Chapter 8 Doctor Lanyon's letter

Dear Utterson，

Four days ago，on the 9th of January，I received a letterby the evening post it was in the handwriting of my oldfriend Henry Jekyll．I was rather surprised，as we were not inthe habit of writing to each other， and I had had dinner withhim the night before． When I came to read the letter， I waseven more surprised． The letter said：

 

Dear Lanyon，

You are one of my oldest friends． Although we havesometimes disagreed on scientific matters，I have alwaysremained your friend． I would do anything for you， Lanyon-please will you do something for me now？

Please， old friend，come to my house at once wth thisletter in your hand Poole，my servant， has his orders． Hewill be here with a locksmith．Break the lock of my studydoor， and then you must go in there alone．Open the glassfronted cupboard on the left－hand side and look on the fourthshelf from the top．On it you will find some pacKets of chemical powders， a small bottle and a book．Please take everything back to your house．

If you leave as soon as you receve this letter， you shouldbe back home before midnight．At that time you will recevea visit from a man．Please give him the bottle， the powdersand the book， and I shall aways be grateful to you．

Do not fail me， Lanyon． Believe me， my life and mypeace of mind depend on you．I am in fearful danger and only you can save me．

Your friend，

Henry Jekyll

After reading this letter， I was sure that Doctor Jekyll wasmad． But a friend is a friend， and so I went at once to hishouse．Jekyll's servant had received by the same post a letter similar to mine， and he was waiting for me with the locksmith．Together we went through the old laboratory andclimbed the stairs to the doctor's private study．The doorwas very strong， with an excellent lock， but the locksmithknew his job．Soon the door stood open and I entered thestudy．I opened the cupboard and found the shelf．Sureenough，the powders，the bottle and the book were there，and I took them home with me．

At home I lcoked at everything more carefully．There wereseveral packets of white powder and a bottle of red，strong－smelling liquid．The book contained nothing except alist of dates， going back several years．The last date wasnearly a year ago．Here and there the doctor had added afew words．The word‘donble’appeared very early in thelist， followed by the word‘Failed！！’．‘Double’appeared inthe list several more times…What was Jekyll doing？Thebook looked like a list of unsuccessful experiments．Howcould I，by taking these things to my house，save my friend's life and peace of mind？And what was the reason for thismidnight visitor？ I put my old gun in my pocket， then I putevery thing in a box for my midnight visitor to collect．

At midnight exactly there was a knock on my door． A shortman was standing in the shadows．

‘Are you from Doctor Jekyll？’I asked．He bent his head．

Although I could not see his face，there was something unpleasing about him and I was glad I had a weapon．I invitedhim into the house and there， in the bright light， I took a closer look at him．

His appearance was extremely strange． His clothes werewell made and expensive， but they were far too large forhim． He looked like a child wearing his father's clothes， butthere was nothing childlike about this man． He was short， asI have said， but very strong At the same time there was alook of sickness and horror about him，and his face was amask of pain， violence and hate．As a doctor I could pernapsfeel sorry for him；as a mau I felt only fear and dislike．

‘you got it？’said the stranger impatiently，reachingout his hand and touching my arm． His touch made my bloodrun cold．I shook off his hand．‘Come， sir，’ I said calmly．‘Sit down and introduce yourself．’

‘I apologize， Doctor Lanyon，’the stranger said more politely．‘Doctor Henry Jekyll sent me here on an importantmatter．I have to collect something from you．’

I gave him the box．He took it with trembling hands．‘ Atlast！’he cried．He turned to me．His face was deathly pale．‘Have you a medicine glass？’he asked．

I gave it to him．He put a little of the red liquid in the glassand added a packet of powder．A small cloud of smoke rosefrom the glass and the colour of the liquid changed from redto purple， and from purple to a watery green．The strangerput the glass down on the table and looked sharply at me．

‘And now，’he said，‘choose carefully．You can leave theroom now ．Or you can stay and experience something new，something unknown to science． You can be rich，famous andsuccessful，if only you will believe’

‘Sir，’I said，trying to remain calm，‘I don't understandwhat you're trying to say，and I think you are probably madBut I will stay．’

‘Very well，’said the stranger．‘Now remember yourpromise． You've been an unbeliever all your life．Youlaughed at Doctor Jekyll's ideas and called them unscientificrubbish-now see for yourself！’

He put the glass to his lips and drank the liquid．His wholebody shook and jumped and he almost fell．He held onto theedge of the table， breathing fast through his open mouth． AsI watched，his whole body seemed to change．He seemed tobecome taller， fatter-his face turned black and its shapebegan to change…The next moment I jumped back againstthe wall，trembling with fear and horror．There before myeyes， pale and shaken and sick， stood Henry Jekyll！

I cannot make myself write down the things that Jekyll，with tears in his eyes， confessed to me that night

Now fear and horror are my only companions．Sleep has left me and I feel that I have not long to live． As I write， Iwonder． Did I imagine it all？As a scientist I cannot believeit-but I saw it happen with my own eyes．

I will say just one thing more，Utterson．The evil thing thatcame into my house that night-as Jekyll told me-wasknown by the name of Hyde， and was wanted by the policefor the murder of Sir Danvers Carew．

Hastie Lanyon

With fear in his heart，Mr Utterson put away Doctor Lanyon's letter， and then opened the confession of Doctor Henry Jekyll．

8  兰宁医生的信

 

亲爱的厄特森：

四天前，也就是1月 9日，晚班邮差送来一封信，是老朋友亨利·杰基尔的笔迹。我很奇怪，因为我们没有互相写信的习惯，况且头一天晚上我还和他一起吃过饭，而信的内容更让我奇怪了。信是这么写的：

亲爱的兰宁：

你是我最老的朋友之一，尽管在一些科学问题上我们有分歧，我一直把你当朋友看。我愿意为你赴汤蹈火，兰宁，你也愿意帮我做点事吗？

我请求你，老朋友，立刻拿着这封信到我家里来。我已经吩咐过我的仆人普尔，让他找一个锁匠在这儿等着。你们撬开书房的门，但你必须一个人进去，打开左手的玻璃柜，从上面数第四格里，有一些药品包在纸包里，有一个小瓶子，还有一个本子。把这些东西全都拿到你家里去。

如果你收到信尽快赶来，那你午夜前应该已经回到家了。会有一个人去找你，请你把瓶子、药品和书给他，我将感激不尽！

别让我失望，兰宁。相信我，我的性命和内心的平静全靠你了。我处境危急，只有你能救我了。

你的朋友

亨利·杰基尔

读完这封信，我完全相信杰基尔博士已经神智不清了。可朋友终归是朋友，所以我立刻去了他家。杰基尔的仆人也收到了邮差送来的信，和我的差不多，锁匠已经在那儿等着了。我们一起穿过实验室，上楼来到了博士的私人书房。门很结实，锁也很牢，但锁匠知道怎么办。不一会儿、门开了，我走进去，打开柜子，找到了那一格。没错，药粉、瓶子，还有本子都在那儿，我拿着就回家了。

回到家里，我又仔细查看了一遍。有几包白色的药粉和一瓶红色的液体，气味刺鼻。本子里除了一串日期什么都没有，都是几年前的，最近的一个日子也几乎是一年以前的了。有些日期旁，博士加了很短的批语：“双份”，而且在本子上出现得很早，跟着是“失败！”在这串日期上，“双份”又出现了好几次……杰基尔究竟在干什么？本子上列的单子像一连串失败的实验记录。把这些东西拿回来，怎么就能挽救朋友的性命，还给他带来内心的平静呢？午夜来客又是什么原因？我把常用的一把手枪放到口袋里，把那些东西放到盒子里，等着半夜上门的人来取。

正好午夜时分，有人敲响了我的门，一个小个子站在阴影里。

“是从杰基尔博士那儿来的吗？”我问。他低着头。虽然看不清他的模样，可我还是感到他哪儿有点让人不舒服。真庆幸我拿了枪。我请他进了屋，在明亮的光线下，我仔细看了看他。

他的外表十分怪异。衣服都是上等料子，做工精良，但穿在他身上太显大了，好比孩子穿了爸爸的衣服。但是这人没有一点像孩子。他个子不高，正如我说的，但却十分强壮，还有，他看上去很难受，很害怕，脸被痛苦、不安和仇恨笼罩着。作为医生，我也许为他难过，但作为一个普通人，我只有恐惧和厌恶。

“东西都找到了吗？”陌生人很不耐烦地说着，伸出手就摇我的胳膊。这一碰让我的血都快冻住了。我甩开他的手。“嗨，先生，”我不动声色地说，“请坐，我还没有幸认识您呢！”

“请您原谅，兰宁医生，”陌生人一下子谦恭起来，“杰基尔博士让我来办一件很重要的事，我必须从您这儿拿点东西。”

我把盒子递给他，他两只手颤抖着接过去。“终于拿到了！”他叫了一声，又转向我，脸色像死人一样苍白。“有量杯吗？”他问。

我拿给他。他在杯子里倒出少量药水，又放入一点儿白色药粉，一小股烟冒了出来，液体的颜色也由红变紫，由紫变成水绿。陌生人把杯子放在桌上，突然狠狠瞪了我一眼。

“好吧，”他说，“仔细选择一下吧。您可以马上离开这间屋子，也可以呆在这里，看看一种新奇的东西，一种科学上未知的东西。您可以变得富有、成功、有名望，只要相信就行。”

“先生，”我说，尽量做出一副冷冰冰的样子，“我不明白您想说些什么，而且我相信您可能神智不清，不过我还是决定留下来。”

“好的，”陌生人说，“记住你的承诺。你一生都不肯相信，还嘲笑杰基尔博士的观点，称它们是不科学的垃圾，现在，你请看吧！”

说着，他把杯子搁在嘴边，一口气喝了下去，接着他的整个身体颤抖起来，踉踉跄跄，凡乎都要摔倒了。他抓着桌子边，嘴张得大大的，使劲喘着气。我注视着这一切，他的身体好像变了，变得高了，胖了，脸突然发黑，五官也开始变形……我“噌”地往后退了一步，抵着墙，全身抖成一团，又担心，又害怕，因为站在我面前、脸色苍白、浑身战栗、难受不止的，正是亨利·杰基尔！

那天晚上，杰基尔流着眼泪向我忏悔了一切，可是我实在没法打起精神来，把这些都写下来。

现在，恐惧是我唯一的伙伴，睡梦也离我而去。我觉得我的日子没多久了。一边写，我一边纳闷，难道一切都是幻觉吗？作为科学家，我无法相信，但这确确实实是我亲眼看到的。

厄特森，我再告诉你一件事，那晚来我家的那个邪恶的家伙，杰基尔告诉我，就是那个杀害了卡鲁爵士的通缉犯，名字叫海德！

黑斯蒂·兰宁

厄特森先生满怀恐惧地放下了兰宁医生的信，然后打开了亨利·杰基尔博士的忏悔书。