One Sunday, Mr. Utterson was taking his usual walk with Mr. Enfield when they happened to pass through the same quiet side street again. When they reached the familiar door, both men stopped and stared at it.
“Well,” Enfield said, “at least that whole business is finally over. We’ll never see Mr. Hyde again.”
“I certainly hope not,” Utterson replied. “Did I ever tell you that I once saw him myself? I felt exactly the same disgust you did.”
“You couldn’t have felt one without the other,” Enfield said. “And now that I think about it, you must have thought I was a complete fool for not realizing this was actually a back entrance to Dr. Jekyll’s house.”
“It was partly my fault that you discovered it,” Utterson said.
“So you did know all along?” Enfield asked.
“You discovered the truth eventually, didn’t you?”
“I did.”
“In that case, let’s step into the courtyard and have a look at those windows.”
Utterson hesitated for a moment.
“To be honest, I’m worried about poor Jekyll. Even if we can’t go inside, I think seeing a friend might do him some good.”
They walked into the courtyard.
It was cool and slightly damp. Although the sky above was still glowing with the last light of sunset, the courtyard already seemed swallowed by early darkness.
There were three windows facing the courtyard. The middle one was partly open.
Someone was sitting beside it.
Utterson looked up and recognized Dr. Jekyll.
He looked terribly sad, like a prisoner sitting at the window of his cell.
“Jekyll! Jekyll!” Utterson called. “I hope you’re feeling better.”
“I’m feeling very ill, Utterson,” Jekyll answered weakly. “Very ill. But it won’t last much longer, thank God.”
“You spend far too much time shut indoors,” Utterson said. “You need to get outside and get some exercise. Look at Enfield and me—we’re out here keeping ourselves healthy.”
He turned toward his companion.
“This is my cousin, Mr. Enfield. Enfield, this is Dr. Jekyll.”
Then he looked back at Jekyll.
“Come on. Get your hat and take a walk with us.”
“You’re very kind,” Jekyll said with a tired sigh. “I really would like to. But no—no, I can’t. It’s impossible. I dare not leave this place.”
He paused and looked down at them.
“But I’m truly glad to see you, Utterson. It’s a great pleasure. I’d invite both of you inside, but the house is really not fit for visitors.”
“Then there’s no need to go inside,” Utterson said kindly. “We can stay down here and talk to you from the courtyard.”
“That was exactly what I was about to suggest,” Jekyll said with a faint smile.
But the moment he finished speaking, something changed.
The smile suddenly vanished from his face.
A look of pure terror and despair appeared in its place.
Utterson and Enfield froze.
For only an instant, they saw that terrible expression through the window. Then the window slammed shut.
But that brief glimpse was enough.
Neither man said a word.
They turned and walked out of the courtyard.
They continued down the narrow street in complete silence.
Only when they reached a larger street, where there were still people moving about despite it being Sunday, did Utterson finally turn toward Enfield.
Both men were pale.
The same deep horror was visible in each other’s eyes.
“God forgive us,” Utterson whispered. “God forgive us.”
Enfield said nothing.
He only gave a grave nod.
Then the two men continued walking in silence.