19 A Visit from a Stranger

CHAPTER 19 A Visit from a Stranger "The bells had barely struck twelve o'clock when the stranger appeared at my door. I asked if Dr. Jekyll had sent him. He said yes, so I asked him inside. He looked behind him to make sure that no one saw him from the street. A policeman passed my house moments later. I noticed that this man watched at the window until the officer was

gone. "These details had me worried. I wondered what kind of man Jekyll had sent to my house. I thought it best to get this nasty task over with as soon as possible. I led him to my study, where I had left the drawer. "I took a good look at this man. He was short and wore a heavy coat. It was his face that was the most striking, though. The only word I can use is horrible. It made my heart skip a beat at first glance. I was, however, curious. Perhaps it is because I am a doctor, but I could not look away. Why did his physical appearance affect me so strongly? "These observations have taken some time to write down but they covered mere seconds in real life. We moved quickly from front hall to the study, as my visitor was very anxious to get the drawer. "'Have you got it?' he cried. 'Have you

got it?' He was so impatient that he started to shake me. "I pushed him back a step or two. 'Come, sir,' I said. 'You forget that I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting you. Be seated, if you please.' I sat down myself, doing my best to appear natural. I'm not certain why I delayed giving him the medicine. My curiosity got the best of me, I suppose. I wanted to see how he would react. "'I beg your pardon, Dr. Lanyon,' he replied civilly enough. 'I realize that I am impatient, but I come at the request of your good friend Dr. Jekyll. I would not like to keep him waiting.' He paused and put his hand to his throat. I could see that, in spite of his collected manner, he was close to tears. 'I understand... that I am to retrieve... a drawer,' he sputtered. "I took pity on my visitor. No, perhaps I was more interested in satisfying my own

curiosity. It is hard to say at this point with all the information I now possess. "'There it is, sir,' I said, pointing to the drawer where it lay on the floor. "He sprang to it. Then he paused and laid his hand upon his heart. I could hear his teeth grinding with nerves. He plucked away the sheet. At the sight of the contents he uttered a sob of such great relief that I sat terrified. I was shocked when he spoke a moment later, asking for a measuring glass. "I rose from my place with something of an effort and gave him what he asked. "He thanked me with a smiling nod. He then proceeded to measure out a dose of the red liquid with the strange salt. As the ingredients came together, the mixture took on a bright color. It started to bubble and smoke. Then it turned a dark, rich purple and stopped churning. At last it slowly faded to a watery green color. My visitor watched

each stage with a keen eye. He smiled and set the glass on the table. He then turned and looked at me sternly. "'And now,' he said, 'will you be wise? Will you ask me to leave your house with this glass without further discussion? Or are you too curious now? Think carefully before you decide. If you choose, I can leave and you will be neither richer nor wiser from the experience. Or I can stay and a new world of understanding will be opened up to you. A world you can hardly imagine at this point.' "'Sir,' I said, attempting to sound cool and calm, although I was far from either. It was clear that he was challenging me, asking if I was brave enough to see this story through. 'I have gone too far in this strange business to turn back now. I must see the end." "'Very well,' he said. 'Only keep your vows in mind. Remember that I gave you every opportunity to stay out of this. You

have lived by such narrow views for so long now that you cannot understand the areas of science and wonder that surround you. Look!' "He put the glass to his lips and drank it in one gulp. A cry followed. He reeled, staggered, clutched at the table and held on, staring with dazed eyes. And as I looked, a change came over him. He seemed to swell. His face began to alter. In the next moment, I had sprung to my feet and leapt back against the wall. My arm was raised to shield me from this sight. My mind was swimming in terror. "'No, no!' I screamed, again and again. For there before my eyes—pale and shaken and half fainting—stood Henry Jekyll! "What he told me in the next hour I cannot bring myself to repeat. I saw what I saw, I heard what I heard, and my soul is sickened by it. Yet now that he is not before