Трек 08_02

«I do not blame our old friend,» Jekyll wrote, «but I share his view that we must never meet again. I mean, from this time on, to shut myself away from the world. You must not be surprised, nor must you doubt my friendship, if my door is often shut even to you. You must let me go my own, dark way. I have brought on myself a danger and a punishment that I cannot name. If I am the chief of sinners, I am the chief of sufferers also. I did not know, indeed, that this world contained a place for such sufferings and terrors as I have known; and these are things that I have brought upon my own head. If you wish to help me, Utterson, you can do but one thing-and that is to leave me to go my own way.»

Utterson was astonished. After the dark influence of Hyde had been taken from him, the doctor had returned to his old friends. A week ago, all had been well with him. Now, in a moment, all that was wrecked. So great a change pointed to madness, the lawyer thought, but in view of Lanyon’s words and manner there must be some deeper reason.

A week later Dr. Lanyon took to his bed. He never left it again, and in less than a fortnight he was dead.

The night after the funeral, Utterson locked the door of his business room and, sitting there by the light of a candle he drew out and set before him an envelope addressed by the hand of his dead friend, and marked: «PRIVATE: for the hands of J. C. Utterson ALONE, and, in the event of his death, to be destroyed unread.»

Utterson sat there and looked at it for a long time. Here, perhaps, was the key to the mystery. He was afraid to open it, however.

«I have buried one friend today,» he thought. «What if this should cost me another?»

And then he dismissed the fear, and tore the envelope open. Inside was a second envelope, marked upon the cover as «not to be opened till the death or disappearance of Dr. Henry Jekyll».

Utterson could hardly believe his eyes. Here was that word «disappearance» once more, as in the mad will, which he had long ago returned to Jekyll. The will, Utterson was sure, had been made at the sinister suggestion of the man Hyde, for an evil and horrible purpose of his own. But there was the same idea written by the hand of Lanyon.

What could it mean? The lawyer was seized by a great curiosity; he felt a temptation to tear open the envelope and dive at once to the bottom of these mysteries. His professional honour and faith to his dead friend would not permit him to do so, however. He rose, at last, and placed the packet in his private safe.

But he could not shut away his curiosity. From that time on, he wished more than ever to see and speak with Jekyll. He went to call, again and again; and always he had the same answer. He spoke with Poole upon the doorstep, and learned that the doctor now shut himself more than ever in his study or the laboratory, where he would sometimes even sleep. He was out of spirits, he had grown very silent, he did not read, and it seemed as if something was preying on his mind.

Utterson grew so used to these reports that, in the end, he gave up calling altogether. When, at last, he did set eyes on Jekyll once more, it was in circumstances that only added to the mystery, and left Mr. Utterson himself badly shaken . . .