Mary Reilly comes to work as a maid in the home of Dr. Henry Jekyll. She and Jekyll develop a rapport and Jekyll begins to call on her for assistance to the consternation of his Butler, Poole. Jekyll is fascinated by scars Mary bears on her hand and neck, which she reluctantly allows him to examine, explaining they are from a childhood incident where her abusive father locked her in a cupboard with a live rat. The staff begin to notice the Doctor throwing himself into his work at odd hours, culminating in his announcement that he has hired an assistant, Edward Hyde, who is to be given full run of the household.