"Have you the envelope?" he asked.
"I burned it," replied Jekyll, "before I thought what I was
about. But it bore no postmark. The note was handed in."
"Shall I keep this and sleep upon it?" asked Utterson.
"I wish you to judge for me entirely," was the reply. "I have
lost confidence in myself."
"Well, I shall consider," returned the lawyer. "And now one
word more: it was Hyde who dictated the terms in your will about
that disappearance?"
The doctor seemed seized with a qualm of faintness; he shut
his mouth tight and nodded.
"I knew it," said Utterson. "He meant to murder you. You had
a fine escape."
"I have had what is far more to the purpose," returned the
doctor solemnly: "I have had a lesson--O God, Utterson, what a
lesson I have had!" And he covered his face for a moment with his
hands.
On his way out, the lawyer stopped and had a word or two with
Poole. "By the bye," said he, "there was a letter handed in
to-day: what was the messenger like?" But Poole was positive
nothing had come except by post; "and only circulars by that," he
added.
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.
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