"sir，"saidthebutler，turningtoasortofttledpallor，"thatthingwasnotmymaster，andtheresthetruth.mymaster"herehelookedroundhimandbegantowhisper—"isatall，finebuildofaman，andthiswasreofadwarf."uttersonattemptedtoprotest."o，sir，"criedpoole，"doyouthinkidonotknowmymasteraftertwentyyears?doyouthinkidonotknowwherehisheadestointhecabidoor，whereisawhimeveryrningofmylife?no，sir，thatthinginthemaskwasneverdr.jekyll—godknowswhatitwas，butitwasneverdr.jekyll;anditisthebeliefofmyheartthattherewasmurderdone."

"poole，"repliedthelawyer，"ifyousaythat，itwillbeemydutytomakecertain.muchasidesiretospareyourmastersfeelings，muchasiampuzzledbythisnotewhichseemstoprovehimtobestillalive，ishallconsideritmydutytobreakinthatdoor."

"ahmr.utterson，thatstalking!"criedthebutler.

"andnowesthesecondquestion，"resumedutterson:"whoisgoingtodoit?"

"why，youandme，"wastheundauntedreply.

"thatsverywellsaid，"returnedthelawyer;"andwhateveresofit，ishallmakeitmybusinesstoseeyouarenoloser."

"thereisanaxeinthetheatre，"continuedpoole;"andyoumighttakethekitchenpokerforyourself."

thelawyertookthatrudebutweightyinstrumentintohishand，andbalancedit."doyouknow，poole，"hesaid，lookingup，"thatyouandiareabouttoplaceourselvesinapositionofsomeperil?"

"youmaysayso，sir，indeed，"returnedthebutler.

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