Chapter 5
Next afternoon Mr. Utterson was received by Poole when he visited Dr. Jekyll’s place. He accompanied Poole along the kitchen observing the uninteresting interior of his friends quarter straight to the dissection laboratory. The doctor had bought the house from the heirs of a celebrated surgeon; and his own tastes being rather chemical than anatomical, had changed the destination of the block at the bottom of the garden. It was the first time that the lawyer had been received in that part of his friend’s quarters; and he eyed the dingy, windowless structure with curiosity, and gazed round with a distasteful sense of strangeness as he crossed the theatre, once crowded with eager students and now lying gaunt and silent, the tables laden with chemical apparatus, the floor strewn with crates and littered with packing straw, and the light falling dimly through the foggy cupola. At the further end, a flight of stairs mounted to a door covered with red baize; and through this, Mr. Utterson was at last received into the doctor’s cabinet. It was a large room fitted round with glass presses, furnished, among other things, with a cheval-glass and a business table, and looking out upon the court by three dusty windows barred with iron. The fire burned in the grate; a lamp was set lighted on the chimney shelf, for even in the houses the fog began to lie thickly. Dr. Jekyll sat beside the hearth on his comfortable armchair. He looked rather pale and sick. He didn’t get up to welcome Mr. Utterson but held out his hand to embrace his presence.
Mr. Utterson waited for Poole to leave the room and then said, “You must have heard the news by now.”
“I could hear the cries in my living room,” replied the doctor, “the streets were filled with voices.”
“You are my client doctor. I sincerely hope you have not been stupid enough to give refuge to that criminal fellow.”
“It’s all over my friend,” said the doctor, “He refused to take my help, I know him much better than you do. I assure you will never see the sight of him again in the future.”
“I hope you are right my friend,” replied the lawyer in a cold manner, “for if he is brought up infront of the court of law, even you name would be mentioned creating problems for you.”
“I do require you assistance on one thing Utterson,” replied Jekyll, “I got an envelope with a letter inside and I don’t know if it is right for me to show it to the cops. I would prefer handing it over to you for I trust your wise judgement greatly.”
“Do you think it could lead them to Hyde?” asked Utterson.
“I don’t care what happens to Hyde any more. This could be a threat to my own character,”said the doctor.
Utterson was rather not expecting selfishness from Jekyll but he also took a sigh of relief and asked him to show the letter.
The letter was written by Hyde himself and its contents said that Dr Jekyll, should not be amused by by the fact that he was safe. It stated he had other ways of escaping. The lawyer asked the doctor for the envelope.
“I incinerated the envelope out of fear,” replied Jekyll,
“but there was no stamp on the envelope. It was personally delivered by someone.”
“I’ll keep this letter and think over it over the night,” said Utterson.
“You can surely keep the letter. I have faith in your judgement even more than my own,” he replied.
“I will look over it,” said the lawyer, “And one more thing; did Hyde tell you to add the points in you will regarding that dissappearence?”
Jekyll went pale as if he had lost his senses but he collected himself and just replied to the lawyer with a nod in agreement.
“I reckon he had an intention to kill you, my friend. You are lucky to have escaped.”
“You are right, my friend. I should not have trusted him ever. I have learned from this,” cried Jekyll as his voice choked.
Before Poole closed the door behind him, Mr. Utterson asked the butler, “The doctor says the letter was delivered by someone personally, did you see the messenger?” But the butler told him that no one came to deliver a letter whole day. The only letters delivered were the circulars which came by post.
This news sent off the visitor with his fears renewed. Plainly the letter had come by the laboratory door; possibly, indeed, it had been written in the cabinet; and if that were so, it must be differently judged, and handled with the more caution.
The newsboys, as he went, were crying themselves hoarse along the footways: “Special edition, Shocking murder of an M.P.” That was the funeral oration of one friend and client; and he could not help a certain apprehension lest the good name of another should be sucked down in the eddy of the scandal. It was, at least, a ticklish decision that he had to make; and self-reliant as he was by habit, he began to cherish a longing for advice. It was not to be had directly; but perhaps, he thought, it might be fished for.
Some time later, Mr. Utterson was visited by his head clerk at his place. He sat by the fire accompanied by his guest and a bottle of wine. Despite the dimly lit lamps outside, the room was illuminated by the fire. The clerk was familiar with Poole and the doctor. He obviously had heard about Hyde and his regular visit to the place too.
The lawyer thought about showing him the letter for he was aware of all the characters and could contribute in solving this mystery. He thought this gues would be overwhelmed if his exceptiona expertise at handwritings could be put to such use. A mere remark about the letter could help Mr. Utterson’s further actions.
“You are here for Sir Danvers!” he said.
“Right sir, the man was insane,” replied the guest, “his death has brought a great feeling of despair in the mob.”
“I am all ears to know you remarks on this matter,” said the lawyer, “Also, I want to share an extremely crucial document signed by the murderer himself. I hope it will stay between us for good.”
The clerk studied every inch of the letter. “It is an odd handwriting, sir,” said the Guest.
Before he could say anything further, the servant entered with a note.
“Is that private Mr Utterson?” asked the clerk, “I reckon it to be from Dr. Jekyll.”
“It’s just a dinner invitation. Here, you can have a look over it,” said the lawyer while handing him the note.
He compared the two papers for a while and then returned them to Mr. Utterson saying, “That’s a fairly interesting autograph.”
Mr. Utterson inquired the guest for the reason of comparing the two documents.
“Sir, there is a fair resemblance between the two just that one of the handwriting has been written slightly sloped,” returned the clerk. As soon as the Guest left him alone, Mr. Utterson locked the note along with letter in his safe.
