- We’re introduced to Mr. Utterson who, despite being rather dry and boring, is a good friend and good-natured man.
- We’re introduced to his friend and relative, Mr. Enfield. The two of them take long, slightly mysterious walks every Sunday.
- One Sunday they walk past a door, which prompts Mr. Enfield to tell a story. Naturally.
- Mr. Enfield’s story goes like this:
- Early in the morning, he sees a man trample over a little girl. Mr. Enfield corners the man.
- The man is evil-looking and deformed.
- The entire crowd wants to kill the man, who responds with something along the lines of "I’ll give you lots of money if you don’t kill me."
- He disappears inside and emerges with a "cheque" for almost a hundred pounds, drawn from the bank account of a well-respected man.
- The check is genuine.
- Mr. Enfield speculates that the evil man is blackmailing the well-respected man.
- Mr. Enfield says that he calls the place with the door "Black Mail House."
- The two men then speculate about the door, and Mr. Enfield finally says that his policy on odd events is not to ask any questions of any kind.
- Mr. Utterson has no such policy; he asks Mr. Enfield for the name of the man who trampled the child.
- It is Mr. Hyde.
- Mr. Utterson then declares that he knows the name of the well-respected man. This whole story hits home for him.