阅读理解
Then the servant knocked in a very guarded manner; the door was
opened on the chain; and a voice asked from within, “Is that you, Poole?”
“It's all right,”said Poole,” Open the door.”
The hall, when they entered it, was brightly lighted up/The
whole of the servants, men and women, stood crowded together like a flock of
sheep .At the sight of Mr. Utterson, the housemaid broke into crying
hysterically but softly; and the cook, crying out” Bless God! It's Mr.
Utterson,” ran forward as if to take him in her arms.” What, what? Are you all
here?” said the lawyer impatiently.” Very irregular, very unseemly; your master
would be far from pleased.”
“They're all afraid,” said Poole.
Blank silence followed, no one protesting; only the maid
lifted her voice and now wept loudly.
Blank silence followed, no one protesting; only the maid
lifted her voice and now wept loudly.
“I told your tongue!” Poole said to her, with a violent
accent that proved his own anxiety; and indeed, when the girl had so suddenly
raised the note of her mourning, they had all started and turned towards the
inner door with faces of dreadful expectation.” And now,” continued the
servant, addressing the knife-boy,” reach me a candle, and we'll get this through
hands at once.” And then he begged Mr. Utterson to follow him, and led the way
to the back garden.
“Now, sir,” said he, “you come as gently as you can. I want
you to hear, and I don't want you to be heard. And see here, sir, if by any
chance he was to ask you in, don't go.”
Mr. Utterson's nerves gave a jerk that nearly threw him from
his balance; but he recollected his courage and followed the servant to the
foot of the stair. Here Poole signed to him to stand on one side and listen; while
he himself, setting down the candle and making a great and obvious call on his
determination, went up the steps and knocked with a somewhat uncertain hand on
the red baize of the cabinet door.
“Mr. Utterson, sir, asking to see you,”he called; and even
as he did so,once more violently signed to the lawyer to give ear.
A voice answered from within:” Tell him I cannot see
anyone,” it said complainingly.
“Thank you,sir,” said Poole, with a note of something
like triumph（胜利）in his voice; and taking up his candle, he led Mr. Utterson
back across the yard and into the great kitchen.
“Sir,” he said, looking Mr. Utterson in the eyes, “Was that
my master's voice?”
“It seems much changed,” replied the lawyer, very pale, but
giving look for look.
“Changed? Well, yes, I think so,”said the servant, “Have I
been twenty years in this man's house, to be deceived about his voice? No, sir;
master's killed; he was killed eight days ago, when we heard him cry out upon
the name of God; and who's in there instead of him, and why it stays there, is
a thing that cries to Heaven, Mr. Utterson!”
“This is a very strange tale, Poole; this is rather a wild
tale, my man,” said Mr. Utterson, biting his finger,” Suppose it were as you
suppose, supposing Dr. Jekyll to have been--well, murdered what could cause the
murderer to stay ? That won't hold water; it is not reasonable.”
“Well, Mr. Utterson, you are a hard man to satisfy, but I'll
do it yet,” said Poole. “All this last week（you must know）him, or it, whatever it is that lives
in that cabinet, has been crying night and day for some sort of medicine . It
was sometimes his way--the master's, that is --to write his orders on a sheet
of paper and throw it on the stair. We've had nothing else his week back;
nothing but papers, and a closed door, and the very meals left there to be
taken in secretly when nobody was looking .Well, sir, every day, and twice and
there times in the same day, there have been orders and complaints, and I have
been sent flying to all the wholesale chemists in town. Every time I brought
the stuff back, there would be another paper telling me to return it, because
it was not pure. This drug is wanted bitter bad, sir, whatever, for.”
