The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Robert Louis Stevenson

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, burned the cheque-book. Why, money’s life to the man. We have 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.

      1

      coquetry – flirtatious behaviour.

      2

      Juggernaut – an overwhelming, advancing force that crushes or seems to crush everything in its path.

      3

      Sawbones – a physician, especially a surgeon

      4

      apothecary – a person who prepared and sold medicines and drugs; a pharmacist.

      5

      apocryphal – of questionable authorship or authenticity.

      6

      Henry Cavendish – (10 October 1731 – 24 February 1810) was a British philosopher, scientist, and experimental and theoretical chemist and physicist.

      7

      balderdash – senseless talk or writing; nonsense.

      8

      Damon and Pythias – In Greek

1

coquetry – flirtatious behaviour.

2

Juggernaut – an overwhelming, advancing force that crushes or seems to crush everything in its path.

3

Sawbones – a physician, especially a surgeon

4

apothecary – a person who prepared and sold medicines and drugs; a pharmacist.

5

apocryphal – of questionable authorship or authenticity.

6

Henry Cavendish – (10 October 1731 – 24 February 1810) was a British philosopher, scientist, and experimental and theoretical chemist and physicist.

7

balderdash – senseless talk or writing; nonsense.

8

Damon and Pythias – In Greek mythology, when Pythias was sentenced to be executed Damon took his place to allow Pythias to get his affairs in order; when Pythias returned in time to save Damon the king was so impressed that he let them both live.

9

protégé – One whose welfare, training, or career is promoted by an influential person. (fr.)

10

troglodytic – a member of a fabulous or prehistoric race of people that lived in caves, dens, or holes, or a person considered to be reclusive, reactionary, out of date, or brutish.

11

pede claudo – from the Roman poet Horace Pede poena claudo (Horace Odes 3.2.32). It means “punishment comes limping” and is often rendered as meaning “retribution comes slowly but surely.”

12

cronies – a close friend or companion

13

heresies – belief or opinion contrary to orthodox religious doctrine (especially Christian).

14

incoherency – lacking unity, disjointed.

15

irrepressible – impossible to be restrained.