7. Incident at the Window, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Incident at the Window (chapter 7) of Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, read by Anna Butterworth

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Incident at the window. It chancedon Sunday when mister Utterson was on his
usual walk with mister Enfield, thattheir way lay once again through the Bye
street, and that when they camein front of the door, both stepped
to gaze on it. Well,said Enfield, that story's at an end.

(00:21):
At least we shall never see moreof mister Hyde. I hope not,
said Utterson. Did I ever tellyou that I once saw him and
shared your feelings of repulsion? Itwas impossible to do the one without the
other, returned Enfield. And bythe way, with an ass you must

(00:42):
have thought me not to know thatthis was a back way to doctor jekylls
It was partly your own fault thatI found it out, even when I
did so. You found it out, did you, said Utterson. But
if that be so, we maystep into the court and take a look
at the windows to tell you thetruth. I am uneasy about poor Jekyl,

(01:03):
and even outside I feel as ifthe presence of her friend's might do
him good. The court was verycool and a little damp and full of
premature twilight, although the sky highup overhead was still bright with sunset.
The middle one of the three windowswas half way open, and sitting close

(01:25):
beside it, taking the air withan infinite sadness of mien like some disconsolate
prisoner. Utterson saw doctor Jekyll.What jackl he cried, I trust you
are better. I am very low, Utterson replied the doctor, drearily,

(01:45):
very low. It will not lastlong. Thank god, you stay too
much indoors, said the lawyer.You should be out whipping up the circulation
like mister Enfield and me. Thisis my cousin, mister Enfield, doctor
Jekyll, Come now, get yourhat and take a quick turn with us.

(02:07):
You are very good, sighed theother. I should like to very
much, But no, no,no, it is quite impossible. I
dare not. But indeed, Utterson, I'm very glad to see you.
This is really a great pleasure.I would ask you and mister Enfield up,

(02:29):
but the place is really not fit. Why then, said the lawyer,
good naturedly. The best thing wecan do is to stay down here
and speak with you from where weare. This is just what I was
about to venture to propose, returnedthe doctor with a smile, But the
words were hardly uttered before the smilewas struck out of his face, and

(02:53):
succeeded by an expression of such abjectterror and despair as froze the very blood
the two gentlemen below. They soughtbut for a glimpse, for the window
was instantly thrust down. But thatglimpse had been sufficient, and they turned
and left the court without a word, in silence too. They traversed the

(03:13):
by street, and it was notuntil they had come into a neighboring thoroughfare,
where, even upon a Sunday,there were still some stirrings of life
that mister Utterson at last turned andlooked at his companion. They were both
pale, and there was an answeringhorror in their eyes. God forgive us,
God forgive us, said mister Utterson. But mister Enfield only nodded his

(03:39):
head very seriously and walked on oncemore in silence,