Incident of the Letter

           Itwaslateintheafternoon,whenMr.UttersonfoundhiswaytoDr.Jekyll’sdoor,wherehewasatonceadmittedbyPoole,andcarrieddownbythekitchenofficesandacrossayardwhichhadoncebeenagarden,tothebuildingwhichwasindifferentlyknownasthelaboratoryorthedissecting-rooms. Thedoctorhadboughtthehousefromtheheirsofacelebratedsurgeon;andhisowntastesbeingratherchemicalthananatomical,hadchangedthedestinationoftheblockatthebottomofthegarden. Itwasthefirsttimethatthelawyerhadbeenreceivedinthatpartofhisfriend’squarters; andheeyedthedingy,windowlessstructurewithcuriosity,andgazedroundwithadistastefulsenseofstrangenessashecrossedthetheatre,oncecrowdedwitheagerstudentsandnowlyinggauntandsilent, thetablesladenwithchemicalapparatus,thefloorstrewnwithcratesandlitteredwithpackingstraw,andthelightfallingdimlythroughthefoggycupola. Atthefurtherend,aflightofstairsmountedtoadoorcoveredwithredbaize;andthroughthis,Mr.Uttersonwasatlastreceivedintothedoctor’scabinet. Itwasalargeroom,fittedroundwithglasspresses,furnished,amongotherthings,withacheval-glassandabusinesstable,andlookingoutuponthecourtbythreedustywindowsbarredwithiron. Afireburnedinthegrate;alampwassetlightedonthechimneyshelf,foreveninthehousesthefogbegantoliethickly;andthere,closeuptothewarmth,satDr.Jekyll,lookingdeadlysick.