THE CAREW MURDER CASE（第1页）

nearlyayearlater，inthenthofoctober，18—-，londonwasstartledbyacrimeofsingularferocityandrenderedalltherenotablebythehighpositionofthevictithedetailswerefewandstartling.amaidservantlivingaloneinahousenotfarfromtheriver，hadgoneup-stairstobedabouteleven.althoughafogrolledoverthecityinthesmallhours，theearlypartofthenightwascloudless，andthelane，whichthemaidswindowoverlooked，wasbrilliantlylitbythefullon.itseemsshewasromanticallygiven，forshesatdownuponherbox，whichstoodimmediatel玉nderthewindow，andfellintoadreafmusing.never（sheusedtosay，withstreamingtears，whenshenarratedthatexperience），neverhadshefeltreatpeacewithallmenorthoughtrekindlyoftheworld.andasshesosatshebecameawareofanagedandbeautifulgentlemanwithwhitehair，drawingnearalongthelane;andadvancingtomeethim，anotherandverysmallgentleman，towhomatfirstshepaidlessattention.whentheyhadewithinspeech（whichwasjustunderthemaidseyes）ostedtheotherwithaveryprettymannerofpoliteness.itdidnotseemasifthesubjectofhisaddresswereofgreatimportance;indeed，fromhispoin，itsometimesappearedasifhewereonlyinquiringhisway;buttheonshoneonhisfaceashespoke，andthegirlwaspleasedtowatchit，itseemedtobreathesuchaninnocentandold-worldkindnessofdisposition，yetwithsomethinghightoo，asofawell-foundedself-content.presentlyhereyewanderedtotheother，andshewassurprisedtorecogniseinhimacertainmr.hyde，whohadoncevisitedhermasterandforwhomshehadconceivedadislike.hehadinhishandaheavycane，withwhichhewastrifling;butheansweredneveraword，andseemedtolistenwithanill-containedimpatience.andthenallofasuddenhebrokeoutinagreatflameofanger，stampingwithhisfoot，brandishingthecane，andcarryingon（asthemaiddescribedit）likeamadman.theoldgentlemantookastepback，withtheairofoneverymuchsurprisedandatriflehurt;andatthatmr.hydebrokeoutofallboundsandc露bbedhimtotheearth.andnextment，withape-likefury，hewastramplinghisvictimunderfootandhailingdownastorfblows，underwhichtheboneswereaudiblyshatteredandthebodyjumpedupontheroadway.atthehorrorofthesesightsandsounds，themaidfainted.

itwastwooclockwhenshecametoherselfandcalledforthepolice.themurdererwasgonelongago;buttherelayhisvictiminthemiddleofthelane，incrediblymangled.thestickwithwhichthedeedhadbeendone，althoughitwasofsomerareandverytoughandheavywood，hadbrokeninthemiddleunderthestressofthisinsensatecruelty;utter—theother，withoutdoubt，hadbeencarriedawaybythemurderer.apurseandagoldwatchwerefounduponthevictim:butnocardsorpapers，exceptasealedandstampedenvelope，whichhehadbeenprobablycarryingtothepost，andwhichborethenameandaddressofmr.utterson.

thiswasbroughttothelawyerthenextrning，beforehewasoutofbed;andhehadnosoonerseenit，andbeentoldthecircumstances，thanheshotoutasolemnlip."ishallsaynothingtillihaveseenthebody，"saidhe;"thismaybeveryserious.havethekindnesstowaitwhileidress."andwiththesamegravecountenancehehurriedthroughhisbreakfastanddrovetothepolicestation，whitherthebodyhadbeencarried.assoonashecameintothecell，henodded.

"yes，"saidhe，"irecognisehiiamsorrytosaythatthisissirdanverscarew."

"goodgod，sir，"exclaimedtheofficer，"isitpossible?"andthenextmenthiseyelightedupwithprofessionalambition."thiswillmakeadealofnoise，"hesaid."andperhapsyoucanhelpustotheman."andhebrieflynarratedwhatthemaidhadseen，andshowedthebrokenstick.

mr.uttersonhadalreadyquailedatthenameofhyde;butwhenthestickwaslaidbeforehim，hecoulddoubtnolonger;brokenandbatteredasitwas，herecogniseditforohathehadhimselfpresentedmanyyearsbeforetohenryjekyll.

"isthismr.hydeapersonofsmallstature?"heinquired.

"particularlysmallandparticularlywicked-looking，iswhatthemaidcallshim，"saidtheofficer.

mr.uttersonreflected;andthen，raisinghishead，"ifyouwillewithmeinmycab，"hesaid，"ithinkicantakeyoutohishouse."

itwasbythistimeaboutnineintherning，andthefirstfogoftheseason.agreatchocolate-colouredpallloweredoverheaven，butthewindwascontinuallychargingandroutheseembattledvapours;sothatasthecabcrawledfromstreettostreet，mr.uttersonbeheldamarvellousnumberofdegreesandhuesoftwilight;forhereitwouldbedarkliketheback-endofevening;andtherewouldbeaglowofarich，露ridbrown，likethelightofsomestrangeconflagration;andhere，forament，thefogwouldbequitebrokenup，ardshaftofdaylightwouldglanceinbetweentheswirlingwreaths.limpses，withitsmuddyways，andslatternlypassengers，anditslamps，whichhadneverbeenexuishedorhadbeenkindledafreshtobatthisurnfulre-invasionofdarkness，seemed，inthelawyerseyes，likeadistrictofsomecityinanightmare.thethoughtsofhismind，besides，wereofthegloomiestdye;andwhenheglancedatthepanionofhisdrive，hewasconsciousofsometouchofthatterrorofthelawandthelawsofficers，whichmayattimesassailthesthonest.

asthecabdrewupbeforetheaddressindicated，thefogliftedalittleandshowedhimadingystreet，aginpalace，alowfrenchea-house，ashopfortheretailofpennynumbersandtwopennysalads，edchildrenhuddledinthedoorways，andmanywomenofdifferentnationalitiespassingout，keyinhand，lass;andthenextmentthefogsettleddownagainuponthatpart，asbrownasumber，andcuthifffromhisblackguardlysurroundings.thiswasthehomeofhenryjekyllsfavourite;ofamanwhowasheirtoaquarterofamillionsterling.

anivory-facedandsilvery-hairedoldwomanopenedthedoor.shehadanevilface，sothedbyhypocrisy;buthermannerswereexcellent.yes，shesaid，thiswasmr.hydes，buthewasnotathome;hehadbeeninthatnightverylate，buthadgoneawayagaininlessthananhour;therewasnothingstrangeinthat;hishabitswereveryirregular，andhewasoftenabsent;forinstance，itwasnearlytwonthssinceshehadseenhimtillyesterday.

"verywell，then，wewishtoseehisrooms，"saidthelawyer;andwhenthewomanbegantodeclareitwasimpossible，"ihadbettertellyouwhothispersonis，"headded."thisisinspectornewenofscotlandyard."

aflashofodiousjoyappeareduponthewomansface."ah!"saidshe，"heisintrouble!whathashedone?"

mr.uttersonandtheinspectorexchangedglances."hedontseemaverypopularcharacter，"observedthelatter."andnow，mygoodwoman，justletmeandthisgentlemanhavealookaboutus."

inthewholeextentofthehouse，whichbutfortheoldwomanremainedotherwiseempty，mr.hydehadonl玉sedacoupleofrooms;butthesewerefurnishedwith露xuryandgoodtaste.aclosetwasfilledwithwine;theplatewasofsilver，thenaperyelegant;agoodpicture混guponthewalls，agift（asuttersonsupposed）fromhenryjekyll，whowasmuchofaconnoisseur;andthecarpetswereofmanypliesandagreeableincolour.atthisment，however，theroomsboreeverymarkofhavingbeenrecentlyandhurriedlyransacked;clotheslayaboutthefloor，withtheirpocketsinsideout;lock-fastdrawersstoodopen;andonthehearththerelayapileofgreyashes，asthoughmanypapershadbeenburned.fromtheseemberstheinspectordisinterredthebutt-endofagreencheque-book，whichhadresistedtheactionofthefire;theotherhalfofthestickwasfoundbehindthedoor;andasthisclinchedhissuspicions，theofficerdeclaredhimselfdelighted.avisittothebank，whereseveralthousandpoundswerefoundtobelyingtothemurdererscredit，pletedhisgratification.

"youmaydependuponit，sir，"hetoldmr.utterson:"ihavehiminmyhand.hemusthavelosthishead，orheneverwouldhaveleftthestickor，aboveall，burnedthecheque-book.why，neyslifetotheman.wehavenothingtodobutwaitforhimatthebank，andgetoutthehandbills."

thislast，however，omplishment;formr.hydehadnumberedfewfamiliars—eventhemasteroftheservant-maidhadonlyseenhimtwice;hisfamilycouldnowherebetraced;hehadneverbeenphotographed;andthefewwhocoulddescribehimdifferedwidely，asnobserverswill.onlyononepoint，weretheyagreed;andthatwasthehaunsenseofunexpresseddeformitywithwhichthefugitiveimpressedhisbeholders.