Hithertoithadtouchedhimontheintellectualsidealone；butnowhisimaginationalsowasengaged，orratherenslaved；andashelayandtossedinthegrossdarknessofthenightandthecurtainedroom，MrEnfield\'stalewentbybeforehismindinascrolloflightedpictures。Hewouldbeawareofthegreatfieldoflampsofanocturnalcity；thenofthefigureofamanwalkingswiftly；thenofachildrunningfromthedoctor\'s；andthenthesemet，andthathumanJuggernauttrodthechilddownandpassedonregardlessofherscreams。Orelsehewouldseearoominarichhouse，wherehisfriendlayasleep，dreamingandsmilingathisdreams；andthenthedoorofthatroomwouldbeopened，thecurtainsofthebedpluckedapart，thesleeperrecalled，and，lo！therewouldstandbyhissideafiguretowhompowerwasgiven，andevenatthatdeadhourhemustriseanddoitsbidding。Thefigureinthesetwophaseshauntedthelawyerallnight；
andifatanytimehedozedover，itwasbuttoseeitglidemorestealthilythroughsleepinghouses，ormovethemoreswiftly，andstillthemoreswiftly，eventodizziness，throughwiderlabyrinthsoflamp-lightedcity，andateverystreetcornercrushachildandleaveherscreaming。Andstillthefigurehadnofacebywhichhemightknowit；eveninhisdreamsithadnoface，oronethatbaffledhimandmeltedbeforehiseyes；andthusitwasthattheresprangupandgrewapaceinthelawyer\'smindasingularlystrong，almostaninordinate，curiositytobeholdthefeaturesoftherealMrHyde。Ifhecouldbutonceseteyesonhim，hethoughtthemysterywouldlightenandperhapsrollaltogetheraway，aswasthehabitofmysteriousthingswhenwellexamined。Hemightseeareasonforhisfriend\'sstrangepreferenceorbondage（callitwhichyouplease），andevenforthestartlingclausesofthewill。Andatleastitwouldbeafaceworthseeing:thefaceofamanwhowaswithoutbowelsofmerry:afacewhichhadbuttoshowitselftoraiseup，inthemindoftheunimpressionableEnfield，aspiritofenduringhatred。
Fromthattimeforward，MrUttersonbegantohauntthedoorinthebystreetofshops。Inthemorningbeforeofficehours，atnoonwhenbusinesswasplentyandtimescarce，atnightunderthefaceofthefoggedcitymoon，byalllightsandatallhoursofsolitudeorconcourse，thelawyerwastobefoundonhischosenpost。
`IfhebeMrHyde，\'hehadthought，`IshallbeMrSeek。\'Andatlasthispatiencewasrewarded。Itwasafinedrynight；frostintheair；thestreetsascleanasaball-roomfloor；thelamps，unshakenbyanywind，drawingaregularpatternoflightandshadow。Byteno\'clock，whentheshopswereclosed，thebystreetwasverysolitary，and，inspiteofthelowgrowlofLondonfromallaround，verysilent。Smallsoundscarriedfar；domesticsoundsoutofthehouseswereclearlyaudibleoneithersideoftheroadway；andtherumouroftheapproachofanypassengerprecededhimbyalongtime。MrUttersonhadbeensomeminutesathispostwhenhewasawareofanoddlightfootstepdrawingnear。Inthecourseofhisnightlypatrolshehadlonggrownaccustomedtothequainteffectwithwhichthefootfallsofasingleperson，whileheisstillagreatwayoff，suddenlyspringoutdistinctfromthevasthumandclatterofthecity。
Yethisattentionhadneverbeforebeensosharplyanddecisivelyarrested；