5 Jekyll And Hyde Read By Stephanie Poppins

Welcome to Sleep Stories with Steph,

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Today's story is called Dr.

Jekyll and Mr.

Hyde.

First published in 1886,

This story explores the duality of human nature and suggests that within each and every one of us lies both good and evil.

But before we begin,

Let's take a moment to focus on where we are now.

It is time to relax and fully let go.

There is nothing you need to be doing now and nowhere you need to go.

Take a deep breath in through your nose.

Then let it out on a long sigh.

Chapter 5.

The Carew Murder Case Nearly a year later in the month of October,

London was startled by a crime of singular ferocity and rendered all the more notable by the high position of the victim.

The details were few and startling.

A maid servant living alone in a house not far from the river had gone upstairs to bed about 11 o'clock.

Although a fog rolled over the city in the small hours,

The early part of the night was cloudless and the lane which the maid's window overlooked was brilliantly lit by the full moon.

It seemed she was romantically given for she sat down upon her box which stood immediately under the window and fell into a dream of musing.

Never,

She used to say with streaming tears when she narrated it,

Had she ever felt more at peace with all men or thought more kindly of the world.

And as she so sat,

She became aware of an aged and beautiful gentleman with white hair drawing near along the lane and advancing to meet him another and very small gentleman to whom at first she paid less attention.

When they had come within speech,

Which was just under the maid's eyes,

The older man bowed and accosted the other with a very pretty manner of politeness.

It did not seem as if the subject of his address were of great importance.

Indeed,

From his pointing,

It sometimes appeared as if he were only inquiring his way.

But the moon shone on his face as he spoke and the girl was pleased to watch it.

It seemed to breathe such an innocent and old-world kindness of disposition yet with something high too,

As of a well-founded self-content.

Presently her eye wandered to the other and she was surprised to recognise in him a certain Mr Hyde who had once visited her master and for whom she had conceived a dislike.

He had in his hand a heavy cane with which he was trifling but he answered never a word and he seemed to listen with an ill-contained impatience.

Then all of a sudden he broke out in a great flame of anger stamping with his foot,

Brandishing the cane and carrying on,

As the maid described it,

Like a madman.

The old gentleman took a step back with the air of one very much surprised and a trifle hurt and at that Mr Hyde broke out of all bounds and clubbed him to the earth.

The next moment,

With ape-like fury,

He was trampling his victim underfoot and hailing down a storm of blows under which the bones were audibly shattered and the body jumped upon the roadway.

At the horror of these sights and sounds,

The maid fainted.

It was two o'clock when she came to herself and called for the police.

The murderer was gone long ago but there lay his victim in the middle of the lane,

Incredibly mangled.

The stick with which the deed had been done,

Although it was of some rare and very tough and heavy wood had broken in the middle under the stress of this insensate cruelty and one splintered half had rolled in the neighbouring gutter.

The other,

Without doubt,

Had been carried away by the murderer.

A purse and a gold watch were found upon the victim but no cards or papers except a sealed and stamped envelope which he had been probably carrying to the post and which bore the name and address of Mr Utterson.

This was brought to the lawyer the next morning before he was out of bed and he had no sooner seen it and been told the circumstances than he shot out a solemn lip.

I shall say nothing till I've seen the body,

Said he.

This may be very serious.

Have the kindness to wait while I dress.

And with the same grave countenance he hurried through his breakfast and drove to the police station wither the body had been carried.

As soon as he came into the cell he nodded.

Yes,

Said he.

I recognise him.

I'm sorry to say this is Sir Danvers Carew.

Good God,

Sir,

Exclaimed the officer.

Is it possible?

Then the next moment is I light it up with professional ambition.

This will make a deal of noise,

He said,

And perhaps you can help us to the man.

He briefly narrated what the maid had seen and showed the broken stick.

Mr Utterson had already quailed at the name of Hyde but when the stick was laid before him he could doubt no longer.

Broken and battered as it was he recognised it for the one he had himself presented many years before to Dr Henry Jekyll.

Is this Mr Hyde a person of small stature?

He inquired.

Particularly small and particularly wicked looking is what the maid calls him,

Said the officer.

Mr Utterson reflected,

Then raising his head he said,

If you will come with me in my cab I think I can take you to his house.

It was by this time about nine in the morning and the first fog of the season.

A great chocolate coloured pall lowered over heaven but the wind was continually charging and routing those embattled vapours so that as the cab crawled from street to street Mr Utterson beheld a marvellous number of degrees and hues of twilight.

For here it would be dark like the back end of evening and there it would be a glow of a rich lurid brown like the light of some strange conflagration.

And here for a moment the fog would be quite broken up and a haggard shaft of daylight would glance in between the swirling reeds.

The dismal quarter of Soho seen under these changing glimpses with its muddy ways and slatternly passengers and its lamps which had never been extinguished or had been kindled afresh to combat this mournful re-invasion of darkness seemed in the lawyer's eyes like a district of some city in a nightmare.

The thoughts of his mind beside were of the gloomiest day.

And when he glanced at the companion of his drive he was conscious of some touch of that terror of the law and the law's officers which may at times assail the most honest.

As the cab drew up before the address indicated the fog lifted a little and showed him a dingy street a gin palace,

A low French eating house a shop for the retail of penny numbers and two penny salads.

Many ragged children huddled in the doorways and many women of many different nationalities passing out key in hand to have a morning glass.

And the next moment the fog settled down again upon that part as brown as umber and cut him off from his blaggardly surroundings.

This was the home of Henry Jekyll's favourite of a man who was heir to a quarter of a million sterling.

An ivory-faced and silvery-haired old woman opened the door.

She had an evil face smoothed by hypocrisy but her manners were excellent.

Yes,

She said,

This was Mr Hyde's but he was not at home.

He'd been in that night very late but had gone away again in less than an hour.

There was nothing strange in that.

His habits were very irregular and he was often absent.

For instance,

It was nearly two months since she'd seen him till yesterday.

Very well then we wish to see his rooms said the lawyer and when the woman began to declare it was impossible.

I'd better tell you who this person is,

He added.

This is Inspector Newcomen of Scotland Yard.

A flash of odious joy appeared upon the woman's face.

Aha,

Said she,

He is in trouble.

What has he done?

Mr Utterson and the inspector exchanged glances.

They don't seem a very popular character,

Observed the latter.

And now,

My good woman,

Just let me and this gentleman have a look about us.

In the whole extent of the house,

Which but for the old woman remained otherwise empty,

Mr Hyde had only used a couple of rooms but these were furnished with luxury and good taste.

A closet was filled with wine,

The plate was of silver,

The knappery elegant.

A good picture hung upon the walls,

A gift,

As Utterson supposed,

From Henry Jekyll,

Who was much of a connoisseur and the carpets were of many piles and agreeable in colour.

At this moment,

However,

The rooms bore every mark of having been recently and hurriedly ransacked.

Clothes lay about the floor with their pockets inside out,

Lockfast drawers stood open and on the half there lay a pile of grey ashes as though many papers had been burned.

From these embers,

The inspector disinterred the butt end of a green checkbook which had resisted the action of the fire.

The other half of the stick was found behind the door and as this clinched his suspicions,

The officer declared himself delighted.

A visit to the bank where several thousand pounds were found to be lying to the murderer's credit completed his gratification.

You may depend upon it,

Sir,

He told Mr Utterson.

I have him in my hand.

He must have lost his head or he never would have left the stick or above all burnt the checkbook.

Why,

Money's life to the man.

We've nothing to do but wait for him at the bank and get out the handbills.

This last,

However,

Was not so easy of accomplishment for Mr Hyde had numbered few familiars,

Even the master of the servant maid had only seen him twice.

His family could nowhere be traced,

He had never been photographed and the few who could describe him differed widely as common observers will.

Only on one point were they agreed and that was the haunting sense of unexpressed deformity with which the fugitive impressed his beholders.