化身博士-第7节

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yself　in　the　mirror　there．I　crossed　the　garden　and　entered　my　house　like　astranger．　As　I　came　into　my　room，　I　saw　Edward　Hyde　forthe　first　time．

At　that　time，the　good　side　of　my　character　was　strongerthan　the　evil　side．Henry　Jekyll　had　his　faults，but　he　wasmostly　a　good，　kind　man．I　cannot　be　sure，but　I　believe　thatis　the　reason　why　Edward　Hyde　was　so　much　smaller　thanHenry　Jekyll．But　that　was　not　the　only　difference　betweenthe　two　men．　Henry　Jekyll　had　a　kind，　open，　honest　face．Pure　evil　stared　out　of　Edward　Hyde's　eyes．I　felt　no　dislike，however．Indeed，I　welcomed　him．Edward　Hyde　was　me，young　and　strong　and　full　of　life．

Later，however，I　noticed　that　Hyde's　appearance　andmanner　had　a　strong　effect　on　other　people．　Nobody　couldmeet　Edward　Hyde　without　a　feeling　of　dislike　and　horror．　Ibelieve　I　understand　the　reason　for　this　too．　Everyone　is　a　mixture　of　good　and　evil．Even　the　worst　criminal　has　a　little　goodin　him．　Only　Edward　Hyde　was　pure　evil．

I　stood　for　a　long　time，staring　at　the　mirror．‘Am　Itrapped？’I　wondered．‘If　I　am，I　must　leave　this　house　beforedaylight．　If　I　don't，　I　shall　be　arrested　as　a　thief．

I　hurried　back　to　my　study．　With　trembling　hands　I　mixedanother　dose　of　the　drug　and　drank　it．Again　I　felt　that　terriblePain　and　sickness，　but　a　few　seconds　later　I　found　myself　withthe　face　and　body　and　character　of　Henry　Jekyll　once　more．

I　blame　myself　for　the　things　that　happened　later．　It　wasnot　the　fault　of　the　drug．That　was　neither　good　nor　evil．Butit　opened　the　prison　doors　and　all　owed　Edward　Hyde　toescape．Soon　he　was　out　of　control．　He，　you　will　remember，was　wholly　evil．Doctor　Jekyll　was　not　wholly　good，　however．He　was　a　normal　man　with　normal　faults　and　weaknesses，　andHyde　was　too　strong　for　him．

I　welcomed　Hyde，therefore．I　arranged　everything　verycarefully．I　bought　a　flat　in　a　poor　part　of　London，　where　Ikept　Hyde's　clothes　and　employed　a　servant　to　do　the　housework．I　took　a　dose　of　the　drug　whenever　I　wanted　to　forgetmy　old，　quiet，　serious　self　for　a　time．　In　those　early　daysGod　forgive　me！…I　thought　it　was　all　very　amusing．　DoctorJekyll　was　well　known．Nobody　knew　Hyde，　however，　and　inhis　body　I　was　free　to　do　as　I　wished．

I　will　not　go　into　details　about　my　adventures　and　shamefulacts　as　Hyde．　Jekyll　remained　as　good　and　kind　as　ever　and　always　did　his　best　to　undo　the　harm　that　Hyde　did．　But　as　timewent　by，　Jekyll　became　less　and　less　able　to　control　Hyde．

One　night　Hyde　injured　a　child　in　the　street　and　a　passer－bysaw　him．That　passer－by　was　your　cousin．　I　recognized　himwhen　the　two　of　you　came　to　my　window．Your　cousin　caughtHyde　and　an　angry　crowd　collected．　They　asked　for　money　forthe　child's　family．　In　the　end，　in　order　to　escape，　Hyde　hadto　give　your　cousin　a　cheque　in　the　name　of　Jekyll．

I　learned　my　lesson　from　this，　and　opened　a　new　bank　account　in　the　name　of　Hyde．　I　even　gave　Hyde　a　different　handwriting．　I　was　sure　I　was　safe…but　I　was　wrong．

Two　months　before　the　murder　of　Sir　Danvers　Carew　I　wentout　on　one　of　my　evil　adventures．Before　I　went　to　bed，I　tooka　dose　of　the　drug　and　became　Doctor　Jekyll　once　more．　Iwoke　up　in　bed　the　next　morning　with　a　strange　feeling　thatsomething　was　wrong…　I　looked　around　the　room，　thendown　at　my　hand．Henry　Jekyll's　hand　was　large，white，　andwellmade，　but　the　hand　I　saw　that　morning　on　the　bedcoverwas　thin，bony，　greyish－brown，　and　hairy．It　was　the　hand　ofEdward　Hyde．

Sick　with　horror，　I　stared　at　it．　I　was　Henry　Jekyll　when　Iwent　to　bed，’I　thought．‘And　now　I　am　Edward　Hyde…What　possible　explanation　can　there　be？　And，moreimportant，　how　can　I　get　to　my　study　and　take　the　drug？’

Then　I　realized　that　the　servants　were　quite　used　to　the　comings　and　goings　of　Hyde．　I　put　on　Hyde's　clothes　and　marchedconfidently　through　the　house．　Poole　stared　in　surprise　to　seeMr　Hyde　so　early　in　the　morning，　but　I　did　not　care．　Tenminutes　later　Doctor　Jekyll　had　returned　to　his　own　shape　andwas　sitting　down，pretending　to　eat　breakfast．

Too　worried　to　eat，　I　sat　there　thinking　hard　about　my　situation．　I　realized　that　in　recent　weeks　Hyde　had　become　biggerand　stronger，　both　in　body　and　character．

‘What　will　I　do，’I　thought，‘　Hyde　takes　control？’Ithought　about　the　drug．　Once，in　the　early　days，it　had　failedcompletely，　and　sometimes　I　had　had　to　take　a　double　dose　before　I　changed　into　Hyde．Now，however，it　was　quite　easy　tobecome　Hyde…the　problem　was　to　become　Jekyll　again　aftermy　adventures．My　good　self　and　my　evil　self　were　fighting　formy　mind　and　body…and　my　evil　self　was　winning．

I　knew　I　had　to　choose　between　the　two，　and　I　chose　DoctorJekyll．　Perhaps　I　was　not　wholly　serious　about　this，however，because　I　did　not　sell　Hyde's　flat　or　destroy　his　clothes．　Fortwo　months　I　lived　the　life　of　a　quiet　and　responsible　man．　Butsoon　I　began　to　miss　Hyde…his　strong　young　body，　his　love　oflife　and　his　dark　adventures　in　the　narrow，　nameless　streets　ofLondon．One　night，　when　my　life　as　Jekyll　seemed　imposslblydull　and　boring，　I　mixed　a　dose　of　the　drug　and　drank　it．

It　was　like　opening　the　door　of　a　cage　and　letting　a　wild　animal　escape．That　night　I　became　a　madman，　and　beat　Sir　Danvers　to　death…for　no　reason　at　all．I　felt　only　a　wild　delight　asI　hit　his　body　again　and　again．　Afterwards　I　ran　to　the　flat　anddestroyed　all　my　papers．　I　was　not　ashamed　of　my　crime．　Instead　I　was　filled　with　a　high，sweet　excitement．　I　relived　themurder　as　I　walked　back　home　through　the　streets．　I　feltstrong　and　masterful…Edward　Hyde　had　a　song　on　his　lipsas　he　mixed　a　dose　of　the　drug．‘Your　very　good　health，　SirDanvers！’he　laughed　as　he　drank．A　moment　of　terrible　pain，then　poor　Henry　Jekyll　fell　to　his　knees　and　begged　God　to　forgive　him．

When　I　was　myself　again，I　locked　the　door　that　led　fromthe　street　to　my　laboratory．　I　broke　the　key　and　threw　itaway．　Goodbye　for　ever，Mr　Hyde！I　whispered．

The　next　day　the　news　of　the　murder　was　all　over　London．The　servant　girl　had　seen　the　crime　and　recognized　Mr　Hyde．My　other　self　was　wanted　by　the　police．

In　some　ways　I　was　glad．　Now　Hyde　could　not　show　hisface　to　the　world　again．　If　he　did，　every　honest　man　in　London　would　be　proud　to　report　him　to　the　police．

Once　again　I　led　a　busy，responsible　and　almost　happy　life…until　one　fine，clear　January　day．　I　was　sitting　on　a　seat　inthe　park，enjoying　the　sunshine，when　suddenly　I　felt　deathlysick．I　began　to　tremble　all　over．　Soon，　however，　I　felt　wellagain－not　only　well，　but　young，strong　and　fearless．　I　lookeddown；　my　clothes　were　suddenly　too　big，the　hand　on　my　kneewas　the　bony，hairy　hand　of　Edward　Hyde．　It　was　so　sudden．One　moment　I　was　a　famous　and　popular　doctor，the　next　Iwas　a　violent　criminal　who　was　wanted　for　murder．

How　could　I　get　to　my　study　to　take　the　drug？　I　had　lockedthe　street　door　to　my　laboratory　and　broken　the　key．　I　couldnot，　therefore，enter　from　the　street．　I　could　not　go　inthrough　the　house　because　of　the　servants．I　needed　help　fromoutside．I　thought　of　Lanyon，but　how　could　I　reach　him？And　how　could　I　persuade　him　to　let　Hyde　into　his　home？How，too，could　I　persuade　him　to　break　into　Doctor　Jekyll's　private　study？It　looked　impossible．　Then　I　remembered．My　appearance　was　unrecognizable，but　my　handwriting　was　unchanged．I’could　still　write　a　letterin　Doctor　Jekyll's　name！Calling　a　passing　taxicab，I　orderedthe　driver　to　drive　to　a　hotel　quite　near　Lanyon's　house．Ofcourse　Jekyll's　clothes　were　much　too　large　for　my　body，and　Ihad　trouble　in　climbing　into　the　cab．The　driver　noticed　mystrange　appearance　and　could　not　help　laughing．I　gave　himsuch　a　black　look，however，that　the　smile　froze　on　his　face．In　my　desperate　fear　and　danger，I　was　like　a　pain…maddened　animal，ready　to　kill　or　wound　at　any　moment．I　wanted　topull　the　driver　from　his　seat　and　murder　him　then　and　there．But　I　was　clever　too．My　life　depended　on　my　coolness，and　Ifought　to　control　my　murderous　passions．

We　reached　the　hotel．I　paid　the　driver　and　went　inside，holding　up　my　too…large　trousers．The　servants　smiled　whenthey　saw　my　strange　appearance．I　stared　angrily　at　them　andtheir　smiles　disappeared　at　once．I　gave　my　orders　and　they　ledme　to　a　private　room　and　brought　me　some　writing　paper　and　apen．

Hyde　in　danger　of　his　life　was　a　new　experience　for　me．He—I　write‘he’because　I　find　it　hard　to　write‘I’—he　wasnot　human．His　only　feelings　at　that　time　were　fear　and　hate．Hyde　was　wholly　evil，but　he　was　not　stupid．He　knew　thathis　life　depended　on　two　letters，one　to　Lanyon　and　one　toPoole．If　he　failed，he　would　die．

Carefully　he　wrote　the　letters　and　sent　a　servant　to　postthem．After　that　he　sat　all　day　by　the　fire　in　the　private　room．There　too　he　had　dinner，brought　by　a　frightened　waiter．Atlast，when　darkness　had　covered　the　city，he　sat　in　the　cornerof　a　closed　taxicab．‘Just　drive　round！’he　ordered，and　thedriver　drove　backwards　and　forwards　through　the　streets　ofLondon．

Then，when　Hyde　thought　the　driver　was　beginning　to　sus…pect　something，he　sent　the　taxicab　away　and　continued　onfoot．He　was　a　strange　figure　in　his　too…large　clothes，withfear　and　hate　s