Time passed．The search for Mr Hyde continued．SirDanvers Carew was an important and popular man andthe police tried desperately to arrest the murderer and bringhim to trial．But there was no sign of Mr Hyde himself， although the police and the newspapers discovered a lot about hispast life．Nobody，it seemed，could say one good word aboutthe wanted man． He was a cruel， violent man， who had livedan evil life full of hate and jealousy．None of this， however，was any help to the police． Mr Hyde had just disappeared．

As time went by， Mr Utterson became calmer and more atpeace with himself． He was truly sorry that his client， SirDanvers Carew， was dead， but he was also very glad that MrHyde had disappeared． As for Doctor Jekyll， he too appearedcalmer and happier．He came out into the world again．He invited friends to his house and accepted invitations to theirs． Hehad always been a good and generous man．Now，however，hebecame a churchgoer too． He was busy， he spent a lot of timein the fresh air and he looked happy and carefree．For morethan two months he was at peace with himself and the world．

On the 8th of January Mr Utterson was invited to dinner atDoctor Jekyll’s house．Doctor Lanyon was there too．‘This isquite like old times，’thought the lawyer as he watched DoctorJekyll smiling at Doctor Lanyon．

On January 12th，however，and again on the 14th， DoctorJekyll refused to see visitors．

‘The doctor is not well，’explained Poole．‘He hopes youwill forgive him，but he cannot see anyone．’

Mr Utterson called again next day， and again the day afterthat．After two months of almost daily meetings with his oldfriend，the lawyer felt rather lonely．On the sixth evening heinvited his clerk，Mr Guest，to dinner with him， and on theseventh night he went to visit Doctor Lanyon．

Doctor Lanyon made him welcome，but Mr Utterson wasshocked by the change in the doctor’s appearance．His face，which was usually pink and healthy， was grey and thin， andthere was a frightened look in his eyes． He was suddenly anold，sick man．

‘He looks，’said Mr Utterson to himself，‘like a man whoknows he’s dying．’

‘How are you，Lanyon？’he said．‘You don't look well．’

‘I've had a shock，Utterson，’replied Doctor Lanyon．‘Andit will cause my death．I have only a few weeks to live．’Hepaused．‘Well，it comes to us all sooner or later． I've had agood life， on the whole．’

‘Jekyll is ill too，’said the lawyer．‘Have you seen him？’

At the name of Jekyll the look on Doctor Lanyon’s face changed．‘Please，’he said， holding up a trembling hand，‘don't speak that name in this house．’

‘Oh dear，’said Mr Utterson．He hesitated for a moment．‘The three of us have been friends all our lives，Lanyon．Weare too old now to make new friends．Can't you forgive andforget？Perhaps I can help？’

‘Nothing can be done，’replied Doctor Lanyon．‘Ask himyourself．’

‘He won't let me into the house．’

‘That doesn't surprise me， One day，Utterson， after I amdead，you will perhaps learn the full story． Meanwhile， if youcan sit and talk to me of other things， please stay． Just don't mention that person， as it hurts me to think about him．’

As soon as he got home， Mr Utterson wrote to DoctorJekyll．In his letter he asked why Jekyll refused to let him intohis house，and why he and Doctor Lanyon were no longerfriendly．The reply was long and not always easy to understand．

‘I'm not angry with our old friend，’Doctor Jekyll wrote，‘but I agree with him that the two of us must never meetagain．Meanwhile，you must forgive me if from now on I livea very quiet life． If you find my door closed to you，it's because I must travel this dark，dangerous road alone． I havedone wrong and I'm being punished for it，and nobody canhelp me．’

‘What is this？’thought Mr Utterson．‘Hyde has disappeared．Jekyll is his normal self again—at least，he was untillast week． Has he gone mad？’Then he remembered DoctorLanyon's words．‘There is something more，’he said to himself，‘something mysterious， but I have no idea what it is．’

A week later Doctor Lanyon was too ill to leave his bed．Two weeks after that he was dead． After his friend's burial，Mr Utterson went home and into his office．From his lockedcupboard he took out an envelope， which he had received soonafter his friend’ s death．

In Doctor Lanyon's handwriting he read ‘G．J．Utterson．Private．’The lawyer turned the envelope over and over in hishands before he opened it．What terrible news could itcontain？ With trembling hands Mr Utterson opened the envelope． Inside was another envelope， with the words‘Not to beopened until the death or disappearance of Doctor HenryJekyll．’

The lawyer could not believe his eyes．‘Death or disappearance’— the words were the same as in Doctor Jekyll's will．‘Iunderstand why Jekyll wrote those words，’said Mr Uttersonto himself．‘But why did Lanyon write them too？’For a moment he wanted to open the envelope and uncover the mysterythere and then． But Mr Utterson was too honest a man and alawyer to do that． He knew he must obey his friend's andclient's last wish． He locked the envelope away in his cupboard beside Doctor Jekyll's will．

The lawyer was desperately worried about his friend DoctorJekyll． He was afraid for him too． He called at the house butthe doctor always refused to see him．

‘How is he，Poole？’Mr Utterson asked the old servant oneday．

‘Not very well，sir．He spends all his time in the studyabove his laboratory．He sleeps there as well． He seems verysilent and uneasy． Something is worrying him， sir，

but hewon't tell anyone．’

For a long time the lawyer called almost every day． Little bylittle，however， he became tired of his friend's refusal to seehim， and his visits became less frequent．