Странная история доктора Джекила и мистера Хайда
Dr. Lanyon’s Narrative
Thebutlerwasawaitingmyarrival; hehadreceivedbythesamepostasminearegisteredletterofinstruction,andhadsentatonceforalocksmithandacarpenter. Thetradesmencamewhilewewereyetspeaking;andwemovedinabodytooldDr.Denman’ssurgicaltheatre,fromwhich(asyouaredoubtlessaware)Jekyll’sprivatecabinetismostconvenientlyentered. Thedoorwasverystrong,thelockexcellent;thecarpenteravowedhewouldhavegreattroubleandhavetodomuchdamage,ifforceweretobeused;andthelocksmithwasneardespair. Butthislastwasahandyfellow,andaftertwohours’work,thedoorstoodopen. ThepressmarkedEwasunlocked;andItookoutthedrawer,haditfilledupwithstrawandtiedinasheet,andreturnedwithittoCavendishSquare.
HereIproceededtoexamineitscontents. Thepowderswereneatlyenoughmadeup,butnotwiththenicetyofthedispensingchemist;sothatitwasplaintheywereofJekyll’sprivatemanufacture; andwhenIopenedoneofthewrappersIfoundwhatseemedtomeasimplecrystallinesaltofawhitecolour. Thephial,towhichInextturnedmyattention,mighthavebeenabouthalf-fullofablood-redliquor,whichwashighlypungenttothesenseofsmellandseemedtometocontainphosphorusandsomevolatileether. AttheotheringredientsIcouldmakenoguess. Thebookwasanordinaryversion-bookandcontainedlittlebutaseriesofdates. Thesecoveredaperiodofmanyyears,butIobservedthattheentriesceasednearlyayearagoandquiteabruptly.
