The Project Gutenberg EBook of Dracula  by Bram Stoker

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Title  Dracula

Author  Bram Stoker

Release Date  May 9  2008  EBook  345 
 Date last updated  January 3  2009 

Language  English

Character set encoding  ASCII

    START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DRACULA    














DRACULA

by

Bram Stoker


1897 edition




TABLE OF CONTENTS


CHAPTER

  1  Jonathan Harker s Journal
  2  Jonathan Harker s Journal
  3  Jonathan Harker s Journal
  4  Jonathan Harker s Journal
  5  Letter From Miss Mina Murray To Miss Lucy Westenra
  6  Mina Murray s Journal
  7  Cutting From  The Dailygraph   8 August
  8  Mina Murray s Journal
  9  Letter  Mina Harker To Lucy Westenra
 10  Letter  Dr  Seward To Hon  Arthur Holmwood
 11  Lucy Westenra s Diary
 12  Dr  Seward s Diary
 13  Dr  Seward s Diary
 14  Mina Harker s Journal
 15  Dr  Seward s Diary
 16  Dr  Seward s Diary
 17  Dr  Seward s Diary
 18  Dr  Seward s Diary
 19  Jonathan Harker s Journal
 20  Jonathan Harker s Journal
 21  Dr  Seward s Diary
 22  Jonathan Harker s Journal
 23  Dr  Seward s Diary
 24  Dr  Seward s Phonograph Diary
 25  Dr  Seward s Diary
 26  Dr  Seward s Diary
 27  Mina Harker s Journal




CHAPTER 1


Jonathan Harker s Journal

3 May  Bistritz   Left Munich at 8 35 P M   on 1st May  arriving at
Vienna early next morning  should have arrived at 6 46  but train was
an hour late   Buda Pesth seems a wonderful place  from the glimpse
which I got of it from the train and the little I could walk through
the streets   I feared to go very far from the station  as we had
arrived late and would start as near the correct time as possible 

The impression I had was that we were leaving the West and entering the
East  the most western of splendid bridges over the Danube  which is
here of noble width and depth  took us among the traditions of Turkish
rule 

We left in pretty good time  and came after nightfall to Klausenburg 
Here I stopped for the night at the Hotel Royale   I had for dinner 
or rather supper  a chicken done up some way with red pepper  which
was very good but thirsty    Mem  get recipe for Mina   I asked the
waiter  and he said it was called  paprika hendl   and that  as it was
a national dish  I should be able to get it anywhere along the
Carpathians 

I found my smattering of German very useful here  indeed  I don t know
how I should be able to get on without it 

Having had some time at my disposal when in London  I had visited the
British Museum  and made search among the books and maps in the
library regarding Transylvania  it had struck me that some
foreknowledge of the country could hardly fail to have some importance
in dealing with a nobleman of that country 


I find that the district he named is in the extreme east of the
country  just on the borders of three states  Transylvania  Moldavia 
and Bukovina  in the midst of the Carpathian mountains  one of the
wildest and least known portions of Europe 

I was not able to light on any map or work giving the exact locality
of the Castle Dracula  as there are no maps of this country as yet to
compare with our own Ordnance Survey Maps  but I found that Bistritz 
the post town named by Count Dracula  is a fairly well known place   I
shall enter here some of my notes  as they may refresh my memory when
I talk over my travels with Mina 

In the population of Transylvania there are four distinct
nationalities   Saxons in the South  and mixed with them the Wallachs 
who are the descendants of the Dacians  Magyars in the West  and
Szekelys in the East and North   I am going among the latter  who
claim to be descended from Attila and the Huns   This may be so  for
when the Magyars conquered the country in the eleventh century they
found the Huns settled in it 

I read that every known superstition in the world is gathered into the
horseshoe of the Carpathians  as if it were the centre of some sort of
imaginative whirlpool  if so my stay may be very interesting    Mem  
I must ask the Count all about them  

I did not sleep well  though my bed was comfortable enough  for I had
all sorts of queer dreams   There was a dog howling all night under my
window  which may have had something to do with it  or it may have
been the paprika  for I had to drink up all the water in my carafe 
and was still thirsty   Towards morning I slept and was wakened by the
continuous knocking at my door  so I guess I must have been sleeping
soundly then 

I had for breakfast more paprika  and a sort of porridge of maize
flour which they said was  mamaliga   and egg plant stuffed with
forcemeat  a very excellent dish  which they call  impletata    Mem  
get recipe for this also  

I had to hurry breakfast  for the train started a little before eight 
or rather it ought to have done so  for after rushing to the station
at 7 30 I had to sit in the carriage for more than an hour before we
began to move 

It seems to me that the further east you go the more unpunctual are
the trains   What ought they to be in China 

All day long we seemed to dawdle through a country which was full of
beauty of every kind   Sometimes we saw little towns or castles on the
top of steep hills such as we see in old missals  sometimes we ran by
rivers and streams which seemed from the wide stony margin on each
side of them to be subject to great floods   It takes a lot of water 
and running strong  to sweep the outside edge of a river clear 

At every station there were groups of people  sometimes crowds  and in
all sorts of attire   Some of them were just like the peasants at home
or those I saw coming through France and Germany  with short jackets 
and round hats  and home made trousers  but others were very
picturesque 

The women looked pretty  except when you got near them  but they were
very clumsy about the waist   They had all full white sleeves of some
kind or other  and most of them had big belts with a lot of strips of
something fluttering from them like the dresses in a ballet  but of
course there were petticoats under them 

The strangest figures we saw were the Slovaks  who were more barbarian
than the rest  with their big cow boy hats  great baggy dirty white
trousers  white linen shirts  and enormous heavy leather belts  nearly
a foot wide  all studded over with brass nails   They wore high boots 
with their trousers tucked into them  and had long black hair and
heavy black moustaches   They are very picturesque  but do not look
prepossessing   On the stage they would be set down at once as some
old Oriental band of brigands   They are  however  I am told  very
harmless and rather wanting in natural self assertion 

It was on the dark side of twilight when we got to Bistritz  which is
a very interesting old place   Being practically on the frontier  for
the Borgo Pass leads from it into Bukovina  it has had a very stormy
existence  and it certainly shows marks of it   Fifty years ago a
series of great fires took place  which made terrible havoc on five
separate occasions   At the very beginning of the seventeenth century
it underwent a siege of three weeks and lost 13 000 people  the
casualties of war proper being assisted by famine and disease 

Count Dracula had directed me to go to the Golden Krone Hotel  which I
found  to my great delight  to be thoroughly old fashioned  for of
course I wanted to see all I could of the ways of the country 

I was evidently expected  for when I got near the door I faced a
cheery looking elderly woman in the usual peasant dress  white
undergarment with a long double apron  front  and back  of coloured
stuff fitting almost too tight for modesty   When I came close she
bowed and said   The Herr Englishman  

 Yes   I said   Jonathan Harker  

She smiled  and gave some message to an elderly man in white
shirtsleeves  who had followed her to the door 

He went  but immediately returned with a letter 

 My friend   Welcome to the Carpathians   I am anxiously expecting
you   Sleep well tonight   At three tomorrow the diligence will
start for Bukovina  a place on it is kept for you   At the Borgo
Pass my carriage will await you and will bring you to me   I trust
that your journey from London has been a happy one  and that you
will enjoy your stay in my beautiful land   Your friend  Dracula  


4 May  I found that my landlord had got a letter from the Count 
directing him to secure the best place on the coach for me  but on
making inquiries as to details he seemed somewhat reticent  and
pretended that he could not understand my German 

This could not be true  because up to then he had understood it
perfectly  at least  he answered my questions exactly as if he did 

He and his wife  the old lady who had received me  looked at each
other in a frightened sort of way   He mumbled out that the money had
been sent in a letter  and that was all he knew   When I asked him if
he knew Count Dracula  and could tell me anything of his castle  both
he and his wife crossed themselves  and  saying that they knew nothing
at all  simply refused to speak further   It was so near the time of
starting that I had no time to ask anyone else  for it was all very
mysterious and not by any means comforting 

Just before I was leaving  the old lady came up to my room and said in
a hysterical way    Must you go   Oh   Young Herr  must you go    She
was in such an excited state that she seemed to have lost her grip of
what German she knew  and mixed it all up with some other language
which I did not know at all   I was just able to follow her by asking
many questions   When I told her that I must go at once  and that I
was engaged on important business  she asked again 

 Do you know what day it is    I answered that it was the fourth of
May   She shook her head as she said again 

 Oh  yes   I know that   I know that  but do you know what day it is  

On my saying that I did not understand  she went on 

 It is the eve of St  George s Day   Do you not know that tonight 
when the clock strikes midnight  all the evil things in the world will
have full sway   Do you know where you are going  and what you are
going to    She was in such evident distress that I tried to comfort
her  but without effect   Finally  she went down on her knees and
implored me not to go  at least to wait a day or two before starting 

It was all very ridiculous but I did not feel comfortable   However 
there was business to be done  and I could allow nothing to interfere
with it 

I tried to raise her up  and said  as gravely as I could  that I
thanked her  but my duty was imperative  and that I must go 

She then rose and dried her eyes  and taking a crucifix from her neck
offered it to me 

I did not know what to do  for  as an English Churchman  I have been
taught to regard such things as in some measure idolatrous  and yet it
seemed so ungracious to refuse an old lady meaning so well and in such
a state of mind 

She saw  I suppose  the doubt in my face  for she put the rosary round
my neck and said   For your mother s sake   and went out of the room 

I am writing up this part of the diary whilst I am waiting for the
coach  which is  of course  late  and the crucifix is still round my
neck 

Whether it is the old lady s fear  or the many ghostly traditions of
this place  or the crucifix itself  I do not know  but I am not
feeling nearly as easy in my mind as usual 

If this book should ever reach Mina before I do  let it bring my
goodbye   Here comes the coach 


5 May   The Castle   The gray of the morning has passed  and the sun
is high over the distant horizon  which seems jagged  whether with
trees or hills I know not  for it is so far off that big things and
little are mixed 

I am not sleepy  and  as I am not to be called till I awake  naturally
I write till sleep comes 

There are many odd things to put down  and  lest who reads them may
fancy that I dined too well before I left Bistritz  let me put down my
dinner exactly 

I dined on what they called  robber steak   bits of bacon  onion  and
beef  seasoned with red pepper  and strung on sticks  and roasted over
the fire  in simple style of the London cat s meat 

The wine was Golden Mediasch  which produces a queer sting on the
tongue  which is  however  not disagreeable 

I had only a couple of glasses of this  and nothing else 

When I got on the coach  the driver had not taken his seat  and I saw
him talking to the landlady 

They were evidently talking of me  for every now and then they looked
at me  and some of the people who were sitting on the bench outside
the door  came and listened  and then looked at me  most of them
pityingly   I could hear a lot of words often repeated  queer words 
for there were many nationalities in the crowd  so I quietly got my
polyglot dictionary from my bag and looked them out 

I must say they were not cheering to me  for amongst them were
 Ordog   Satan   Pokol   hell   stregoica   witch   vrolok  and
 vlkoslak   both mean the same thing  one being Slovak and the other
Servian for something that is either werewolf or vampire    Mem   I
must ask the Count about these superstitions  

When we started  the crowd round the inn door  which had by this time
swelled to a considerable size  all made the sign of the cross and
pointed two fingers towards me 

With some difficulty  I got a fellow passenger to tell me what they
meant   He would not answer at first  but on learning that I was
English  he explained that it was a charm or guard against the evil
eye 

This was not very pleasant for me  just starting for an unknown place
to meet an unknown man   But everyone seemed so kind hearted  and so
sorrowful  and so sympathetic that I could not but be touched 

I shall never forget the last glimpse which I had of the inn yard and
its crowd of picturesque figures  all crossing themselves  as they
stood round the wide archway  with its background of rich foliage of
oleander and orange trees in green tubs clustered in the centre of the
yard 

Then our driver  whose wide linen drawers covered the whole front of
the boxseat    gotza  they call them  cracked his big whip over his
four small horses  which ran abreast  and we set off on our journey 

I soon lost sight and recollection of ghostly fears in the beauty of
the scene as we drove along  although had I known the language  or
rather languages  which my fellow passengers were speaking  I might
not have been able to throw them off so easily   Before us lay a green
sloping land full of forests and woods  with here and there steep
hills  crowned with clumps of trees or with farmhouses  the blank
gable end to the road   There was everywhere a bewildering mass of
fruit blossom  apple  plum  pear  cherry   And as we drove by I could
see the green grass under the trees spangled with the fallen petals 
In and out amongst these green hills of what they call here the
 Mittel Land  ran the road  losing itself as it swept round the grassy
curve  or was shut out by the straggling ends of pine woods  which
here and there ran down the hillsides like tongues of flame   The road
was rugged  but still we seemed to fly over it with a feverish haste 
I could not understand then what the haste meant  but the driver was
evidently bent on losing no time in reaching Borgo Prund   I was told
that this road is in summertime excellent  but that it had not yet
been put in order after the winter snows   In this respect it is
different from the general run of roads in the Carpathians  for it is
an old tradition that they are not to be kept in too good order   Of
old the Hospadars would not repair them  lest the Turk should think
that they were preparing to bring in foreign troops  and so hasten the
war which was always really at loading point 

Beyond the green swelling hills of the Mittel Land rose mighty slopes
of forest up to the lofty steeps of the Carpathians themselves   Right
and left of us they towered  with the afternoon sun falling full upon
them and bringing out all the glorious colours of this beautiful
range  deep blue and purple in the shadows of the peaks  green and
brown where grass and rock mingled  and an endless perspective of
jagged rock and pointed crags  till these were themselves lost in the
distance  where the snowy peaks rose grandly   Here and there seemed
mighty rifts in the mountains  through which  as the sun began to
sink  we saw now and again the white gleam of falling water   One of
my companions touched my arm as we swept round the base of a hill and
opened up the lofty  snow covered peak of a mountain  which seemed  as
we wound on our serpentine way  to be right before us 

 Look   Isten szek     God s seat    and he crossed himself reverently 

As we wound on our endless way  and the sun sank lower and lower
behind us  the shadows of the evening began to creep round us   This
was emphasized by the fact that the snowy mountain top still held the
sunset  and seemed to glow out with a delicate cool pink   Here and
there we passed Cszeks and slovaks  all in picturesque attire  but I
noticed that goitre was painfully prevalent   By the roadside were
many crosses  and as we swept by  my companions all crossed
themselves   Here and there was a peasant man or woman kneeling before
a shrine  who did not even turn round as we approached  but seemed in
the self surrender of devotion to have neither eyes nor ears for the
outer world   There were many things new to me   For instance 
hay ricks in the trees  and here and there very beautiful masses of
weeping birch  their white stems shining like silver through the
delicate green of the leaves 

Now and again we passed a leiter wagon  the ordinary peasants s
cart  with its long  snakelike vertebra  calculated to suit the
inequalities of the road   On this were sure to be seated quite a
group of homecoming peasants  the Cszeks with their white  and the
Slovaks with their coloured sheepskins  the latter carrying
lance fashion their long staves  with axe at end   As the evening fell
it began to get very cold  and the growing twilight seemed to merge
into one dark mistiness the gloom of the trees  oak  beech  and pine 
though in the valleys which ran deep between the spurs of the hills 
as we ascended through the Pass  the dark firs stood out here and
there against the background of late lying snow   Sometimes  as the
road was cut through the pine woods that seemed in the darkness to be
closing down upon us  great masses of greyness which here and there
bestrewed the trees  produced a peculiarly weird and solemn effect 
which carried on the thoughts and grim fancies engendered earlier in
the evening  when the falling sunset threw into strange relief the
ghost like clouds which amongst the Carpathians seem to wind
ceaselessly through the valleys   Sometimes the hills were so steep
that  despite our driver s haste  the horses could only go slowly   I
wished to get down and walk up them  as we do at home  but the driver
would not hear of it    No  no   he said    You must not walk here 
The dogs are too fierce    And then he added  with what he evidently
meant for grim pleasantry  for he looked round to catch the approving
smile of the rest   And you may have enough of such matters before you
go to sleep    The only stop he would make was a moment s pause to
light his lamps 

When it grew dark there seemed to be some excitement amongst the
passengers  and they kept speaking to him  one after the other  as
though urging him to further speed   He lashed the horses unmercifully
with his long whip  and with wild cries of encouragement urged them on
to further exertions   Then through the darkness I could see a sort of
patch of grey light ahead of us  as though there were a cleft in the
hills   The excitement of the passengers grew greater   The crazy
coach rocked on its great leather springs  and swayed like a boat
tossed on a stormy sea   I had to hold on   The road grew more level 
and we appeared to fly along   Then the mountains seemed to come
nearer to us on each side and to frown down upon us   We were entering
on the Borgo Pass   One by one several of the passengers offered me
gifts  which they pressed upon me with an earnestness which would take
no denial   These were certainly of an odd and varied kind  but each
was given in simple good faith  with a kindly word  and a blessing 
and that same strange mixture of fear meaning movements which I had
seen outside the hotel at Bistritz  the sign of the cross and the
guard against the evil eye   Then  as we flew along  the driver leaned
forward  and on each side the passengers  craning over the edge of the
coach  peered eagerly into the darkness   It was evident that
something very exciting was either happening or expected  but though I
asked each passenger  no one would give me the slightest explanation 
This state of excitement kept on for some little time   And at last we
saw before us the Pass opening out on the eastern side   There were
dark  rolling clouds overhead  and in the air the heavy  oppressive
sense of thunder   It seemed as though the mountain range had
separated two atmospheres  and that now we had got into the thunderous
one   I was now myself looking out for the conveyance which was to
take me to the Count   Each moment I expected to see the glare of
lamps through the blackness  but all was dark   The only light was the
flickering rays of our own lamps  in which the steam from our
hard driven horses rose in a white cloud   We could see now the sandy
road lying white before us  but there was on it no sign of a vehicle 
The passengers drew back with a sigh of gladness  which seemed to mock
my own disappointment   I was already thinking what I had best do 
when the driver  looking at his watch  said to the others something
which I could hardly hear  it was spoken so quietly and in so low a
tone  I thought it was  An hour less than the time    Then turning to
me  he spoke in German worse than my own 

 There is no carriage here   The Herr is not expected after all   He
will now come on to Bukovina  and return tomorrow or the next day 
better the next day    Whilst he was speaking the horses began to
neigh and snort and plunge wildly  so that the driver had to hold them
up   Then  amongst a chorus of screams from the peasants and a
universal crossing of themselves  a caleche  with four horses  drove
up behind us  overtook us  and drew up beside the coach   I could see
from the flash of our lamps as the rays fell on them  that the horses
were coal black and splendid animals   They were driven by a tall man 
with a long brown beard and a great black hat  which seemed to hide
his face from us   I could only see the gleam of a pair of very bright
eyes  which seemed red in the lamplight  as he turned to us 

He said to the driver   You are early tonight  my friend  

The man stammered in reply   The English Herr was in a hurry  

To which the stranger replied   That is why  I suppose  you wished him
to go on to Bukovina   You cannot deceive me  my friend   I know too
much  and my horses are swift  

As he spoke he smiled  and the lamplight fell on a hard looking mouth 
with very red lips and sharp looking teeth  as white as ivory   One of
my companions whispered to another the line from Burger s  Lenore  

 Denn die Todten reiten Schnell      For the dead travel fast   

The strange driver evidently heard the words  for he looked up with a
gleaming smile   The passenger turned his face away  at the same time
putting out his two fingers and crossing himself    Give me the Herr s
luggage   said the driver  and with exceeding alacrity my bags were
handed out and put in the caleche   Then I descended from the side of
the coach  as the caleche was close alongside  the driver helping me
with a hand which caught my arm in a grip of steel   His strength must
have been prodigious 

Without a word he shook his reins  the horses turned  and we swept
into the darkness of the pass   As I looked back I saw the steam from
the horses of the coach by the light of the lamps  and projected
against it the figures of my late companions crossing themselves 
Then the driver cracked his whip and called to his horses  and off
they swept on their way to Bukovina   As they sank into the darkness I
felt a strange chill  and a lonely feeling come over me   But a cloak
was thrown over my shoulders  and a rug across my knees  and the
driver said in excellent German   The night is chill  mein Herr  and
my master the Count bade me take all care of you   There is a flask of
slivovitz  the plum brandy of the country  underneath the seat  if you
should require it  

I did not take any  but it was a comfort to know it was there all the
same   I felt a little strangely  and not a little frightened   I
think had there been any alternative I should have taken it  instead
of prosecuting that unknown night journey   The carriage went at a
hard pace straight along  then we made a complete turn and went along
another straight road   It seemed to me that we were simply going over
and over the same ground again  and so I took note of some salient
point  and found that this was so   I would have liked to have asked
the driver what this all meant  but I really feared to do so  for I
thought that  placed as I was  any protest would have had no effect in
case there had been an intention to delay 

By and by  however  as I was curious to know how time was passing  I
struck a match  and by its flame looked at my watch   It was within a
few minutes of midnight   This gave me a sort of shock  for I suppose
the general superstition about midnight was increased by my recent
experiences   I waited with a sick feeling of suspense 

Then a dog began to howl somewhere in a farmhouse far down the road  a
long  agonized wailing  as if from fear   The sound was taken up by
another dog  and then another and another  till  borne on the wind
which now sighed softly through the Pass  a wild howling began  which
seemed to come from all over the country  as far as the imagination
could grasp it through the gloom of the night 

At the first howl the horses began to strain and rear  but the driver
spoke to them soothingly  and they quieted down  but shivered and
sweated as though after a runaway from sudden fright   Then  far off
in the distance  from the mountains on each side of us began a louder
and a sharper howling  that of wolves  which affected both the horses
and myself in the same way   For I was minded to jump from the caleche
and run  whilst they reared again and plunged madly  so that the
driver had to use all his great strength to keep them from bolting 
In a few minutes  however  my own ears got accustomed to the sound 
and the horses so far became quiet that the driver was able to descend
and to stand before them 

He petted and soothed them  and whispered something in their ears  as
I have heard of horse tamers doing  and with extraordinary effect  for
under his caresses they became quite manageable again  though they
still trembled   The driver again took his seat  and shaking his
reins  started off at a great pace   This time  after going to the far
side of the Pass  he suddenly turned down a narrow roadway which ran
sharply to the right 

Soon we were hemmed in with trees  which in places arched right over
the roadway till we passed as through a tunnel   And again great
frowning rocks guarded us boldly on either side   Though we were in
shelter  we could hear the rising wind  for it moaned and whistled
through the rocks  and the branches of the trees crashed together as
we swept along   It grew colder and colder still  and fine  powdery
snow began to fall  so that soon we and all around us were covered
with a white blanket   The keen wind still carried the howling of the
dogs  though this grew fainter as we went on our way   The baying of
the wolves sounded nearer and nearer  as though they were closing
round on us from every side   I grew dreadfully afraid  and the horses
shared my fear   The driver  however  was not in the least disturbed 
He kept turning his head to left and right  but I could not see
anything through the darkness 

Suddenly  away on our left I saw a faint flickering blue flame   The
driver saw it at the same moment   He at once checked the horses  and 
jumping to the ground  disappeared into the darkness   I did not know
what to do  the less as the howling of the wolves grew closer   But
while I wondered  the driver suddenly appeared again  and without a
word took his seat  and we resumed our journey   I think I must have
fallen asleep and kept dreaming of the incident  for it seemed to be
repeated endlessly  and now looking back  it is like a sort of awful
nightmare   Once the flame appeared so near the road  that even in the
darkness around us I could watch the driver s motions   He went
rapidly to where the blue flame arose  it must have been very faint 
for it did not seem to illumine the place around it at all  and
gathering a few stones  formed them into some device 

Once there appeared a strange optical effect   When he stood between
me and the flame he did not obstruct it  for I could see its ghostly
flicker all the same   This startled me  but as the effect was only
momentary  I took it that my eyes deceived me straining through the
darkness   Then for a time there were no blue flames  and we sped
onwards through the gloom  with the howling of the wolves around us 
as though they were following in a moving circle 

At last there came a time when the driver went further afield than he
had yet gone  and during his absence  the horses began to tremble
worse than ever and to snort and scream with fright   I could not see
any cause for it  for the howling of the wolves had ceased altogether 
But just then the moon  sailing through the black clouds  appeared
behind the jagged crest of a beetling  pine clad rock  and by its
light I saw around us a ring of wolves  with white teeth and lolling
red tongues  with long  sinewy limbs and shaggy hair   They were a
hundred times more terrible in the grim silence which held them than
even when they howled   For myself  I felt a sort of paralysis of
fear   It is only when a man feels himself face to face with such
horrors that he can understand their true import 

All at once the wolves began to howl as though the moonlight had had
some peculiar effect on them   The horses jumped about and reared  and
looked helplessly round with eyes that rolled in a way painful to
see   But the living ring of terror encompassed them on every side 
and they had perforce to remain within it   I called to the coachman
to come  for it seemed to me that our only chance was to try to break
out through the ring and to aid his approach  I shouted and beat the
side of the caleche  hoping by the noise to scare the wolves from the
side  so as to give him a chance of reaching the trap   How he came
there  I know not  but I heard his voice raised in a tone of imperious
command  and looking towards the sound  saw him stand in the roadway 
As he swept his long arms  as though brushing aside some impalpable
obstacle  the wolves fell back and back further still   Just then a
heavy cloud passed across the face of the moon  so that we were again
in darkness 

When I could see again the driver was climbing into the caleche  and
the wolves disappeared   This was all so strange and uncanny that a
dreadful fear came upon me  and I was afraid to speak or move   The
time seemed interminable as we swept on our way  now in almost
complete darkness  for the rolling clouds obscured the moon 

We kept on ascending  with occasional periods of quick descent  but in
the main always ascending   Suddenly  I became conscious of the fact
that the driver was in the act of pulling up the horses in the
courtyard of a vast ruined castle  from whose tall black windows came
no ray of light  and whose broken battlements showed a jagged line
against the sky 




CHAPTER 2


Jonathan Harker s Journal Continued

5 May   I must have been asleep  for certainly if I had been fully
awake I must have noticed the approach of such a remarkable place   In
the gloom the courtyard looked of considerable size  and as several
dark ways led from it under great round arches  it perhaps seemed
bigger than it really is   I have not yet been able to see it by
daylight 

When the caleche stopped  the driver jumped down and held out his hand
to assist me to alight   Again I could not but notice his prodigious
strength   His hand actually seemed like a steel vice that could have
crushed mine if he had chosen   Then he took my traps  and placed them
on the ground beside me as I stood close to a great door  old and
studded with large iron nails  and set in a projecting doorway of
massive stone   I could see even in the dim light that the stone was
massively carved  but that the carving had been much worn by time and
weather   As I stood  the driver jumped again into his seat and shook
the reins   The horses started forward  and trap and all disappeared
down one of the dark openings 

I stood in silence where I was  for I did not know what to do   Of
bell or knocker there was no sign   Through these frowning walls and
dark window openings it was not likely that my voice could penetrate 
The time I waited seemed endless  and I felt doubts and fears crowding
upon me   What sort of place had I come to  and among what kind of
people   What sort of grim adventure was it on which I had embarked 
Was this a customary incident in the life of a solicitor s clerk sent
out to explain the purchase of a London estate to a foreigner 
Solicitor s clerk   Mina would not like that   Solicitor  for just
before leaving London I got word that my examination was successful 
and I am now a full blown solicitor   I began to rub my eyes and pinch
myself to see if I were awake   It all seemed like a horrible
nightmare to me  and I expected that I should suddenly awake  and find
myself at home  with the dawn struggling in through the windows  as I
had now and again felt in the morning after a day of overwork   But my
flesh answered the pinching test  and my eyes were not to be
deceived   I was indeed awake and among the Carpathians   All I could
do now was to be patient  and to wait the coming of morning 

Just as I had come to this conclusion I heard a heavy step approaching
behind the great door  and saw through the chinks the gleam of a
coming light   Then there was the sound of rattling chains and the
clanking of massive bolts drawn back   A key was turned with the loud
grating noise of long disuse  and the great door swung back 

Within  stood a tall old man  clean shaven save for a long white
moustache  and clad in black from head to foot  without a single speck
of colour about him anywhere   He held in his hand an antique silver
lamp  in which the flame burned without a chimney or globe of any
kind  throwing long quivering shadows as it flickered in the draught
of the open door   The old man motioned me in with his right hand with
a courtly gesture  saying in excellent English  but with a strange
intonation 

 Welcome to my house   Enter freely and of your own free will    He
made no motion of stepping to meet me  but stood like a statue  as
though his gesture of welcome had fixed him into stone   The instant 
however  that I had stepped over the threshold  he moved impulsively
forward  and holding out his hand grasped mine with a strength which
made me wince  an effect which was not lessened by the fact that it
seemed cold as ice  more like the hand of a dead than a living man 
Again he said 

 Welcome to my house   Enter freely   Go safely  and leave something
of the happiness you bring    The strength of the handshake was so
much akin to that which I had noticed in the driver  whose face I had
not seen  that for a moment I doubted if it were not the same person
to whom I was speaking   So to make sure  I said interrogatively 
 Count Dracula  

He bowed in a courtly way as he replied   I am Dracula  and I bid you
welcome  Mr  Harker  to my house   Come in  the night air is chill 
and you must need to eat and rest    As he was speaking  he put the lamp
on a bracket on the wall  and stepping out  took my luggage   He had
carried it in before I could forestall him   I protested  but he
insisted 

 Nay  sir  you are my guest   It is late  and my people are not
available   Let me see to your comfort myself    He insisted on carrying
my traps along the passage  and then up a great winding stair  and
along another great passage  on whose stone floor our steps rang
heavily   At the end of this he threw open a heavy door  and I
rejoiced to see within a well lit room in which a table was spread for
supper  and on whose mighty hearth a great fire of logs  freshly
replenished  flamed and flared 

The Count halted  putting down my bags  closed the door  and crossing
the room  opened another door  which led into a small octagonal room
lit by a single lamp  and seemingly without a window of any sort 
Passing through this  he opened another door  and motioned me to
enter   It was a welcome sight   For here was a great bedroom well
lighted and warmed with another log fire  also added to but lately 
for the top logs were fresh  which sent a hollow roar up the wide
chimney   The Count himself left my luggage inside and withdrew 
saying  before he closed the door 

 You will need  after your journey  to refresh yourself by making your
toilet   I trust you will find all you wish   When you are ready  come
into the other room  where you will find your supper prepared  

The light and warmth and the Count s courteous welcome seemed to have
dissipated all my doubts and fears   Having then reached my normal
state  I discovered that I was half famished with hunger   So making a
hasty toilet  I went into the other room 

I found supper already laid out   My host  who stood on one side of
the great fireplace  leaning against the stonework  made a graceful
wave of his hand to the table  and said 

 I pray you  be seated and sup how you please   You will I trust 
excuse me that I do not join you  but I have dined already  and I do
not sup  

I handed to him the sealed letter which Mr  Hawkins had entrusted to
me   He opened it and read it gravely   Then  with a charming smile 
he handed it to me to read   One passage of it  at least  gave me a
thrill of pleasure 

 I must regret that an attack of gout  from which malady I am a
constant sufferer  forbids absolutely any travelling on my part for
some time to come   But I am happy to say I can send a sufficient
substitute  one in whom I have every possible confidence   He is a
young man  full of energy and talent in his own way  and of a very
faithful disposition   He is discreet and silent  and has grown into
manhood in my service   He shall be ready to attend on you when you
will during his stay  and shall take your instructions in all
matters  

The count himself came forward and took off the cover of a dish  and I
fell to at once on an excellent roast chicken   This  with some cheese
and a salad and a bottle of old tokay  of which I had two glasses  was
my supper   During the time I was eating it the Count asked me many
questions as to my journey  and I told him by degrees all I had
experienced 

By this time I had finished my supper  and by my host s desire had
drawn up a chair by the fire and begun to smoke a cigar which he
offered me  at the same time excusing himself that he did not smoke 
I had now an opportunity of observing him  and found him of a very
marked physiognomy 

His face was a strong  a very strong  aquiline  with high bridge of
the thin nose and peculiarly arched nostrils  with lofty domed
forehead  and hair growing scantily round the temples but profusely
elsewhere   His eyebrows were very massive  almost meeting over the
nose  and with bushy hair that seemed to curl in its own profusion 
The mouth  so far as I could see it under the heavy moustache  was
fixed and rather cruel looking  with peculiarly sharp white teeth 
These protruded over the lips  whose remarkable ruddiness showed
astonishing vitality in a man of his years   For the rest  his ears
were pale  and at the tops extremely pointed   The chin was broad and
strong  and the cheeks firm though thin   The general effect was one
of extraordinary pallor 

Hitherto I had noticed the backs of his hands as they lay on his knees
in the firelight  and they had seemed rather white and fine   But
seeing them now close to me  I could not but notice that they were
rather coarse  broad  with squat fingers   Strange to say  there were
hairs in the centre of the palm   The nails were long and fine  and
cut to a sharp point   As the Count leaned over me and his hands
touched me  I could not repress a shudder   It may have been that his
breath was rank  but a horrible feeling of nausea came over me  which 
do what I would  I could not conceal 

The Count  evidently noticing it  drew back   And with a grim sort of
smile  which showed more than he had yet done his protuberant teeth 
sat himself down again on his own side of the fireplace   We were both
silent for a while  and as I looked towards the window I saw the first
dim streak of the coming dawn   There seemed a strange stillness over
everything   But as I listened  I heard as if from down below in the
valley the howling of many wolves   The Count s eyes gleamed  and he
said 

 Listen to them  the children of the night   What music they make  
Seeing  I suppose  some expression in my face strange to him  he
added   Ah  sir  you dwellers in the city cannot enter into the
feelings of the hunter    Then he rose and said 

 But you must be tired   Your bedroom is all ready  and tomorrow you
shall sleep as late as you will   I have to be away till the
afternoon  so sleep well and dream well    With a courteous bow  he
opened for me himself the door to the octagonal room  and I entered my
bedroom 

I am all in a sea of wonders   I doubt   I fear   I think strange
things  which I dare not confess to my own soul   God keep me  if only
for the sake of those dear to me 


7 May   It is again early morning  but I have rested and enjoyed the
last twenty four hours   I slept till late in the day  and awoke of my
own accord   When I had dressed myself I went into the room where we
had supped  and found a cold breakfast laid out  with coffee kept hot
by the pot being placed on the hearth   There was a card on the table 
on which was written   I have to be absent for a while   Do not wait
for me   D    I set to and enjoyed a hearty meal   When I had done  I
looked for a bell  so that I might let the servants know I had
finished  but I could not find one   There are certainly odd
deficiencies in the house  considering the extraordinary evidences of
wealth which are round me   The table service is of gold  and so
beautifully wrought that it must be of immense value   The curtains
and upholstery of the chairs and sofas and the hangings of my bed are
of the costliest and most beautiful fabrics  and must have been of
fabulous value when they were made  for they are centuries old  though
in excellent order   I saw something like them in Hampton Court  but
they were worn and frayed and moth eaten   But still in none of the
rooms is there a mirror   There is not even a toilet glass on my
table  and I had to get the little shaving glass from my bag before I
could either shave or brush my hair   I have not yet seen a servant
anywhere  or heard a sound near the castle except the howling of
wolves   Some time after I had finished my meal  I do not know whether
to call it breakfast or dinner  for it was between five and six
o clock when I had it  I looked about for something to read  for I did
not like to go about the castle until I had asked the Count s
permission   There was absolutely nothing in the room  book 
newspaper  or even writing materials  so I opened another door in the
room and found a sort of library   The door opposite mine I tried  but
found locked 

In the library I found  to my great delight  a vast number of English
books  whole shelves full of them  and bound volumes of magazines and
newspapers   A table in the centre was littered with English magazines
and newspapers  though none of them were of very recent date   The
books were of the most varied kind  history  geography  politics 
political economy  botany  geology  law  all relating to England and
English life and customs and manners   There were even such books of
reference as the London Directory  the  Red  and  Blue  books 
Whitaker s Almanac  the Army and Navy Lists  and it somehow gladdened
my heart to see it  the Law List 

Whilst I was looking at the books  the door opened  and the Count
entered   He saluted me in a hearty way  and hoped that I had had a
good night s rest   Then he went on 

 I am glad you found your way in here  for I am sure there is much
that will interest you   These companions   and he laid his hand on
some of the books   have been good friends to me  and for some years
past  ever since I had the idea of going to London  have given me
many  many hours of pleasure   Through them I have come to know your
great England  and to know her is to love her   I long to go through
the crowded streets of your mighty London  to be in the midst of the
whirl and rush of humanity  to share its life  its change  its death 
and all that makes it what it is   But alas   As yet I only know your
tongue through books   To you  my friend  I look that I know it to
speak  

 But  Count   I said   You know and speak English thoroughly    He
bowed gravely 

 I thank you  my friend  for your all too flattering estimate  but yet
I fear that I am but a little way on the road I would travel   True  I
know the grammar and the words  but yet I know not how to speak them  

 Indeed   I said   You speak excellently  

 Not so   he answered    Well  I know that  did I move and speak in
your London  none there are who would not know me for a stranger   That
is not enough for me   Here I am noble   I am a Boyar   The common
people know me  and I am master   But a stranger in a strange land  he
is no one   Men know him not  and to know not is to care not for   I
am content if I am like the rest  so that no man stops if he sees me 
or pauses in his speaking if he hears my words   Ha  ha   A stranger  
I have been so long master that I would be master still  or at least
that none other should be master of me   You come to me not alone as
agent of my friend Peter Hawkins  of Exeter  to tell me all about my
new estate in London   You shall  I trust  rest here with me a while 
so that by our talking I may learn the English intonation   And I
would that you tell me when I make error  even of the smallest  in my
speaking   I am sorry that I had to be away so long today  but you
will  I know forgive one who has so many important affairs in hand  

Of course I said all I could about being willing  and asked if I might
come into that room when I chose   He answered   Yes  certainly   and
added 

 You may go anywhere you wish in the castle  except where the doors
are locked  where of course you will not wish to go   There is reason
that all things are as they are  and did you see with my eyes and know
with my knowledge  you would perhaps better understand    I said I was
sure of this  and then he went on 

 We are in Transylvania  and Transylvania is not England   Our ways
are not your ways  and there shall be to you many strange things   Nay 
from what you have told me of your experiences already  you know
something of what strange things there may be  

This led to much conversation  and as it was evident that he wanted to
talk  if only for talking s sake  I asked him many questions regarding
things that had already happened to me or come within my notice 
Sometimes he sheered off the subject  or turned the conversation by
pretending not to understand  but generally he answered all I asked
most frankly   Then as time went on  and I had got somewhat bolder  I
asked him of some of the strange things of the preceding night  as for
instance  why the coachman went to the places where he had seen the
blue flames   He then explained to me that it was commonly believed
that on a certain night of the year  last night  in fact  when all
evil spirits are supposed to have unchecked sway  a blue flame is seen
over any place where treasure has been concealed 

 That treasure has been hidden   he went on   in the region through
which you came last night  there can be but little doubt   For it was
the ground fought over for centuries by the Wallachian  the Saxon  and
the Turk   Why  there is hardly a foot of soil in all this region that
has not been enriched by the blood of men  patriots or invaders   In
the old days there were stirring times  when the Austrian and the
Hungarian came up in hordes  and the patriots went out to meet them 
men and women  the aged and the children too  and waited their coming
on the rocks above the passes  that they might sweep destruction on
them with their artificial avalanches   When the invader was
triumphant he found but little  for whatever there was had been
sheltered in the friendly soil  

 But how   said I   can it have remained so long undiscovered  when
there is a sure index to it if men will but take the trouble to look  
The Count smiled  and as his lips ran back over his gums  the long 
sharp  canine teeth showed out strangely   He answered 

 Because your peasant is at heart a coward and a fool   Those flames
only appear on one night  and on that night no man of this land will 
if he can help it  stir without his doors   And  dear sir  even if he
did he would not know what to do   Why  even the peasant that you tell
me of who marked the place of the flame would not know where to look
in daylight even for his own work   Even you would not  I dare be
sworn  be able to find these places again  

 There you are right   I said    I know no more than the dead where
even to look for them    Then we drifted into other matters 

 Come   he said at last   tell me of London and of the house which you
have procured for me    With an apology for my remissness  I went into
my own room to get the papers from my bag   Whilst I was placing them
in order I heard a rattling of china and silver in the next room  and
as I passed through  noticed that the table had been cleared and the
lamp lit  for it was by this time deep into the dark   The lamps were
also lit in the study or library  and I found the Count lying on the
sofa  reading  of all things in the world  an English Bradshaw s
Guide   When I came in he cleared the books and papers from the table 
and with him I went into plans and deeds and figures of all sorts   He
was interested in everything  and asked me a myriad questions about
the place and its surroundings   He clearly had studied beforehand all
he could get on the subject of the neighbourhood  for he evidently at
the end knew very much more than I did   When I remarked this  he
answered 

 Well  but  my friend  is it not needful that I should   When I go
there I shall be all alone  and my friend Harker Jonathan  nay  pardon
me   I fall into my country s habit of putting your patronymic first 
my friend Jonathan Harker will not be by my side to correct and aid
me   He will be in Exeter  miles away  probably working at papers of
the law with my other friend  Peter Hawkins   So  

We went thoroughly into the business of the purchase of the estate at
Purfleet   When I had told him the facts and got his signature to the
necessary papers  and had written a letter with them ready to post to
Mr  Hawkins  he began to ask me how I had come across so suitable a
place   I read to him the notes which I had made at the time  and
which I inscribe here 

 At Purfleet  on a byroad  I came across just such a place as seemed
to be required  and where was displayed a dilapidated notice that the
place was for sale   It was surrounded by a high wall  of ancient
structure  built of heavy stones  and has not been repaired for a
large number of years   The closed gates are of heavy old oak and
iron  all eaten with rust 

 The estate is called Carfax  no doubt a corruption of the old Quatre
Face  as the house is four sided  agreeing with the cardinal points of
the compass   It contains in all some twenty acres  quite surrounded
by the solid stone wall above mentioned   There are many trees on it 
which make it in places gloomy  and there is a deep  dark looking pond
or small lake  evidently fed by some springs  as the water is clear
and flows away in a fair sized stream   The house is very large and of
all periods back  I should say  to mediaeval times  for one part is of
stone immensely thick  with only a few windows high up and heavily
barred with iron   It looks like part of a keep  and is close to an
old chapel or church   I could not enter it  as I had not the key of
the door leading to it from the house  but I have taken with my Kodak
views of it from various points   The house had been added to  but in
a very straggling way  and I can only guess at the amount of ground it
covers  which must be very great   There are but few houses close at
hand  one being a very large house only recently added to and formed
into a private lunatic asylum   It is not  however  visible from the
grounds  

When I had finished  he said   I am glad that it is old and big   I
myself am of an old family  and to live in a new house would kill me 
A house cannot be made habitable in a day  and after all  how few days
go to make up a century   I rejoice also that there is a chapel of old
times   We Transylvanian nobles love not to think that our bones may
lie amongst the common dead   I seek not gaiety nor mirth  not the
bright voluptuousness of much sunshine and sparkling waters which
please the young and gay   I am no longer young  and my heart  through
weary years of mourning over the dead  is not attuned to mirth   Moreover 
the walls of my castle are broken   The shadows are many  and the wind
breathes cold through the broken battlements and casements   I love
the shade and the shadow  and would be alone with my thoughts when I
may    Somehow his words and his look did not seem to accord  or else
it was that his cast of face made his smile look malignant and
saturnine 

Presently  with an excuse  he left me  asking me to pull my papers
together   He was some little time away  and I began to look at some
of the books around me   One was an atlas  which I found opened
naturally to England  as if that map had been much used   On looking
at it I found in certain places little rings marked  and on examining
these I noticed that one was near London on the east side  manifestly
where his new estate was situated   The other two were Exeter  and
Whitby on the Yorkshire coast 

It was the better part of an hour when the Count returned    Aha   he
said    Still at your books   Good   But you must not work always 
Come   I am informed that your supper is ready    He took my arm  and
we went into the next room  where I found an excellent supper ready on
the table   The Count again excused himself  as he had dined out on
his being away from home   But he sat as on the previous night  and
chatted whilst I ate   After supper I smoked  as on the last evening 
and the Count stayed with me  chatting and asking questions on every
conceivable subject  hour after hour   I felt that it was getting very
late indeed  but I did not say anything  for I felt under obligation
to meet my host s wishes in every way   I was not sleepy  as the long
sleep yesterday had fortified me  but I could not help experiencing
that chill which comes over one at the coming of the dawn  which is
like  in its way  the turn of the tide   They say that people who are
near death die generally at the change to dawn or at the turn of the
tide   Anyone who has when tired  and tied as it were to his post 
experienced this change in the atmosphere can well believe it   All at
once we heard the crow of the cock coming up with preternatural
shrillness through the clear morning air 

Count Dracula  jumping to his feet  said   Why there is the morning
again   How remiss I am to let you stay up so long   You must make
your conversation regarding my dear new country of England less
interesting  so that I may not forget how time flies by us   and with
a courtly bow  he quickly left me 

I went into my room and drew the curtains  but there was little to
notice   My window opened into the courtyard  all I could see was the
warm grey of quickening sky   So I pulled the curtains again  and have
written of this day 


8 May   I began to fear as I wrote in this book that I was getting too
diffuse   But now I am glad that I went into detail from the first 
for there is something so strange about this place and all in it that
I cannot but feel uneasy   I wish I were safe out of it  or that I had
never come   It may be that this strange night existence is telling on
me  but would that that were all   If there were any one to talk to I
could bear it  but there is no one   I have only the Count to speak
with  and he  I fear I am myself the only living soul within the
place   Let me be prosaic so far as facts can be   It will help me to
bear up  and imagination must not run riot with me   If it does I am
lost   Let me say at once how I stand  or seem to 

I only slept a few hours when I went to bed  and feeling that I could
not sleep any more  got up   I had hung my shaving glass by the
window  and was just beginning to shave   Suddenly I felt a hand on my
shoulder  and heard the Count s voice saying to me   Good morning    I
started  for it amazed me that I had not seen him  since the
reflection of the glass covered the whole room behind me   In starting
I had cut myself slightly  but did not notice it at the moment   Having
answered the Count s salutation  I turned to the glass again to see
how I had been mistaken   This time there could be no error  for the
man was close to me  and I could see him over my shoulder   But there
was no reflection of him in the mirror   The whole room behind me was
displayed  but there was no sign of a man in it  except myself 

This was startling  and coming on the top of so many strange things 
was beginning to increase that vague feeling of uneasiness which I
always have when the Count is near   But at the instant I saw that the
cut had bled a little  and the blood was trickling over my chin   I
laid down the razor  turning as I did so half round to look for some
sticking plaster   When the Count saw my face  his eyes blazed with a
sort of demoniac fury  and he suddenly made a grab at my throat   I
drew away and his hand touched the string of beads which held the
crucifix   It made an instant change in him  for the fury passed so
quickly that I could hardly believe that it was ever there 

 Take care   he said   take care how you cut yourself   It is more
dangerous that you think in this country    Then seizing the shaving
glass  he went on   And this is the wretched thing that has done the
mischief   It is a foul bauble of man s vanity   Away with it    And
opening the window with one wrench of his terrible hand  he flung out
the glass  which was shattered into a thousand pieces on the stones of
the courtyard far below   Then he withdrew without a word   It is very
annoying  for I do not see how I am to shave  unless in my watch case
or the bottom of the shaving pot  which is fortunately of metal 

When I went into the dining room  breakfast was prepared  but I could
not find the Count anywhere   So I breakfasted alone   It is strange
that as yet I have not seen the Count eat or drink   He must be a very
peculiar man   After breakfast I did a little exploring in the
castle   I went out on the stairs  and found a room looking towards
the South 

The view was magnificent  and from where I stood there was every
opportunity of seeing it   The castle is on the very edge of a
terrific precipice   A stone falling from the window would fall a
thousand feet without touching anything   As far as the eye can reach
is a sea of green tree tops  with occasionally a deep rift where there
is a chasm   Here and there are silver threads where the rivers wind
in deep gorges through the forests 

But I am not in heart to describe beauty  for when I had seen the view
I explored further   Doors  doors  doors everywhere  and all locked
and bolted   In no place save from the windows in the castle walls is
there an available exit   The castle is a veritable prison  and I am a
prisoner 




CHAPTER 3


Jonathan Harker s Journal Continued

When I found that I was a prisoner a sort of wild feeling came over
me   I rushed up and down the stairs  trying every door and peering
out of every window I could find  but after a little the conviction of
my helplessness overpowered all other feelings   When I look back
after a few hours I think I must have been mad for the time  for I
behaved much as a rat does in a trap   When  however  the conviction
had come to me that I was helpless I sat down quietly  as quietly as I
have ever done anything in my life  and began to think over what was
best to be done   I am thinking still  and as yet have come to no
definite conclusion   Of one thing only am I certain   That it is no
use making my ideas known to the Count   He knows well that I am
imprisoned  and as he has done it himself  and has doubtless his own
motives for it  he would only deceive me if I trusted him fully with
the facts   So far as I can see  my only plan will be to keep my
knowledge and my fears to myself  and my eyes open   I am  I know 
either being deceived  like a baby  by my own fears  or else I am in
desperate straits  and if the latter be so  I need  and shall need 
all my brains to get through 

I had hardly come to this conclusion when I heard the great door below
shut  and knew that the Count had returned   He did not come at once
into the library  so I went cautiously to my own room and found him
making the bed   This was odd  but only confirmed what I had all along
thought  that there are no servants in the house   When later I saw
him through the chink of the hinges of the door laying the table in
the dining room  I was assured of it   For if he does himself all
these menial offices  surely it is proof that there is no one else in
the castle  it must have been the Count himself who was the driver of
the coach that brought me here   This is a terrible thought  for if
so  what does it mean that he could control the wolves  as he did  by
only holding up his hand for silence   How was it that all the people
at Bistritz and on the coach had some terrible fear for me   What
meant the giving of the crucifix  of the garlic  of the wild rose  of
the mountain ash 

Bless that good  good woman who hung the crucifix round my neck   For
it is a comfort and a strength to me whenever I touch it   It is odd
that a thing which I have been taught to regard with disfavour and as
idolatrous should in a time of loneliness and trouble be of help   Is
it that there is something in the essence of the thing itself  or that
it is a medium  a tangible help  in conveying memories of sympathy and
comfort   Some time  if it may be  I must examine this matter and try
to make up my mind about it   In the meantime I must find out all I
can about Count Dracula  as it may help me to understand   Tonight he
may talk of himself  if I turn the conversation that way   I must be
very careful  however  not to awake his suspicion 


Midnight   I have had a long talk with the Count   I asked him a few
questions on Transylvania history  and he warmed up to the subject
wonderfully   In his speaking of things and people  and especially of
battles  he spoke as if he had been present at them all   This he
afterwards explained by saying that to a Boyar the pride of his house
and name is his own pride  that their glory is his glory  that their
fate is his fate   Whenever he spoke of his house he always said  we  
and spoke almost in the plural  like a king speaking   I wish I could
put down all he said exactly as he said it  for to me it was most
fascinating   It seemed to have in it a whole history of the country 
He grew excited as he spoke  and walked about the room pulling his
great white moustache and grasping anything on which he laid his hands
as though he would crush it by main strength   One thing he said which
I shall put down as nearly as I can  for it tells in its way the story
of his race 

 We Szekelys have a right to be proud  for in our veins flows the
blood of many brave races who fought as the lion fights  for lordship 
Here  in the whirlpool of European races  the Ugric tribe bore down
from Iceland the fighting spirit which Thor and Wodin gave them  which
their Berserkers displayed to such fell intent on the seaboards of
Europe  aye  and of Asia and Africa too  till the peoples thought that
the werewolves themselves had come   Here  too  when they came  they
found the Huns  whose warlike fury had swept the earth like a living
flame  till the dying peoples held that in their veins ran the blood
of those old witches  who  expelled from Scythia had mated with the
devils in the desert   Fools  fools   What devil or what witch was
ever so great as Attila  whose blood is in these veins    He held up
his arms    Is it a wonder that we were a conquering race  that we
were proud  that when the Magyar  the Lombard  the Avar  the Bulgar 
or the Turk poured his thousands on our frontiers  we drove them back 
Is it strange that when Arpad and his legions swept through the
Hungarian fatherland he found us here when he reached the frontier 
that the Honfoglalas was completed there   And when the Hungarian
flood swept eastward  the Szekelys were claimed as kindred by the
victorious Magyars  and to us for centuries was trusted the guarding
of the frontier of Turkeyland   Aye  and more than that  endless duty
of the frontier guard  for as the Turks say   water sleeps  and the
enemy is sleepless    Who more gladly than we throughout the Four
Nations received the  bloody sword   or at its warlike call flocked
quicker to the standard of the King   When was redeemed that great
shame of my nation  the shame of Cassova  when the flags of the
Wallach and the Magyar went down beneath the Crescent   Who was it but
one of my own race who as Voivode crossed the Danube and beat the Turk
on his own ground   This was a Dracula indeed   Woe was it that his
own unworthy brother  when he had fallen  sold his people to the Turk
and brought the shame of slavery on them   Was it not this Dracula 
indeed  who inspired that other of his race who in a later age again
and again brought his forces over the great river into Turkeyland 
who  when he was beaten back  came again  and again  though he had to
come alone from the bloody field where his troops were being
slaughtered  since he knew that he alone could ultimately triumph 
They said that he thought only of himself   Bah   What good are
peasants without a leader   Where ends the war without a brain and
heart to conduct it   Again  when  after the battle of Mohacs  we
threw off the Hungarian yoke  we of the Dracula blood were amongst
their leaders  for our spirit would not brook that we were not free 
Ah  young sir  the Szekelys  and the Dracula as their heart s blood 
their brains  and their swords  can boast a record that mushroom
growths like the Hapsburgs and the Romanoffs can never reach   The
warlike days are over   Blood is too precious a thing in these days of
dishonourable peace  and the glories of the great races are as a tale
that is told  

It was by this time close on morning  and we went to bed    Mem   this
diary seems horribly like the beginning of the  Arabian Nights   for
everything has to break off at cockcrow  or like the ghost of Hamlet s
father  


12 May   Let me begin with facts  bare  meager facts  verified by
books and figures  and of which there can be no doubt   I must not
confuse them with experiences which will have to rest on my own
observation  or my memory of them   Last evening when the Count came
from his room he began by asking me questions on legal matters and on
the doing of certain kinds of business   I had spent the day wearily
over books  and  simply to keep my mind occupied  went over some of
the matters I had been examined in at Lincoln s Inn   There was a
certain method in the Count s inquiries  so I shall try to put them
down in sequence   The knowledge may somehow or some time be useful to
me 

First  he asked if a man in England might have two solicitors or more 
I told him he might have a dozen if he wished  but that it would not
be wise to have more than one solicitor engaged in one transaction  as
only one could act at a time  and that to change would be certain to
militate against his interest   He seemed thoroughly to understand 
and went on to ask if there would be any practical difficulty in having
one man to attend  say  to banking  and another to look after
shipping  in case local help were needed in a place far from the home
of the banking solicitor   I asked to explain more fully  so that I
might not by any chance mislead him  so he said 

 I shall illustrate   Your friend and mine  Mr  Peter Hawkins  from
under the shadow of your beautiful cathedral at Exeter  which is far
from London  buys for me through your good self my place at London 
Good   Now here let me say frankly  lest you should think it strange
that I have sought the services of one so far off from London instead
of some one resident there  that my motive was that no local interest
might be served save my wish only  and as one of London residence
might  perhaps  have some purpose of himself or friend to serve  I
went thus afield to seek my agent  whose labours should be only to my
interest   Now  suppose I  who have much of affairs  wish to ship
goods  say  to Newcastle  or Durham  or Harwich  or Dover  might it
not be that it could with more ease be done by consigning to one in
these ports  

I answered that certainly it would be most easy  but that we
solicitors had a system of agency one for the other  so that local
work could be done locally on instruction from any solicitor  so that
the client  simply placing himself in the hands of one man  could have
his wishes carried out by him without further trouble 

 But   said he   I could be at liberty to direct myself   Is it not
so  

 Of course   I replied  and  Such is often done by men of business 
who do not like the whole of their affairs to be known by any one
person  

 Good   he said  and then went on to ask about the means of making
consignments and the forms to be gone through  and of all sorts of
difficulties which might arise  but by forethought could be guarded
against   I explained all these things to him to the best of my
ability  and he certainly left me under the impression that he would
have made a wonderful solicitor  for there was nothing that he did not
think of or foresee   For a man who was never in the country  and who
did not evidently do much in the way of business  his knowledge and
acumen were wonderful   When he had satisfied himself on these points
of which he had spoken  and I had verified all as well as I could by
the books available  he suddenly stood up and said   Have you written
since your first letter to our friend Mr  Peter Hawkins  or to any
other  

It was with some bitterness in my heart that I answered that I had
not  that as yet I had not seen any opportunity of sending letters to
anybody 

 Then write now  my young friend   he said  laying a heavy hand on my
shoulder   write to our friend and to any other  and say  if it will
please you  that you shall stay with me until a month from now  

 Do you wish me to stay so long   I asked  for my heart grew cold at
the thought 

 I desire it much  nay I will take no refusal   When your master 
employer  what you will  engaged that someone should come on his
behalf  it was understood that my needs only were to be consulted   I
have not stinted   Is it not so  

What could I do but bow acceptance   It was Mr  Hawkins  interest  not
mine  and I had to think of him  not myself  and besides  while Count
Dracula was speaking  there was that in his eyes and in his bearing
which made me remember that I was a prisoner  and that if I wished it
I could have no choice   The Count saw his victory in my bow  and his
mastery in the trouble of my face  for he began at once to use them 
but in his own smooth  resistless way 

 I pray you  my good young friend  that you will not discourse of
things other than business in your letters   It will doubtless please
your friends to know that you are well  and that you look forward to
getting home to them   Is it not so    As he spoke he handed me three
sheets of note paper and three envelopes   They were all of the
thinnest foreign post  and looking at them  then at him  and noticing
his quiet smile  with the sharp  canine teeth lying over the red
underlip  I understood as well as if he had spoken that I should be
more careful what I wrote  for he would be able to read it   So I
determined to write only formal notes now  but to write fully to Mr 
Hawkins in secret  and also to Mina  for to her I could write
shorthand  which would puzzle the Count  if he did see it   When I had
written my two letters I sat quiet  reading a book whilst the Count
wrote several notes  referring as he wrote them to some books on his
table   Then he took up my two and placed them with his own  and put
by his writing materials  after which  the instant the door had closed
behind him  I leaned over and looked at the letters  which were face
down on the table   I felt no compunction in doing so for under the
circumstances I felt that I should protect myself in every way I
could 

One of the letters was directed to Samuel F  Billington  No  7  The
Crescent  Whitby  another to Herr Leutner  Varna   The third was to
Coutts   Co   London  and the fourth to Herren Klopstock   Billreuth 
bankers  Buda Pesth   The second and fourth were unsealed   I was just
about to look at them when I saw the door handle move   I sank back in
my seat  having just had time to resume my book before the Count 
holding still another letter in his hand  entered the room   He took
up the letters on the table and stamped them carefully  and then
turning to me  said 

 I trust you will forgive me  but I have much work to do in private
this evening   You will  I hope  find all things as you wish    At the
door he turned  and after a moment s pause said   Let me advise you 
my dear young friend   Nay  let me warn you with all seriousness  that
should you leave these rooms you will not by any chance go to sleep in
any other part of the castle   It is old  and has many memories  and
there are bad dreams for those who sleep unwisely   Be warned   Should
sleep now or ever overcome you  or be like to do  then haste to your
own chamber or to these rooms  for your rest will then be safe   But
if you be not careful in this respect  then   He finished his speech
in a gruesome way  for he motioned with his hands as if he were washing
them   I quite understood   My only doubt was as to whether any dream
could be more terrible than the unnatural  horrible net of gloom and
mystery which seemed closing around me 


Later   I endorse the last words written  but this time there is no
doubt in question   I shall not fear to sleep in any place where he is
not   I have placed the crucifix over the head of my bed  I imagine
that my rest is thus freer from dreams  and there it shall remain 

When he left me I went to my room   After a little while  not hearing
any sound  I came out and went up the stone stair to where I could
look out towards the South   There was some sense of freedom in the
vast expanse  inaccessible though it was to me  as compared with the
narrow darkness of the courtyard   Looking out on this  I felt that I
was indeed in prison  and I seemed to want a breath of fresh air 
though it were of the night   I am beginning to feel this nocturnal
existence tell on me   It is destroying my nerve   I start at my own
shadow  and am full of all sorts of horrible imaginings   God knows
that there is ground for my terrible fear in this accursed place   I
looked out over the beautiful expanse  bathed in soft yellow moonlight
till it was almost as light as day   In the soft light the distant
hills became melted  and the shadows in the valleys and gorges of
velvety blackness   The mere beauty seemed to cheer me   There was
peace and comfort in every breath I drew   As I leaned from the window
my eye was caught by something moving a storey below me  and somewhat
to my left  where I imagined  from the order of the rooms  that the
windows of the Count s own room would look out   The window at which I
stood was tall and deep  stone mullioned  and though weatherworn  was
still complete   But it was evidently many a day since the case had
been there   I drew back behind the stonework  and looked carefully
out 

What I saw was the Count s head coming out from the window   I did not
see the face  but I knew the man by the neck and the movement of his
back and arms   In any case I could not mistake the hands which I had
had some many opportunities of studying   I was at first interested
and somewhat amused  for it is wonderful how small a matter will
interest and amuse a man when he is a prisoner   But my very feelings
changed to repulsion and terror when I saw the whole man slowly emerge
from the window and begin to crawl down the castle wall over the
dreadful abyss  face down with his cloak spreading out around him like
great wings   At first I could not believe my eyes   I thought it was
some trick of the moonlight  some weird effect of shadow  but I kept
looking  and it could be no delusion   I saw the fingers and toes
grasp the corners of the stones  worn clear of the mortar by the
stress of years  and by thus using every projection and inequality
move downwards with considerable speed  just as a lizard moves along a
wall 

What manner of man is this  or what manner of creature  is it in the
semblance of man   I feel the dread of this horrible place
overpowering me   I am in fear  in awful fear  and there is no escape
for me   I am encompassed about with terrors that I dare not think of 


15 May   Once more I have seen the count go out in his lizard fashion 
He moved downwards in a sidelong way  some hundred feet down  and a
good deal to the left   He vanished into some hole or window   When
his head had disappeared  I leaned out to try and see more  but
without avail   The distance was too great to allow a proper angle of
sight   I knew he had left the castle now  and thought to use the
opportunity to explore more than I had dared to do as yet   I went
back to the room  and taking a lamp  tried all the doors   They were
all locked  as I had expected  and the locks were comparatively new 
But I went down the stone stairs to the hall where I had entered
originally   I found I could pull back the bolts easily enough and
unhook the great chains   But the door was locked  and the key was
gone   That key must be in the Count s room   I must watch should his
door be unlocked  so that I may get it and escape   I went on to make
a thorough examination of the various stairs and passages  and to try
the doors that opened from them   One or two small rooms near the hall
were open  but there was nothing to see in them except old furniture 
dusty with age and moth eaten   At last  however  I found one door at
the top of the stairway which  though it seemed locked  gave a little
under pressure   I tried it harder  and found that it was not really
locked  but that the resistance came from the fact that the hinges had
fallen somewhat  and the heavy door rested on the floor   Here was an
opportunity which I might not have again  so I exerted myself  and
with many efforts forced it back so that I could enter   I was now in
a wing of the castle further to the right than the rooms I knew and a
storey lower down   From the windows I could see that the suite of
rooms lay along to the south of the castle  the windows of the end
room looking out both west and south   On the latter side  as well as
to the former  there was a great precipice   The castle was built on
the corner of a great rock  so that on three sides it was quite
impregnable  and great windows were placed here where sling  or bow 
or culverin could not reach  and consequently light and comfort 
impossible to a position which had to be guarded  were secured   To
the west was a great valley  and then  rising far away  great jagged
mountain fastnesses  rising peak on peak  the sheer rock studded with
mountain ash and thorn  whose roots clung in cracks and crevices and
crannies of the stone   This was evidently the portion of the castle
occupied by the ladies in bygone days  for the furniture had more an
air of comfort than any I had seen 

The windows were curtainless  and the yellow moonlight  flooding in
through the diamond panes  enabled one to see even colours  whilst it
softened the wealth of dust which lay over all and disguised in some
measure the ravages of time and moth   My lamp seemed to be of little
effect in the brilliant moonlight  but I was glad to have it with me 
for there was a dread loneliness in the place which chilled my heart
and made my nerves tremble   Still  it was better than living alone in
the rooms which I had come to hate from the presence of the Count  and
after trying a little to school my nerves  I found a soft quietude
come over me   Here I am  sitting at a little oak table where in old
times possibly some fair lady sat to pen  with much thought and many
blushes  her ill spelt love letter  and writing in my diary in
shorthand all that has happened since I closed it last   It is the
nineteenth century up to date with a vengeance   And yet  unless my
senses deceive me  the old centuries had  and have  powers of their
own which mere  modernity  cannot kill 


Later   The morning of 16 May   God preserve my sanity  for to this I
am reduced   Safety and the assurance of safety are things of the
past   Whilst I live on here there is but one thing to hope for  that
I may not go mad  if  indeed  I be not mad already   If I be sane 
then surely it is maddening to think that of all the foul things that
lurk in this hateful place the Count is the least dreadful to me  that
to him alone I can look for safety  even though this be only whilst I
can serve his purpose   Great God   Merciful God  let me be calm  for
out of that way lies madness indeed   I begin to get new lights on
certain things which have puzzled me   Up to now I never quite knew
what Shakespeare meant when he made Hamlet say   My tablets   Quick 
my tablets    tis meet that I put it down   etc   For now  feeling as
though my own brain were unhinged or as if the shock had come which
must end in its undoing  I turn to my diary for repose   The habit of
entering accurately must help to soothe me 

The Count s mysterious warning frightened me at the time   It frightens
me more not when I think of it  for in the future he has a fearful
hold upon me   I shall fear to doubt what he may say 

When I had written in my diary and had fortunately replaced the book
and pen in my pocket I felt sleepy   The Count s warning came into my
mind  but I took pleasure in disobeying it   The sense of sleep was
upon me  and with it the obstinacy which sleep brings as outrider   The
soft moonlight soothed  and the wide expanse without gave a sense of
freedom which refreshed me   I determined not to return tonight to the
gloom haunted rooms  but to sleep here  where  of old  ladies had sat
and sung and lived sweet lives whilst their gentle breasts were sad
for their menfolk away in the midst of remorseless wars   I drew a
great couch out of its place near the corner  so that as I lay  I
could look at the lovely view to east and south  and unthinking of and
uncaring for the dust  composed myself for sleep   I suppose I must
have fallen asleep   I hope so  but I fear  for all that followed was
startlingly real  so real that now sitting here in the broad  full
sunlight of the morning  I cannot in the least believe that it was all
sleep 

I was not alone   The room was the same  unchanged in any way since I
came into it   I could see along the floor  in the brilliant
moonlight  my own footsteps marked where I had disturbed the long
accumulation of dust   In the moonlight opposite me were three young
women  ladies by their dress and manner   I thought at the time that I
must be dreaming when I saw them  they threw no shadow on the floor 
They came close to me  and looked at me for some time  and then
whispered together   Two were dark  and had high aquiline noses  like
the Count  and great dark  piercing eyes  that seemed to be almost red
when contrasted with the pale yellow moon   The other was fair  as
fair as can be  with great masses of golden hair and eyes like pale
sapphires   I seemed somehow to know her face  and to know it in
connection with some dreamy fear  but I could not recollect at the
moment how or where   All three had brilliant white teeth that shone
like pearls against the ruby of their voluptuous lips   There was
something about them that made me uneasy  some longing and at the same
time some deadly fear   I felt in my heart a wicked  burning desire
that they would kiss me with those red lips   It is not good to note
this down  lest some day it should meet Mina s eyes and cause her
pain  but it is the truth   They whispered together  and then they all
three laughed  such a silvery  musical laugh  but as hard as though
the sound never could have come through the softness of human lips 
It was like the intolerable  tingling sweetness of waterglasses when
played on by a cunning hand   The fair girl shook her head
coquettishly  and the other two urged her on 

One said   Go on   You are first  and we shall follow   Yours is the
right to begin  

The other added   He is young and strong   There are kisses for us
all  

I lay quiet  looking out from under my eyelashes in an agony of
delightful anticipation   The fair girl advanced and bent over me till
I could feel the movement of her breath upon me   Sweet it was in one
sense  honey sweet  and sent the same tingling through the nerves as
her voice  but with a bitter underlying the sweet  a bitter
offensiveness  as one smells in blood 

I was afraid to raise my eyelids  but looked out and saw perfectly
under the lashes   The girl went on her knees  and bent over me 
simply gloating   There was a deliberate voluptuousness which was both
thrilling and repulsive  and as she arched her neck she actually
licked her lips like an animal  till I could see in the moonlight the
moisture shining on the scarlet lips and on the red tongue as it
lapped the white sharp teeth   Lower and lower went her head as the
lips went below the range of my mouth and chin and seemed to fasten on
my throat   Then she paused  and I could hear the churning sound of
her tongue as it licked her teeth and lips  and I could feel the hot
breath on my neck   Then the skin of my throat began to tingle as
one s flesh does when the hand that is to tickle it approaches nearer 
nearer   I could feel the soft  shivering touch of the lips on the
super sensitive skin of my throat  and the hard dents of two sharp
teeth  just touching and pausing there   I closed my eyes in
languorous ecstasy and waited  waited with beating heart 

But at that instant  another sensation swept through me as quick as
lightning   I was conscious of the presence of the Count  and of his
being as if lapped in a storm of fury   As my eyes opened
involuntarily I saw his strong hand grasp the slender neck of the fair
woman and with giant s power draw it back  the blue eyes transformed
with fury  the white teeth champing with rage  and the fair cheeks
blazing red with passion   But the Count   Never did I imagine such
wrath and fury  even to the demons of the pit   His eyes were
positively blazing   The red light in them was lurid  as if the flames
of hell fire blazed behind them   His face was deathly pale  and the
lines of it were hard like drawn wires   The thick eyebrows that met
over the nose now seemed like a heaving bar of white hot metal   With
a fierce sweep of his arm  he hurled the woman from him  and then
motioned to the others  as though he were beating them back   It was
the same imperious gesture that I had seen used to the wolves   In a
voice which  though low and almost in a whisper seemed to cut through
the air and then ring in the room he said 

 How dare you touch him  any of you   How dare you cast eyes on him
when I had forbidden it   Back  I tell you all   This man belongs to
me   Beware how you meddle with him  or you ll have to deal with me  

The fair girl  with a laugh of ribald coquetry  turned to answer him 
 You yourself never loved   You never love    On this the other women
joined  and such a mirthless  hard  soulless laughter rang through the
room that it almost made me faint to hear   It seemed like the
pleasure of fiends 

Then the Count turned  after looking at my face attentively  and said
in a soft whisper   Yes  I too can love   You yourselves can tell it
from the past   Is it not so   Well  now I promise you that when I am
done with him you shall kiss him at your will   Now go   Go   I must
awaken him  for there is work to be done  

 Are we to have nothing tonight   said one of them  with a low laugh 
as she pointed to the bag which he had thrown upon the floor  and
which moved as though there were some living thing within it   For
answer he nodded his head   One of the women jumped forward and opened
it   If my ears did not deceive me there was a gasp and a low wail  as
of a half smothered child   The women closed round  whilst I was
aghast with horror   But as I looked  they disappeared  and with them
the dreadful bag   There was no door near them  and they could not
have passed me without my noticing   They simply seemed to fade into
the rays of the moonlight and pass out through the window  for I could
see outside the dim  shadowy forms for a moment before they entirely
faded away 

Then the horror overcame me  and I sank down unconscious 




CHAPTER 4


Jonathan Harker s Journal Continued

I awoke in my own bed   If it be that I had not dreamt  the Count must
have carried me here   I tried to satisfy myself on the subject  but
could not arrive at any unquestionable result   To be sure  there were
certain small evidences  such as that my clothes were folded and laid
by in a manner which was not my habit   My watch was still unwound 
and I am rigorously accustomed to wind it the last thing before going
to bed  and many such details   But these things are no proof  for
they may have been evidences that my mind was not as usual  and  for
some cause or another  I had certainly been much upset   I must watch
for proof   Of one thing I am glad   If it was that the Count carried
me here and undressed me  he must have been hurried in his task  for
my pockets are intact   I am sure this diary would have been a mystery
to him which he would not have brooked   He would have taken or
destroyed it   As I look round this room  although it has been to me
so full of fear  it is now a sort of sanctuary  for nothing can be
more dreadful than those awful women  who were  who are  waiting to
suck my blood 


18 May   I have been down to look at that room again in daylight  for
I must know the truth   When I got to the doorway at the top of the
stairs I found it closed   It had been so forcibly driven against the
jamb that part of the woodwork was splintered   I could see that the
bolt of the lock had not been shot  but the door is fastened from the
inside   I fear it was no dream  and must act on this surmise 


19 May   I am surely in the toils   Last night the Count asked me in
the suavest tones to write three letters  one saying that my work here
was nearly done  and that I should start for home within a few days 
another that I was starting on the next morning from the time of the
letter  and the third that I had left the castle and arrived at
Bistritz   I would fain have rebelled  but felt that in the present
state of things it would be madness to quarrel openly with the Count
whilst I am so absolutely in his power   And to refuse would be to
excite his suspicion and to arouse his anger   He knows that I know
too much  and that I must not live  lest I be dangerous to him   My
only chance is to prolong my opportunities   Something may occur which
will give me a chance to escape   I saw in his eyes something of that
gathering wrath which was manifest when he hurled that fair woman from
him   He explained to me that posts were few and uncertain  and that
my writing now would ensure ease of mind to my friends   And he
assured me with so much impressiveness that he would countermand the
later letters  which would be held over at Bistritz until due time in
case chance would admit of my prolonging my stay  that to oppose him
would have been to create new suspicion   I therefore pretended to
fall in with his views  and asked him what dates I should put on the
letters 

He calculated a minute  and then said   The first should be June 12 
the second June 19  and the third June 29  

I know now the span of my life   God help me 


28 May   There is a chance of escape  or at any rate of being able to
send word home   A band of Szgany have come to the castle  and are
encamped in the courtyard   These are gipsies   I have notes of them
in my book   They are peculiar to this part of the world  though
allied to the ordinary gipsies all the world over   There are
thousands of them in Hungary and Transylvania  who are almost outside
all law   They attach themselves as a rule to some great noble or
boyar  and call themselves by his name   They are fearless and without
religion  save superstition  and they talk only their own varieties of
the Romany tongue 

I shall write some letters home  and shall try to get them to have
them posted   I have already spoken to them through my window to begin
acquaintanceship   They took their hats off and made obeisance and
many signs  which however  I could not understand any more than I
could their spoken language      

I have written the letters   Mina s is in shorthand  and I simply ask
Mr  Hawkins to communicate with her   To her I have explained my
situation  but without the horrors which I may only surmise   It would
shock and frighten her to death were I to expose my heart to her 
Should the letters not carry  then the Count shall not yet know my
secret or the extent of my knowledge       


I have given the letters   I threw them through the bars of my window
with a gold piece  and made what signs I could to have them posted 
The man who took them pressed them to his heart and bowed  and then
put them in his cap   I could do no more   I stole back to the study 
and began to read   As the Count did not come in  I have written
here      


The Count has come   He sat down beside me  and said in his smoothest
voice as he opened two letters   The Szgany has given me these  of
which  though I know not whence they come  I shall  of course  take
care   See    He must have looked at it    One is from you  and to my
friend Peter Hawkins   The other    here he caught sight of the
strange symbols as he opened the envelope  and the dark look came into
his face  and his eyes blazed wickedly    The other is a vile thing 
an outrage upon friendship and hospitality   It is not signed   Well 
So it cannot matter to us    And he calmly held letter and envelope in
the flame of the lamp till they were consumed 

Then he went on   The letter to Hawkins  that I shall  of course send
on  since it is yours   Your letters are sacred to me   Your pardon 
my friend  that unknowingly I did break the seal   Will you not cover
it again    He held out the letter to me  and with a courteous bow
handed me a clean envelope 

I could only redirect it and hand it to him in silence   When he went
out of the room I could hear the key turn softly   A minute later I
went over and tried it  and the door was locked 

When  an hour or two after  the Count came quietly into the room  his
coming awakened me  for I had gone to sleep on the sofa   He was very
courteous and very cheery in his manner  and seeing that I had been
sleeping  he said   So  my friend  you are tired   Get to bed   There
is the surest rest   I may not have the pleasure of talk tonight 
since there are many labours to me  but you will sleep  I pray  

I passed to my room and went to bed  and  strange to say  slept
without dreaming   Despair has its own calms 

31 May   This morning when I woke I thought I would provide myself
with some papers and envelopes from my bag and keep them in my pocket 
so that I might write in case I should get an opportunity  but again a
surprise  again a shock 

Every scrap of paper was gone  and with it all my notes  my memoranda 
relating to railways and travel  my letter of credit  in fact all that
might be useful to me were I once outside the castle   I sat and
pondered awhile  and then some thought occurred to me  and I made
search of my portmanteau and in the wardrobe where I had placed my
clothes 

The suit in which I had travelled was gone  and also my overcoat and
rug   I could find no trace of them anywhere   This looked like some
new scheme of villainy      


17 June   This morning  as I was sitting on the edge of my bed
cudgelling my brains  I heard without a crackling of whips and
pounding and scraping of horses  feet up the rocky path beyond the
courtyard   With joy I hurried to the window  and saw drive into the
yard two great leiter wagons  each drawn by eight sturdy horses  and
at the head of each pair a Slovak  with his wide hat  great
nail studded belt  dirty sheepskin  and high boots   They had also
their long staves in hand   I ran to the door  intending to descend
and try and join them through the main hall  as I thought that way
might be opened for them   Again a shock  my door was fastened on the
outside 

Then I ran to the window and cried to them   They looked up at me
stupidly and pointed  but just then the  hetman  of the Szgany came
out  and seeing them pointing to my window  said something  at which
they laughed 

Henceforth no effort of mine  no piteous cry or agonized entreaty 
would make them even look at me   They resolutely turned away   The
leiter wagons contained great  square boxes  with handles of thick
rope   These were evidently empty by the ease with which the Slovaks
handled them  and by their resonance as they were roughly moved 

When they were all unloaded and packed in a great heap in one corner
of the yard  the Slovaks were given some money by the Szgany  and
spitting on it for luck  lazily went each to his horse s head 
Shortly afterwards  I heard the crackling of their whips die away in
the distance 


24 June   Last night the Count left me early  and locked himself into
his own room   As soon as I dared I ran up the winding stair  and
looked out of the window  which opened South   I thought I would watch
for the Count  for there is something going on   The Szgany are
quartered somewhere in the castle and are doing work of some kind   I
know it  for now and then  I hear a far away muffled sound as of
mattock and spade  and  whatever it is  it must be the end of some
ruthless villainy 

I had been at the window somewhat less than half an hour  when I saw
something coming out of the Count s window   I drew back and watched
carefully  and saw the whole man emerge   It was a new shock to me to
find that he had on the suit of clothes which I had worn whilst
travelling here  and slung over his shoulder the terrible bag which I
had seen the women take away   There could be no doubt as to his
quest  and in my garb  too   This  then  is his new scheme of evil 
that he will allow others to see me  as they think  so that he may
both leave evidence that I have been seen in the towns or villages
posting my own letters  and that any wickedness which he may do shall
by the local people be attributed to me 

It makes me rage to think that this can go on  and whilst I am shut up
here  a veritable prisoner  but without that protection of the law
which is even a criminal s right and consolation 

I thought I would watch for the Count s return  and for a long time
sat doggedly at the window   Then I began to notice that there were
some quaint little specks floating in the rays of the moonlight   They
were like the tiniest grains of dust  and they whirled round and
gathered in clusters in a nebulous sort of way   I watched them with a
sense of soothing  and a sort of calm stole over me   I leaned back in
the embrasure in a more comfortable position  so that I could enjoy
more fully the aerial gambolling 

Something made me start up  a low  piteous howling of dogs somewhere
far below in the valley  which was hidden from my sight   Louder it
seemed to ring in my ears  and the floating moats of dust to take new
shapes to the sound as they danced in the moonlight   I felt myself
struggling to awake to some call of my instincts   Nay  my very soul
was struggling  and my half remembered sensibilities were striving to
answer the call   I was becoming hypnotised 

Quicker and quicker danced the dust   The moonbeams seemed to quiver
as they went by me into the mass of gloom beyond   More and more they
gathered till they seemed to take dim phantom shapes   And then I
started  broad awake and in full possession of my senses  and ran
screaming from the place 

The phantom shapes  which were becoming gradually materialised from
the moonbeams  were those three ghostly women to whom I was doomed 

I fled  and felt somewhat safer in my own room  where there was no
moonlight  and where the lamp was burning brightly 

When a couple of hours had passed I heard something stirring in the
Count s room  something like a sharp wail quickly suppressed   And
then there was silence  deep  awful silence  which chilled me   With a
beating heart  I tried the door  but I was locked in my prison  and
could do nothing   I sat down and simply cried 

As I sat I heard a sound in the courtyard without  the agonised cry of
a woman   I rushed to the window  and throwing it up  peered between
the bars 

There  indeed  was a woman with dishevelled hair  holding her hands
over her heart as one distressed with running   She was leaning
against the corner of the gateway   When she saw my face at the window
she threw herself forward  and shouted in a voice laden with menace 
 Monster  give me my child  

She threw herself on her knees  and raising up her hands  cried the
same words in tones which wrung my heart   Then she tore her hair and
beat her breast  and abandoned herself to all the violences of
extravagant emotion   Finally  she threw herself forward  and though I
could not see her  I could hear the beating of her naked hands against
the door 

Somewhere high overhead  probably on the tower  I heard the voice of
the Count calling in his harsh  metallic whisper   His call seemed to
be answered from far and wide by the howling of wolves   Before many
minutes had passed a pack of them poured  like a pent up dam when
liberated  through the wide entrance into the courtyard 

There was no cry from the woman  and the howling of the wolves was but
short   Before long they streamed away singly  licking their lips 

I could not pity her  for I knew now what had become of her child  and
she was better dead 

What shall I do   What can I do   How can I escape from this dreadful
thing of night  gloom  and fear 


25 June   No man knows till he has suffered from the night how sweet
and dear to his heart and eye the morning can be   When the sun grew
so high this morning that it struck the top of the great gateway
opposite my window  the high spot which it touched seemed to me as if
the dove from the ark had lighted there   My fear fell from me as if
it had been a vaporous garment which dissolved in the warmth 

I must take action of some sort whilst the courage of the day is upon
me   Last night one of my post dated letters went to post  the first
of that fatal series which is to blot out the very traces of my
existence from the earth 

Let me not think of it   Action 

It has always been at night time that I have been molested or
threatened  or in some way in danger or in fear   I have not yet seen
the Count in the daylight   Can it be that he sleeps when others wake 
that he may be awake whilst they sleep   If I could only get into his
room   But there is no possible way   The door is always locked  no
way for me 

Yes  there is a way  if one dares to take it   Where his body has gone
why may not another body go   I have seen him myself crawl from his
window   Why should not I imitate him  and go in by his window   The
chances are desperate  but my need is more desperate still   I shall
risk it   At the worst it can only be death  and a man s death is not
a calf s  and the dreaded Hereafter may still be open to me   God help
me in my task   Goodbye  Mina  if I fail   Goodbye  my faithful friend
and second father   Goodbye  all  and last of all Mina 


Same day  later   I have made the effort  and God helping me  have
come safely back to this room   I must put down every detail in order 
I went whilst my courage was fresh straight to the window on the south
side  and at once got outside on this side   The stones are big and
roughly cut  and the mortar has by process of time been washed away
between them   I took off my boots  and ventured out on the desperate
way   I looked down once  so as to make sure that a sudden glimpse of
the awful depth would not overcome me  but after that kept my eyes
away from it   I know pretty well the direction and distance of the
Count s window  and made for it as well as I could  having regard to
the opportunities available   I did not feel dizzy  I suppose I was
too excited  and the time seemed ridiculously short till I found
myself standing on the window sill and trying to raise up the sash   I
was filled with agitation  however  when I bent down and slid feet
foremost in through the window   Then I looked around for the Count 
but with surprise and gladness  made a discovery   The room was
empty   It was barely furnished with odd things  which seemed to have
never been used 

The furniture was something the same style as that in the south rooms 
and was covered with dust   I looked for the key  but it was not in
the lock  and I could not find it anywhere   The only thing I found
was a great heap of gold in one corner  gold of all kinds  Roman  and
British  and Austrian  and Hungarian  and Greek and Turkish money 
covered with a film of dust  as though it had lain long in the ground 
None of it that I noticed was less than three hundred years old 
There were also chains and ornaments  some jewelled  but all of them
old and stained 

At one corner of the room was a heavy door   I tried it  for  since I
could not find the key of the room or the key of the outer door  which
was the main object of my search  I must make further examination  or
all my efforts would be in vain   It was open  and led through a stone
passage to a circular stairway  which went steeply down 

I descended  minding carefully where I went for the stairs were dark 
being only lit by loopholes in the heavy masonry   At the bottom there
was a dark  tunnel like passage  through which came a deathly  sickly
odour  the odour of old earth newly turned   As I went through the
passage the smell grew closer and heavier   At last I pulled open a
heavy door which stood ajar  and found myself in an old ruined chapel 
which had evidently been used as a graveyard   The roof was broken 
and in two places were steps leading to vaults  but the ground had
recently been dug over  and the earth placed in great wooden boxes 
manifestly those which had been brought by the Slovaks 

There was nobody about  and I made a search over every inch of the
ground  so as not to lose a chance   I went down even into the vaults 
where the dim light struggled  although to do so was a dread to my
very soul   Into two of these I went  but saw nothing except fragments
of old coffins and piles of dust   In the third  however  I made a
discovery 

There  in one of the great boxes  of which there were fifty in all  on
a pile of newly dug earth  lay the Count   He was either dead or
asleep   I could not say which  for eyes were open and stony  but
without the glassiness of death  and the cheeks had the warmth of life
through all their pallor   The lips were as red as ever   But there
was no sign of movement  no pulse  no breath  no beating of the heart 

I bent over him  and tried to find any sign of life  but in vain   He
could not have lain there long  for the earthy smell would have passed
away in a few hours   By the side of the box was its cover  pierced
with holes here and there   I thought he might have the keys on him 
but when I went to search I saw the dead eyes  and in them dead though
they were  such a look of hate  though unconscious of me or my
presence  that I fled from the place  and leaving the Count s room by
the window  crawled again up the castle wall   Regaining my room  I
threw myself panting upon the bed and tried to think 


29 June   Today is the date of my last letter  and the Count has taken
steps to prove that it was genuine  for again I saw him leave the
castle by the same window  and in my clothes   As he went down the
wall  lizard fashion  I wished I had a gun or some lethal weapon  that
I might destroy him   But I fear that no weapon wrought along by man s
hand would have any effect on him   I dared not wait to see him
return  for I feared to see those weird sisters   I came back to the
library  and read there till I fell asleep 

I was awakened by the Count  who looked at me as grimly as a man could
look as he said   Tomorrow  my friend  we must part   You return to
your beautiful England  I to some work which may have such an end that
we may never meet   Your letter home has been despatched   Tomorrow I
shall not be here  but all shall be ready for your journey   In the
morning come the Szgany  who have some labours of their own here  and
also come some Slovaks   When they have gone  my carriage shall come
for you  and shall bear you to the Borgo Pass to meet the diligence
from Bukovina to Bistritz   But I am in hopes that I shall see more of
you at Castle Dracula  

I suspected him  and determined to test his sincerity   Sincerity   It
seems like a profanation of the word to write it in connection with
such a monster  so I asked him point blank   Why may I not go
tonight  

 Because  dear sir  my coachman and horses are away on a mission  

 But I would walk with pleasure   I want to get away at once  

He smiled  such a soft  smooth  diabolical smile that I knew there was
some trick behind his smoothness   He said   And your baggage  

 I do not care about it   I can send for it some other time  

The Count stood up  and said  with a sweet courtesy which made me rub
my eyes  it seemed so real   You English have a saying which is close
to my heart  for its spirit is that which rules our boyars   Welcome
the coming  speed the parting guest    Come with me  my dear young
friend   Not an hour shall you wait in my house against your will 
though sad am I at your going  and that you so suddenly desire it 
Come    With a stately gravity  he  with the lamp  preceded me down
the stairs and along the hall   Suddenly he stopped    Hark  

Close at hand came the howling of many wolves   It was almost as if
the sound sprang up at the rising of his hand  just as the music of a
great orchestra seems to leap under the baton of the conductor   After
a pause of a moment  he proceeded  in his stately way  to the door 
drew back the ponderous bolts  unhooked the heavy chains  and began to
draw it open 

To my intense astonishment I saw that it was unlocked   Suspiciously 
I looked all round  but could see no key of any kind 

As the door began to open  the howling of the wolves without grew
louder and angrier   Their red jaws  with champing teeth  and their
blunt clawed feet as they leaped  came in through the opening door   I
knew than that to struggle at the moment against the Count was
useless   With such allies as these at his command  I could do
nothing 

But still the door continued slowly to open  and only the Count s body
stood in the gap   Suddenly it struck me that this might be the moment
and means of my doom   I was to be given to the wolves  and at my own
instigation   There was a diabolical wickedness in the idea great
enough for the Count  and as the last chance I cried out   Shut the
door   I shall wait till morning    And I covered my face with my
hands to hide my tears of bitter disappointment 

With one sweep of his powerful arm  the Count threw the door shut  and
the great bolts clanged and echoed through the hall as they shot back
into their places 

In silence we returned to the library  and after a minute or two I went
to my own room   The last I saw of Count Dracula was his kissing his
hand to me  with a red light of triumph in his eyes  and with a smile
that Judas in hell might be proud of 

When I was in my room and about to lie down  I thought I heard a
whispering at my door   I went to it softly and listened   Unless my
ears deceived me  I heard the voice of the Count 

 Back   Back to your own place   Your time is not yet come   Wait 
Have patience   Tonight is mine   Tomorrow night is yours  

There was a low  sweet ripple of laughter  and in a rage I threw open
the door  and saw without the three terrible women licking their lips 
As I appeared  they all joined in a horrible laugh  and ran away 

I came back to my room and threw myself on my knees   It is then so
near the end   Tomorrow   Tomorrow   Lord  help me  and those to whom
I am dear 


30 June   These may be the last words I ever write in this diary   I
slept till just before the dawn  and when I woke threw myself on my
knees  for I determined that if Death came he should find me ready 

At last I felt that subtle change in the air  and knew that the
morning had come   Then came the welcome cockcrow  and I felt that I
was safe   With a glad heart  I opened the door and ran down the hall 
I had seen that the door was unlocked  and now escape was before me 
With hands that trembled with eagerness  I unhooked the chains and
threw back the massive bolts 

But the door would not move   Despair seized me   I pulled and pulled
at the door  and shook it till  massive as it was  it rattled in its
casement   I could see the bolt shot   It had been locked after I left
the Count 

Then a wild desire took me to obtain the key at any risk  and I
determined then and there to scale the wall again  and gain the
Count s room   He might kill me  but death now seemed the happier
choice of evils   Without a pause I rushed up to the east window  and
scrambled down the wall  as before  into the Count s room   It was
empty  but that was as I expected   I could not see a key anywhere 
but the heap of gold remained   I went through the door in the corner
and down the winding stair and along the dark passage to the old
chapel   I knew now well enough where to find the monster I sought 

The great box was in the same place  close against the wall  but the
lid was laid on it  not fastened down  but with the nails ready in
their places to be hammered home 

I knew I must reach the body for the key  so I raised the lid  and
laid it back against the wall   And then I saw something which filled
my very soul with horror   There lay the Count  but looking as if his
youth had been half restored   For the white hair and moustache were
changed to dark iron grey   The cheeks were fuller  and the white skin
seemed ruby red underneath   The mouth was redder than ever  for on
the lips were gouts of fresh blood  which trickled from the corners of
the mouth and ran down over the chin and neck   Even the deep  burning
eyes seemed set amongst swollen flesh  for the lids and pouches
underneath were bloated   It seemed as if the whole awful creature
were simply gorged with blood   He lay like a filthy leech  exhausted
with his repletion 

I shuddered as I bent over to touch him  and every sense in me
revolted at the contact  but I had to search  or I was lost   The
coming night might see my own body a banquet in a similar war to those
horrid three   I felt all over the body  but no sign could I find of
the key   Then I stopped and looked at the Count   There was a mocking
smile on the bloated face which seemed to drive me mad   This was the
being I was helping to transfer to London  where  perhaps  for
centuries to come he might  amongst its teeming millions  satiate his
lust for blood  and create a new and ever widening circle of
semi demons to batten on the helpless 

The very thought drove me mad   A terrible desire came upon me to rid
the world of such a monster   There was no lethal weapon at hand  but
I seized a shovel which the workmen had been using to fill the cases 
and lifting it high  struck  with the edge downward  at the hateful
face   But as I did so the head turned  and the eyes fell upon me 
with all their blaze of basilisk horror   The sight seemed to paralyze
me  and the shovel turned in my hand and glanced from the face  merely
making a deep gash above the forehead   The shovel fell from my hand
across the box  and as I pulled it away the flange of the blade caught
the edge of the lid which fell over again  and hid the horrid thing
from my sight   The last glimpse I had was of the bloated face 
blood stained and fixed with a grin of malice which would have held
its own in the nethermost hell 

I thought and thought what should be my next move  but my brain seemed
on fire  and I waited with a despairing feeling growing over me   As I
waited I heard in the distance a gipsy song sung by merry voices
coming closer  and through their song the rolling of heavy wheels and
the cracking of whips   The Szgany and the Slovaks of whom the Count
had spoken were coming   With a last look around and at the box which
contained the vile body  I ran from the place and gained the Count s
room  determined to rush out at the moment the door should be opened 
With strained ears  I listened  and heard downstairs the grinding of
the key in the great lock and the falling back of the heavy door 
There must have been some other means of entry  or some one had a key
for one of the locked doors 

Then there came the sound of many feet tramping and dying away in some
passage which sent up a clanging echo   I turned to run down again
towards the vault  where I might find the new entrance  but at the
moment there seemed to come a violent puff of wind  and the door to
the winding stair blew to with a shock that set the dust from the
lintels flying   When I ran to push it open  I found that it was
hopelessly fast   I was again a prisoner  and the net of doom was
closing round me more closely 

As I write there is in the passage below a sound of many tramping feet
and the crash of weights being set down heavily  doubtless the boxes 
with their freight of earth   There was a sound of hammering   It is
the box being nailed down   Now I can hear the heavy feet tramping
again along the hall  with many other idle feet coming behind them 

The door is shut  the chains rattle   There is a grinding of the key
in the lock   I can hear the key withdrawn  then another door opens
and shuts   I hear the creaking of lock and bolt 

Hark   In the courtyard and down the rocky way the roll of heavy
wheels  the crack of whips  and the chorus of the Szgany as they pass
into the distance 

I am alone in the castle with those horrible women   Faugh   Mina is a
woman  and there is nought in common   They are devils of the Pit 

I shall not remain alone with them   I shall try to scale the castle
wall farther than I have yet attempted   I shall take some of the gold
with me  lest I want it later   I may find a way from this dreadful
place 

And then away for home   Away to the quickest and nearest train   Away
from the cursed spot  from this cursed land  where the devil and his
children still walk with earthly feet 

At least God s mercy is better than that of those monsters  and the
precipice is steep and high   At its foot a man may sleep  as a man 
Goodbye  all   Mina 




CHAPTER 5


LETTER FROM MISS MINA MURRAY TO MISS LUCY WESTENRA

9 May 

My dearest Lucy 

Forgive my long delay in writing  but I have been simply overwhelmed
with work   The life of an assistant schoolmistress is sometimes
trying   I am longing to be with you  and by the sea  where we can
talk together freely and build our castles in the air   I have been
working very hard lately  because I want to keep up with Jonathan s
studies  and I have been practising shorthand very assiduously 
When we are married I shall be able to be useful to Jonathan  and if
I can stenograph well enough I can take down what he wants to say in
this way and write it out for him on the typewriter  at which also I
am practising very hard 

He and I sometimes write letters in shorthand  and he is
keeping a stenographic journal of his travels abroad   When
I am with you I shall keep a diary in the same way   I don t
mean one of those two pages to the week with Sunday squeezed 
in a corner diaries  but a sort of journal which I can write
in whenever I feel inclined 

I do not suppose there will be much of interest to other people  but
it is not intended for them   I may show it to Jonathan some day if
there is in it anything worth sharing  but it is really an exercise
book   I shall try to do what I see lady journalists do 
interviewing and writing descriptions and trying to remember
conversations   I am told that  with a little practice  one can
remember all that goes on or that one hears said during a day 

However  we shall see   I will tell you of my little plans when we
meet   I have just had a few hurried lines from Jonathan from
Transylvania   He is well  and will be returning in about a week   I
am longing to hear all his news   It must be nice to see strange
countries   I wonder if we  I mean Jonathan and I  shall ever see
them together   There is the ten o clock bell ringing   Goodbye 

Your loving

Mina


Tell me all the news when you write   You have not told me
anything for a long time   I hear rumours  and especially
of a tall  handsome  curly haired man   



LETTER  LUCY WESTENRA TO MINA MURRAY


17  Chatham Street

Wednesday

My dearest Mina 


I must say you tax me very unfairly with being a bad correspondent 
I wrote you twice since we parted  and your last letter was only
your second   Besides  I have nothing to tell you   There is really
nothing to interest you 

Town is very pleasant just now  and we go a great deal to
picture galleries and for walks and rides in the park   As
to the tall  curly haired man  I suppose it was the one who
was with me at the last Pop   Someone has evidently been
telling tales 

That was Mr  Holmwood   He often comes to see us  and he and
Mamma get on very well together  they have so many things
to talk about in common 

We met some time ago a man that would just do for you  if you were
not already engaged to Jonathan   He is an excellent parti  being
handsome  well off  and of good birth   He is a doctor and really
clever   Just fancy   He is only nine and twenty  and he has an
immense lunatic asylum all under his own care   Mr  Holmwood
introduced him to me  and he called here to see us  and often comes
now   I think he is one of the most resolute men I ever saw  and yet
the most calm   He seems absolutely imperturbable   I can fancy what
a wonderful power he must have over his patients   He has a curious
habit of looking one straight in the face  as if trying to read
one s thoughts   He tries this on very much with me  but I flatter
myself he has got a tough nut to crack   I know that from my glass 

Do you ever try to read your own face   I do  and I can
tell you it is not a bad study  and gives you more trouble
than you can well fancy if you have never tried it 

He says that I afford him a curious psychological study  and
I humbly think I do   I do not  as you know  take sufficient
interest in dress to be able to describe the new fashions 
Dress is a bore   That is slang again  but never mind   Arthur
says that every day 

There  it is all out  Mina  we have told all our secrets to
each other since we were children   We have slept together
and eaten together  and laughed and cried together  and
now  though I have spoken  I would like to speak more   Oh 
Mina  couldn t you guess   I love him   I am blushing as I
write  for although I think he loves me  he has not told me
so in words   But  oh  Mina  I love him   I love him   There 
that does me good 

I wish I were with you  dear  sitting by the fire undressing  as we
used to sit  and I would try to tell you what I feel   I do not know
how I am writing this even to you   I am afraid to stop  or I should
tear up the letter  and I don t want to stop  for I do so want to
tell you all  Let me hear from you at once  and tell me all that you
think about it   Mina  pray for my happiness 

Lucy


P S   I need not tell you this is a secret 
Goodnight again   L 




LETTER  LUCY WESTENRA TO MINA MURRAY

24 May

My dearest Mina 

Thanks  and thanks  and thanks again for your sweet letter   It
was so nice to be able to tell you and to have your sympathy 

My dear  it never rains but it pours   How true the old proverbs
are   Here am I  who shall be twenty in September  and yet I never
had a proposal till today  not a real proposal  and today I had
three   Just fancy   Three proposals in one day   Isn t it awful   I
feel sorry  really and truly sorry  for two of the poor fellows 
Oh  Mina  I am so happy that I don t know what to do with myself 
And three proposals   But  for goodness  sake  don t tell any of the
girls  or they would be getting all sorts of extravagant ideas  and
imagining themselves injured and slighted if in their very first day
at home they did not get six at least   Some girls are so vain   You
and I  Mina dear  who are engaged and are going to settle down soon
soberly into old married women  can despise vanity   Well  I must
tell you about the three  but you must keep it a secret  dear  from
every one except  of course  Jonathan   You will tell him  because I
would  if I were in your place  certainly tell Arthur   A woman
ought to tell her husband everything   Don t you think so  dear   And
I must be fair   Men like women  certainly their wives  to be quite
as fair as they are   And women  I am afraid  are not always quite
as fair as they should be 

Well  my dear  number One came just before lunch   I told you of
him  Dr  John Seward  the lunatic asylum man  with the strong jaw
and the good forehead   He was very cool outwardly  but was nervous
all the same   He had evidently been schooling himself as to all
sorts of little things  and remembered them  but he almost managed
to sit down on his silk hat  which men don t generally do when they
are cool  and then when he wanted to appear at ease he kept playing
with a lancet in a way that made me nearly scream   He spoke to me 
Mina  very straightforwardly   He told me how dear I was to him 
though he had known me so little  and what his life would be with me
to help and cheer him   He was going to tell me how unhappy he would
be if I did not care for him  but when he saw me cry he said he was
a brute and would not add to my present trouble   Then he broke off
and asked if I could love him in time  and when I shook my head his
hands trembled  and then with some hesitation he asked me if I cared
already for any one else   He put it very nicely  saying that he did
not want to wring my confidence from me  but only to know  because
if a woman s heart was free a man might have hope   And then  Mina 
I felt a sort of duty to tell him that there was some one   I only
told him that much  and then he stood up  and he looked very strong
and very grave as he took both my hands in his and said he hoped I
would be happy  and that If I ever wanted a friend I must count him
one of my best 

Oh  Mina dear  I can t help crying  and you must excuse this letter
being all blotted   Being proposed to is all very nice and all that
sort of thing  but it isn t at all a happy thing when you have to
see a poor fellow  whom you know loves you honestly  going away and
looking all broken hearted  and to know that  no matter what he may
say at the moment  you are passing out of his life   My dear  I must
stop here at present  I feel so miserable  though I am so happy 

Evening 

Arthur has just gone  and I feel in better spirits than when I
left off  so I can go on telling you about the day 

Well  my dear  number Two came after lunch   He is such a nice
fellow  an American from Texas  and he looks so young and so fresh
that it seems almost impossible that he has been to so many places
and has such adventures   I sympathize with poor Desdemona when she
had such a stream poured in her ear  even by a black man   I suppose
that we women are such cowards that we think a man will save us from
fears  and we marry him   I know now what I would do if I were a man
and wanted to make a girl love me   No  I don t  for there was Mr 
Morris telling us his stories  and Arthur never told any  and
yet      

My dear  I am somewhat previous   Mr  Quincey P  Morris found me
alone   It seems that a man always does find a girl alone   No  he
doesn t  for Arthur tried twice to make a chance  and I helping him
all I could  I am not ashamed to say it now   I must tell you
beforehand that Mr  Morris doesn t always speak slang  that is to
say  he never does so to strangers or before them  for he is really
well educated and has exquisite manners  but he found out that it
amused me to hear him talk American slang  and whenever I was
present  and there was no one to be shocked  he said such funny
things   I am afraid  my dear  he has to invent it all  for it fits
exactly into whatever else he has to say   But this is a way slang
has   I do not know myself if I shall ever speak slang   I do not
know if Arthur likes it  as I have never heard him use any as yet 

Well  Mr  Morris sat down beside me and looked as happy and jolly as
he could  but I could see all the same that he was very nervous   He
took my hand in his  and said ever so sweetly      

 Miss Lucy  I know I ain t good enough to regulate the fixin s of
your little shoes  but I guess if you wait till you find a man that
is you will go join them seven young women with the lamps when you
quit   Won t you just hitch up alongside of me and let us go down
the long road together  driving in double harness  

Well  he did look so good humoured and so jolly that it didn t seem
half so hard to refuse him as it did poor Dr  Seward   So I said  as
lightly as I could  that I did not know anything of hitching  and
that I wasn t broken to harness at all yet   Then he said that he
had spoken in a light manner  and he hoped that if he had made a
mistake in doing so on so grave  so momentous  and occasion for him 
I would forgive him   He really did look serious when he was saying
it  and I couldn t help feeling a sort of exultation that he was
number Two in one day   And then  my dear  before I could say a word
he began pouring out a perfect torrent of love making  laying his
very heart and soul at my feet   He looked so earnest over it that I
shall never again think that a man must be playful always  and never
earnest  because he is merry at times   I suppose he saw something
in my face which checked him  for he suddenly stopped  and said with
a sort of manly fervour that I could have loved him for if I had
been free      

 Lucy  you are an honest hearted girl  I know   I should not be here
speaking to you as I am now if I did not believe you clean grit 
right through to the very depths of your soul   Tell me  like one
good fellow to another  is there any one else that you care for 
And if there is I ll never trouble you a hair s breadth again  but
will be  if you will let me  a very faithful friend  

My dear Mina  why are men so noble when we women are so little
worthy of them   Here was I almost making fun of this great hearted 
true gentleman   I burst into tears  I am afraid  my dear  you will
think this a very sloppy letter in more ways than one  and I really
felt very badly 

Why can t they let a girl marry three men  or as many as
want her  and save all this trouble   But this is heresy 
and I must not say it   I am glad to say that  though I was
crying  I was able to look into Mr  Morris  brave eyes  and
I told him out straight      

 Yes  there is some one I love  though he has not told me
yet that he even loves me    I was right to speak to him so
frankly  for quite a light came into his face  and he put
out both his hands and took mine  I think I put them into
his  and said in a hearty way      

 That s my brave girl   It s better worth being late for a chance of
winning you than being in time for any other girl in the world 
Don t cry  my dear   If it s for me  I m a hard nut to crack  and I
take it standing up   If that other fellow doesn t know his
happiness  well  he d better look for it soon  or he ll have to deal
with me   Little girl  your honesty and pluck have made me a friend 
and that s rarer than a lover  it s more selfish anyhow   My dear 
I m going to have a pretty lonely walk between this and Kingdom
Come   Won t you give me one kiss   It ll be something to keep off
the darkness now and then   You can  you know  if you like  for that
other good fellow  or you could not love him  hasn t spoken yet  

That quite won me  Mina  for it was brave and sweet of him 
and noble too  to a rival  wasn t it   And he so sad  so I
leant over and kissed him 

He stood up with my two hands in his  and as he looked down into my
face  I am afraid I was blushing very much  he said   Little girl  I
hold your hand  and you ve kissed me  and if these things don t make
us friends nothing ever will   Thank you for your sweet honesty to
me  and goodbye  

He wrung my hand  and taking up his hat  went straight out of the
room without looking back  without a tear or a quiver or a pause 
and I am crying like a baby 

Oh  why must a man like that be made unhappy when there are lots of
girls about who would worship the very ground he trod on   I know I
would if I were free  only I don t want to be free   My dear  this
quite upset me  and I feel I cannot write of happiness just at once 
after telling you of it  and I don t wish to tell of the number
Three until it can be all happy   Ever your loving      

Lucy


P S   Oh  about number Three  I needn t tell you of number
Three  need I   Besides  it was all so confused   It seemed
only a moment from his coming into the room till both his
arms were round me  and he was kissing me   I am very  very
happy  and I don t know what I have done to deserve it   I
must only try in the future to show that I am not ungrateful
to God for all His goodness to me in sending to me such a
lover  such a husband  and such a friend 

Goodbye 



DR  SEWARD S DIARY  Kept in phonograph 

25 May   Ebb tide in appetite today   Cannot eat  cannot rest  so
diary instead   Since my rebuff of yesterday I have a sort of empty
feeling   Nothing in the world seems of sufficient importance to be
worth the doing   As I knew that the only cure for this sort of thing
was work  I went amongst the patients   I picked out one who has
afforded me a study of much interest   He is so quaint that I am
determined to understand him as well as I can   Today I seemed to get
nearer than ever before to the heart of his mystery 

I questioned him more fully than I had ever done  with a view to
making myself master of the facts of his hallucination   In my manner
of doing it there was  I now see  something of cruelty   I seemed to
wish to keep him to the point of his madness  a thing which I avoid
with the patients as I would the mouth of hell 

 Mem   Under what circumstances would I not avoid the pit of hell  
Omnia Romae venalia sunt   Hell has its price   If there be anything
behind this instinct it will be valuable to trace it afterwards
accurately  so I had better commence to do so  therefore      

R  M  Renfield  age 59   Sanguine temperament  great physical
strength  morbidly excitable  periods of gloom  ending in some fixed
idea which I cannot make out   I presume that the sanguine temperament
itself and the disturbing influence end in a mentally accomplished
finish  a possibly dangerous man  probably dangerous if unselfish   In
selfish men caution is as secure an armour for their foes as for
themselves   What I think of on this point is  when self is the fixed
point the centripetal force is balanced with the centrifugal   When
duty  a cause  etc   is the fixed point  the latter force is
paramount  and only accident or a series of accidents can balance it 



LETTER  QUINCEY P  MORRIS TO HON   ARTHUR HOLMWOOD

25 May 

My dear Art 

We ve told yarns by the campfire in the prairies  and dressed one
another s wounds after trying a landing at the Marquesas  and drunk
healths on the shore of Titicaca   There are more yarns to be told 
and other wounds to be healed  and another health to be drunk 
Won t you let this be at my campfire tomorrow night   I have no
hesitation in asking you  as I know a certain lady is engaged to a
certain dinner party  and that you are free   There will only be one
other  our old pal at the Korea  Jack Seward   He s coming  too  and
we both want to mingle our weeps over the wine cup  and to drink a
health with all our hearts to the happiest man in all the wide
world  who has won the noblest heart that God has made and best
worth winning   We promise you a hearty welcome  and a loving
greeting  and a health as true as your own right hand   We shall
both swear to leave you at home if you drink too deep to a certain
pair of eyes   Come 

Yours  as ever and always 

Quincey P  Morris





TELEGRAM FROM ARTHUR HOLMWOOD TO QUINCEY P  MORRIS

26 May


Count me in every time   I bear messages which will make both
your ears tingle 

Art




CHAPTER 6


MINA MURRAY S JOURNAL

24 July   Whitby   Lucy met me at the station  looking sweeter and
lovelier than ever  and we drove up to the house at the Crescent in
which they have rooms   This is a lovely place   The little river  the
Esk  runs through a deep valley  which broadens out as it comes near
the harbour   A great viaduct runs across  with high piers  through
which the view seems somehow further away than it really is   The
valley is beautifully green  and it is so steep that when you are on
the high land on either side you look right across it  unless you are
near enough to see down   The houses of the old town  the side away
from us  are all red roofed  and seem piled up one over the other
anyhow  like the pictures we see of Nuremberg   Right over the town is
the ruin of Whitby Abbey  which was sacked by the Danes  and which is
the scene of part of  Marmion   where the girl was built up in the
wall   It is a most noble ruin  of immense size  and full of beautiful
and romantic bits   There is a legend that a white lady is seen in one
of the windows   Between it and the town there is another church  the
parish one  round which is a big graveyard  all full of tombstones 
This is to my mind the nicest spot in Whitby  for it lies right over
the town  and has a full view of the harbour and all up the bay to
where the headland called Kettleness stretches out into the sea   It
descends so steeply over the harbour that part of the bank has fallen
away  and some of the graves have been destroyed 

In one place part of the stonework of the graves stretches out over
the sandy pathway far below   There are walks  with seats beside them 
through the churchyard  and people go and sit there all day long
looking at the beautiful view and enjoying the breeze 

I shall come and sit here often myself and work   Indeed  I am writing
now  with my book on my knee  and listening to the talk of three old
men who are sitting beside me   They seem to do nothing all day but
sit here and talk 

The harbour lies below me  with  on the far side  one long granite
wall stretching out into the sea  with a curve outwards at the end of
it  in the middle of which is a lighthouse   A heavy seawall runs
along outside of it   On the near side  the seawall makes an elbow
crooked inversely  and its end too has a lighthouse   Between the two
piers there is a narrow opening into the harbour  which then suddenly
widens 

It is nice at high water  but when the tide is out it shoals away to
nothing  and there is merely the stream of the Esk  running between
banks of sand  with rocks here and there   Outside the harbour on this
side there rises for about half a mile a great reef  the sharp of
which runs straight out from behind the south lighthouse   At the end
of it is a buoy with a bell  which swings in bad weather  and sends in
a mournful sound on the wind 

They have a legend here that when a ship is lost bells are heard out at
sea   I must ask the old man about this   He is coming this way      

He is a funny old man   He must be awfully old  for his face is
gnarled and twisted like the bark of a tree   He tells me that he is
nearly a hundred  and that he was a sailor in the Greenland fishing
fleet when Waterloo was fought   He is  I am afraid  a very sceptical
person  for when I asked him about the bells at sea and the White Lady
at the abbey he said very brusquely 

 I wouldn t fash masel  about them  miss   Them things be all wore
out   Mind  I don t say that they never was  but I do say that they
wasn t in my time   They be all very well for comers and trippers  an 
the like  but not for a nice young lady like you   Them feet folks
from York and Leeds that be always eatin  cured herrin s and drinkin 
tea an  lookin  out to buy cheap jet would creed aught   I wonder
masel  who d be bothered tellin  lies to them  even the newspapers 
which is full of fool talk  

I thought he would be a good person to learn interesting things from 
so I asked him if he would mind telling me something about the whale
fishing in the old days   He was just settling himself to begin when
the clock struck six  whereupon he laboured to get up  and said 

 I must gang ageeanwards home now  miss   My grand daughter doesn t
like to be kept waitin  when the tea is ready  for it takes me time to
crammle aboon the grees  for there be a many of  em  and miss  I lack
belly timber sairly by the clock  

He hobbled away  and I could see him hurrying  as well as he could 
down the steps   The steps are a great feature on the place   They
lead from the town to the church  there are hundreds of them  I do not
know how many  and they wind up in a delicate curve   The slope is so
gentle that a horse could easily walk up and down them 

I think they must originally have had something to do with the abbey 
I shall go home too   Lucy went out  visiting with her mother  and as
they were only duty calls  I did not go 


1 August   I came up here an hour ago with Lucy  and we had a most
interesting talk with my old friend and the two others who always come
and join him   He is evidently the Sir Oracle of them  and I should
think must have been in his time a most dictatorial person 

He will not admit anything  and down faces everybody   If he can t
out argue them he bullies them  and then takes their silence for
agreement with his views 

Lucy was looking sweetly pretty in her white lawn frock   She has got
a beautiful colour since she has been here 

I noticed that the old men did not lose any time in coming and sitting
near her when we sat down   She is so sweet with old people  I think
they all fell in love with her on the spot   Even my old man succumbed
and did not contradict her  but gave me double share instead   I got
him on the subject of the legends  and he went off at once into a sort
of sermon   I must try to remember it and put it down 

 It be all fool talk  lock  stock  and barrel  that s what it be and
nowt else   These bans an  wafts an  boh ghosts an  bar guests an 
bogles an  all anent them is only fit to set bairns an  dizzy women
a belderin    They be nowt but air blebs   They  an  all grims an  signs
an  warnin s  be all invented by parsons an  illsome berk bodies an 
railway touters to skeer an  scunner hafflin s  an  to get folks to do
somethin  that they don t other incline to   It makes me ireful to
think o  them   Why  it s them that  not content with printin  lies on
paper an  preachin  them out of pulpits  does want to be cuttin  them
on the tombstones   Look here all around you in what airt ye will   All
them steans  holdin  up their heads as well as they can out of their
pride  is acant  simply tumblin  down with the weight o  the lies
wrote on them   Here lies the body  or  Sacred to the memory  wrote on
all of them  an  yet in nigh half of them there bean t no bodies at
all  an  the memories of them bean t cared a pinch of snuff about 
much less sacred   Lies all of them  nothin  but lies of one kind or
another   My gog  but it ll be a quare scowderment at the Day of
Judgment when they come tumblin  up in their death sarks  all jouped
together an  trying  to drag their tombsteans with them to prove how
good they was  some of them trimmlin  an  dithering  with their hands
that dozzened an  slippery from lyin  in the sea that they can t even
keep their gurp o  them  

I could see from the old fellow s self satisfied air and the way in
which he looked round for the approval of his cronies that he was
 showing off   so I put in a word to keep him going 

 Oh  Mr  Swales  you can t be serious   Surely these tombstones are
not all wrong  

 Yabblins   There may be a poorish few not wrong  savin  where they
make out the people too good  for there be folk that do think a
balm bowl be like the sea  if only it be their own   The whole thing
be only lies   Now look you here   You come here a stranger  an  you
see this kirkgarth  

I nodded  for I thought it better to assent  though I did not quite
understand his dialect   I knew it had something to do with the
church 

He went on   And you consate that all these steans be aboon folk that
be haped here  snod an  snog    I assented again    Then that be just
where the lie comes in   Why  there be scores of these laybeds that be
toom as old Dun s  baccabox on Friday night  

He nudged one of his companions  and they all laughed    And  my gog 
How could they be otherwise   Look at that one  the aftest abaft the
bier bank  read it  

I went over and read   Edward Spencelagh  master mariner  murdered by
pirates off the coast of Andres  April  1854  age 30    When I came
back Mr  Swales went on 

 Who brought him home  I wonder  to hap him here   Murdered off the
coast of Andres   An  you consated his body lay under   Why  I could
name ye a dozen whose bones lie in the Greenland seas above   he
pointed northwards   or where the currants may have drifted them 
There be the steans around ye   Ye can  with your young eyes  read the
small print of the lies from here   This Braithwaite Lowery  I knew
his father  lost in the Lively off Greenland in  20  or Andrew
Woodhouse  drowned in the same seas in 1777  or John Paxton  drowned
off Cape Farewell a year later  or old John Rawlings  whose
grandfather sailed with me  drowned in the Gulf of Finland in  50   Do
ye think that all these men will have to make a rush to Whitby when
the trumpet sounds   I have me antherums aboot it   I tell ye that
when they got here they d be jommlin  and jostlin  one another that
way that it  ud be like a fight up on the ice in the old days  when
we d be at one another from daylight to dark  an  tryin  to tie up our
cuts by the aurora borealis    This was evidently local pleasantry  for
the old man cackled over it  and his cronies joined in with gusto 

 But   I said   surely you are not quite correct  for you start on the
assumption that all the poor people  or their spirits  will have to
take their tombstones with them on the Day of Judgment   Do you think
that will be really necessary  

 Well  what else be they tombstones for   Answer me that  miss  

 To please their relatives  I suppose  

 To please their relatives  you suppose    This he said with intense
scorn    How will it pleasure their relatives to know that lies is
wrote over them  and that everybody in the place knows that they be
lies  

He pointed to a stone at our feet which had been laid down as a slab 
on which the seat was rested  close to the edge of the cliff    Read
the lies on that thruff stone   he said 

The letters were upside down to me from where I sat  but Lucy was more
opposite to them  so she leant over and read   Sacred to the memory of
George Canon  who died  in the hope of a glorious resurrection  on
July 29  1873  falling from the rocks at Kettleness   This tomb was
erected by his sorrowing mother to her dearly beloved son    He was the
only son of his mother  and she was a widow    Really  Mr  Swales  I
don t see anything very funny in that    She spoke her comment very
gravely and somewhat severely 

 Ye don t see aught funny   Ha ha   But that s because ye don t gawm
the sorrowin  mother was a hell cat that hated him because he was
acrewk d  a regular lamiter he was  an  he hated her so that he
committed suicide in order that she mightn t get an insurance she put
on his life   He blew nigh the top of his head off with an old musket
that they had for scarin  crows with    Twarn t for crows then  for it
brought the clegs and the dowps to him   That s the way he fell off
the rocks   And  as to hopes of a glorious resurrection  I ve often
heard him say masel  that he hoped he d go to hell  for his mother was
so pious that she d be sure to go to heaven  an  he didn t want to
addle where she was   Now isn t that stean at any rate   he hammered
it with his stick as he spoke   a pack of lies   And won t it make
Gabriel keckle when Geordie comes pantin  ut the grees with the
tompstean balanced on his hump  and asks to be took as evidence  

I did not know what to say  but Lucy turned the conversation as she
said  rising up   Oh  why did you tell us of this   It is my favourite
seat  and I cannot leave it  and now I find I must go on sitting over
the grave of a suicide  

 That won t harm ye  my pretty  an  it may make poor Geordie gladsome
to have so trim a lass sittin  on his lap   That won t hurt ye   Why 
I ve sat here off an  on for nigh twenty years past  an  it hasn t
done me no harm   Don t ye fash about them as lies under ye  or that
doesn  lie there either   It ll be time for ye to be getting scart
when ye see the tombsteans all run away with  and the place as bare as
a stubble field   There s the clock  and I must gang   My service to
ye  ladies    And off he hobbled 

Lucy and I sat awhile  and it was all so beautiful before us that we
took hands as we sat  and she told me all over again about Arthur and
their coming marriage   That made me just a little heart sick  for I
haven t heard from Jonathan for a whole month 


The same day   I came up here alone  for I am very sad   There was no
letter for me   I hope there cannot be anything the matter with
Jonathan   The clock has just struck nine   I see the lights scattered
all over the town  sometimes in rows where the streets are  and
sometimes singly   They run right up the Esk and die away in the curve
of the valley   To my left the view is cut off by a black line of roof
of the old house next to the abbey   The sheep and lambs are bleating
in the fields away behind me  and there is a clatter of donkeys  hoofs
up the paved road below   The band on the pier is playing a harsh
waltz in good time  and further along the quay there is a Salvation
Army meeting in a back street   Neither of the bands hears the other 
but up here I hear and see them both   I wonder where Jonathan is and
if he is thinking of me   I wish he were here 



DR  SEWARD S DIARY

5 June   The case of Renfield grows more interesting the more I get to
understand the man   He has certain qualities very largely developed 
selfishness  secrecy  and purpose 

I wish I could get at what is the object of the latter   He seems to
have some settled scheme of his own  but what it is I do not know 
His redeeming quality is a love of animals  though  indeed  he has
such curious turns in it that I sometimes imagine he is only
abnormally cruel   His pets are of odd sorts 

Just now his hobby is catching flies   He has at present such a
quantity that I have had myself to expostulate   To my astonishment 
he did not break out into a fury  as I expected  but took the matter
in simple seriousness   He thought for a moment  and then said   May I
have three days   I shall clear them away    Of course  I said that
would do   I must watch him 


18 June   He has turned his mind now to spiders  and has got several
very big fellows in a box   He keeps feeding them his flies  and the
number of the latter is becoming sensibly diminished  although he has
used half his food in attracting more flies from outside to his room 


1 July   His spiders are now becoming as great a nuisance as his
flies  and today I told him that he must get rid of them 

He looked very sad at this  so I said that he must some of them  at
all events   He cheerfully acquiesced in this  and I gave him the same
time as before for reduction 

He disgusted me much while with him  for when a horrid blowfly 
bloated with some carrion food  buzzed into the room  he caught it 
held it exultantly for a few moments between his finger and thumb  and
before I knew what he was going to do  put it in his mouth and ate it 

I scolded him for it  but he argued quietly that it was very good and
very wholesome  that it was life  strong life  and gave life to him 
This gave me an idea  or the rudiment of one   I must watch how he
gets rid of his spiders 

He has evidently some deep problem in his mind  for he keeps a little
notebook in which he is always jotting down something   Whole pages of
it are filled with masses of figures  generally single numbers added
up in batches  and then the totals added in batches again  as though
he were focussing some account  as the auditors put it 


8 July   There is a method in his madness  and the rudimentary idea in
my mind is growing   It will be a whole idea soon  and then  oh 
unconscious cerebration  you will have to give the wall to your
conscious brother 

I kept away from my friend for a few days  so that I might notice if
there were any change   Things remain as they were except that he has
parted with some of his pets and got a new one 

He has managed to get a sparrow  and has already partially tamed it 
His means of taming is simple  for already the spiders have
diminished   Those that do remain  however  are well fed  for he still
brings in the flies by tempting them with his food 

19 July  We are progressing   My friend has now a whole colony of
sparrows  and his flies and spiders are almost obliterated   When I
came in he ran to me and said he wanted to ask me a great favour  a
very  very great favour   And as he spoke  he fawned on me like a dog 

I asked him what it was  and he said  with a sort of rapture in his
voice and bearing   A kitten  a nice  little  sleek playful kitten 
that I can play with  and teach  and feed  and feed  and feed  

I was not unprepared for this request  for I had noticed how his pets
went on increasing in size and vivacity  but I did not care that his
pretty family of tame sparrows should be wiped out in the same manner
as the flies and spiders   So I said I would see about it  and asked
him if he would not rather have a cat than a kitten 

His eagerness betrayed him as he answered   Oh  yes  I would like a
cat   I only asked for a kitten lest you should refuse me a cat   No
one would refuse me a kitten  would they  

I shook my head  and said that at present I feared it would not be
possible  but that I would see about it   His face fell  and I could
see a warning of danger in it  for there was a sudden fierce  sidelong
look which meant killing   The man is an undeveloped homicidal
maniac   I shall test him with his present craving and see how it will
work out  then I shall know more 


10 pm   I have visited him again and found him sitting in a corner
brooding   When I came in he threw himself on his knees before me and
implored me to let him have a cat  that his salvation depended upon
it 

I was firm  however  and told him that he could not have it  whereupon
he went without a word  and sat down  gnawing his fingers  in the
corner where I had found him   I shall see him in the morning early 


20 July   Visited Renfield very early  before attendant went his
rounds   Found him up and humming a tune   He was spreading out his
sugar  which he had saved  in the window  and was manifestly beginning
his fly catching again  and beginning it cheerfully and with a good
grace 

I looked around for his birds  and not seeing them  asked him where
they were   He replied  without turning round  that they had all flown
away   There were a few feathers about the room and on his pillow a
drop of blood   I said nothing  but went and told the keeper to report
to me if there were anything odd about him during the day 


11 am   The attendant has just been to see me to say that Renfield has
been very sick and has disgorged a whole lot of feathers    My belief
is  doctor   he said   that he has eaten his birds  and that he just
took and ate them raw  


11 pm   I gave Renfield a strong opiate tonight  enough to make even
him sleep  and took away his pocketbook to look at it   The thought
that has been buzzing about my brain lately is complete  and the
theory proved 

My homicidal maniac is of a peculiar kind   I shall have to invent a
new classification for him  and call him a zoophagous  life eating 
maniac   What he desires is to absorb as many lives as he can  and he
has laid himself out to achieve it in a cumulative way   He gave many
flies to one spider and many spiders to one bird  and then wanted a
cat to eat the many birds   What would have been his later steps 

It would almost be worth while to complete the experiment   It might
be done if there were only a sufficient cause   Men sneered at
vivisection  and yet look at its results today   Why not advance
science in its most difficult and vital aspect  the knowledge of the
brain 

Had I even the secret of one such mind  did I hold the key to the
fancy of even one lunatic  I might advance my own branch of science to
a pitch compared with which Burdon Sanderson s physiology or Ferrier s
brain knowledge would be as nothing   If only there were a sufficient
cause   I must not think too much of this  or I may be tempted   A
good cause might turn the scale with me  for may not I too be of an
exceptional brain  congenitally 

How well the man reasoned   Lunatics always do within their own scope 
I wonder at how many lives he values a man  or if at only one   He has
closed the account most accurately  and today begun a new record   How
many of us begin a new record with each day of our lives 

To me it seems only yesterday that my whole life ended with my new
hope  and that truly I began a new record   So it shall be until the
Great Recorder sums me up and closes my ledger account with a balance
to profit or loss 

Oh  Lucy  Lucy  I cannot be angry with you  nor can I be angry with my
friend whose happiness is yours  but I must only wait on hopeless and
work   Work   Work 

If I could have as strong a cause as my poor mad friend there  a good 
unselfish cause to make me work  that would be indeed happiness 



MINA MURRAY S JOURNAL

26 July   I am anxious  and it soothes me to express myself here   It
is like whispering to one s self and listening at the same time   And
there is also something about the shorthand symbols that makes it
different from writing   I am unhappy about Lucy and about Jonathan 
I had not heard from Jonathan for some time  and was very concerned 
but yesterday dear Mr  Hawkins  who is always so kind  sent me a
letter from him   I had written asking him if he had heard  and he
said the enclosed had just been received   It is only a line dated
from Castle Dracula  and says that he is just starting for home   That
is not like Jonathan   I do not understand it  and it makes me uneasy 

Then  too  Lucy  although she is so well  has lately taken to her old
habit of walking in her sleep   Her mother has spoken to me about it 
and we have decided that I am to lock the door of our room every
night 

Mrs  Westenra has got an idea that sleep walkers always go out on
roofs of houses and along the edges of cliffs and then get suddenly
wakened and fall over with a despairing cry that echoes all over the
place 

Poor dear  she is naturally anxious about Lucy  and she tells me that
her husband  Lucy s father  had the same habit  that he would get up
in the night and dress himself and go out  if he were not stopped 

Lucy is to be married in the autumn  and she is already planning out
her dresses and how her house is to be arranged   I sympathise with
her  for I do the same  only Jonathan and I will start in life in a
very simple way  and shall have to try to make both ends meet 

Mr  Holmwood  he is the Hon  Arthur Holmwood  only son of Lord
Godalming  is coming up here very shortly  as soon as he can leave
town  for his father is not very well  and I think dear Lucy is
counting the moments till he comes 

She wants to take him up in the seat on the churchyard cliff and show
him the beauty of Whitby   I daresay it is the waiting which disturbs
her   She will be all right when he arrives 


27 July   No news from Jonathan   I am getting quite uneasy about him 
though why I should I do not know  but I do wish that he would write 
if it were only a single line 

Lucy walks more than ever  and each night I am awakened by her moving
about the room   Fortunately  the weather is so hot that she cannot
get cold   But still  the anxiety and the perpetually being awakened
is beginning to tell on me  and I am getting nervous and wakeful
myself   Thank God  Lucy s health keeps up   Mr  Holmwood has been
suddenly called to Ring to see his father  who has been taken
seriously ill   Lucy frets at the postponement of seeing him  but it
does not touch her looks   She is a trifle stouter  and her cheeks are
a lovely rose pink   She has lost the anemic look which she had   I
pray it will all last 


3 August   Another week gone by  and no news from Jonathan  not even
to Mr  Hawkins  from whom I have heard   Oh  I do hope he is not ill 
He surely would have written   I look at that last letter of his  but
somehow it does not satisfy me   It does not read like him  and yet it
is his writing   There is no mistake of that 

Lucy has not walked much in her sleep the last week  but there is an
odd concentration about her which I do not understand  even in her
sleep she seems to be watching me   She tries the door  and finding it
locked  goes about the room searching for the key 


6 August   Another three days  and no news   This suspense is getting
dreadful   If I only knew where to write to or where to go to  I
should feel easier   But no one has heard a word of Jonathan since
that last letter   I must only pray to God for patience 

Lucy is more excitable than ever  but is otherwise well   Last night
was very threatening  and the fishermen say that we are in for a
storm   I must try to watch it and learn the weather signs 

Today is a gray day  and the sun as I write is hidden in thick clouds 
high over Kettleness   Everything is gray except the green grass 
which seems like emerald amongst it  gray earthy rock  gray clouds 
tinged with the sunburst at the far edge  hang over the gray sea  into
which the sandpoints stretch like gray figures   The sea is tumbling
in over the shallows and the sandy flats with a roar  muffled in the
sea mists drifting inland   The horizon is lost in a gray mist   All
vastness  the clouds are piled up like giant rocks  and there is a
 brool  over the sea that sounds like some passage of doom   Dark
figures are on the beach here and there  sometimes half shrouded in
the mist  and seem  men like trees walking    The fishing boats are
racing for home  and rise and dip in the ground swell as they sweep
into the harbour  bending to the scuppers   Here comes old Mr  Swales 
He is making straight for me  and I can see  by the way he lifts his
hat  that he wants to talk 

I have been quite touched by the change in the poor old man   When he
sat down beside me  he said in a very gentle way   I want to say
something to you  miss  

I could see he was not at ease  so I took his poor old wrinkled hand in
mine and asked him to speak fully 

So he said  leaving his hand in mine   I m afraid  my deary  that I
must have shocked you by all the wicked things I ve been sayin  about
the dead  and such like  for weeks past  but I didn t mean them  and I
want ye to remember that when I m gone   We aud folks that be daffled 
and with one foot abaft the krok hooal  don t altogether like to think
of it  and we don t want to feel scart of it  and that s why I ve took
to makin  light of it  so that I d cheer up my own heart a bit   But 
Lord love ye  miss  I ain t afraid of dyin   not a bit  only I don t
want to die if I can help it   My time must be nigh at hand now  for I
be aud  and a hundred years is too much for any man to expect   And
I m so nigh it that the Aud Man is already whettin  his scythe   Ye
see  I can t get out o  the habit of caffin  about it all at once 
The chafts will wag as they be used to   Some day soon the Angel of
Death will sound his trumpet for me   But don t ye dooal an  greet  my
deary    for he saw that I was crying   if he should come this very
night I d not refuse to answer his call   For life be  after all  only
a waitin  for somethin  else than what we re doin   and death be all
that we can rightly depend on   But I m content  for it s comin  to
me  my deary  and comin  quick   It may be comin  while we be lookin 
and wonderin    Maybe it s in that wind out over the sea that s
bringin  with it loss and wreck  and sore distress  and sad hearts 
Look   Look   he cried suddenly    There s something in that wind and
in the hoast beyont that sounds  and looks  and tastes  and smells
like death   It s in the air   I feel it comin    Lord  make me answer
cheerful  when my call comes    He held up his arms devoutly  and
raised his hat   His mouth moved as though he were praying   After a
few minutes  silence  he got up  shook hands with me  and blessed me 
and said goodbye  and hobbled off   It all touched me  and upset me
very much 

I was glad when the coastguard came along  with his spyglass under his
arm   He stopped to talk with me  as he always does  but all the time
kept looking at a strange ship 

 I can t make her out   he said    She s a Russian  by the look of
her   But she s knocking about in the queerest way   She doesn t know
her mind a bit   She seems to see the storm coming  but can t decide
whether to run up north in the open  or to put in here   Look there
again   She is steered mighty strangely  for she doesn t mind the hand
on the wheel  changes about with every puff of wind   We ll hear more
of her before this time tomorrow  




CHAPTER 7


CUTTING FROM  THE DAILYGRAPH   8 AUGUST


 PASTED IN MINA MURRAY S JOURNAL 


From a correspondent 

Whitby 

One of the greatest and suddenest storms on record has just been
experienced here  with results both strange and unique   The weather
had been somewhat sultry  but not to any degree uncommon in the
month of August   Saturday evening was as fine as was ever known 
and the great body of holiday makers laid out yesterday for visits
to Mulgrave Woods  Robin Hood s Bay  Rig Mill  Runswick  Staithes 
and the various trips in the neighborhood of Whitby   The steamers
Emma and Scarborough made trips up and down the coast  and there was
an unusual amount of  tripping  both to and from Whitby   The day
was unusually fine till the afternoon  when some of the gossips who
frequent the East Cliff churchyard  and from the commanding eminence
watch the wide sweep of sea visible to the north and east  called
attention to a sudden show of  mares tails  high in the sky to the
northwest   The wind was then blowing from the south west in the
mild degree which in barometrical language is ranked  No  2  light
breeze  

The coastguard on duty at once made report  and one old fisherman 
who for more than half a century has kept watch on weather signs
from the East Cliff  foretold in an emphatic manner the coming of a
sudden storm   The approach of sunset was so very beautiful  so
grand in its masses of splendidly coloured clouds  that there was
quite an assemblage on the walk along the cliff in the old
churchyard to enjoy the beauty   Before the sun dipped below the
black mass of Kettleness  standing boldly athwart the western sky 
its downward way was marked by myriad clouds of every sunset colour 
flame  purple  pink  green  violet  and all the tints of gold  with
here and there masses not large  but of seemingly absolute
blackness  in all sorts of shapes  as well outlined as colossal
silhouettes   The experience was not lost on the painters  and
doubtless some of the sketches of the  Prelude to the Great Storm 
will grace the R  A and R  I  walls in May next 

More than one captain made up his mind then and there that his
 cobble  or his  mule   as they term the different classes of boats 
would remain in the harbour till the storm had passed   The wind
fell away entirely during the evening  and at midnight there was a
dead calm  a sultry heat  and that prevailing intensity which  on
the approach of thunder  affects persons of a sensitive nature 

There were but few lights in sight at sea  for even the coasting
steamers  which usually hug the shore so closely  kept well to
seaward  and but few fishing boats were in sight   The only sail
noticeable was a foreign schooner with all sails set  which was
seemingly going westwards  The foolhardiness or ignorance of her
officers was a prolific theme for comment whilst she remained in
sight  and efforts were made to signal her to reduce sail in the
face of her danger   Before the night shut down she was seen with
sails idly flapping as she gently rolled on the undulating swell of
the sea 

 As idle as a painted ship upon a painted ocean  

Shortly before ten o clock the stillness of the air grew quite
oppressive  and the silence was so marked that the bleating of a
sheep inland or the barking of a dog in the town was distinctly
heard  and the band on the pier  with its lively French air  was
like a dischord in the great harmony of nature s silence   A little
after midnight came a strange sound from over the sea  and high
overhead the air began to carry a strange  faint  hollow booming 

Then without warning the tempest broke   With a rapidity which  at
the time  seemed incredible  and even afterwards is impossible to
realize  the whole aspect of nature at once became convulsed   The
waves rose in growing fury  each over topping its fellow  till in a
very few minutes the lately glassy sea was like a roaring and
devouring monster   White crested waves beat madly on the level
sands and rushed up the shelving cliffs   Others broke over the
piers  and with their spume swept the lanthorns of the lighthouses
which rise from the end of either pier of Whitby Harbour 

The wind roared like thunder  and blew with such force that it was
with difficulty that even strong men kept their feet  or clung with
grim clasp to the iron stanchions   It was found necessary to clear
the entire pier from the mass of onlookers  or else the fatalities
of the night would have increased manifold   To add to the
difficulties and dangers of the time  masses of sea fog came
drifting inland   White  wet clouds  which swept by in ghostly
fashion  so dank and damp and cold that it needed but little effort
of imagination to think that the spirits of those lost at sea were
touching their living brethren with the clammy hands of death  and
many a one shuddered as the wreaths of sea mist swept by 

At times the mist cleared  and the sea for some distance could be
seen in the glare of the lightning  which came thick and fast 
followed by such peals of thunder that the whole sky overhead seemed
trembling under the shock of the footsteps of the storm 

Some of the scenes thus revealed were of immeasurable grandeur and
of absorbing interest   The sea  running mountains high  threw
skywards with each wave mighty masses of white foam  which the
tempest seemed to snatch at and whirl away into space   Here and
there a fishing boat  with a rag of sail  running madly for shelter
before the blast  now and again the white wings of a storm tossed
seabird   On the summit of the East Cliff the new searchlight was
ready for experiment  but had not yet been tried   The officers in
charge of it got it into working order  and in the pauses of
onrushing mist swept with it the surface of the sea   Once or twice
its service was most effective  as when a fishing boat  with gunwale
under water  rushed into the harbour  able  by the guidance of the
sheltering light  to avoid the danger of dashing against the piers 
As each boat achieved the safety of the port there was a shout of
joy from the mass of people on the shore  a shout which for a moment
seemed to cleave the gale and was then swept away in its rush 

Before long the searchlight discovered some distance away a schooner
with all sails set  apparently the same vessel which had been
noticed earlier in the evening   The wind had by this time backed to
the east  and there was a shudder amongst the watchers on the cliff
as they realized the terrible danger in which she now was 

Between her and the port lay the great flat reef on which so many
good ships have from time to time suffered  and  with the wind
blowing from its present quarter  it would be quite impossible that
she should fetch the entrance of the harbour 

It was now nearly the hour of high tide  but the waves were so great
that in their troughs the shallows of the shore were almost visible 
and the schooner  with all sails set  was rushing with such speed
that  in the words of one old salt   she must fetch up somewhere  if
it was only in hell    Then came another rush of sea fog  greater
than any hitherto  a mass of dank mist  which seemed to close on all
things like a gray pall  and left available to men only the organ of
hearing  for the roar of the tempest  and the crash of the thunder 
and the booming of the mighty billows came through the damp oblivion
even louder than before   The rays of the searchlight were kept fixed
on the harbour mouth across the East Pier  where the shock was
expected  and men waited breathless 

The wind suddenly shifted to the northeast  and the remnant of the
sea fog melted in the blast   And then  mirabile dictu  between the
piers  leaping from wave to wave as it rushed at headlong speed 
swept the strange schooner before the blast  with all sail set  and
gained the safety of the harbour   The searchlight followed her  and
a shudder ran through all who saw her  for lashed to the helm was a
corpse  with drooping head  which swung horribly to and fro at each
motion of the ship   No other form could be seen on the deck at all 

A great awe came on all as they realised that the ship  as if by a
miracle  had found the harbour  unsteered save by the hand of a dead
man   However  all took place more quickly than it takes to write
these words   The schooner paused not  but rushing across the
harbour  pitched herself on that accumulation of sand and gravel
washed by many tides and many storms into the southeast corner of
the pier jutting under the East Cliff  known locally as Tate Hill
Pier 

There was of course a considerable concussion as the vessel drove up
on the sand heap   Every spar  rope  and stay was strained  and some
of the  top hammer  came crashing down   But  strangest of all  the
very instant the shore was touched  an immense dog sprang up on deck
from below  as if shot up by the concussion  and running forward 
jumped from the bow on the sand 

Making straight for the steep cliff  where the churchyard hangs over
the laneway to the East Pier so steeply that some of the flat
tombstones  thruffsteans or through stones  as they call them in
Whitby vernacular  actually project over where the sustaining cliff
has fallen away  it disappeared in the darkness  which seemed
intensified just beyond the focus of the searchlight 

It so happened that there was no one at the moment on Tate Hill
Pier  as all those whose houses are in close proximity were either
in bed or were out on the heights above   Thus the coastguard on
duty on the eastern side of the harbour  who at once ran down to the
little pier  was the first to climb aboard   The men working the
searchlight  after scouring the entrance of the harbour without
seeing anything  then turned the light on the derelict and kept it
there   The coastguard ran aft  and when he came beside the wheel 
bent over to examine it  and recoiled at once as though under some
sudden emotion   This seemed to pique general curiosity  and quite a
number of people began to run 

It is a good way round from the West Cliff by the Draw bridge to
Tate Hill Pier  but your correspondent is a fairly good runner  and
came well ahead of the crowd   When I arrived  however  I found
already assembled on the pier a crowd  whom the coastguard and
police refused to allow to come on board   By the courtesy of the
chief boatman  I was  as your correspondent  permitted to climb on
deck  and was one of a small group who saw the dead seaman whilst
actually lashed to the wheel 

It was no wonder that the coastguard was surprised  or even awed 
for not often can such a sight have been seen   The man was simply
fastened by his hands  tied one over the other  to a spoke of the
wheel   Between the inner hand and the wood was a crucifix  the set
of beads on which it was fastened being around both wrists and
wheel  and all kept fast by the binding cords   The poor fellow may
have been seated at one time  but the flapping and buffeting of the
sails had worked through the rudder of the wheel and had dragged him
to and fro  so that the cords with which he was tied had cut the
flesh to the bone 

Accurate note was made of the state of things  and a doctor  Surgeon
J  M  Caffyn  of 33  East Elliot Place  who came immediately after
me  declared  after making examination  that the man must have been
dead for quite two days 

In his pocket was a bottle  carefully corked  empty save for
a little roll of paper  which proved to be the addendum to
the log 

The coastguard said the man must have tied up his own hands 
fastening the knots with his teeth   The fact that a coastguard was
the first on board may save some complications later on  in the
Admiralty Court  for coastguards cannot claim the salvage which is
the right of the first civilian entering on a derelict   Already 
however  the legal tongues are wagging  and one young law student is
loudly asserting that the rights of the owner are already completely
sacrificed  his property being held in contravention of the statues
of mortmain  since the tiller  as emblemship  if not proof  of
delegated possession  is held in a dead hand 

It is needless to say that the dead steersman has been reverently
removed from the place where he held his honourable watch and ward
till death  a steadfastness as noble as that of the young
Casabianca  and placed in the mortuary to await inquest 

Already the sudden storm is passing  and its fierceness is
abating   Crowds are scattering backward  and the sky is
beginning to redden over the Yorkshire wolds 

I shall send  in time for your next issue  further details
of the derelict ship which found her way so miraculously
into harbour in the storm 


9 August   The sequel to the strange arrival of the derelict in the
storm last night is almost more startling than the thing itself   It
turns out that the schooner is Russian from Varna  and is called the
Demeter   She is almost entirely in ballast of silver sand  with
only a small amount of cargo  a number of great wooden boxes filled
with mould 

This cargo was consigned to a Whitby solicitor  Mr  S F  Billington 
of 7  The Crescent  who this morning went aboard and took formal
possession of the goods consigned to him 

The Russian consul  too  acting for the charter party  took formal
possession of the ship  and paid all harbour dues  etc 

Nothing is talked about here today except the strange coincidence 
The officials of the Board of Trade have been most exacting in
seeing that every compliance has been made with existing
regulations   As the matter is to be a  nine days wonder   they are
evidently determined that there shall be no cause of other
complaint 

A good deal of interest was abroad concerning the dog which landed
when the ship struck  and more than a few of the members of the
S P C A   which is very strong in Whitby  have tried to befriend the
animal   To the general disappointment  however  it was not to be
found   It seems to have disappeared entirely from the town   It may
be that it was frightened and made its way on to the moors  where it
is still hiding in terror 

There are some who look with dread on such a possibility  lest later
on it should in itself become a danger  for it is evidently a fierce
brute   Early this morning a large dog  a half bred mastiff
belonging to a coal merchant close to Tate Hill Pier  was found dead
in the roadway opposite its master s yard   It had been fighting 
and manifestly had had a savage opponent  for its throat was torn
away  and its belly was slit open as if with a savage claw 

Later   By the kindness of the Board of Trade inspector  I have been
permitted to look over the log book of the Demeter  which was in
order up to within three days  but contained nothing of special
interest except as to facts of missing men   The greatest interest 
however  is with regard to the paper found in the bottle  which was
today produced at the inquest   And a more strange narrative than
the two between them unfold it has not been my lot to come across 

As there is no motive for concealment  I am permitted to use them 
and accordingly send you a transcript  simply omitting technical
details of seamanship and supercargo   It almost seems as though the
captain had been seized with some kind of mania before he had got
well into blue water  and that this had developed persistently
throughout the voyage   Of course my statement must be taken cum
grano  since I am writing from the dictation of a clerk of the
Russian consul  who kindly translated for me  time being short 



  LOG OF THE  DEMETER  Varna to Whitby


  Written 18 July  things so strange happening  that I shall
  keep accurate note henceforth till we land 


  On 6 July we finished taking in cargo  silver sand and boxes
  of earth   At noon set sail   East wind  fresh   Crew  five
  hands       two mates  cook  and myself   captain  


  On 11 July at dawn entered Bosphorus   Boarded by Turkish
  Customs officers   Backsheesh   All correct   Under way at
  4 p m 


  On 12 July through Dardanelles   More Customs officers and
  flagboat of guarding squadron   Backsheesh again   Work of
  officers thorough  but quick   Want us off soon   At dark
  passed into Archipelago 


  On 13 July passed Cape Matapan   Crew dissatisfied about
  something   Seemed scared  but would not speak out 


  On 14 July was somewhat anxious about crew   Men all steady
  fellows  who sailed with me before   Mate could not make out what
  was wrong   They only told him there was SOMETHING  and crossed
  themselves   Mate lost temper with one of them that day and struck
  him   Expected fierce quarrel  but all was quiet 


  On 16 July mate reported in the morning that one of the
  crew  Petrofsky  was missing   Could not account for it 
  Took larboard watch eight bells last night  was relieved by
  Amramoff  but did not go to bunk   Men more downcast than
  ever   All said they expected something of the kind  but
  would not say more than there was SOMETHING aboard   Mate
  getting very impatient with them   Feared some trouble
  ahead 


  On 17 July  yesterday  one of the men  Olgaren  came to my cabin 
  and in an awestruck way confided to me that he thought there was a
  strange man aboard the ship   He said that in his watch he had
  been sheltering behind the deckhouse  as there was a rain storm 
  when he saw a tall  thin man  who was not like any of the crew 
  come up the companionway  and go along the deck forward and
  disappear   He followed cautiously  but when he got to bows found
  no one  and the hatchways were all closed   He was in a panic of
  superstitious fear  and I am afraid the panic may spread   To
  allay it  I shall today search the entire ship carefully from stem
  to stern 


  Later in the day I got together the whole crew  and told them  as
  they evidently thought there was some one in the ship  we would
  search from stem to stern   First mate angry  said it was folly 
  and to yield to such foolish ideas would demoralise the men  said
  he would engage to keep them out of trouble with the handspike   I
  let him take the helm  while the rest began a thorough search  all
  keeping abreast  with lanterns   We left no corner unsearched   As
  there were only the big wooden boxes  there were no odd corners
  where a man could hide   Men much relieved when search over  and
  went back to work cheerfully   First mate scowled  but said
  nothing 


  22 July   Rough weather last three days  and all hands busy
  with sails  no time to be frightened   Men seem to have
  forgotten their dread   Mate cheerful again  and all on
  good terms   Praised men for work in bad weather   Passed
  Gibraltar and out through Straits   All well 


  24 July   There seems some doom over this ship   Already a hand
  short  and entering the Bay of Biscay with wild weather ahead  and
  yet last night another man lost  disappeared   Like the first  he
  came off his watch and was not seen again   Men all in a panic of
  fear  sent a round robin  asking to have double watch  as they
  fear to be alone   Mate angry   Fear there will be some trouble 
  as either he or the men will do some violence 


  28 July   Four days in hell  knocking about in a sort of
  maelstrom  and the wind a tempest   No sleep for any one 
  Men all worn out   Hardly know how to set a watch  since no
  one fit to go on   Second mate volunteered to steer and
  watch  and let men snatch a few hours sleep   Wind abating 
  seas still terrific  but feel them less  as ship is
  steadier 


  29 July   Another tragedy   Had single watch tonight  as crew too
  tired to double   When morning watch came on deck could find no
  one except steersman   Raised outcry  and all came on deck 
  Thorough search  but no one found   Are now without second mate 
  and crew in a panic   Mate and I agreed to go armed henceforth and
  wait for any sign of cause 


  30 July   Last night   Rejoiced we are nearing England  Weather
  fine  all sails set   Retired worn out  slept soundly  awakened by
  mate telling me that both man of watch and steersman missing 
  Only self and mate and two hands left to work ship 

  1 August   Two days of fog  and not a sail sighted   Had hoped
  when in the English Channel to be able to signal for help or get
  in somewhere   Not having power to work sails  have to run before
  wind   Dare not lower  as could not raise them again   We seem to
  be drifting to some terrible doom   Mate now more demoralised than
  either of men   His stronger nature seems to have worked inwardly
  against himself   Men are beyond fear  working stolidly and
  patiently  with minds made up to worst   They are Russian  he
  Roumanian 

  2 August  midnight   Woke up from few minutes sleep by hearing a
  cry  seemingly outside my port   Could see nothing in fog   Rushed
  on deck  and ran against mate  Tells me he heard cry and ran  but
  no sign of man on watch   One more gone   Lord  help us   Mate
  says we must be past Straits of Dover  as in a moment of fog
  lifting he saw North Foreland  just as he heard the man cry out 
  If so we are now off in the North Sea  and only God can guide us
  in the fog  which seems to move with us  and God seems to have
  deserted us 


  3 August   At midnight I went to relieve the man at the
  wheel and when I got to it found no one there   The wind
  was steady  and as we ran before it there was no yawing   I
  dared not leave it  so shouted for the mate   After a few
  seconds  he rushed up on deck in his flannels   He looked
  wild eyed and haggard  and I greatly fear his reason has
  given way   He came close to me and whispered hoarsely 
  with his mouth to my ear  as though fearing the very air
  might hear    It is here   I know it now   On the watch
  last night I saw It  like a man  tall and thin  and ghastly
  pale   It was in the bows  and looking out   I crept behind
  It  and gave it my knife  but the knife went through It 
  empty as the air    And as he spoke he took the knife and
  drove it savagely into space   Then he went on   But It is
  here  and I ll find It   It is in the hold  perhaps in one
  of those boxes   I ll unscrew them one by one and see   You
  work the helm    And with a warning look and his finger on
  his lip  he went below   There was springing up a choppy
  wind  and I could not leave the helm   I saw him come out
  on deck again with a tool chest and lantern  and go down
  the forward hatchway   He is mad  stark  raving mad  and
  it s no use my trying to stop him   He can t hurt those big
  boxes  they are invoiced as clay  and to pull them about is
  as harmless a thing as he can do   So here I stay and mind
  the helm  and write these notes   I can only trust in God
  and wait till the fog clears   Then  if I can t steer to
  any harbour with the wind that is  I shall cut down sails 
  and lie by  and signal for help      

  It is nearly all over now   Just as I was beginning to hope
  that the mate would come out calmer  for I heard him
  knocking away at something in the hold  and work is good
  for him  there came up the hatchway a sudden  startled
  scream  which made my blood run cold  and up on the deck he
  came as if shot from a gun  a raging madman  with his eyes
  rolling and his face convulsed with fear    Save me   Save
  me   he cried  and then looked round on the blanket of fog 
  His horror turned to despair  and in a steady voice he
  said   You had better come too  captain  before it is too
  late   He is there   I know the secret now   The sea will
  save me from Him  and it is all that is left    Before I
  could say a word  or move forward to seize him  he sprang
  on the bulwark and deliberately threw himself into the sea 
  I suppose I know the secret too  now   It was this madman
  who had got rid of the men one by one  and now he has
  followed them himself   God help me   How am I to account
  for all these horrors when I get to port   When I get to
  port   Will that ever be 


  4 August   Still fog  which the sunrise cannot pierce  I
  know there is sunrise because I am a sailor  why else I
  know not   I dared not go below  I dared not leave the
  helm  so here all night I stayed  and in the dimness of the
  night I saw it  Him   God  forgive me  but the mate was
  right to jump overboard   It was better to die like a man 
  To die like a sailor in blue water  no man can object   But
  I am captain  and I must not leave my ship   But I shall
  baffle this fiend or monster  for I shall tie my hands to
  the wheel when my strength begins to fail  and along with
  them I shall tie that which He  It  dare not touch   And
  then  come good wind or foul  I shall save my soul  and my
  honour as a captain   I am growing weaker  and the night is
  coming on   If He can look me in the face again  I may not
  have time to act       If we are wrecked  mayhap this bottle
  may be found  and those who find it may understand   If
  not       well  then all men shall know that I have been
  true to my trust   God and the Blessed Virgin and the
  Saints help a poor ignorant soul trying to do his duty      


Of course the verdict was an open one   There is no evidence
to adduce  and whether or not the man himself committed the
murders there is now none to say   The folk here hold almost
universally that the captain is simply a hero  and he is to be
given a public funeral   Already it is arranged that his body
is to be taken with a train of boats up the Esk for a piece
and then brought back to Tate Hill Pier and up the abbey steps 
for he is to be buried in the churchyard on the cliff   The
owners of more than a hundred boats have already given in their
names as wishing to follow him to the grave 

No trace has ever been found of the great dog  at which there is
much mourning  for  with public opinion in its present state  he
would  I believe  be adopted by the town   Tomorrow will see the
funeral  and so will end this one more  mystery of the sea  



MINA MURRAY S JOURNAL

8 August   Lucy was very restless all night  and I too  could not
sleep   The storm was fearful  and as it boomed loudly among the
chimney pots  it made me shudder   When a sharp puff came it seemed to
be like a distant gun   Strangely enough  Lucy did not wake  but she
got up twice and dressed herself   Fortunately  each time I awoke in
time and managed to undress her without waking her  and got her back to
bed   It is a very strange thing  this sleep walking  for as soon as
her will is thwarted in any physical way  her intention  if there be
any  disappears  and she yields herself almost exactly to the routine
of her life 

Early in the morning we both got up and went down to the harbour to see
if anything had happened in the night   There were very few people
about  and though the sun was bright  and the air clear and fresh  the
big  grim looking waves  that seemed dark themselves because the foam
that topped them was like snow  forced themselves in through the mouth
of the harbour  like a bullying man going through a crowd   Somehow I
felt glad that Jonathan was not on the sea last night  but on land 
But  oh  is he on land or sea   Where is he  and how   I am getting
fearfully anxious about him   If I only knew what to do  and could do
anything 


10 August   The funeral of the poor sea captain today was most
touching   Every boat in the harbour seemed to be there  and the coffin
was carried by captains all the way from Tate Hill Pier up to the
churchyard   Lucy came with me  and we went early to our old seat 
whilst the cortege of boats went up the river to the Viaduct and came
down again   We had a lovely view  and saw the procession nearly all
the way   The poor fellow was laid to rest near our seat so that we
stood on it  when the time came and saw everything 

Poor Lucy seemed much upset   She was restless and uneasy all the time 
and I cannot but think that her dreaming at night is telling on her 
She is quite odd in one thing   She will not admit to me that there is
any cause for restlessness  or if there be  she does not understand it
herself 

There is an additional cause in that poor Mr  Swales was found dead
this morning on our seat  his neck being broken   He had evidently  as
the doctor said  fallen back in the seat in some sort of fright  for
there was a look of fear and horror on his face that the men said made
them shudder   Poor dear old man 

Lucy is so sweet and sensitive that she feels influences more acutely
than other people do   Just now she was quite upset by a little thing
which I did not much heed  though I am myself very fond of animals 

One of the men who came up here often to look for the boats was
followed by his dog   The dog is always with him   They are both quiet
persons  and I never saw the man angry  nor heard the dog bark   During
the service the dog would not come to its master  who was on the seat
with us  but kept a few yards off  barking and howling   Its master
spoke to it gently  and then harshly  and then angrily   But it would
neither come nor cease to make a noise   It was in a fury  with its
eyes savage  and all its hair bristling out like a cat s tail when puss
is on the war path 

Finally the man too got angry  and jumped down and kicked the dog  and
then took it by the scruff of the neck and half dragged and half threw
it on the tombstone on which the seat is fixed   The moment it touched
the stone the poor thing began to tremble   It did not try to get away 
but crouched down  quivering and cowering  and was in such a pitiable
state of terror that I tried  though without effect  to comfort it 

Lucy was full of pity  too  but she did not attempt to touch the dog 
but looked at it in an agonised sort of way   I greatly fear that she
is of too super sensitive a nature to go through the world without
trouble   She will be dreaming of this tonight  I am sure   The whole
agglomeration of things  the ship steered into port by a dead man  his
attitude  tied to the wheel with a crucifix and beads  the touching
funeral  the dog  now furious and now in terror  will all afford
material for her dreams 

I think it will be best for her to go to bed tired out physically  so I
shall take her for a long walk by the cliffs to Robin Hood s Bay and
back   She ought not to have much inclination for sleep walking then 




CHAPTER 8


MINA MURRAY S JOURNAL

Same day  11 o clock P M   Oh  but I am tired   If it were not that I
had made my diary a duty I should not open it tonight   We had a lovely
walk   Lucy  after a while  was in gay spirits  owing  I think  to some
dear cows who came nosing towards us in a field close to the
lighthouse  and frightened the wits out of us   I believe we forgot
everything  except of course  personal fear  and it seemed to wipe the
slate clean and give us a fresh start   We had a capital  severe tea 
at Robin Hood s Bay in a sweet little old fashioned inn  with a bow
window right over the seaweed covered rocks of the strand   I believe
we should have shocked the  New Woman  with our appetites   Men are
more tolerant  bless them   Then we walked home with some  or rather
many  stoppages to rest  and with our hearts full of a constant dread
of wild bulls 

Lucy was really tired  and we intended to creep off to bed as soon as
we could   The young curate came in  however  and Mrs  Westenra asked
him to stay for supper   Lucy and I had both a fight for it with the
dusty miller   I know it was a hard fight on my part  and I am quite
heroic   I think that some day the bishops must get together and see
about breeding up a new class of curates  who don t take supper  no
matter how hard they may be pressed to  and who will know when girls
are tired 

Lucy is asleep and breathing softly   She has more colour in her cheeks
than usual  and looks  oh so sweet   If Mr  Holmwood fell in love with
her seeing her only in the drawing room  I wonder what he would say if
he saw her now   Some of the  New Women  writers will some day start an
idea that men and women should be allowed to see each other asleep
before proposing or accepting   But I suppose the  New Woman  won t
condescend in future to accept   She will do the proposing herself   And
a nice job she will make of it too   There s some consolation in that 
I am so happy tonight  because dear Lucy seems better   I really
believe she has turned the corner  and that we are over her troubles
with dreaming   I should be quite happy if I only knew if Jonathan      
God bless and keep him 


11 August   Diary again   No sleep now  so I may as well write   I am
too agitated to sleep   We have had such an adventure  such an
agonizing experience   I fell asleep as soon as I had closed my diary 
       Suddenly I became broad awake  and sat up  with a horrible sense
of fear upon me  and of some feeling of emptiness around me   The room
was dark  so I could not see Lucy s bed   I stole across and felt for
her   The bed was empty   I lit a match and found that she was not in
the room   The door was shut  but not locked  as I had left it   I feared
to wake her mother  who has been more than usually ill lately  so threw
on some clothes and got ready to look for her   As I was leaving the
room it struck me that the clothes she wore might give me some clue to
her dreaming intention   Dressing gown would mean house  dress outside 
Dressing gown and dress were both in their places    Thank God   I said
to myself   she cannot be far  as she is only in her nightdress  

I ran downstairs and looked in the sitting room   Not there   Then I
looked in all the other rooms of the house  with an ever growing fear
chilling my heart   Finally  I came to the hall door and found it open 
It was not wide open  but the catch of the lock had not caught   The
people of the house are careful to lock the door every night  so I
feared that Lucy must have gone out as she was   There was no time to
think of what might happen   A vague over mastering fear obscured all
details 

I took a big  heavy shawl and ran out   The clock was striking one as I
was in the Crescent  and there was not a soul in sight   I ran along
the North Terrace  but could see no sign of the white figure which I
expected   At the edge of the West Cliff above the pier I looked across
the harbour to the East Cliff  in the hope or fear  I don t know which 
of seeing Lucy in our favourite seat 

There was a bright full moon  with heavy black  driving clouds  which
threw the whole scene into a fleeting diorama of light and shade as
they sailed across   For a moment or two I could see nothing  as the
shadow of a cloud obscured St  Mary s Church and all around it   Then
as the cloud passed I could see the ruins of the abbey coming into
view  and as the edge of a narrow band of light as sharp as a sword cut
moved along  the church and churchyard became gradually visible 
Whatever my expectation was  it was not disappointed  for there  on our
favourite seat  the silver light of the moon struck a half reclining
figure  snowy white   The coming of the cloud was too quick for me to
see much  for shadow shut down on light almost immediately  but it
seemed to me as though something dark stood behind the seat where the
white figure shone  and bent over it   What it was  whether man or
beast  I could not tell 

I did not wait to catch another glance  but flew down the steep steps
to the pier and along by the fish market to the bridge  which was the
only way to reach the East Cliff   The town seemed as dead  for not a
soul did I see   I rejoiced that it was so  for I wanted no witness of
poor Lucy s condition   The time and distance seemed endless  and my
knees trembled and my breath came laboured as I toiled up the endless
steps to the abbey   I must have gone fast  and yet it seemed to me as
if my feet were weighted with lead  and as though every joint in my
body were rusty 

When I got almost to the top I could see the seat and the white figure 
for I was now close enough to distinguish it even through the spells of
shadow   There was undoubtedly something  long and black  bending over
the half reclining white figure   I called in fright   Lucy   Lucy  
and something raised a head  and from where I was I could see a white
face and red  gleaming eyes 

Lucy did not answer  and I ran on to the entrance of the churchyard 
As I entered  the church was between me and the seat  and for a minute
or so I lost sight of her   When I came in view again the cloud had
passed  and the moonlight struck so brilliantly that I could see Lucy
half reclining with her head lying over the back of the seat   She was
quite alone  and there was not a sign of any living thing about 

When I bent over her I could see that she was still asleep   Her lips
were parted  and she was breathing  not softly as usual with her  but
in long  heavy gasps  as though striving to get her lungs full at every
breath   As I came close  she put up her hand in her sleep and pulled
the collar of her nightdress close around her  as though she felt the
cold   I flung the warm shawl over her  and drew the edges tight around
her neck  for I dreaded lest she should get some deadly chill from the
night air  unclad as she was   I feared to wake her all at once  so  in
order to have my hands free to help her  I fastened the shawl at her
throat with a big safety pin   But I must have been clumsy in my
anxiety and pinched or pricked her with it  for by and by  when her
breathing became quieter  she put her hand to her throat again and
moaned   When I had her carefully wrapped up I put my shoes on her
feet  and then began very gently to wake her 

At first she did not respond  but gradually she became more and more
uneasy in her sleep  moaning and sighing occasionally   At last  as
time was passing fast  and for many other reasons  I wished to get her
home at once  I shook her forcibly  till finally she opened her eyes
and awoke   She did not seem surprised to see me  as  of course  she
did not realize all at once where she was 

Lucy always wakes prettily  and even at such a time  when her body must
have been chilled with cold  and her mind somewhat appalled at waking
unclad in a churchyard at night  she did not lose her grace   She
trembled a little  and clung to me   When I told her to come at once
with me home  she rose without a word  with the obedience of a child 
As we passed along  the gravel hurt my feet  and Lucy noticed me wince 
She stopped and wanted to insist upon my taking my shoes  but I would
not   However  when we got to the pathway outside the churchyard  where
there was a puddle of water  remaining from the storm  I daubed my feet
with mud  using each foot in turn on the other  so that as we went
home  no one  in case we should meet any one  should notice my bare
feet 

Fortune favoured us  and we got home without meeting a soul   Once we
saw a man  who seemed not quite sober  passing along a street in front
of us   But we hid in a door till he had disappeared up an opening such
as there are here  steep little closes  or  wynds   as they call them
in Scotland   My heart beat so loud all the time sometimes I thought I
should faint   I was filled with anxiety about Lucy  not only for her
health  lest she should suffer from the exposure  but for her
reputation in case the story should get wind   When we got in  and had
washed our feet  and had said a prayer of thankfulness together  I
tucked her into bed   Before falling asleep she asked  even implored 
me not to say a word to any one  even her mother  about her
sleep walking adventure 

I hesitated at first  to promise  but on thinking of the state of her
mother s health  and how the knowledge of such a thing would fret her 
and think too  of how such a story might become distorted  nay 
infallibly would  in case it should leak out  I thought it wiser to do
so   I hope I did right   I have locked the door  and the key is tied
to my wrist  so perhaps I shall not be again disturbed   Lucy is
sleeping soundly   The reflex of the dawn is high and far over the
sea      


Same day  noon   All goes well   Lucy slept till I woke her and seemed
not to have even changed her side   The adventure of the night does not
seem to have harmed her  on the contrary  it has benefited her  for she
looks better this morning than she has done for weeks   I was sorry to
notice that my clumsiness with the safety pin hurt her   Indeed  it
might have been serious  for the skin of her throat was pierced   I
must have pinched up a piece of loose skin and have transfixed it  for
there are two little red points like pin pricks  and on the band of her
nightdress was a drop of blood   When I apologised and was concerned
about it  she laughed and petted me  and said she did not even feel it 
Fortunately it cannot leave a scar  as it is so tiny 


Same day  night   We passed a happy day   The air was clear  and the
sun bright  and there was a cool breeze   We took our lunch to Mulgrave
Woods  Mrs  Westenra driving by the road and Lucy and I walking by the
cliff path and joining her at the gate   I felt a little sad myself 
for I could not but feel how absolutely happy it would have been had
Jonathan been with me   But there   I must only be patient   In the
evening we strolled in the Casino Terrace  and heard some good music by
Spohr and Mackenzie  and went to bed early   Lucy seems more restful
than she has been for some time  and fell asleep at once   I shall lock
the door and secure the key the same as before  though I do not expect
any trouble tonight 


12 August   My expectations were wrong  for twice during the night I
was wakened by Lucy trying to get out   She seemed  even in her sleep 
to be a little impatient at finding the door shut  and went back to bed
under a sort of protest   I woke with the dawn  and heard the birds
chirping outside of the window   Lucy woke  too  and I was glad to see 
was even better than on the previous morning   All her old gaiety of
manner seemed to have come back  and she came and snuggled in beside me
and told me all about Arthur   I told her how anxious I was about
Jonathan  and then she tried to comfort me   Well  she succeeded
somewhat  for  though sympathy can t alter facts  it can make them more
bearable 


13 August   Another quiet day  and to bed with the key on my wrist as
before   Again I awoke in the night  and found Lucy sitting up in bed 
still asleep  pointing to the window   I got up quietly  and pulling
aside the blind  looked out   It was brilliant moonlight  and the soft
effect of the light over the sea and sky  merged together in one great
silent mystery  was beautiful beyond words   Between me and the
moonlight flitted a great bat  coming and going in great whirling
circles   Once or twice it came quite close  but was  I suppose 
frightened at seeing me  and flitted away across the harbour towards
the abbey   When I came back from the window Lucy had lain down again 
and was sleeping peacefully   She did not stir again all night 


14 August   On the East Cliff  reading and writing all day   Lucy seems
to have become as much in love with the spot as I am  and it is hard to
get her away from it when it is time to come home for lunch or tea or
dinner   This afternoon she made a funny remark   We were coming home
for dinner  and had come to the top of the steps up from the West Pier
and stopped to look at the view  as we generally do   The setting sun 
low down in the sky  was just dropping behind Kettleness   The red
light was thrown over on the East Cliff and the old abbey  and seemed
to bathe everything in a beautiful rosy glow   We were silent for a
while  and suddenly Lucy murmured as if to herself      

 His red eyes again   They are just the same    It was such an odd
expression  coming apropos of nothing  that it quite startled me   I
slewed round a little  so as to see Lucy well without seeming to stare
at her  and saw that she was in a half dreamy state  with an odd look
on her face that I could not quite make out  so I said nothing  but
followed her eyes   She appeared to be looking over at our own seat 
whereon was a dark figure seated alone   I was quite a little startled
myself  for it seemed for an instant as if the stranger had great eyes
like burning flames  but a second look dispelled the illusion   The red
sunlight was shining on the windows of St  Mary s Church behind our
seat  and as the sun dipped there was just sufficient change in the
refraction and reflection to make it appear as if the light moved   I
called Lucy s attention to the peculiar effect  and she became herself
with a start  but she looked sad all the same   It may have been that
she was thinking of that terrible night up there   We never refer to
it  so I said nothing  and we went home to dinner   Lucy had a headache
and went early to bed   I saw her asleep  and went out for a little
stroll myself 

I walked along the cliffs to the westward  and was full of sweet
sadness  for I was thinking of Jonathan   When coming home  it was then
bright moonlight  so bright that  though the front of our part of the
Crescent was in shadow  everything could be well seen  I threw a glance
up at our window  and saw Lucy s head leaning out   I opened my
handkerchief and waved it   She did not notice or make any movement
whatever   Just then  the moonlight crept round an angle of the
building  and the light fell on the window   There distinctly was Lucy
with her head lying up against the side of the window sill and her eyes
shut   She was fast asleep  and by her  seated on the window sill  was
something that looked like a good sized bird   I was afraid she might
get a chill  so I ran upstairs  but as I came into the room she was
moving back to her bed  fast asleep  and breathing heavily   She was
holding her hand to her throat  as though to protect if from the cold 

I did not wake her  but tucked her up warmly   I have taken care that
the door is locked and the window securely fastened 

She looks so sweet as she sleeps  but she is paler than is her wont 
and there is a drawn  haggard look under her eyes which I do not like 
I fear she is fretting about something   I wish I could find out what it
is 


15 August   Rose later than usual   Lucy was languid and tired  and
slept on after we had been called   We had a happy surprise at
breakfast   Arthur s father is better  and wants the marriage to come
off soon   Lucy is full of quiet joy  and her mother is glad and sorry
at once   Later on in the day she told me the cause   She is grieved to
lose Lucy as her very own  but she is rejoiced that she is soon to have
some one to protect her   Poor dear  sweet lady   She confided to me
that she has got her death warrant   She has not told Lucy  and made me
promise secrecy   Her doctor told her that within a few months  at
most  she must die  for her heart is weakening   At any time  even now 
a sudden shock would be almost sure to kill her   Ah  we were wise to
keep from her the affair of the dreadful night of Lucy s sleep walking 


17 August   No diary for two whole days   I have not had the heart to
write   Some sort of shadowy pall seems to be coming over our
happiness   No news from Jonathan  and Lucy seems to be growing weaker 
whilst her mother s hours are numbering to a close   I do not
understand Lucy s fading away as she is doing   She eats well and
sleeps well  and enjoys the fresh air  but all the time the roses in
her cheeks are fading  and she gets weaker and more languid day by day 
At night I hear her gasping as if for air 

I keep the key of our door always fastened to my wrist at night  but
she gets up and walks about the room  and sits at the open window 
Last night I found her leaning out when I woke up  and when I tried to
wake her I could not 

She was in a faint   When I managed to restore her  she was weak as
water  and cried silently between long  painful struggles for breath 
When I asked her how she came to be at the window she shook her head
and turned away 

I trust her feeling ill may not be from that unlucky prick of the
safety pin   I looked at her throat just now as she lay asleep  and the
tiny wounds seem not to have healed   They are still open  and  if
anything  larger than before  and the edges of them are faintly white 
They are like little white dots with red centres   Unless they heal
within a day or two  I shall insist on the doctor seeing about them 



LETTER  SAMUEL F  BILLINGTON   SON  SOLICITORS WHITBY 
TO MESSRS  CARTER  PATERSON   CO   LONDON 

17 August

 Dear Sirs   Herewith please receive invoice of goods sent by Great
Northern Railway   Same are to be delivered at Carfax  near
Purfleet  immediately on receipt at goods station King s Cross   The
house is at present empty  but enclosed please find keys  all of
which are labelled 

 You will please deposit the boxes  fifty in number  which form the
consignment  in the partially ruined building forming part of the
house and marked  A  on rough diagrams enclosed   Your agent will
easily recognize the locality  as it is the ancient chapel of the
mansion   The goods leave by the train at 9 30 tonight  and will be
due at King s Cross at 4 30 tomorrow afternoon   As our client
wishes the delivery made as soon as possible  we shall be obliged by
your having teams ready at King s Cross at the time named and
forthwith conveying the goods to destination   In order to obviate
any delays possible through any routine requirements as to payment
in your departments  we enclose cheque herewith for ten pounds 
receipt of which please acknowledge   Should the charge be less than
this amount  you can return balance  if greater  we shall at once
send cheque for difference on hearing from you   You are to leave
the keys on coming away in the main hall of the house  where the
proprietor may get them on his entering the house by means of his
duplicate key 

 Pray do not take us as exceeding the bounds of business courtesy
in pressing you in all ways to use the utmost expedition 

 We are  dear Sirs 
Faithfully yours 
SAMUEL F  BILLINGTON   SON 



LETTER  MESSRS   CARTER  PATERSON   CO   LONDON 
TO MESSRS  BILLINGTON   SON  WHITBY 

21 August 

 Dear Sirs   We beg to acknowledge 10 pounds received and to return
cheque of 1 pound  17s  9d  amount of overplus  as shown in
receipted account herewith   Goods are delivered in exact accordance
with instructions  and keys left in parcel in main hall  as
directed 

 We are  dear Sirs 
Yours respectfully 
Pro CARTER  PATERSON   CO  



MINA MURRAY S JOURNAL 

18 August   I am happy today  and write sitting on the seat in the
churchyard   Lucy is ever so much better   Last night she slept well
all night  and did not disturb me once 

The roses seem coming back already to her cheeks  though she is still
sadly pale and wan looking   If she were in any way anemic I could
understand it  but she is not   She is in gay spirits and full of life
and cheerfulness   All the morbid reticence seems to have passed from
her  and she has just reminded me  as if I needed any reminding  of
that night  and that it was here  on this very seat  I found her
asleep 

As she told me she tapped playfully with the heel of her boot on the
stone slab and said 

 My poor little feet didn t make much noise then   I daresay poor old
Mr  Swales would have told me that it was because I didn t want to wake
up Geordie  

As she was in such a communicative humour  I asked her if she had
dreamed at all that night 

Before she answered  that sweet  puckered look came into her forehead 
which Arthur  I call him Arthur from her habit  says he loves  and
indeed  I don t wonder that he does   Then she went on in a
half dreaming kind of way  as if trying to recall it to herself 

 I didn t quite dream  but it all seemed to be real   I only wanted to
be here in this spot   I don t know why  for I was afraid of something 
I don t know what   I remember  though I suppose I was asleep  passing
through the streets and over the bridge   A fish leaped as I went by 
and I leaned over to look at it  and I heard a lot of dogs howling   The
whole town seemed as if it must be full of dogs all howling at once  as
I went up the steps   Then I had a vague memory of something long and
dark with red eyes  just as we saw in the sunset  and something very
sweet and very bitter all around me at once   And then I seemed sinking
into deep green water  and there was a singing in my ears  as I have
heard there is to drowning men  and then everything seemed passing away
from me   My soul seemed to go out from my body and float about the
air   I seem to remember that once the West Lighthouse was right under
me  and then there was a sort of agonizing feeling  as if I were in an
earthquake  and I came back and found you shaking my body   I saw you
do it before I felt you  

Then she began to laugh   It seemed a little uncanny to me  and I
listened to her breathlessly   I did not quite like it  and thought it
better not to keep her mind on the subject  so we drifted on to another
subject  and Lucy was like her old self again   When we got home the
fresh breeze had braced her up  and her pale cheeks were really more
rosy   Her mother rejoiced when she saw her  and we all spent a very
happy evening together 


19 August   Joy  joy  joy   Although not all joy   At last  news of
Jonathan   The dear fellow has been ill  that is why he did not write 
I am not afraid to think it or to say it  now that I know   Mr  Hawkins
sent me on the letter  and wrote himself  oh so kindly   I am to leave
in the morning and go over to Jonathan  and to help to nurse him if
necessary  and to bring him home   Mr  Hawkins says it would not be a
bad thing if we were to be married out there   I have cried over the
good Sister s letter till I can feel it wet against my bosom  where it
lies   It is of Jonathan  and must be near my heart  for he is in my
heart   My journey is all mapped out  and my luggage ready   I am only
taking one change of dress   Lucy will bring my trunk to London and
keep it till I send for it  for it may be that        I must write no
more   I must keep it to say to Jonathan  my husband   The letter that
he has seen and touched must comfort me till we meet 



LETTER  SISTER AGATHA  HOSPITAL OF ST  JOSEPH AND
STE  MARY BUDA PESTH  TO MISS WILHELMINA MURRAY

12 August 

 Dear Madam 

 I write by desire of Mr  Jonathan Harker  who is himself not strong
enough to write  though progressing well  thanks to God and St 
Joseph and Ste  Mary   He has been under our care for nearly six
weeks  suffering from a violent brain fever   He wishes me to convey
his love  and to say that by this post I write for him to Mr  Peter
Hawkins  Exeter  to say  with his dutiful respects  that he is sorry
for his delay  and that all of his work is completed   He will
require some few weeks  rest in our sanatorium in the hills  but
will then return   He wishes me to say that he has not sufficient
money with him  and that he would like to pay for his staying here 
so that others who need shall not be wanting for help 

 Believe me 

 Yours  with sympathy
and all blessings 
Sister Agatha

 P S   My patient being asleep  I open this to let you know
something more   He has told me all about you  and that you are
shortly to be his wife   All blessings to you both   He has had some
fearful shock  so says our doctor  and in his delirium his ravings
have been dreadful  of wolves and poison and blood  of ghosts and
demons  and I fear to say of what   Be careful of him always that
there may be nothing to excite him of this kind for a long time to
come   The traces of such an illness as his do not lightly die away 
We should have written long ago  but we knew nothing of his friends 
and there was nothing on him  nothing that anyone could understand 
He came in the train from Klausenburg  and the guard was told by the
station master there that he rushed into the station shouting for a
ticket for home   Seeing from his violent demeanour that he was
English  they gave him a ticket for the furthest station on the way
thither that the train reached 

 Be assured that he is well cared for   He has won all hearts by his
sweetness and gentleness   He is truly getting on well  and I have
no doubt will in a few weeks be all himself   But be careful of him
for safety s sake   There are  I pray God and St  Joseph and Ste 
Mary  many  many  happy years for you both  



DR  SEWARD S DIARY

19 August   Strange and sudden change in Renfield last night   About
eight o clock he began to get excited and sniff about as a dog does
when setting   The attendant was struck by his manner  and knowing my
interest in him  encouraged him to talk   He is usually respectful to
the attendant and at times servile  but tonight  the man tells me  he
was quite haughty   Would not condescend to talk with him at all 

All he would say was   I don t want to talk to you   You don t count
now   The master is at hand  

The attendant thinks it is some sudden form of religious mania which
has seized him   If so  we must look out for squalls  for a strong man
with homicidal and religious mania at once might be dangerous   The
combination is a dreadful one 

At nine o clock I visited him myself   His attitude to me was the same
as that to the attendant   In his sublime self feeling the difference
between myself and the attendant seemed to him as nothing   It looks
like religious mania  and he will soon think that he himself is God 

These infinitesimal distinctions between man and man are too paltry for
an Omnipotent Being   How these madmen give themselves away   The real
God taketh heed lest a sparrow fall   But the God created from human
vanity sees no difference between an eagle and a sparrow   Oh  if men
only knew 

For half an hour or more Renfield kept getting excited in greater and
greater degree   I did not pretend to be watching him  but I kept
strict observation all the same   All at once that shifty look came
into his eyes which we always see when a madman has seized an idea  and
with it the shifty movement of the head and back which asylum
attendants come to know so well   He became quite quiet  and went and
sat on the edge of his bed resignedly  and looked into space with
lack luster eyes 

I thought I would find out if his apathy were real or only assumed  and
tried to lead him to talk of his pets  a theme which had never failed
to excite his attention 

At first he made no reply  but at length said testily   Bother them
all   I don t care a pin about them  

 What   I said    You don t mean to tell me you don t care about
spiders     Spiders at present are his hobby and the notebook is filling
up with columns of small figures  

To this he answered enigmatically   The Bride maidens rejoice the eyes
that wait the coming of the bride   But when the bride draweth nigh 
then the maidens shine not to the eyes that are filled  

He would not explain himself  but remained obstinately seated on his
bed all the time I remained with him 

I am weary tonight and low in spirits   I cannot but think of Lucy  and
how different things might have been   If I don t sleep at once 
chloral  the modern Morpheus   I must be careful not to let it grow
into a habit   No  I shall take none tonight   I have thought of Lucy 
and I shall not dishonour her by mixing the two   If need be  tonight
shall be sleepless 


Later   Glad I made the resolution  gladder that I kept to it   I had
lain tossing about  and had heard the clock strike only twice  when the
night watchman came to me  sent up from the ward  to say that Renfield
had escaped   I threw on my clothes and ran down at once   My patient
is too dangerous a person to be roaming about   Those ideas of his
might work out dangerously with strangers 

The attendant was waiting for me   He said he had seen him not ten
minutes before  seemingly asleep in his bed  when he had looked through
the observation trap in the door   His attention was called by the
sound of the window being wrenched out   He ran back and saw his feet
disappear through the window  and had at once sent up for me   He was
only in his night gear  and cannot be far off 

The attendant thought it would be more useful to watch where he should
go than to follow him  as he might lose sight of him whilst getting out
of the building by the door   He is a bulky man  and couldn t get
through the window 

I am thin  so  with his aid  I got out  but feet foremost  and as we
were only a few feet above ground landed unhurt 

The attendant told me the patient had gone to the left  and had taken a
straight line  so I ran as quickly as I could   As I got through the
belt of trees I saw a white figure scale the high wall which separates
our grounds from those of the deserted house 

I ran back at once  told the watchman to get three or four men
immediately and follow me into the grounds of Carfax  in case our
friend might be dangerous   I got a ladder myself  and crossing the
wall  dropped down on the other side   I could see Renfield s figure
just disappearing behind the angle of the house  so I ran after him   On
the far side of the house I found him pressed close against the old
iron bound oak door of the chapel 

He was talking  apparently to some one  but I was afraid to go near
enough to hear what he was saying  lest I might frighten him  and he
should run off 

Chasing an errant swarm of bees is nothing to following a naked
lunatic  when the fit of escaping is upon him   After a few minutes 
however  I could see that he did not take note of anything around him 
and so ventured to draw nearer to him  the more so as my men had now
crossed the wall and were closing him in   I heard him say      

 I am here to do your bidding  Master   I am your slave  and you will
reward me  for I shall be faithful   I have worshipped you long and afar
off   Now that you are near  I await your commands  and you will not
pass me by  will you  dear Master  in your distribution of good
things  

He is a selfish old beggar anyhow   He thinks of the loaves and fishes
even when he believes his is in a real Presence   His manias make a
startling combination   When we closed in on him he fought like a
tiger   He is immensely strong  for he was more like a wild beast than
a man 

I never saw a lunatic in such a paroxysm of rage before  and I hope I
shall not again   It is a mercy that we have found out his strength and
his danger in good time   With strength and determination like his  he
might have done wild work before he was caged 

He is safe now  at any rate   Jack Sheppard himself couldn t get free
from the strait waistcoat that keeps him restrained  and he s chained
to the wall in the padded room 

His cries are at times awful  but the silences that follow are more
deadly still  for he means murder in every turn and movement 

Just now he spoke coherent words for the first time    I shall be
patient  Master   It is coming  coming  coming  

So I took the hint  and came too   I was too excited to sleep  but this
diary has quieted me  and I feel I shall get some sleep tonight 




CHAPTER 9


LETTER  MINA HARKER TO LUCY WESTENRA


Buda Pesth  24 August 

 My dearest Lucy 

 I know you will be anxious to hear all that has happened
since we parted at the railway station at Whitby 

 Well  my dear  I got to Hull all right  and caught the boat to
Hamburg  and then the train on here   I feel that I can hardly
recall anything of the journey  except that I knew I was coming to
Jonathan  and that as I should have to do some nursing  I had better
get all the sleep I could   I found my dear one  oh  so thin and
pale and weak looking  All the resolution has gone out of his dear
eyes  and that quiet dignity which I told you was in his face has
vanished   He is only a wreck of himself  and he does not remember
anything that has happened to him for a long time past   At least 
he wants me to believe so  and I shall never ask 

 He has had some terrible shock  and I fear it might tax his poor
brain if he were to try to recall it   Sister Agatha  who is a good
creature and a born nurse  tells me that he wanted her to tell me
what they were  but she would only cross herself  and say she would
never tell   That the ravings of the sick were the secrets of God 
and that if a nurse through her vocation should hear them  she
should respect her trust 

 She is a sweet  good soul  and the next day  when she saw I was
troubled  she opened up the subject my poor dear raved about  added 
 I can tell you this much  my dear   That it was not about anything
which he has done wrong himself  and you  as his wife to be  have no
cause to be concerned   He has not forgotten you or what he owes to
you   His fear was of great and terrible things  which no mortal can
treat of  

 I do believe the dear soul thought I might be jealous lest my poor
dear should have fallen in love with any other girl   The idea of my
being jealous about Jonathan   And yet  my dear  let me whisper  I
felt a thrill of joy through me when I knew that no other woman was
a cause for trouble   I am now sitting by his bedside  where I can
see his face while he sleeps   He is waking 

 When he woke he asked me for his coat  as he wanted to get
something from the pocket   I asked Sister Agatha  and she brought
all his things   I saw amongst them was his notebook  and was
going to ask him to let me look at it  for I knew that I might find
some clue to his trouble  but I suppose he must have seen my wish in
my eyes  for he sent me over to the window  saying he wanted to be
quite alone for a moment 

 Then he called me back  and he said to me very solemnly 
 Wilhelmina   I knew then that he was in deadly earnest  for he has
never called me by that name since he asked me to marry him   You
know  dear  my ideas of the trust between husband and wife   There
should be no secret  no concealment   I have had a great shock  and
when I try to think of what it is I feel my head spin round  and I
do not know if it was real of the dreaming of a madman   You know I
had brain fever  and that is to be mad   The secret is here  and I
do not want to know it   I want to take up my life here  with our
marriage    For  my dear  we had decided to be married as soon as
the formalities are complete    Are you willing  Wilhelmina  to
share my ignorance   Here is the book   Take it and keep it  read it
if you will  but never let me know unless  indeed  some solemn duty
should come upon me to go back to the bitter hours  asleep or awake 
sane or mad  recorded here    He fell back exhausted  and I put the
book under his pillow  and kissed him   I have asked Sister Agatha
to beg the Superior to let our wedding be this afternoon  and am
waiting her reply       


 She has come and told me that the Chaplain of the English mission
church has been sent for   We are to be married in an hour  or as
soon after as Jonathan awakes  

 Lucy  the time has come and gone   I feel very solemn  but very 
very happy   Jonathan woke a little after the hour  and all was
ready  and he sat up in bed  propped up with pillows   He answered
his  I will  firmly and strong   I could hardly speak   My heart was
so full that even those words seemed to choke me 

 The dear sisters were so kind   Please  God  I shall never  never
forget them  nor the grave and sweet responsibilities I have taken
upon me   I must tell you of my wedding present   When the chaplain
and the sisters had left me alone with my husband  oh  Lucy  it is
the first time I have written the words  my husband   left me alone
with my husband  I took the book from under his pillow  and wrapped
it up in white paper  and tied it with a little bit of pale blue
ribbon which was round my neck  and sealed it over the knot with
sealing wax  and for my seal I used my wedding ring   Then I kissed
it and showed it to my husband  and told him that I would keep it
so  and then it would be an outward and visible sign for us all our
lives that we trusted each other  that I would never open it unless
it were for his own dear sake or for the sake of some stern duty 
Then he took my hand in his  and oh  Lucy  it was the first time he
took his wife s hand  and said that it was the dearest thing in all
the wide world  and that he would go through all the past again to
win it  if need be   The poor dear meant to have said a part of the
past  but he cannot think of time yet  and I shall not wonder if at
first he mixes up not only the month  but the year 

 Well  my dear  what could I say   I could only tell him that I was
the happiest woman in all the wide world  and that I had nothing to
give him except myself  my life  and my trust  and that with these
went my love and duty for all the days of my life   And  my dear 
when he kissed me  and drew me to him with his poor weak hands  it
was like a solemn pledge between us 

 Lucy dear  do you know why I tell you all this   It is not only
because it is all sweet to me  but because you have been  and are 
very dear to me   It was my privilege to be your friend and guide
when you came from the schoolroom to prepare for the world of life 
I want you to see now  and with the eyes of a very happy wife 
whither duty has led me  so that in your own married life you too
may be all happy  as I am   My dear  please Almighty God  your life
may be all it promises  a long day of sunshine  with no harsh wind 
no forgetting duty  no distrust   I must not wish you no pain  for
that can never be  but I do hope you will be always as happy as I am
now   Goodbye  my dear   I shall post this at once  and perhaps 
write you very soon again   I must stop  for Jonathan is waking   I
must attend my husband 

 Your ever loving
Mina Harker  



LETTER  LUCY WESTENRA TO MINA HARKER 

Whitby  30 August 

 My dearest Mina 

 Oceans of love and millions of kisses  and may you soon be in your
own home with your husband   I wish you were coming home soon enough
to stay with us here   The strong air would soon restore Jonathan 
It has quite restored me   I have an appetite like a cormorant  am
full of life  and sleep well   You will be glad to know that I have
quite given up walking in my sleep   I think I have not stirred out
of my bed for a week  that is when I once got into it at night 
Arthur says I am getting fat   By the way  I forgot to tell you that
Arthur is here   We have such walks and drives  and rides  and
rowing  and tennis  and fishing together  and I love him more than
ever   He tells me that he loves me more  but I doubt that  for at
first he told me that he couldn t love me more than he did then 
But this is nonsense   There he is  calling to me   So no more just
at present from your loving 

 Lucy 

 P S   Mother sends her love   She seems better  poor dear 

 P P S   We are to be married on 28 September  



DR  SEWARDS DIARY

20 August   The case of Renfield grows even more interesting   He has
now so far quieted that there are spells of cessation from his
passion   For the first week after his attack he was perpetually
violent   Then one night  just as the moon rose  he grew quiet  and
kept murmuring to himself    Now I can wait   Now I can wait  

The attendant came to tell me  so I ran down at once to have a look at
him   He was still in the strait waistcoat and in the padded room  but
the suffused look had gone from his face  and his eyes had something
of their old pleading   I might almost say  cringing  softness   I was
satisfied with his present condition  and directed him to be relieved 
The attendants hesitated  but finally carried out my wishes without
protest 

It was a strange thing that the patient had humour enough to see their
distrust  for  coming close to me  he said in a whisper  all the while
looking furtively at them   They think I could hurt you   Fancy me
hurting you   The fools  

It was soothing  somehow  to the feelings to find myself disassociated
even in the mind of this poor madman from the others  but all the same
I do not follow his thought   Am I to take it that I have anything in
common with him  so that we are  as it were  to stand together   Or
has he to gain from me some good so stupendous that my well being is
needful to Him   I must find out later on   Tonight he will not speak 
Even the offer of a kitten or even a full grown cat will not tempt
him 

He will only say   I don t take any stock in cats   I have more to
think of now  and I can wait   I can wait  

After a while I left him   The attendant tells me that he was quiet
until just before dawn  and that then he began to get uneasy  and at
length violent  until at last he fell into a paroxysm which exhausted
him so that he swooned into a sort of coma 


      Three nights has the same thing happened  violent all day then
quiet from moonrise to sunrise   I wish I could get some clue to the
cause   It would almost seem as if there was some influence which came
and went   Happy thought   We shall tonight play sane wits against mad
ones   He escaped before without our help   Tonight he shall escape
with it   We shall give him a chance  and have the men ready to follow
in case they are required 


23 August    The expected always happens    How well Disraeli knew
life   Our bird when he found the cage open would not fly  so all our
subtle arrangements were for nought   At any rate  we have proved one
thing  that the spells of quietness last a reasonable time   We shall
in future be able to ease his bonds for a few hours each day   I have
given orders to the night attendant merely to shut him in the padded
room  when once he is quiet  until the hour before sunrise   The poor
soul s body will enjoy the relief even if his mind cannot appreciate
it   Hark   The unexpected again   I am called   The patient has once
more escaped 


Later   Another night adventure   Renfield artfully waited until the
attendant was entering the room to inspect   Then he dashed out past
him and flew down the passage   I sent word for the attendants to
follow   Again he went into the grounds of the deserted house  and we
found him in the same place  pressed against the old chapel door 
When he saw me he became furious  and had not the attendants seized
him in time  he would have tried to kill me   As we were holding him a
strange thing happened   He suddenly redoubled his efforts  and then
as suddenly grew calm   I looked round instinctively  but could see
nothing   Then I caught the patient s eye and followed it  but could
trace nothing as it looked into the moonlight sky  except a big bat 
which was flapping its silent and ghostly way to the west   Bats
usually wheel about  but this one seemed to go straight on  as if it
knew where it was bound for or had some intention of its own 

The patient grew calmer every instant  and presently said   You
needn t tie me   I shall go quietly    Without trouble  we came back
to the house   I feel there is something ominous in his calm  and
shall not forget this night 



LUCY WESTENRA S DIARY

Hillingham  24 August   I must imitate Mina  and keep writing things
down   Then we can have long talks when we do meet   I wonder when it
will be   I wish she were with me again  for I feel so unhappy   Last
night I seemed to be dreaming again just as I was at Whitby   Perhaps
it is the change of air  or getting home again   It is all dark and
horrid to me  for I can remember nothing   But I am full of vague
fear  and I feel so weak and worn out   When Arthur came to lunch he
looked quite grieved when he saw me  and I hadn t the spirit to try to
be cheerful   I wonder if I could sleep in mother s room tonight   I
shall make an excuse to try 


25 August   Another bad night   Mother did not seem to take to my
proposal   She seems not too well herself  and doubtless she fears to
worry me   I tried to keep awake  and succeeded for a while  but when
the clock struck twelve it waked me from a doze  so I must have been
falling asleep   There was a sort of scratching or flapping at the
window  but I did not mind it  and as I remember no more  I suppose I
must have fallen asleep   More bad dreams   I wish I could remember
them   This morning I am horribly weak   My face is ghastly pale  and
my throat pains me   It must be something wrong with my lungs  for I
don t seem to be getting air enough   I shall try to cheer up when
Arthur comes  or else I know he will be miserable to see me so 



LETTER  ARTHUR TO DR  SEWARD

 Albemarle Hotel  31 August

 My dear Jack 

 I want you to do me a favour   Lucy is ill  that is she has no
special disease  but she looks awful  and is getting worse every
day   I have asked her if there is any cause  I not dare to ask her
mother  for to disturb the poor lady s mind about her daughter in
her present state of health would be fatal   Mrs  Westenra has
confided to me that her doom is spoken  disease of the heart  though
poor Lucy does not know it yet   I am sure that there is something
preying on my dear girl s mind   I am almost distracted when I think
of her   To look at her gives me a pang   I told her I should ask
you to see her  and though she demurred at first  I know why  old
fellow  she finally consented   It will be a painful task for you  I
know  old friend  but it is for her sake  and I must not hesitate to
ask  or you to act   You are to come to lunch at Hillingham
tomorrow  two o clock  so as not to arouse any suspicion in Mrs 
Westenra  and after lunch Lucy will take an opportunity of being
alone with you   I am filled with anxiety  and want to consult with
you alone as soon as I can after you have seen her   Do not fail 

 Arthur  



TELEGRAM  ARTHUR HOLMWOOD TO SEWARD

1 September

 Am summoned to see my father  who is worse   Am writing   Write
me fully by tonight s post to Ring   Wire me if necessary  



LETTER FROM DR  SEWARD TO ARTHUR HOLMWOOD

2 September

 My dear old fellow 

 With regard to Miss Westenra s health I hasten to let you know at
once that in my opinion there is not any functional disturbance or
any malady that I know of   At the same time  I am not by any means
satisfied with her appearance  She is woefully different from what
she was when I saw her last   Of course you must bear in mind that I
did not have full opportunity of examination such as I should wish 
Our very friendship makes a little difficulty which not even medical
science or custom can bridge over   I had better tell you exactly
what happened  leaving you to draw  in a measure  your own
conclusions   I shall then say what I have done and propose doing 

 I found Miss Westenra in seemingly gay spirits   Her mother was
present  and in a few seconds I made up my mind that she was trying
all she knew to mislead her mother and prevent her from being
anxious   I have no doubt she guesses  if she does not know  what
need of caution there is 

 We lunched alone  and as we all exerted ourselves to be cheerful 
we got  as some kind of reward for our labours  some real
cheerfulness amongst us   Then Mrs  Westenra went to lie down  and
Lucy was left with me   We went into her boudoir  and till we got
there her gaiety remained  for the servants were coming and going 

 As soon as the door was closed  however  the mask fell from her
face  and she sank down into a chair with a great sigh  and hid her
eyes with her hand   When I saw that her high spirits had failed  I
at once took advantage of her reaction to make a diagnosis 

 She said to me very sweetly   I cannot tell you how I loathe
talking about myself    I reminded her that a doctor s confidence
was sacred  but that you were grievously anxious about her   She
caught on to my meaning at once  and settled that matter in a word 
 Tell Arthur everything you choose   I do not care for myself  but
for him    So I am quite free 

 I could easily see that she was somewhat bloodless  but I could not
see the usual anemic signs  and by the chance  I was able to test
the actual quality of her blood  for in opening a window which was
stiff a cord gave way  and she cut her hand slightly with broken
glass   It was a slight matter in itself  but it gave me an evident
chance  and I secured a few drops of the blood and have analysed
them 

 The qualitative analysis give a quite normal condition  and shows 
I should infer  in itself a vigorous state of health   In other
physical matters I was quite satisfied that there is no need for
anxiety  but as there must be a cause somewhere  I have come to the
conclusion that it must be something mental 

 She complains of difficulty breathing satisfactorily at times  and
of heavy  lethargic sleep  with dreams that frighten her  but
regarding which she can remember nothing   She says that as a child 
she used to walk in her sleep  and that when in Whitby the habit
came back  and that once she walked out in the night and went to
East Cliff  where Miss Murray found her   But she assures me that of
late the habit has not returned 

 I am in doubt  and so have done the best thing I know of  I have
written to my old friend and master  Professor Van Helsing  of
Amsterdam  who knows as much about obscure diseases as any one in
the world   I have asked him to come over  and as you told me that
all things were to be at your charge  I have mentioned to him who
you are and your relations to Miss Westenra   This  my dear fellow 
is in obedience to your wishes  for I am only too proud and happy to
do anything I can for her 

 Van Helsing would  I know  do anything for me for a personal
reason  so no matter on what ground he comes  we must accept his
wishes   He is a seemingly arbitrary man  this is because he knows
what he is talking about better than any one else   He is a
philosopher and a metaphysician  and one of the most advanced
scientists of his day  and he has  I believe  an absolutely open
mind   This  with an iron nerve  a temper of the ice brook  and
indomitable resolution  self command  and toleration exalted from
virtues to blessings  and the kindliest and truest heart that beats 
these form his equipment for the noble work that he is doing for
mankind  work both in theory and practice  for his views are as wide
as his all embracing sympathy   I tell you these facts that you may
know why I have such confidence in him   I have asked him to come at
once   I shall see Miss Westenra tomorrow again   She is to meet me
at the Stores  so that I may not alarm her mother by too early a
repetition of my call 

 Yours always  

John Seward




LETTER  ABRAHAM VAN HELSING  MD  DPh  D  Lit  ETC  ETC  TO DR  SEWARD

2 September 

 My good Friend 

 When I received your letter I am already coming to you   By good
fortune I can leave just at once  without wrong to any of those who
have trusted me   Were fortune other  then it were bad for those who
have trusted  for I come to my friend when he call me to aid those
he holds dear   Tell your friend that when that time you suck from
my wound so swiftly the poison of the gangrene from that knife that
our other friend  too nervous  let slip  you did more for him when
he wants my aids and you call for them than all his great fortune
could do   But it is pleasure added to do for him  your friend  it
is to you that I come   Have near at hand  and please it so arrange
that we may see the young lady not too late on tomorrow  for it is
likely that I may have to return here that night   But if need be I
shall come again in three days  and stay longer if it must   Till
then goodbye  my friend John 

 Van Helsing  



LETTER  DR  SEWARD TO HON  ARTHUR HOLMWOOD

3 September

 My dear Art 

 Van Helsing has come and gone   He came on with me to Hillingham 
and found that  by Lucy s discretion  her mother was lunching out 
so that we were alone with her 

 Van Helsing made a very careful examination of the patient   He is
to report to me  and I shall advise you  for of course I was not
present all the time   He is  I fear  much concerned  but says he
must think   When I told him of our friendship and how you trust to
me in the matter  he said   You must tell him all you think   Tell
him what I think  if you can guess it  if you will   Nay  I am
not jesting   This is no jest  but life and death  perhaps more    I
asked what he meant by that  for he was very serious   This was when
we had come back to town  and he was having a cup of tea before
starting on his return to Amsterdam   He would not give me any
further clue   You must not be angry with me  Art  because his very
reticence means that all his brains are working for her good   He
will speak plainly enough when the time comes  be sure   So I told
him I would simply write an account of our visit  just as if I were
doing a descriptive special article for THE DAILY TELEGRAPH   He
seemed not to notice  but remarked that the smuts of London were not
quite so bad as they used to be when he was a student here   I am to
get his report tomorrow if he can possibly make it   In any case I
am to have a letter 

 Well  as to the visit  Lucy was more cheerful than on the day I
first saw her  and certainly looked better   She had lost something
of the ghastly look that so upset you  and her breathing was normal 
She was very sweet to the Professor  as she always is   and tried to
make him feel at ease  though I could see the poor girl was making a
hard struggle for it 

 I believe Van Helsing saw it  too  for I saw the quick look
under his bushy brows that I knew of old   Then he began to
chat of all things except ourselves and diseases and with
such an infinite geniality that I could see poor Lucy s
pretense of animation merge into reality   Then  without
any seeming change  he brought the conversation gently round
to his visit  and suavely said 

  My dear young miss  I have the so great pleasure because you are
so much beloved   That is much  my dear  even were there that which
I do not see   They told me you were down in the spirit  and that
you were of a ghastly pale   To them I say  Pouf     And he snapped
his fingers at me and went on    But you and I shall show them how
wrong they are   How can he   and he pointed at me with the same
look and gesture as that with which he pointed me out in his class 
on  or rather after  a particular occasion which he never fails to
remind me of   know anything of a young ladies   He has his madmen
to play with  and to bring them back to happiness  and to those that
love them   It is much to do  and  oh  but there are rewards in that
we can bestow such happiness   But the young ladies   He has no wife
nor daughter  and the young do not tell themselves to the young  but
to the old  like me  who have known so many sorrows and the causes
of them   So  my dear  we will send him away to smoke the cigarette
in the garden  whiles you and I have little talk all to ourselves  
I took the hint  and strolled about  and presently the professor
came to the window and called me in   He looked grave  but said   I
have made careful examination  but there is no functional cause 
With you I agree that there has been much blood lost  it has been
but is not   But the conditions of her are in no way anemic   I have
asked her to send me her maid  that I may ask just one or two
questions  that so I may not chance to miss nothing   I know well
what she will say   And yet there is cause   There is always cause
for everything   I must go back home and think   You must send me
the telegram every day  and if there be cause I shall come again 
The disease  for not to be well is a disease  interest me  and the
sweet  young dear  she interest me too   She charm me  and for her 
if not for you or disease  I come  

 As I tell you  he would not say a word more  even when we were
alone   And so now  Art  you know all I know   I shall keep stern
watch   I trust your poor father is rallying   It must be a terrible
thing to you  my dear old fellow  to be placed in such a position
between two people who are both so dear to you   I know your idea of
duty to your father  and you are right to stick to it   But if need
be  I shall send you word to come at once to Lucy  so do not be
over anxious unless you hear from me  



DR  SEWARD S DIARY

4 September   Zoophagous patient still keeps up our interest in him 
He had only one outburst and that was yesterday at an unusual time 
Just before the stroke of noon he began to grow restless   The
attendant knew the symptoms  and at once summoned aid   Fortunately
the men came at a run  and were just in time  for at the stroke of
noon he became so violent that it took all their strength to hold him 
In about five minutes  however  he began to get more quiet  and
finally sank into a sort of melancholy  in which state he has remained
up to now   The attendant tells me that his screams whilst in the
paroxysm were really appalling   I found my hands full when I got in 
attending to some of the other patients who were frightened by him 
Indeed  I can quite understand the effect  for the sounds disturbed
even me  though I was some distance away   It is now after the dinner
hour of the asylum  and as yet my patient sits in a corner brooding 
with a dull  sullen  woe begone look in his face  which seems rather
to indicate than to show something directly   I cannot quite
understand it 


Later   Another change in my patient   At five o clock I looked in on
him  and found him seemingly as happy and contented as he used to be 
He was catching flies and eating them  and was keeping note of his
capture by making nailmarks on the edge of the door between the ridges
of padding   When he saw me  he came over and apologized for his bad
conduct  and asked me in a very humble  cringing way to be led back to
his own room  and to have his notebook again   I thought it well to
humour him  so he is back in his room with the window open   He has
the sugar of his tea spread out on the window sill  and is reaping
quite a harvest of flies   He is not now eating them  but putting them
into a box  as of old  and is already examining the corners of his
room to find a spider   I tried to get him to talk about the past few
days  for any clue to his thoughts would be of immense help to me  but
he would not rise   For a moment or two he looked very sad  and said
in a sort of far away voice  as though saying it rather to himself
than to me 

 All over   All over   He has deserted me   No hope for me now unless
I do it myself    Then suddenly turning to me in a resolute way  he
said   Doctor  won t you be very good to me and let me have a little
more sugar   I think it would be very good for me  

 And the flies   I said 

 Yes   The flies like it  too  and I like the flies  therefore I like
it    And there are people who know so little as to think that madmen do
not argue   I procured him a double supply  and left him as happy a
man as  I suppose  any in the world   I wish I could fathom his mind 


Midnight   Another change in him   I had been to see Miss Westenra 
whom I found much better  and had just returned  and was standing at
our own gate looking at the sunset  when once more I heard him
yelling   As his room is on this side of the house  I could hear it
better than in the morning   It was a shock to me to turn from the
wonderful smoky beauty of a sunset over London  with its lurid lights
and inky shadows and all the marvellous tints that come on foul clouds
even as on foul water  and to realize all the grim sternness of my own
cold stone building  with its wealth of breathing misery  and my own
desolate heart to endure it all   I reached him just as the sun was
going down  and from his window saw the red disc sink   As it sank he
became less and less frenzied  and just as it dipped he slid from the
hands that held him  an inert mass  on the floor   It is wonderful 
however  what intellectual recuperative power lunatics have  for
within a few minutes he stood up quite calmly and looked around him   I
signalled to the attendants not to hold him  for I was anxious to see
what he would do   He went straight over to the window and brushed out
the crumbs of sugar   Then he took his fly box  and emptied it
outside  and threw away the box   Then he shut the window  and
crossing over  sat down on his bed   All this surprised me  so I asked
him   Are you going to keep flies any more  

 No   said he    I am sick of all that rubbish    He certainly is a
wonderfully interesting study   I wish I could get some glimpse of his
mind or of the cause of his sudden passion   Stop   There may be a
clue after all  if we can find why today his paroxysms came on at high
noon and at sunset   Can it be that there is a malign influence of the
sun at periods which affects certain natures  as at times the moon
does others   We shall see 



TELEGRAM   SEWARD  LONDON  TO VAN HELSING  AMSTERDAM

 4 September   Patient still better today  



TELEGRAM  SEWARD  LONDON  TO VAN HELSING  AMSTERDAM

 5 September   Patient greatly improved   Good appetite  sleeps
naturally  good spirits  colour coming back  



TELEGRAM  SEWARD  LONDON  TO VAN HELSING  AMSTERDAM

 6 September   Terrible change for the worse   Come at once 
Do not lose an hour   I hold over telegram to Holmwood till
have seen you  




CHAPTER 10


LETTER  DR  SEWARD TO HON  ARTHUR HOLMWOOD


6 September

 My dear Art 

 My news today is not so good   Lucy this morning had gone back a
bit   There is  however  one good thing which has arisen from it 
Mrs  Westenra was naturally anxious concerning Lucy  and has
consulted me professionally about her   I took advantage of the
opportunity  and told her that my old master  Van Helsing  the great
specialist  was coming to stay with me  and that I would put her in
his charge conjointly with myself   So now we can come and go
without alarming her unduly  for a shock to her would mean sudden
death  and this  in Lucy s weak condition  might be disastrous to
her   We are hedged in with difficulties  all of us  my poor fellow 
but  please God  we shall come through them all right   If any need
I shall write  so that  if you do not hear from me  take it for
granted that I am simply waiting for news  In haste 

 Yours ever  

John Seward



DR  SEWARD S DIARY

7 September   The first thing Van Helsing said to me when we met at
Liverpool Street was   Have you said anything to our young friend  to
lover of her  

 No   I said    I waited till I had seen you  as I said in my
telegram   I wrote him a letter simply telling him that you were
coming  as Miss Westenra was not so well  and that I should let him
know if need be  

 Right  my friend   he said    Quite right   Better he not know as
yet   Perhaps he will never know   I pray so  but if it be needed 
then he shall know all   And  my good friend John  let me caution you 
You deal with the madmen   All men are mad in some way or the other 
and inasmuch as you deal discreetly with your madmen  so deal with
God s madmen too  the rest of the world   You tell not your madmen
what you do nor why you do it   You tell them not what you think   So
you shall keep knowledge in its place  where it may rest  where it may
gather its kind around it and breed   You and I shall keep as yet what
we know here  and here    He touched me on the heart and on the
forehead  and then touched himself the same way    I have for myself
thoughts at the present   Later I shall unfold to you  

 Why not now   I asked    It may do some good   We may arrive at some
decision    He looked at me and said   My friend John  when the corn is
grown  even before it has ripened  while the milk of its mother earth
is in him  and the sunshine has not yet begun to paint him with his
gold  the husbandman he pull the ear and rub him between his rough
hands  and blow away the green chaff  and say to you   Look   He s
good corn  he will make a good crop when the time comes   

I did not see the application and told him so   For reply he reached
over and took my ear in his hand and pulled it playfully  as he used
long ago to do at lectures  and said   The good husbandman tell you so
then because he knows  but not till then   But you do not find the
good husbandman dig up his planted corn to see if he grow   That is
for the children who play at husbandry  and not for those who take it
as of the work of their life   See you now  friend John   I have sown
my corn  and Nature has her work to do in making it sprout  if he
sprout at all  there s some promise  and I wait till the ear begins to
swell    He broke off  for he evidently saw that I understood   Then he
went on gravely   You were always a careful student  and your case
book was ever more full than the rest   And I trust that good habit
have not fail   Remember  my friend  that knowledge is stronger than
memory  and we should not trust the weaker   Even if you have not kept
the good practice  let me tell you that this case of our dear miss is
one that may be  mind  I say may be  of such interest to us and others
that all the rest may not make him kick the beam  as your people say 
Take then good note of it   Nothing is too small   I counsel you  put
down in record even your doubts and surmises   Hereafter it may be of
interest to you to see how true you guess   We learn from failure  not
from success  

When I described Lucy s symptoms  the same as before  but infinitely
more marked  he looked very grave  but said nothing   He took with him
a bag in which were many instruments and drugs   the ghastly
paraphernalia of our beneficial trade   as he once called  in one of
his lectures  the equipment of a professor of the healing craft 

When we were shown in  Mrs  Westenra met us   She was alarmed  but not
nearly so much as I expected to find her   Nature in one of her
beneficient moods has ordained that even death has some antidote to
its own terrors   Here  in a case where any shock may prove fatal 
matters are so ordered that  from some cause or other  the things not
personal  even the terrible change in her daughter to whom she is so
attached  do not seem to reach her   It is something like the way dame
Nature gathers round a foreign body an envelope of some insensitive
tissue which can protect from evil that which it would otherwise harm
by contact   If this be an ordered selfishness  then we should pause
before we condemn any one for the vice of egoism  for there may be
deeper root for its causes than we have knowledge of 

I used my knowledge of this phase of spiritual pathology  and set down
a rule that she should not be present with Lucy  or think of her
illness more than was absolutely required   She assented readily  so
readily that I saw again the hand of Nature fighting for life   Van
Helsing and I were shown up to Lucy s room   If I was shocked when I
saw her yesterday  I was horrified when I saw her today 

She was ghastly  chalkily pale   The red seemed to have gone even from
her lips and gums  and the bones of her face stood out prominently 
Her breathing was painful to see or hear   Van Helsing s face grew set
as marble  and his eyebrows converged till they almost touched over his
nose   Lucy lay motionless  and did not seem to have strength to
speak  so for a while we were all silent   Then Van Helsing beckoned
to me  and we went gently out of the room   The instant we had closed
the door he stepped quickly along the passage to the next door  which
was open   Then he pulled me quickly in with him and closed the door 
 My god   he said    This is dreadful   There is not time to be lost 
She will die for sheer want of blood to keep the heart s action as it
should be   There must be a transfusion of blood at once   Is it you
or me  

 I am younger and stronger  Professor   It must be me  

 Then get ready at once   I will bring up my bag   I am prepared  

I went downstairs with him  and as we were going there was a knock at
the hall door   When we reached the hall  the maid had just opened the
door  and Arthur was stepping quickly in   He rushed up to me  saying
in an eager whisper 

 Jack  I was so anxious   I read between the lines of your letter  and
have been in an agony   The dad was better  so I ran down here to see
for myself   Is not that gentleman Dr  Van Helsing   I am so thankful
to you  sir  for coming  

When first the Professor s eye had lit upon him  he had been angry at
his interruption at such a time  but now  as he took in his stalwart
proportions and recognized the strong young manhood which seemed to
emanate from him  his eyes gleamed   Without a pause he said to him as
he held out his hand 

 Sir  you have come in time   You are the lover of our dear miss   She
is bad  very  very bad   Nay  my child  do not go like that    For he
suddenly grew pale and sat down in a chair almost fainting    You are
to help her   You can do more than any that live  and your courage is
your best help  

 What can I do   asked Arthur hoarsely    Tell me  and I shall do it 
My life is hers  and I would give the last drop of blood in my body for
her  

The Professor has a strongly humorous side  and I could from old
knowledge detect a trace of its origin in his answer 

 My young sir  I do not ask so much as that  not the last  

 What shall I do    There was fire in his eyes  and his open nostrils
quivered with intent   Van Helsing slapped him on the shoulder 

 Come   he said    You are a man  and it is a man we want   You are
better than me  better than my friend John    Arthur looked bewildered 
and the Professor went on by explaining in a kindly way 

 Young miss is bad  very bad   She wants blood  and blood she must
have or die   My friend John and I have consulted  and we are about to
perform what we call transfusion of blood  to transfer from full veins
of one to the empty veins which pine for him   John was to give his
blood  as he is the more young and strong than me    Here Arthur took
my hand and wrung it hard in silence    But now you are here  you are
more good than us  old or young  who toil much in the world of
thought   Our nerves are not so calm and our blood so bright than
yours  

Arthur turned to him and said   If you only knew how gladly I would
die for her you would understand         He stopped with a sort of
choke in his voice 

 Good boy   said Van Helsing    In the not so far off you will be
happy that you have done all for her you love   Come now and be
silent   You shall kiss her once before it is done  but then you must
go  and you must leave at my sign   Say no word to Madame   You know
how it is with her   There must be no shock  any knowledge of this
would be one   Come  

We all went up to Lucy s room   Arthur by direction remained outside 
Lucy turned her head and looked at us  but said nothing   She was not
asleep  but she was simply too weak to make the effort   Her eyes
spoke to us  that was all 

Van Helsing took some things from his bag and laid them on a little
table out of sight   Then he mixed a narcotic  and coming over to the
bed  said cheerily   Now  little miss  here is your medicine   Drink
it off  like a good child   See  I lift you so that to swallow is
easy   Yes    She had made the effort with success 

It astonished me how long the drug took to act   This  in fact  marked
the extent of her weakness   The time seemed endless until sleep began
to flicker in her eyelids   At last  however  the narcotic began to
manifest its potency  and she fell into a deep sleep   When the
Professor was satisfied  he called Arthur into the room  and bade him
strip off his coat   Then he added   You may take that one little kiss
whiles I bring over the table   Friend John  help to me    So neither
of us looked whilst he bent over her 

Van Helsing  turning to me  said   He is so young and strong  and of
blood so pure that we need not defibrinate it  

Then with swiftness  but with absolute method  Van Helsing performed
the operation   As the transfusion went on  something like life seemed
to come back to poor Lucy s cheeks  and through Arthur s growing
pallor the joy of his face seemed absolutely to shine   After a bit I
began to grow anxious  for the loss of blood was telling on Arthur 
strong man as he was   It gave me an idea of what a terrible strain
Lucy s system must have undergone that what weakened Arthur only
partially restored her 

But the Professor s face was set  and he stood watch in hand  and with
his eyes fixed now on the patient and now on Arthur   I could hear my
own heart beat   Presently  he said in a soft voice   Do not stir an
instant   It is enough   You attend him   I will look to her  

When all was over  I could see how much Arthur was weakened   I
dressed the wound and took his arm to bring him away  when Van Helsing
spoke without turning round  the man seems to have eyes in the back of
his head   The brave lover  I think  deserve another kiss  which he
shall have presently    And as he had now finished his operation  he
adjusted the pillow to the patient s head   As he did so the narrow
black velvet band which she seems always to wear round her throat 
buckled with an old diamond buckle which her lover had given her  was
dragged a little up  and showed a red mark on her throat 

Arthur did not notice it  but I could hear the deep hiss of indrawn
breath which is one of Van Helsing s ways of betraying emotion   He
said nothing at the moment  but turned to me  saying   Now take down
our brave young lover  give him of the port wine  and let him lie down
a while   He must then go home and rest  sleep much and eat much  that
he may be recruited of what he has so given to his love   He must not
stay here   Hold a moment   I may take it  sir  that you are anxious
of result   Then bring it with you  that in all ways the operation is
successful   You have saved her life this time  and you can go home
and rest easy in mind that all that can be is   I shall tell her all
when she is well   She shall love you none the less for what you have
done   Goodbye  

When Arthur had gone I went back to the room   Lucy was sleeping
gently  but her breathing was stronger   I could see the counterpane
move as her breast heaved   By the bedside sat Van Helsing  looking at
her intently   The velvet band again covered the red mark   I asked
the Professor in a whisper   What do you make of that mark on her
throat  

 What do you make of it  

 I have not examined it yet   I answered  and then and there proceeded
to loose the band   Just over the external jugular vein there were two
punctures  not large  but not wholesome looking   There was no sign of
disease  but the edges were white and worn looking  as if by some
trituration   It at once occurred to me that that this wound  or
whatever it was  might be the means of that manifest loss of blood 
But I abandoned the idea as soon as it formed  for such a thing could
not be   The whole bed would have been drenched to a scarlet with the
blood which the girl must have lost to leave such a pallor as she had
before the transfusion 

 Well   said Van Helsing 

 Well   said I    I can make nothing of it  

The Professor stood up    I must go back to Amsterdam tonight   he
said  There are books and things there which I want   You must remain
here all night  and you must not let your sight pass from her  

 Shall I have a nurse   I asked 

 We are the best nurses  you and I   You keep watch all night   See
that she is well fed  and that nothing disturbs her   You must not
sleep all the night   Later on we can sleep  you and I   I shall be
back as soon as possible   And then we may begin  

 May begin   I said    What on earth do you mean  

 We shall see   he answered  as he hurried out   He came back a moment
later and put his head inside the door and said with a warning finger
held up   Remember  she is your charge   If you leave her  and harm
befall  you shall not sleep easy hereafter  



DR  SEWARD S DIARY  CONTINUED

8 September   I sat up all night with Lucy   The opiate worked itself
off towards dusk  and she waked naturally   She looked a different
being from what she had been before the operation   Her spirits even
were good  and she was full of a happy vivacity  but I could see
evidences of the absolute prostration which she had undergone   When I
told Mrs  Westenra that Dr  Van Helsing had directed that I should sit
up with her  she almost pooh poohed the idea  pointing out her
daughter s renewed strength and excellent spirits   I was firm 
however  and made preparations for my long vigil   When her maid had
prepared her for the night I came in  having in the meantime had
supper  and took a seat by the bedside 

She did not in any way make objection  but looked at me gratefully
whenever I caught her eye   After a long spell she seemed sinking off
to sleep  but with an effort seemed to pull herself together and shook
it off   It was apparent that she did not want to sleep  so I tackled
the subject at once 

 You do not want to sleep  

 No   I am afraid  

 Afraid to go to sleep   Why so   It is the boon we all crave for  

 Ah  not if you were like me  if sleep was to you a presage of
horror  

 A presage of horror   What on earth do you mean  

 I don t know   Oh  I don t know   And that is what is so terrible 
All this weakness comes to me in sleep  until I dread the very
thought  

 But  my dear girl  you may sleep tonight   I am here watching you 
and I can promise that nothing will happen  

 Ah  I can trust you   she said 

I seized the opportunity  and said   I promise that if I see any
evidence of bad dreams I will wake you at once  

 You will   Oh  will you really   How good you are to me   Then I will
sleep    And almost at the word she gave a deep sigh of relief  and
sank back  asleep 

All night long I watched by her   She never stirred  but slept on and
on in a deep  tranquil  life giving  health giving sleep   Her lips
were slightly parted  and her breast rose and fell with the regularity
of a pendulum   There was a smile on her face  and it was evident that
no bad dreams had come to disturb her peace of mind 

In the early morning her maid came  and I left her in her care and took
myself back home  for I was anxious about many things   I sent a short
wire to Van Helsing and to Arthur  telling them of the excellent
result of the operation   My own work  with its manifold arrears  took
me all day to clear off   It was dark when I was able to inquire about
my zoophagous patient   The report was good   He had been quite quiet
for the past day and night   A telegram came from Van Helsing at
Amsterdam whilst I was at dinner  suggesting that I should be at
Hillingham tonight  as it might be well to be at hand  and stating
that he was leaving by the night mail and would join me early in the
morning 


9 September   I was pretty tired and worn out when I got to
Hillingham   For two nights I had hardly had a wink of sleep  and my
brain was beginning to feel that numbness which marks cerebral
exhaustion   Lucy was up and in cheerful spirits   When she shook
hands with me she looked sharply in my face and said 

 No sitting up tonight for you   You are worn out   I am quite well
again   Indeed  I am  and if there is to be any sitting up  it is I
who will sit up with you  

I would not argue the point  but went and had my supper   Lucy came
with me  and  enlivened by her charming presence  I made an excellent
meal  and had a couple of glasses of the more than excellent port 
Then Lucy took me upstairs  and showed me a room next her own  where a
cozy fire was burning 

 Now   she said    You must stay here   I shall leave this door open
and my door too   You can lie on the sofa for I know that nothing
would induce any of you doctors to go to bed whilst there is a patient
above the horizon   If I want anything I shall call out  and you can
come to me at once  

I could not but acquiesce  for I was dog tired  and could not have sat
up had I tried   So  on her renewing her promise to call me if she
should want anything  I lay on the sofa  and forgot all about
everything 



LUCY WESTENRA S DIARY

9 September   I feel so happy tonight   I have been so miserably weak 
that to be able to think and move about is like feeling sunshine after
a long spell of east wind out of a steel sky   Somehow Arthur feels
very  very close to me   I seem to feel his presence warm about me   I
suppose it is that sickness and weakness are selfish things and turn
our inner eyes and sympathy on ourselves  whilst health and strength
give love rein  and in thought and feeling he can wander where he
wills   I know where my thoughts are   If only Arthur knew   My dear 
my dear  your ears must tingle as you sleep  as mine do waking   Oh 
the blissful rest of last night   How I slept  with that dear  good
Dr  Seward watching me   And tonight I shall not fear to sleep  since
he is close at hand and within call   Thank everybody for being so
good to me   Thank God   Goodnight Arthur 



DR  SEWARD S DIARY

10 September   I was conscious of the Professor s hand on my head  and
started awake all in a second   That is one of the things that we
learn in an asylum  at any rate 

 And how is our patient  

 Well  when I left her  or rather when she left me   I answered 

 Come  let us see   he said   And together we went into the room 

The blind was down  and I went over to raise it gently  whilst Van
Helsing stepped  with his soft  cat like tread  over to the bed 

As I raised the blind  and the morning sunlight flooded the room  I
heard the Professor s low hiss of inspiration  and knowing its rarity 
a deadly fear shot through my heart   As I passed over he moved back 
and his exclamation of horror   Gott in Himmel   needed no enforcement
from his agonized face   He raised his hand and pointed to the bed 
and his iron face was drawn and ashen white   I felt my knees begin to
tremble 

There on the bed  seemingly in a swoon  lay poor Lucy  more horribly
white and wan looking than ever   Even the lips were white  and the
gums seemed to have shrunken back from the teeth  as we sometimes see
in a corpse after a prolonged illness 

Van Helsing raised his foot to stamp in anger  but the instinct of his
life and all the long years of habit stood to him  and he put it down
again softly 

 Quick   he said    Bring the brandy  

I flew to the dining room  and returned with the decanter   He wetted
the poor white lips with it  and together we rubbed palm and wrist and
heart   He felt her heart  and after a few moments of agonizing
suspense said 

 It is not too late   It beats  though but feebly   All our work is
undone   We must begin again   There is no young Arthur here now   I
have to call on you yourself this time  friend John    As he spoke  he
was dipping into his bag  and producing the instruments of
transfusion   I had taken off my coat and rolled up my shirt sleeve 
There was no possibility of an opiate just at present  and no need of
one  and so  without a moment s delay  we began the operation 

After a time  it did not seem a short time either  for the draining
away of one s blood  no matter how willingly it be given  is a
terrible feeling  Van Helsing held up a warning finger    Do not
stir   he said    But I fear that with growing strength she may wake 
and that would make danger  oh  so much danger   But I shall
precaution take   I shall give hypodermic injection of morphia    He
proceeded then  swiftly and deftly  to carry out his intent 

The effect on Lucy was not bad  for the faint seemed to merge subtly
into the narcotic sleep   It was with a feeling of personal pride that
I could see a faint tinge of colour steal back into the pallid cheeks
and lips   No man knows  till he experiences it  what it is to feel
his own lifeblood drawn away into the veins of the woman he loves 

The Professor watched me critically    That will do   he said 
 Already   I remonstrated    You took a great deal more from Art    To
which he smiled a sad sort of smile as he replied 

 He is her lover  her fiance   You have work  much work to do for her
and for others  and the present will suffice  

When we stopped the operation  he attended to Lucy  whilst I applied
digital pressure to my own incision   I laid down  while I waited his
leisure to attend to me  for I felt faint and a little sick   By and
by he bound up my wound  and sent me downstairs to get a glass of wine
for myself   As I was leaving the room  he came after me  and half
whispered 

 Mind  nothing must be said of this   If our young lover should turn
up unexpected  as before  no word to him   It would at once frighten
him and enjealous him  too   There must be none   So  

When I came back he looked at me carefully  and then said   You are
not much the worse   Go into the room  and lie on your sofa  and rest
awhile  then have much breakfast and come here to me  

I followed out his orders  for I knew how right and wise they were   I
had done my part  and now my next duty was to keep up my strength   I
felt very weak  and in the weakness lost something of the amazement at
what had occurred   I fell asleep on the sofa  however  wondering over
and over again how Lucy had made such a retrograde movement  and how
she could have been drained of so much blood with no sign any where to
show for it   I think I must have continued my wonder in my dreams 
for  sleeping and waking my thoughts always came back to the little
punctures in her throat and the ragged  exhausted appearance of their
edges  tiny though they were 

Lucy slept well into the day  and when she woke she was fairly well
and strong  though not nearly so much so as the day before   When Van
Helsing had seen her  he went out for a walk  leaving me in charge 
with strict injunctions that I was not to leave her for a moment   I
could hear his voice in the hall  asking the way to the nearest
telegraph office 

Lucy chatted with me freely  and seemed quite unconscious that
anything had happened   I tried to keep her amused and interested 
When her mother came up to see her  she did not seem to notice any
change whatever  but said to me gratefully 

 We owe you so much  Dr  Seward  for all you have done  but you really
must now take care not to overwork yourself   You are looking pale
yourself   You want a wife to nurse and look after you a bit  that you
do    As she spoke  Lucy turned crimson  though it was only
momentarily  for her poor wasted veins could not stand for long an
unwonted drain to the head   The reaction came in excessive pallor as
she turned imploring eyes on me   I smiled and nodded  and laid my
finger on my lips   With a sigh  she sank back amid her pillows 

Van Helsing returned in a couple of hours  and presently said to me 
 Now you go home  and eat much and drink enough   Make yourself
strong   I stay here tonight  and I shall sit up with little miss
myself   You and I must watch the case  and we must have none other to
know   I have grave reasons   No  do not ask me   Think what you will 
Do not fear to think even the most not improbable   Goodnight  

In the hall two of the maids came to me  and asked if they or either
of them might not sit up with Miss Lucy   They implored me to let
them  and when I said it was Dr  Van Helsing s wish that either he or
I should sit up  they asked me quite piteously to intercede with
the  foreign gentleman    I was much touched by their kindness   Perhaps
it is because I am weak at present  and perhaps because it was on
Lucy s account  that their devotion was manifested   For over and over
again have I seen similar instances of woman s kindness   I got back
here in time for a late dinner  went my rounds  all well  and set this
down whilst waiting for sleep   It is coming 


11 September   This afternoon I went over to Hillingham   Found Van
Helsing in excellent spirits  and Lucy much better   Shortly after I
had arrived  a big parcel from abroad came for the Professor   He
opened it with much impressment  assumed  of course  and showed a
great bundle of white flowers 

 These are for you  Miss Lucy   he said 

 For me   Oh  Dr  Van Helsing  

 Yes  my dear  but not for you to play with   These are medicines  
Here Lucy made a wry face    Nay  but they are not to take in a
decoction or in nauseous form  so you need not snub that so charming
nose  or I shall point out to my friend Arthur what woes he may have
to endure in seeing so much beauty that he so loves so much distort 
Aha  my pretty miss  that bring the so nice nose all straight again 
This is medicinal  but you do not know how   I put him in your window 
I make pretty wreath  and hang him round your neck  so you sleep well 
Oh  yes   They  like the lotus flower  make your trouble forgotten 
It smell so like the waters of Lethe  and of that fountain of youth
that the Conquistadores sought for in the Floridas  and find him all
too late  

Whilst he was speaking  Lucy had been examining the flowers and
smelling them   Now she threw them down saying  with half laughter 
and half disgust 

 Oh  Professor  I believe you are only putting up a joke on me   Why 
these flowers are only common garlic  

To my surprise  Van Helsing rose up and said with all his sternness 
his iron jaw set and his bushy eyebrows meeting 

 No trifling with me   I never jest   There is grim purpose in what I
do  and I warn you that you do not thwart me   Take care  for the sake
of others if not for your own    Then seeing poor Lucy scared  as she
might well be  he went on more gently   Oh  little miss  my dear  do
not fear me   I only do for your good  but there is much virtue to you
in those so common flowers   See  I place them myself in your room   I
make myself the wreath that you are to wear   But hush   No telling to
others that make so inquisitive questions   We must obey  and silence
is a part of obedience  and obedience is to bring you strong and well
into loving arms that wait for you   Now sit still a while   Come with
me  friend John  and you shall help me deck the room with my garlic 
which is all the way from Haarlem  where my friend Vanderpool raise
herb in his glass houses all the year   I had to telegraph yesterday 
or they would not have been here  

We went into the room  taking the flowers with us   The Professor s
actions were certainly odd and not to be found in any pharmacopeia
that I ever heard of   First he fastened up the windows and latched
them securely   Next  taking a handful of the flowers  he rubbed them
all over the sashes  as though to ensure that every whiff of air that
might get in would be laden with the garlic smell   Then with the wisp
he rubbed all over the jamb of the door  above  below  and at each
side  and round the fireplace in the same way   It all seemed
grotesque to me  and presently I said   Well  Professor  I know you
always have a reason for what you do  but this certainly puzzles me 
It is well we have no sceptic here  or he would say that you were
working some spell to keep out an evil spirit  

 Perhaps I am   he answered quietly as he began to make the wreath
which Lucy was to wear round her neck 

We then waited whilst Lucy made her toilet for the night  and when she
was in bed he came and himself fixed the wreath of garlic round her
neck   The last words he said to her were 

 Take care you do not disturb it  and even if the room feel close  do
not tonight open the window or the door  

 I promise   said Lucy    And thank you both a thousand times for all
your kindness to me   Oh  what have I done to be blessed with such
friends  

As we left the house in my fly  which was waiting  Van Helsing said 
 Tonight I can sleep in peace  and sleep I want  two nights of travel 
much reading in the day between  and much anxiety on the day to
follow  and a night to sit up  without to wink   Tomorrow in the
morning early you call for me  and we come together to see our pretty
miss  so much more strong for my  spell  which I have work   Ho  ho  

He seemed so confident that I  remembering my own confidence two
nights before and with the baneful result  felt awe and vague terror 
It must have been my weakness that made me hesitate to tell it to my
friend  but I felt it all the more  like unshed tears 




CHAPTER 11


LUCY WESTENRA S DIARY

12 September   How good they all are to me   I quite love that dear
Dr  Van Helsing   I wonder why he was so anxious about these flowers 
He positively frightened me  he was so fierce   And yet he must have
been right  for I feel comfort from them already   Somehow  I do not
dread being alone tonight  and I can go to sleep without fear   I
shall not mind any flapping outside the window   Oh  the terrible
struggle that I have had against sleep so often of late  the pain of
sleeplessness  or the pain of the fear of sleep  and with such unknown
horrors as it has for me   How blessed are some people  whose lives
have no fears  no dreads  to whom sleep is a blessing that comes
nightly  and brings nothing but sweet dreams   Well  here I am
tonight  hoping for sleep  and lying like Ophelia in the play  with
 virgin crants and maiden strewments    I never liked garlic before 
but tonight it is delightful   There is peace in its smell   I feel
sleep coming already   Goodnight  everybody 



DR  SEWARD S DIARY

13 September   Called at the Berkeley and found Van Helsing  as usual 
up to time   The carriage ordered from the hotel was waiting   The
Professor took his bag  which he always brings with him now 

Let all be put down exactly   Van Helsing and I arrived at Hillingham
at eight o clock   It was a lovely morning   The bright sunshine and
all the fresh feeling of early autumn seemed like the completion of
nature s annual work   The leaves were turning to all kinds of
beautiful colours  but had not yet begun to drop from the trees   When
we entered we met Mrs  Westenra coming out of the morning room   She
is always an early riser   She greeted us warmly and said 

 You will be glad to know that Lucy is better   The dear child is
still asleep   I looked into her room and saw her  but did not go in 
lest I should disturb her    The Professor smiled  and looked quite
jubilant   He rubbed his hands together  and said   Aha   I thought I
had diagnosed the case   My treatment is working  

To which she replied   You must not take all the credit to yourself 
doctor   Lucy s state this morning is due in part to me  

 How do you mean  ma am   asked the Professor 

 Well  I was anxious about the dear child in the night  and went into
her room   She was sleeping soundly  so soundly that even my coming
did not wake her   But the room was awfully stuffy   There were a lot
of those horrible  strong smelling flowers about everywhere  and she
had actually a bunch of them round her neck   I feared that the heavy
odour would be too much for the dear child in her weak state  so I took
them all away and opened a bit of the window to let in a little fresh
air   You will be pleased with her  I am sure  

She moved off into her boudoir  where she usually breakfasted early 
As she had spoken  I watched the Professor s face  and saw it turn
ashen gray   He had been able to retain his self command whilst the
poor lady was present  for he knew her state and how mischievous a
shock would be   He actually smiled on her as he held open the door
for her to pass into her room   But the instant she had disappeared he
pulled me  suddenly and forcibly  into the dining room and closed the
door 

Then  for the first time in my life  I saw Van Helsing break down   He
raised his hands over his head in a sort of mute despair  and then
beat his palms together in a helpless way   Finally he sat down on a
chair  and putting his hands before his face  began to sob  with loud 
dry sobs that seemed to come from the very racking of his heart 

Then he raised his arms again  as though appealing to the whole
universe    God   God   God   he said    What have we done  what has
this poor thing done  that we are so sore beset   Is there fate
amongst us still  send down from the pagan world of old  that such
things must be  and in such way   This poor mother  all unknowing  and
all for the best as she think  does such thing as lose her daughter
body and soul  and we must not tell her  we must not even warn her  or
she die  then both die   Oh  how we are beset   How are all the powers
of the devils against us  

Suddenly he jumped to his feet    Come   he said   come  we must see and
act   Devils or no devils  or all the devils at once  it matters not 
We must fight him all the same    He went to the hall door for his
bag  and together we went up to Lucy s room 

Once again I drew up the blind  whilst Van Helsing went towards the
bed   This time he did not start as he looked on the poor face with
the same awful  waxen pallor as before   He wore a look of stern
sadness and infinite pity 

 As I expected   he murmured  with that hissing inspiration of his
which meant so much   Without a word he went and locked the door  and
then began to set out on the little table the instruments for yet
another operation of transfusion of blood   I had long ago recognized
the necessity  and begun to take off my coat  but he stopped me with a
warning hand    No   he said    Today you must operate   I shall
provide   You are weakened already    As he spoke he took off his coat
and rolled up his shirtsleeve 

Again the operation   Again the narcotic   Again some return of colour
to the ashy cheeks  and the regular breathing of healthy sleep   This
time I watched whilst Van Helsing recruited himself and rested 

Presently he took an opportunity of telling Mrs  Westenra that she
must not remove anything from Lucy s room without consulting him 
That the flowers were of medicinal value  and that the breathing of
their odour was a part of the system of cure   Then he took over the
care of the case himself  saying that he would watch this night and
the next  and would send me word when to come 

After another hour Lucy waked from her sleep  fresh and bright and
seemingly not much the worse for her terrible ordeal 

What does it all mean   I am beginning to wonder if my long habit of
life amongst the insane is beginning to tell upon my own brain 



LUCY WESTENRA S DIARY

17 September   Four days and nights of peace   I am getting so strong
again that I hardly know myself   It is as if I had passed through
some long nightmare  and had just awakened to see the beautiful
sunshine and feel the fresh air of the morning around me   I have a
dim half remembrance of long  anxious times of waiting and fearing 
darkness in which there was not even the pain of hope to make present
distress more poignant   And then long spells of oblivion  and the
rising back to life as a diver coming up through a great press of
water   Since  however  Dr  Van Helsing has been with me  all this bad
dreaming seems to have passed away   The noises that used to frighten
me out of my wits  the flapping against the windows  the distant
voices which seemed so close to me  the harsh sounds that came from I
know not where and commanded me to do I know not what  have all
ceased   I go to bed now without any fear of sleep   I do not even try
to keep awake   I have grown quite fond of the garlic  and a boxful
arrives for me every day from Haarlem   Tonight Dr  Van Helsing is
going away  as he has to be for a day in Amsterdam   But I need not be
watched   I am well enough to be left alone 

Thank God for Mother s sake  and dear Arthur s  and for all our
friends who have been so kind   I shall not even feel the change  for
last night Dr  Van Helsing slept in his chair a lot of the time   I
found him asleep twice when I awoke   But I did not fear to go to
sleep again  although the boughs or bats or something flapped almost
angrily against the window panes 




THE PALL MALL GAZETTE 18 September 

THE ESCAPED WOLF PERILOUS ADVENTURE OF OUR INTERVIEWER

INTERVIEW WITH THE KEEPER IN THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS

After many inquiries and almost as many refusals  and perpetually
using the words  PALL MALL GAZETTE  as a sort of talisman  I managed
to find the keeper of the section of the Zoological Gardens in which
the wolf department is included   Thomas Bilder lives in one of the
cottages in the enclosure behind the elephant house  and was just
sitting down to his tea when I found him   Thomas and his wife are
hospitable folk  elderly  and without children  and if the specimen
I enjoyed of their hospitality be of the average kind  their lives
must be pretty comfortable   The keeper would not enter on what he
called business until the supper was over  and we were all
satisfied   Then when the table was cleared  and he had lit his
pipe  he said 

 Now  Sir  you can go on and arsk me what you want   You ll excoose
me refoosin  to talk of perfeshunal subjucts afore meals   I gives
the wolves and the jackals and the hyenas in all our section their
tea afore I begins to arsk them questions  

 How do you mean  ask them questions   I queried  wishful to get him
into a talkative humor 

  Ittin  of them over the  ead with a pole is one way   Scratchin  of
their ears in another  when gents as is flush wants a bit of a show orf
to their gals   I don t so much mind the fust  the  ittin of the
pole part afore I chucks in their dinner  but I waits till they ve
 ad their sherry and kawffee  so to speak  afore I tries on with the
ear scratchin    Mind you   he added philosophically   there s a
deal of the same nature in us as in them theer animiles  Here s you
a comin  and arskin  of me questions about my business  and I that
grump like that only for your bloomin   arf quid I d  a  seen you
blowed fust  fore I d answer   Not even when you arsked me sarcastic
like if I d like you to arsk the Superintendent if you might arsk me
questions   Without offence did I tell yer to go to  ell  

 You did  

 An  when you said you d report me for usin  obscene language that
was  ittin  me over the  ead   But the  arf quid made that all
right   I weren t a goin  to fight  so I waited for the food  and
did with my  owl as the wolves and lions and tigers does   But  lor 
love yer  art  now that the old  ooman has stuck a chunk of her
tea cake in me  an  rinsed me out with her bloomin  old teapot  and I ve
lit hup  you may scratch my ears for all you re worth  and won t
even get a growl out of me   Drive along with your questions   I
know what yer a comin  at  that  ere escaped wolf  

 Exactly   I want you to give me your view of it   Just tell me how
it happened  and when I know the facts I ll get you to say what you
consider was the cause of it  and how you think the whole affair
will end  

 All right  guv nor   This  ere is about the  ole story 
That  ere wolf what we called Bersicker was one of three gray
ones that came from Norway to Jamrach s  which we bought
off him four years ago   He was a nice well behaved wolf 
that never gave no trouble to talk of   I m more surprised
at  im for wantin  to get out nor any other animile in the
place   But  there  you can t trust wolves no more nor women  

 Don t you mind him  Sir   broke in Mrs  Tom  with a cheery
laugh     E s got mindin  the animiles so long that blest
if he ain t like a old wolf  isself   But there ain t no
 arm in  im  

 Well  Sir  it was about two hours after feedin  yesterday when I
first hear my disturbance   I was makin  up a litter in the monkey
house for a young puma which is ill   But when I heard the yelpin 
and  owlin  I kem away straight   There was Bersicker a tearin  like
a mad thing at the bars as if he wanted to get out   There wasn t
much people about that day  and close at hand was only one man  a
tall  thin chap  with a  ook nose and a pointed beard  with a few
white hairs runnin  through it   He had a  ard  cold look and red
eyes  and I took a sort of mislike to him  for it seemed as if it
was  im as they was hirritated at   He  ad white kid gloves on  is
 ands  and he pointed out the animiles to me and says   Keeper 
these wolves seem upset at something  

  Maybe it s you   says I  for I did not like the airs as he
give  isself   He didn t get angry  as I  oped he would  but
he smiled a kind of insolent smile  with a mouth full of white 
sharp teeth    Oh no  they wouldn t like me    e says 

  Ow yes  they would   says I  a imitatin  of him    They
always like a bone or two to clean their teeth on about tea
time  which you  as a bagful  

 Well  it was a odd thing  but when the animiles see us
a talkin  they lay down  and when I went over to Bersicker
he let me stroke his ears same as ever   That there man kem
over  and blessed but if he didn t put in his hand and stroke
the old wolf s ears too 

  Tyke care   says I   Bersicker is quick  

  Never mind   he says   I m used to  em  

  Are you in the business yourself   I says  tyking off my
 at  for a man what trades in wolves  anceterer  is a good
friend to keepers 

  Nom   says he   not exactly in the business  but I  ave made pets
of several    And with that he lifts his  at as perlite as a lord 
and walks away   Old Bersicker kep  a lookin  arter  im till  e was
out of sight  and then went and lay down in a corner and wouldn t
come hout the  ole hevening   Well  larst night  so soon as the moon
was hup  the wolves here all began a  owling   There warn t nothing
for them to  owl at   There warn t no one near  except some one that
was evidently a callin  a dog somewheres out back of the gardings in
the Park road   Once or twice I went out to see that all was right 
and it was  and then the  owling stopped   Just before twelve
o clock I just took a look round afore turnin  in  an   bust me  but
when I kem opposite to old Bersicker s cage I see the rails broken
and twisted about and the cage empty   And that s all I know for
certing  

 Did any one else see anything  

 One of our gard ners was a comin   ome about that time from a
 armony  when he sees a big gray dog comin  out through the garding
 edges   At least  so he says  but I don t give much for it myself 
for if he did  e never said a word about it to his missis when  e
got  ome  and it was only after the escape of the wolf was made
known  and we had been up all night a huntin  of the Park for
Bersicker  that he remembered seein  anything   My own belief was
that the  armony  ad got into his  ead  

 Now  Mr  Bilder  can you account in any way for the escape
of the wolf  

 Well  Sir   he said  with a suspicious sort of modesty   I think I
can  but I don t know as  ow you d be satisfied with the theory  

 Certainly I shall   If a man like you  who knows the animals from
experience  can t hazard a good guess at any rate  who is even to
try  

 Well then  Sir  I accounts for it this way   It seems to me that
 ere wolf escaped  simply because he wanted to get out  

From the hearty way that both Thomas and his wife laughed at the
joke I could see that it had done service before  and that the whole
explanation was simply an elaborate sell   I couldn t cope in
badinage with the worthy Thomas  but I thought I knew a surer way to
his heart  so I said   Now  Mr  Bilder  we ll consider that first
half sovereign worked off  and this brother of his is waiting to be
claimed when you ve told me what you think will happen  

 Right y are  Sir   he said briskly    Ye ll excoose me  I
know  for a chaffin  of ye  but the old woman here winked at
me  which was as much as telling me to go on  

 Well  I never   said the old lady 

 My opinion is this  that  ere wolf is a idin  of  somewheres   The
gard ner wot didn t remember said he was a gallopin  northward
faster than a horse could go  but I don t believe him  for  yer see 
Sir  wolves don t gallop no more nor dogs does  they not bein  built
that way   Wolves is fine things in a storybook  and I dessay when
they gets in packs and does be chivyin  somethin  that s more
afeared than they is they can make a devil of a noise and chop it
up  whatever it is   But  Lor  bless you  in real life a wolf is
only a low creature  not half so clever or bold as a good dog  and
not half a quarter so much fight in  im   This one ain t been used
to fightin  or even to providin  for hisself  and more like he s
somewhere round the Park a hidin  an  a shiverin  of  and if he
thinks at all  wonderin  where he is to get his breakfast from   Or
maybe he s got down some area and is in a coal cellar   My eye 
won t some cook get a rum start when she sees his green eyes
a shinin  at her out of the dark   If he can t get food he s bound to
look for it  and mayhap he may chance to light on a butcher s shop
in time   If he doesn t  and some nursemaid goes out walkin  or orf
with a soldier  leavin  of the hinfant in the perambulator  well 
then I shouldn t be surprised if the census is one babby the less 
That s all  

I was handing him the half sovereign  when something came bobbing up
against the window  and Mr  Bilder s face doubled its natural length
with surprise 

 God bless me   he said    If there ain t old Bersicker come back by
 isself  

He went to the door and opened it  a most unnecessary proceeding it
seemed to me   I have always thought that a wild animal never looks
so well as when some obstacle of pronounced durability is between
us   A personal experience has intensified rather than diminished
that idea 

After all  however  there is nothing like custom  for neither Bilder
nor his wife thought any more of the wolf than I should of a dog 
The animal itself was a peaceful and well behaved as that father of
all picture wolves  Red Riding Hood s quondam friend  whilst moving
her confidence in masquerade 

The whole scene was a unutterable mixture of comedy and
pathos   The wicked wolf that for a half a day had
paralyzed London and set all the children in town shivering
in their shoes  was there in a sort of penitent mood  and
was received and petted like a sort of vulpine prodigal
son   Old Bilder examined him all over with most tender
solicitude  and when he had finished with his penitent
said 

 There  I knew the poor old chap would get into some kind of
trouble   Didn t I say it all along   Here s his head all
cut and full of broken glass    E s been a gettin  over
some bloomin  wall or other   It s a shyme that people are
allowed to top their walls with broken bottles   This  ere s
what comes of it   Come along  Bersicker  

He took the wolf and locked him up in a cage  with a piece
of meat that satisfied  in quantity at any rate  the elementary
conditions of the fatted calf  and went off to report 

I came off too  to report the only exclusive information
that is given today regarding the strange escapade at the
Zoo 



DR  SEWARD S DIARY

17 September   I was engaged after dinner in my study posting up my
books  which  through press of other work and the many visits to Lucy 
had fallen sadly into arrear   Suddenly the door was burst open  and
in rushed my patient  with his face distorted with passion   I was
thunderstruck  for such a thing as a patient getting of his own accord
into the Superintendent s study is almost unknown 

Without an instant s notice he made straight at me   He had a dinner
knife in his hand  and as I saw he was dangerous  I tried to keep the
table between us   He was too quick and too strong for me  however 
for before I could get my balance he had struck at me and cut my left
wrist rather severely 

Before he could strike again  however  I got in my right hand and he
was sprawling on his back on the floor   My wrist bled freely  and
quite a little pool trickled on to the carpet   I saw that my friend
was not intent on further effort  and occupied myself binding up my
wrist  keeping a wary eye on the prostrate figure all the time   When
the attendants rushed in  and we turned our attention to him  his
employment positively sickened me   He was lying on his belly on the
floor licking up  like a dog  the blood which had fallen from my
wounded wrist   He was easily secured  and to my surprise  went with
the attendants quite placidly  simply repeating over and over again 
 The blood is the life   The blood is the life  

I cannot afford to lose blood just at present   I have lost too much
of late for my physical good  and then the prolonged strain of Lucy s
illness and its horrible phases is telling on me   I am over excited
and weary  and I need rest  rest  rest   Happily Van Helsing has not
summoned me  so I need not forego my sleep   Tonight I could not well
do without it 



TELEGRAM  VAN HELSING  ANTWERP  TO SEWARD  CARFAX

 Sent to Carfax  Sussex  as no county given  delivered late
by twenty two hours  

17 September   Do not fail to be at Hillingham tonight 
If not watching all the time  frequently visit and see that
flowers are as placed  very important  do not fail   Shall
be with you as soon as possible after arrival 



DR  SEWARD S DIARY

18 September   Just off train to London   The arrival of Van
Helsing s telegram filled me with dismay   A whole night lost 
and I know by bitter experience what may happen in a night 
Of course it is possible that all may be well  but what may
have happened   Surely there is some horrible doom hanging over us
that every possible accident should thwart us in all we try to do 
I shall take this cylinder with me  and then I can complete
my entry on Lucy s phonograph 




MEMORANDUM LEFT BY LUCY WESTENRA

17 September  Night   I write this and leave it to be seen 
so that no one may by any chance get into trouble through
me   This is an exact record of what took place tonight   I
feel I am dying of weakness  and have barely strength to
write  but it must be done if I die in the doing 

I went to bed as usual  taking care that the flowers were
placed as Dr  Van Helsing directed  and soon fell asleep 

I was waked by the flapping at the window  which had begun after
that sleep walking on the cliff at Whitby when Mina saved me  and
which now I know so well   I was not afraid  but I did wish that
Dr  Seward was in the next room  as Dr  Van Helsing said he would
be  so that I might have called him   I tried to sleep  but I
could not   Then there came to me the old fear of sleep  and I
determined to keep awake   Perversely sleep would try to come then
when I did not want it   So  as I feared to be alone  I opened my
door and called out   Is there anybody there    There was no
answer   I was afraid to wake mother  and so closed my door
again   Then outside in the shrubbery I heard a sort of howl like
a dog s  but more fierce and deeper   I went to the window and
looked out  but could see nothing  except a big bat  which had
evidently been buffeting its wings against the window   So I went
back to bed again  but determined not to go to sleep   Presently
the door opened  and mother looked in   Seeing by my moving that
I was not asleep  she came in and sat by me   She said to me even
more sweetly and softly than her wont 

 I was uneasy about you  darling  and came in to see that
you were all right  

I feared she might catch cold sitting there  and asked her
to come in and sleep with me  so she came into bed  and lay
down beside me   She did not take off her dressing gown 
for she said she would only stay a while and then go back
to her own bed   As she lay there in my arms  and I in hers
the flapping and buffeting came to the window again   She
was startled and a little frightened  and cried out   What
is that  

I tried to pacify her  and at last succeeded  and she lay
quiet   But I could hear her poor dear heart still beating
terribly   After a while there was the howl again out in
the shrubbery  and shortly after there was a crash at the
window  and a lot of broken glass was hurled on the floor 
The window blind blew back with the wind that rushed in 
and in the aperture of the broken panes there was the head
of a great  gaunt gray wolf 

Mother cried out in a fright  and struggled up into a
sitting posture  and clutched wildly at anything that would
help her   Amongst other things  she clutched the wreath of
flowers that Dr  Van Helsing insisted on my wearing round
my neck  and tore it away from me   For a second or two she
sat up  pointing at the wolf  and there was a strange and
horrible gurgling in her throat   Then she fell over  as if
struck with lightning  and her head hit my forehead and
made me dizzy for a moment or two 

The room and all round seemed to spin round   I kept my eyes
fixed on the window  but the wolf drew his head back  and a whole
myriad of little specks seems to come blowing in through the
broken window  and wheeling and circling round like the pillar of
dust that travellers describe when there is a simoon in the
desert   I tried to stir  but there was some spell upon me  and
dear Mother s poor body  which seemed to grow cold already  for
her dear heart had ceased to beat  weighed me down  and I
remembered no more for a while 

The time did not seem long  but very  very awful  till I
recovered consciousness again   Somewhere near  a passing
bell was tolling   The dogs all round the neighbourhood were
howling  and in our shrubbery  seemingly just outside  a
nightingale was singing   I was dazed and stupid with pain
and terror and weakness  but the sound of the nightingale
seemed like the voice of my dead mother come back to comfort me 
The sounds seemed to have awakened the maids  too  for I could
hear their bare feet pattering outside my door   I called to
them  and they came in  and when they saw what had happened  and
what it was that lay over me on the bed  they screamed out   The
wind rushed in through the broken window  and the door slammed
to   They lifted off the body of my dear mother  and laid her 
covered up with a sheet  on the bed after I had got up   They
were all so frightened and nervous that I directed them to go to
the dining room and each have a glass of wine   The door flew
open for an instant and closed again   The maids shrieked  and
then went in a body to the dining room  and I laid what flowers I
had on my dear mother s breast   When they were there I
remembered what Dr  Van Helsing had told me  but I didn t like to
remove them  and besides  I would have some of the servants to
sit up with me now   I was surprised that the maids did not come
back   I called them  but got no answer  so I went to the dining
room to look for them 

My heart sank when I saw what had happened   They all four
lay helpless on the floor  breathing heavily   The decanter
of sherry was on the table half full  but there was a queer 
acrid smell about   I was suspicious  and examined the decanter 
It smelt of laudanum  and looking on the sideboard  I found that
the bottle which Mother s doctor uses for her  oh  did use  was
empty   What am I to do  What am I to do   I am back in the room
with Mother   I cannot leave her  and I am alone  save for the
sleeping servants  whom some one has drugged   Alone with the
dead  I dare not go out  for I can hear the low howl of the wolf
through the broken window 

The air seems full of specks  floating and circling in the
draught from the window  and the lights burn blue and dim 
What am I to do   God shield me from harm this night   I
shall hide this paper in my breast  where they shall find
it when they come to lay me out   My dear mother gone   It
is time that I go too   Goodbye  dear Arthur  if I should
not survive this night   God keep you  dear  and God help
me 




CHAPTER 12


DR  SEWARD S DIARY

18 September   I drove at once to Hillingham and arrived early 
Keeping my cab at the gate  I went up the avenue alone   I knocked
gently and rang as quietly as possible  for I feared to disturb Lucy
or her mother  and hoped to only bring a servant to the door   After a
while  finding no response  I knocked and rang again  still no
answer   I cursed the laziness of the servants that they should lie
abed at such an hour  for it was now ten o clock  and so rang and
knocked again  but more impatiently  but still without response 
Hitherto I had blamed only the servants  but now a terrible fear began
to assail me   Was this desolation but another link in the chain of
doom which seemed drawing tight round us   Was it indeed a house of
death to which I had come  too late   I know that minutes  even
seconds of delay  might mean hours of danger to Lucy  if she had had
again one of those frightful relapses  and I went round the house to
try if I could find by chance an entry anywhere 

I could find no means of ingress   Every window and door was fastened
and locked  and I returned baffled to the porch   As I did so  I heard
the rapid pit pat of a swiftly driven horse s feet   They stopped at
the gate  and a few seconds later I met Van Helsing running up the
avenue   When he saw me  he gasped out   Then it was you  and just
arrived   How is she   Are we too late   Did you not get my telegram  

I answered as quickly and coherently as I could that I had only got
his telegram early in the morning  and had not a minute in coming
here  and that I could not make any one in the house hear me   He
paused and raised his hat as he said solemnly   Then I fear we are too
late   God s will be done  

With his usual recuperative energy  he went on   Come   If there be no
way open to get in  we must make one   Time is all in all to us now  

We went round to the back of the house  where there was a kitchen
window   The Professor took a small surgical saw from his case  and
handing it to me  pointed to the iron bars which guarded the window 
I attacked them at once and had very soon cut through three of them 
Then with a long  thin knife we pushed back the fastening of the
sashes and opened the window   I helped the Professor in  and followed
him   There was no one in the kitchen or in the servants  rooms  which
were close at hand   We tried all the rooms as we went along  and in
the dining room  dimly lit by rays of light through the shutters 
found four servant women lying on the floor   There was no need to
think them dead  for their stertorous breathing and the acrid smell of
laudanum in the room left no doubt as to their condition 

Van Helsing and I looked at each other  and as we moved away he said 
 We can attend to them later    Then we ascended to Lucy s room   For an
instant or two we paused at the door to listen  but there was no sound
that we could hear   With white faces and trembling hands  we opened
the door gently  and entered the room 

How shall I describe what we saw   On the bed lay two women  Lucy and
her mother   The latter lay farthest in  and she was covered with a
white sheet  the edge of which had been blown back by the drought
through the broken window  showing the drawn  white  face  with a look
of terror fixed upon it   By her side lay Lucy  with face white and
still more drawn   The flowers which had been round her neck we found
upon her mother s bosom  and her throat was bare  showing the two
little wounds which we had noticed before  but looking horribly white
and mangled   Without a word the Professor bent over the bed  his head
almost touching poor Lucy s breast   Then he gave a quick turn of his
head  as of one who listens  and leaping to his feet  he cried out to
me   It is not yet too late   Quick   Quick   Bring the brandy  

I flew downstairs and returned with it  taking care to smell and taste
it  lest it  too  were drugged like the decanter of sherry which I
found on the table   The maids were still breathing  but more
restlessly  and I fancied that the narcotic was wearing off   I did
not stay to make sure  but returned to Van Helsing   He rubbed the
brandy  as on another occasion  on her lips and gums and on her wrists
and the palms of her hands   He said to me   I can do this  all that
can be at the present   You go wake those maids   Flick them in the
face with a wet towel  and flick them hard   Make them get heat and
fire and a warm bath   This poor soul is nearly as cold as that beside
her   She will need be heated before we can do anything more  

I went at once  and found little difficulty in waking three of the
women   The fourth was only a young girl  and the drug had evidently
affected her more strongly so I lifted her on the sofa and let her
sleep 

The others were dazed at first  but as remembrance came back to them
they cried and sobbed in a hysterical manner   I was stern with them 
however  and would not let them talk   I told them that one life was
bad enough to lose  and if they delayed they would sacrifice Miss
Lucy   So  sobbing and crying they went about their way  half clad as
they were  and prepared fire and water   Fortunately  the kitchen and
boiler fires were still alive  and there was no lack of hot water   We
got a bath and carried Lucy out as she was and placed her in it 
Whilst we were busy chafing her limbs there was a knock at the hall
door   One of the maids ran off  hurried on some more clothes  and
opened it   Then she returned and whispered to us that there was a
gentleman who had come with a message from Mr  Holmwood   I bade her
simply tell him that he must wait  for we could see no one now   She
went away with the message  and  engrossed with our work  I clean
forgot all about him 

I never saw in all my experience the Professor work in such deadly
earnest   I knew  as he knew  that it was a stand up fight with death 
and in a pause told him so   He answered me in a way that I did not
understand  but with the sternest look that his face could wear 

 If that were all  I would stop here where we are now  and let her
fade away into peace  for I see no light in life over her horizon    He
went on with his work with  if possible  renewed and more frenzied
vigour 

Presently we both began to be conscious that the heat was beginning to
be of some effect   Lucy s heart beat a trifle more audibly to the
stethoscope  and her lungs had a perceptible movement   Van Helsing s
face almost beamed  and as we lifted her from the bath and rolled her
in a hot sheet to dry her he said to me   The first gain is ours 
Check to the King  

We took Lucy into another room  which had by now been prepared  and
laid her in bed and forced a few drops of brandy down her throat   I
noticed that Van Helsing tied a soft silk handkerchief round her
throat   She was still unconscious  and was quite as bad as  if not
worse than  we had ever seen her 

Van Helsing called in one of the women  and told her to stay with her
and not to take her eyes off her till we returned  and then beckoned
me out of the room 

 We must consult as to what is to be done   he said as we descended
the stairs   In the hall he opened the dining room door  and we passed
in  he closing the door carefully behind him   The shutters had been
opened  but the blinds were already down  with that obedience to the
etiquette of death which the British woman of the lower classes always
rigidly observes   The room was  therefore  dimly dark   It was 
however  light enough for our purposes   Van Helsing s sternness was
somewhat relieved by a look of perplexity   He was evidently torturing
his mind about something  so I waited for an instant  and he spoke 

 What are we to do now   Where are we to turn for help   We must have
another transfusion of blood  and that soon  or that poor girl s life
won t be worth an hour s purchase   You are exhausted already   I am
exhausted too   I fear to trust those women  even if they would have
courage to submit   What are we to do for some one who will open his
veins for her  

 What s the matter with me  anyhow  

The voice came from the sofa across the room  and its tones brought
relief and joy to my heart  for they were those of Quincey Morris 

Van Helsing started angrily at the first sound  but his face softened
and a glad look came into his eyes as I cried out   Quincey Morris  
and rushed towards him with outstretched hands 

 What brought you here   I cried as our hands met 

 I guess Art is the cause  

He handed me a telegram    Have not heard from Seward for three days 
and am terribly anxious   Cannot leave   Father still in same
condition   Send me word how Lucy is   Do not delay   Holmwood  

 I think I came just in the nick of time   You know you have only to
tell me what to do  

Van Helsing strode forward  and took his hand  looking him straight in
the eyes as he said   A brave man s blood is the best thing on this
earth when a woman is in trouble   You re a man and no mistake   Well 
the devil may work against us for all he s worth  but God sends us men
when we want them  

Once again we went through that ghastly operation   I have not the
heart to go through with the details   Lucy had got a terrible shock
and it told on her more than before  for though plenty of blood went
into her veins  her body did not respond to the treatment as well as
on the other occasions   Her struggle back into life was something
frightful to see and hear   However  the action of both heart and
lungs improved  and Van Helsing made a sub cutaneous injection of
morphia  as before  and with good effect   Her faint became a profound
slumber   The Professor watched whilst I went downstairs with Quincey
Morris  and sent one of the maids to pay off one of the cabmen who
were waiting 

I left Quincey lying down after having a glass of wine  and told the
cook to get ready a good breakfast   Then a thought struck me  and I
went back to the room where Lucy now was   When I came softly in  I
found Van Helsing with a sheet or two of note paper in his hand   He
had evidently read it  and was thinking it over as he sat with his
hand to his brow   There was a look of grim satisfaction in his face 
as of one who has had a doubt solved   He handed me the paper saying
only   It dropped from Lucy s breast when we carried her to the bath  

When I had read it  I stood looking at the Professor  and after a
pause asked him   In God s name  what does it all mean   Was she  or
is she  mad  or what sort of horrible danger is it    I was so
bewildered that I did not know what to say more   Van Helsing put out
his hand and took the paper  saying 

 Do not trouble about it now   Forget it for the present   You shall
know and understand it all in good time  but it will be later   And
now what is it that you came to me to say    This brought me back to
fact  and I was all myself again 

 I came to speak about the certificate of death   If we do not act
properly and wisely  there may be an inquest  and that paper would
have to be produced   I am in hopes that we need have no inquest  for
if we had it would surely kill poor Lucy  if nothing else did   I
know  and you know  and the other doctor who attended her knows  that
Mrs  Westenra had disease of the heart  and we can certify that she
died of it   Let us fill up the certificate at once  and I shall take
it myself to the registrar and go on to the undertaker  

 Good  oh my friend John   Well thought of   Truly Miss Lucy  if she
be sad in the foes that beset her  is at least happy in the friends
that love her   One  two  three  all open their veins for her  besides
one old man   Ah  yes  I know  friend John   I am not blind   I love
you all the more for it   Now go  

In the hall I met Quincey Morris  with a telegram for Arthur telling
him that Mrs  Westenra was dead  that Lucy also had been ill  but was
now going on better  and that Van Helsing and I were with her   I told
him where I was going  and he hurried me out  but as I was going said 

 When you come back  Jack  may I have two words with you all to
ourselves    I nodded in reply and went out   I found no difficulty
about the registration  and arranged with the local undertaker to come
up in the evening to measure for the coffin and to make arrangements 

When I got back Quincey was waiting for me   I told him I would see
him as soon as I knew about Lucy  and went up to her room   She was
still sleeping  and the Professor seemingly had not moved from his
seat at her side   From his putting his finger to his lips  I gathered
that he expected her to wake before long and was afraid of
fore stalling nature   So I went down to Quincey and took him into the
breakfast room  where the blinds were not drawn down  and which was a
little more cheerful  or rather less cheerless  than the other rooms 

When we were alone  he said to me   Jack Seward  I don t want to shove
myself in anywhere where I ve no right to be  but this is no ordinary
case   You know I loved that girl and wanted to marry her  but
although that s all past and gone  I can t help feeling anxious about
her all the same   What is it that s wrong with her   The Dutchman 
and a fine old fellow he is  I can see that  said that time you two
came into the room  that you must have another transfusion of blood 
and that both you and he were exhausted   Now I know well that you
medical men speak in camera  and that a man must not expect to know
what they consult about in private   But this is no common matter  and
whatever it is  I have done my part   Is not that so  

 That s so   I said  and he went on 

 I take it that both you and Van Helsing had done already what I did
today   Is not that so  

 That s so  

 And I guess Art was in it too   When I saw him four days ago down at
his own place he looked queer   I have not seen anything pulled down
so quick since I was on the Pampas and had a mare that I was fond of
go to grass all in a night   One of those big bats that they call
vampires had got at her in the night  and what with his gorge and the
vein left open  there wasn t enough blood in her to let her stand up 
and I had to put a bullet through her as she lay   Jack  if you may
tell me without betraying confidence  Arthur was the first  is not
that so  

As he spoke the poor fellow looked terribly anxious   He was in a
torture of suspense regarding the woman he loved  and his utter
ignorance of the terrible mystery which seemed to surround her
intensified his pain   His very heart was bleeding  and it took all
the manhood of him  and there was a royal lot of it  too  to keep him
from breaking down   I paused before answering  for I felt that I must
not betray anything which the Professor wished kept secret  but
already he knew so much  and guessed so much  that there could be no
reason for not answering  so I answered in the same phrase 

 That s so  

 And how long has this been going on  

 About ten days  

 Ten days   Then I guess  Jack Seward  that that poor pretty creature
that we all love has had put into her veins within that time the blood
of four strong men   Man alive  her whole body wouldn t hold it    Then
coming close to me  he spoke in a fierce half whisper    What took it
out  

I shook my head    That   I said   is the crux   Van Helsing is simply
frantic about it  and I am at my wits  end   I can t even hazard a
guess   There has been a series of little circumstances which have
thrown out all our calculations as to Lucy being properly watched 
But these shall not occur again   Here we stay until all be well  or
ill  

Quincey held out his hand    Count me in   he said    You and the
Dutchman will tell me what to do  and I ll do it  

When she woke late in the afternoon  Lucy s first movement was to feel
in her breast  and to my surprise  produced the paper which Van
Helsing had given me to read   The careful Professor had replaced it
where it had come from  lest on waking she should be alarmed   Her
eyes then lit on Van Helsing and on me too  and gladdened   Then she
looked round the room  and seeing where she was  shuddered   She gave
a loud cry  and put her poor thin hands before her pale face 

We both understood what was meant  that she had realized to the full
her mother s death   So we tried what we could to comfort her 
Doubtless sympathy eased her somewhat  but she was very low in thought
and spirit  and wept silently and weakly for a long time   We told her
that either or both of us would now remain with her all the time  and
that seemed to comfort her   Towards dusk she fell into a doze   Here
a very odd thing occurred   Whilst still asleep she took the paper
from her breast and tore it in two   Van Helsing stepped over and took
the pieces from her   All the same  however  she went on with the
action of tearing  as though the material were still in her hands 
Finally she lifted her hands and opened them as though scattering the
fragments   Van Helsing seemed surprised  and his brows gathered as if
in thought  but he said nothing 


19 September   All last night she slept fitfully  being always afraid
to sleep  and something weaker when she woke from it   The Professor
and I took in turns to watch  and we never left her for a moment
unattended   Quincey Morris said nothing about his intention  but I
knew that all night long he patrolled round and round the house 

When the day came  its searching light showed the ravages in poor
Lucy s strength   She was hardly able to turn her head  and the little
nourishment which she could take seemed to do her no good   At times
she slept  and both Van Helsing and I noticed the difference in her 
between sleeping and waking   Whilst asleep she looked stronger 
although more haggard  and her breathing was softer   Her open mouth
showed the pale gums drawn back from the teeth  which looked
positively longer and sharper than usual   When she woke the softness
of her eyes evidently changed the expression  for she looked her own
self  although a dying one   In the afternoon she asked for Arthur 
and we telegraphed for him   Quincey went off to meet him at the
station 

When he arrived it was nearly six o clock  and the sun was setting
full and warm  and the red light streamed in through the window and
gave more colour to the pale cheeks   When he saw her  Arthur was
simply choking with emotion  and none of us could speak   In the hours
that had passed  the fits of sleep  or the comatose condition that
passed for it  had grown more frequent  so that the pauses when
conversation was possible were shortened   Arthur s presence  however 
seemed to act as a stimulant   She rallied a little  and spoke to him
more brightly than she had done since we arrived   He too pulled
himself together  and spoke as cheerily as he could  so that the best
was made of everything 

It is now nearly one o clock  and he and Van Helsing are sitting with
her   I am to relieve them in a quarter of an hour  and I am entering
this on Lucy s phonograph   Until six o clock they are to try to rest 
I fear that tomorrow will end our watching  for the shock has been too
great   The poor child cannot rally   God help us all 




LETTER MINA HARKER TO LUCY WESTENRA

 Unopened by her 

17 September

My dearest Lucy 

 It seems an age since I heard from you  or indeed since I
wrote   You will pardon me  I know  for all my faults when
you have read all my budget of news   Well  I got my husband back
all right   When we arrived at Exeter there was a carriage
waiting for us  and in it  though he had an attack of gout  Mr 
Hawkins   He took us to his house  where there were rooms for us
all nice and comfortable  and we dined together   After dinner
Mr  Hawkins said 

  My dears  I want to drink your health and prosperity  and
may every blessing attend you both   I know you both from
children  and have  with love and pride  seen you grow up 
Now I want you to make your home here with me   I have left
to me neither chick nor child   All are gone  and in my
will I have left you everything    I cried  Lucy dear  as
Jonathan and the old man clasped hands   Our evening was a
very  very happy one 

 So here we are  installed in this beautiful old house  and
from both my bedroom and the drawing room I can see the
great elms of the cathedral close  with their great black
stems standing out against the old yellow stone of the cathedral 
and I can hear the rooks overhead cawing and cawing and
chattering and chattering and gossiping all day  after the manner
of rooks  and humans   I am busy  I need not tell you  arranging
things and housekeeping   Jonathan and Mr  Hawkins are busy all
day  for now that Jonathan is a partner  Mr  Hawkins wants to
tell him all about the clients 

 How is your dear mother getting on   I wish I could run up
to town for a day or two to see you  dear  but I dare not
go yet  with so much on my shoulders  and Jonathan wants
looking after still   He is beginning to put some flesh on
his bones again  but he was terribly weakened by the long
illness   Even now he sometimes starts out of his sleep in
a sudden way and awakes all trembling until I can coax him
back to his usual placidity   However  thank God  these
occasions grow less frequent as the days go on  and they
will in time pass away altogether  I trust   And now I have
told you my news  let me ask yours   When are you to be
married  and where  and who is to perform the ceremony  and
what are you to wear  and is it to be a public or private
wedding   Tell me all about it  dear  tell me all about
everything  for there is nothing which interests you which
will not be dear to me   Jonathan asks me to send his  respectful
duty   but I do not think that is good enough from the junior
partner of the important firm Hawkins   Harker   And so  as you
love me  and he loves me  and I love you with all the moods and
tenses of the verb  I send you simply his  love  instead 
Goodbye  my dearest Lucy  and blessings on you 

 Yours 

 Mina Harker 



REPORT FROM PATRICK HENNESSEY  MD  MRCSLK  QCPI  ETC  ETC 
TO JOHN SEWARD  MD

20 September

My dear Sir 

 In accordance with your wishes  I enclose report of the
conditions of everything left in my charge   With regard to
patient  Renfield  there is more to say   He has had another
outbreak  which might have had a dreadful ending  but which  as
it fortunately happened  was unattended with any unhappy results 
This afternoon a carrier s cart with two men made a call at the
empty house whose grounds abut on ours  the house to which  you
will remember  the patient twice ran away   The men stopped at
our gate to ask the porter their way  as they were strangers 

 I was myself looking out of the study window  having a
smoke after dinner  and saw one of them come up to the
house   As he passed the window of Renfield s room  the
patient began to rate him from within  and called him all
the foul names he could lay his tongue to   The man  who
seemed a decent fellow enough  contented himself by telling
him to  shut up for a foul mouthed beggar   whereon our man
accused him of robbing him and wanting to murder him and
said that he would hinder him if he were to swing for it 
I opened the window and signed to the man not to notice  so
he contented himself after looking the place over and making up
his mind as to what kind of place he had got to by saying   Lor 
bless yer  sir  I wouldn t mind what was said to me in a bloomin 
madhouse   I pity ye and the guv nor for havin  to live in the
house with a wild beast like that  

 Then he asked his way civilly enough  and I told him where
the gate of the empty house was   He went away followed by
threats and curses and revilings from our man   I went down
to see if I could make out any cause for his anger  since
he is usually such a well behaved man  and except his violent
fits nothing of the kind had ever occurred   I found him  to my
astonishment  quite composed and most genial in his manner   I
tried to get him to talk of the incident  but he blandly asked me
questions as to what I meant  and led me to believe that he was
completely oblivious of the affair   It was  I am sorry to say 
however  only another instance of his cunning  for within half an
hour I heard of him again   This time he had broken out through
the window of his room  and was running down the avenue   I
called to the attendants to follow me  and ran after him  for I
feared he was intent on some mischief   My fear was justified
when I saw the same cart which had passed before coming down the
road  having on it some great wooden boxes   The men were wiping
their foreheads  and were flushed in the face  as if with violent
exercise   Before I could get up to him  the patient rushed at
them  and pulling one of them off the cart  began to knock his
head against the ground   If I had not seized him just at the
moment  I believe he would have killed the man there and then 
The other fellow jumped down and struck him over the head with
the butt end of his heavy whip   It was a horrible blow  but he
did not seem to mind it  but seized him also  and struggled with
the three of us  pulling us to and fro as if we were kittens 
You know I am no lightweight  and the others were both burly men 
At first he was silent in his fighting  but as we began to master
him  and the attendants were putting a strait waistcoat on him 
he began to shout   I ll frustrate them  They shan t rob me 
They shan t murder me by inches   I ll fight for my Lord and
Master   and all sorts of similar incoherent ravings   It was
with very considerable difficulty that they got him back to the
house and put him in the padded room   One of the attendants 
Hardy  had a finger broken   However  I set it all right  and he
is going on well 

 The two carriers were at first loud in their threats of
actions for damages  and promised to rain all the penalties
of the law on us   Their threats were  however  mingled
with some sort of indirect apology for the defeat of the
two of them by a feeble madman   They said that if it had
not been for the way their strength had been spent in carrying
and raising the heavy boxes to the cart they would have made
short work of him   They gave as another reason for their defeat
the extraordinary state of drouth to which they had been reduced
by the dusty nature of their occupation and the reprehensible
distance from the scene of their labors of any place of public
entertainment   I quite understood their drift  and after a stiff
glass of strong grog  or rather more of the same  and with each a
sovereign in hand  they made light of the attack  and swore that
they would encounter a worse madman any day for the pleasure of
meeting so  bloomin  good a bloke  as your correspondent   I took
their names and addresses  in case they might be needed   They
are as follows   Jack Smollet  of Dudding s Rents  King George s
Road  Great Walworth  and Thomas Snelling  Peter Farley s Row 
Guide Court  Bethnal Green  They are both in the employment of
Harris   Sons  Moving and Shipment Company  Orange Master s Yard 
Soho 

 I shall report to you any matter of interest occurring here  and
shall wire you at once if there is anything of importance 

 Believe me  dear Sir 

 Yours faithfully 

 Patrick Hennessey  



LETTER  MINA HARKER TO LUCY WESTENRA  Unopened by her 

18 September

 My dearest Lucy 

 Such a sad blow has befallen us   Mr  Hawkins has died very
suddenly   Some may not think it so sad for us  but we had
both come to so love him that it really seems as though we
had lost a father   I never knew either father or mother 
so that the dear old man s death is a real blow to me  Jonathan
is greatly distressed   It is not only that he feels sorrow  deep
sorrow  for the dear  good man who has befriended him all his
life  and now at the end has treated him like his own son and
left him a fortune which to people of our modest bringing up is
wealth beyond the dream of avarice  but Jonathan feels it on
another account   He says the amount of responsibility which it
puts upon him makes him nervous   He begins to doubt himself   I
try to cheer him up  and my belief in him helps him to have a
belief in himself   But it is here that the grave shock that he
experienced tells upon him the most   Oh  it is too hard that a
sweet  simple  noble  strong nature such as his  a nature which
enabled him by our dear  good friend s aid to rise from clerk to
master in a few years  should be so injured that the very essence
of its strength is gone   Forgive me  dear  if I worry you with my
troubles in the midst of your own happiness  but Lucy dear  I
must tell someone  for the strain of keeping up a brave and
cheerful appearance to Jonathan tries me  and I have no one here
that I can confide in   I dread coming up to London  as we must
do that day after tomorrow  for poor Mr  Hawkins left in his will
that he was to be buried in the grave with his father   As there
are no relations at all  Jonathan will have to be chief mourner 
I shall try to run over to see you  dearest  if only for a few
minutes   Forgive me for troubling you   With all blessings 

 Your loving

 Mina Harker 



DR  SEWARD S DIARY

20 September   Only resolution and habit can let me make an entry
tonight   I am too miserable  too low spirited  too sick of the world
and all in it  including life itself  that I would not care if I heard
this moment the flapping of the wings of the angel of death   And he
has been flapping those grim wings to some purpose of late  Lucy s
mother and Arthur s father  and now       Let me get on with my work 

I duly relieved Van Helsing in his watch over Lucy   We wanted Arthur
to go to rest also  but he refused at first   It was only when I told
him that we should want him to help us during the day  and that we
must not all break down for want of rest  lest Lucy should suffer 
that he agreed to go 

Van Helsing was very kind to him    Come  my child   he said    Come
with me   You are sick and weak  and have had much sorrow and much
mental pain  as well as that tax on your strength that we know of 
You must not be alone  for to be alone is to be full of fears and
alarms   Come to the drawing room  where there is a big fire  and
there are two sofas   You shall lie on one  and I on the other  and
our sympathy will be comfort to each other  even though we do not
speak  and even if we sleep  

Arthur went off with him  casting back a longing look on Lucy s face 
which lay in her pillow  almost whiter than the lawn   She lay quite
still  and I looked around the room to see that all was as it should
be   I could see that the Professor had carried out in this room  as
in the other  his purpose of using the garlic   The whole of the
window sashes reeked with it  and round Lucy s neck  over the silk
handkerchief which Van Helsing made her keep on  was a rough chaplet
of the same odorous flowers 

Lucy was breathing somewhat stertorously  and her face was at its
worst  for the open mouth showed the pale gums   Her teeth  in the
dim  uncertain light  seemed longer and sharper than they had been in
the morning   In particular  by some trick of the light  the canine
teeth looked longer and sharper than the rest 

I sat down beside her  and presently she moved uneasily   At the same
moment there came a sort of dull flapping or buffeting at the window 
I went over to it softly  and peeped out by the corner of the blind 
There was a full moonlight  and I could see that the noise was made by
a great bat  which wheeled around  doubtless attracted by the light 
although so dim  and every now and again struck the window with its
wings   When I came back to my seat  I found that Lucy had moved
slightly  and had torn away the garlic flowers from her throat   I
replaced them as well as I could  and sat watching her 

Presently she woke  and I gave her food  as Van Helsing had
prescribed   She took but a little  and that languidly   There did not
seem to be with her now the unconscious struggle for life and strength
that had hitherto so marked her illness   It struck me as curious that
the moment she became conscious she pressed the garlic flowers close
to her   It was certainly odd that whenever she got into that
lethargic state  with the stertorous breathing  she put the flowers
from her  but that when she waked she clutched them close  There was
no possibility of making any mistake about this  for in the long hours
that followed  she had many spells of sleeping and waking and repeated
both actions many times 

At six o clock Van Helsing came to relieve me   Arthur had then fallen
into a doze  and he mercifully let him sleep on   When he saw Lucy s
face I could hear the hissing indraw of breath  and he said to me in a
sharp whisper    Draw up the blind   I want light    Then he bent down 
and  with his face almost touching Lucy s  examined her carefully   He
removed the flowers and lifted the silk handkerchief from her throat 
As he did so he started back and I could hear his ejaculation   Mein
Gott   as it was smothered in his throat   I bent over and looked 
too  and as I noticed some queer chill came over me   The wounds on
the throat had absolutely disappeared 

For fully five minutes Van Helsing stood looking at her  with his face
at its sternest   Then he turned to me and said calmly   She is
dying   It will not be long now   It will be much difference  mark me 
whether she dies conscious or in her sleep   Wake that poor boy  and
let him come and see the last   He trusts us  and we have promised
him  

I went to the dining room and waked him   He was dazed for a moment 
but when he saw the sunlight streaming in through the edges of the
shutters he thought he was late  and expressed his fear   I assured
him that Lucy was still asleep  but told him as gently as I could that
both Van Helsing and I feared that the end was near   He covered his
face with his hands  and slid down on his knees by the sofa  where he
remained  perhaps a minute  with his head buried  praying  whilst his
shoulders shook with grief   I took him by the hand and raised him up 
 Come   I said   my dear old fellow  summon all your fortitude   It
will be best and easiest for her  

When we came into Lucy s room I could see that Van Helsing had  with
his usual forethought  been putting matters straight and making
everything look as pleasing as possible   He had even brushed Lucy s
hair  so that it lay on the pillow in its usual sunny ripples   When
we came into the room she opened her eyes  and seeing him  whispered
softly   Arthur   Oh  my love  I am so glad you have come  

He was stooping to kiss her  when Van Helsing motioned him back 
 No   he whispered   not yet   Hold her hand  it will comfort her
more  

So Arthur took her hand and knelt beside her  and she looked her best 
with all the soft lines matching the angelic beauty of her eyes   Then
gradually her eyes closed  and she sank to sleep   For a little bit
her breast heaved softly  and her breath came and went like a tired
child s 

And then insensibly there came the strange change which I had noticed
in the night   Her breathing grew stertorous  the mouth opened  and
the pale gums  drawn back  made the teeth look longer and sharper than
ever   In a sort of sleep waking  vague  unconscious way she opened
her eyes  which were now dull and hard at once  and said in a soft 
voluptuous voice  such as I had never heard from her lips   Arthur 
Oh  my love  I am so glad you have come   Kiss me  

Arthur bent eagerly over to kiss her  but at that instant Van Helsing 
who  like me  had been startled by her voice  swooped upon him  and
catching him by the neck with both hands  dragged him back with a fury
of strength which I never thought he could have possessed  and
actually hurled him almost across the room 

 Not on your life   he said   not for your living soul and hers    And
he stood between them like a lion at bay 

Arthur was so taken aback that he did not for a moment know what to do
or say  and before any impulse of violence could seize him he realized
the place and the occasion  and stood silent  waiting 

I kept my eyes fixed on Lucy  as did Van Helsing  and we saw a spasm
as of rage flit like a shadow over her face   The sharp teeth clamped
together   Then her eyes closed  and she breathed heavily 

Very shortly after she opened her eyes in all their softness  and
putting out her poor  pale  thin hand  took Van Helsing s great brown
one  drawing it close to her  she kissed it    My true friend   she
said  in a faint voice  but with untellable pathos   My true friend 
and his   Oh  guard him  and give me peace  

 I swear it   he said solemnly  kneeling beside her and holding up his
hand  as one who registers an oath   Then he turned to Arthur  and
said to him   Come  my child  take her hand in yours  and kiss her on
the forehead  and only once  

Their eyes met instead of their lips  and so they parted   Lucy s eyes
closed  and Van Helsing  who had been watching closely  took Arthur s
arm  and drew him away 

And then Lucy s breathing became stertorous again  and all at once it
ceased 

 It is all over   said Van Helsing    She is dead  

I took Arthur by the arm  and led him away to the drawing room  where
he sat down  and covered his face with his hands  sobbing in a way
that nearly broke me down to see 

I went back to the room  and found Van Helsing looking at poor Lucy 
and his face was sterner than ever   Some change had come over her
body   Death had given back part of her beauty  for her brow and
cheeks had recovered some of their flowing lines   Even the lips had
lost their deadly pallor   It was as if the blood  no longer needed
for the working of the heart  had gone to make the harshness of death
as little rude as might be 

 We thought her dying whilst she slept  and sleeping when she died  


I stood beside Van Helsing  and said   Ah well  poor girl  there is
peace for her at last   It is the end  

He turned to me  and said with grave solemnity   Not so  alas   Not
so   It is only the beginning  

When I asked him what he meant  he only shook his head and answered 
 We can do nothing as yet   Wait and see  




CHAPTER 13


DR  SEWARD S DIARY  cont 

The funeral was arranged for the next succeeding day  so that Lucy and
her mother might be buried together   I attended to all the ghastly
formalities  and the urbane undertaker proved that his staff was
afflicted  or blessed  with something of his own obsequious suavity 
Even the woman who performed the last offices for the dead remarked to
me  in a confidential  brother professional way  when she had come out
from the death chamber 

 She makes a very beautiful corpse  sir   It s quite a privilege to
attend on her   It s not too much to say that she will do credit to
our establishment  

I noticed that Van Helsing never kept far away   This was possible
from the disordered state of things in the household   There were no
relatives at hand  and as Arthur had to be back the next day to attend
at his father s funeral  we were unable to notify any one who should
have been bidden   Under the circumstances  Van Helsing and I took it
upon ourselves to examine papers  etc   He insisted upon looking over
Lucy s papers himself   I asked him why  for I feared that he  being a
foreigner  might not be quite aware of English legal requirements  and
so might in ignorance make some unnecessary trouble 

He answered me   I know  I know   You forget that I am a lawyer as
well as a doctor   But this is not altogether for the law   You knew
that  when you avoided the coroner   I have more than him to avoid 
There may be papers more  such as this  

As he spoke he took from his pocket book the memorandum which had been
in Lucy s breast  and which she had torn in her sleep 

 When you find anything of the solicitor who is for the late Mrs 
Westenra  seal all her papers  and write him tonight   For me  I watch
here in the room and in Miss Lucy s old room all night  and I myself
search for what may be   It is not well that her very thoughts go into
the hands of strangers  

I went on with my part of the work  and in another half hour had found
the name and address of Mrs  Westenra s solicitor and had written to
him   All the poor lady s papers were in order   Explicit directions
regarding the place of burial were given   I had hardly sealed the
letter  when  to my surprise  Van Helsing walked into the room 
saying 

 Can I help you friend John   I am free  and if I may  my service is
to you  

 Have you got what you looked for   I asked 

To which he replied   I did not look for any specific thing   I only
hoped to find  and find I have  all that there was  only some letters
and a few memoranda  and a diary new begun   But I have them here  and
we shall for the present say nothing of them   I shall see that poor
lad tomorrow evening  and  with his sanction  I shall use some  

When we had finished the work in hand  he said to me   And now  friend
John  I think we may to bed   We want sleep  both you and I  and rest
to recuperate   Tomorrow we shall have much to do  but for the tonight
there is no need of us   Alas  

Before turning in we went to look at poor Lucy   The undertaker had
certainly done his work well  for the room was turned into a small
chapelle ardente   There was a wilderness of beautiful white flowers 
and death was made as little repulsive as might be   The end of the
winding sheet was laid over the face   When the Professor bent over
and turned it gently back  we both started at the beauty before us 
The tall wax candles showing a sufficient light to note it well   All
Lucy s loveliness had come back to her in death  and the hours that
had passed  instead of leaving traces of  decay s effacing fingers  
had but restored the beauty of life  till positively I could not
believe my eyes that I was looking at a corpse 

The Professor looked sternly grave   He had not loved her as I had 
and there was no need for tears in his eyes   He said to me   Remain
till I return   and left the room   He came back with a handful of
wild garlic from the box waiting in the hall  but which had not been
opened  and placed the flowers amongst the others on and around the
bed   Then he took from his neck  inside his collar  a little gold
crucifix  and placed it over the mouth   He restored the sheet to its
place  and we came away 

I was undressing in my own room  when  with a premonitory tap at the
door  he entered  and at once began to speak 

 Tomorrow I want you to bring me  before night  a set of post mortem
knives  

 Must we make an autopsy   I asked 

 Yes and no   I want to operate  but not what you think   Let me tell
you now  but not a word to another   I want to cut off her head and
take out her heart   Ah   You a surgeon  and so shocked   You  whom I
have seen with no tremble of hand or heart  do operations of life and
death that make the rest shudder   Oh  but I must not forget  my dear
friend John  that you loved her  and I have not forgotten it for is I
that shall operate  and you must not help   I would like to do it
tonight  but for Arthur I must not   He will be free after his
father s funeral tomorrow  and he will want to see her  to see it 
Then  when she is coffined ready for the next day  you and I shall
come when all sleep   We shall unscrew the coffin lid  and shall do
our operation  and then replace all  so that none know  save we
alone  

 But why do it at all   The girl is dead   Why mutilate her poor body
without need   And if there is no necessity for a post mortem and
nothing to gain by it  no good to her  to us  to science  to human
knowledge  why do it   Without such it is monstrous  

For answer he put his hand on my shoulder  and said  with infinite
tenderness   Friend John  I pity your poor bleeding heart  and I love
you the more because it does so bleed   If I could  I would take on
myself the burden that you do bear   But there are things that you
know not  but that you shall know  and bless me for knowing  though
they are not pleasant things   John  my child  you have been my friend
now many years  and yet did you ever know me to do any without good
cause   I may err  I am but man  but I believe in all I do   Was it
not for these causes that you send for me when the great trouble
came   Yes   Were you not amazed  nay horrified  when I would not let
Arthur kiss his love  though she was dying  and snatched him away by
all my strength   Yes   And yet you saw how she thanked me  with her
so beautiful dying eyes  her voice  too  so weak  and she kiss my
rough old hand and bless me   Yes   And did you not hear me swear
promise to her  that so she closed her eyes grateful   Yes 

 Well  I have good reason now for all I want to do   You have for many
years trust me   You have believe me weeks past  when there be things
so strange that you might have well doubt   Believe me yet a little 
friend John   If you trust me not  then I must tell what I think  and
that is not perhaps well   And if I work  as work I shall  no matter
trust or no trust  without my friend trust in me  I work with heavy
heart and feel oh so lonely when I want all help and courage that may
be    He paused a moment and went on solemnly   Friend John  there are
strange and terrible days before us   Let us not be two  but one  that
so we work to a good end   Will you not have faith in me  

I took his hand  and promised him   I held my door open as he went
away  and watched him go to his room and close the door   As I stood
without moving  I saw one of the maids pass silently along the
passage  she had her back to me  so did not see me  and go into the
room where Lucy lay   The sight touched me   Devotion is so rare  and
we are so grateful to those who show it unasked to those we love   Here
was a poor girl putting aside the terrors which she naturally had of
death to go watch alone by the bier of the mistress whom she loved  so
that the poor clay might not be lonely till laid to eternal rest 

I must have slept long and soundly  for it was broad daylight when Van
Helsing waked me by coming into my room   He came over to my bedside
and said   You need not trouble about the knives   We shall not do
it  

 Why not   I asked   For his solemnity of the night before had
greatly impressed me 

 Because   he said sternly   it is too late  or too early   See  
Here he held up the little golden crucifix 

 This was stolen in the night  

 How stolen   I asked in wonder   since you have it now  

 Because I get it back from the worthless wretch who stole it  from
the woman who robbed the dead and the living   Her punishment will
surely come  but not through me   She knew not altogether what she
did  and thus unknowing  she only stole   Now we must wait    He went
away on the word  leaving me with a new mystery to think of  a new
puzzle to grapple with 

The forenoon was a dreary time  but at noon the solicitor came  Mr 
Marquand  of Wholeman  Sons  Marquand   Lidderdale   He was very
genial and very appreciative of what we had done  and took off our
hands all cares as to details   During lunch he told us that Mrs 
Westenra had for some time expected sudden death from her heart  and
had put her affairs in absolute order   He informed us that  with the
exception of a certain entailed property of Lucy s father which now 
in default of direct issue  went back to a distant branch of the
family  the whole estate  real and personal  was left absolutely to
Arthur Holmwood   When he had told us so much he went on 

 Frankly we did our best to prevent such a testamentary disposition 
and pointed out certain contingencies that might leave her daughter
either penniless or not so free as she should be to act regarding a
matrimonial alliance   Indeed  we pressed the matter so far that we
almost came into collision  for she asked us if we were or were not
prepared to carry out her wishes   Of course  we had then no
alternative but to accept   We were right in principle  and
ninety nine times out of a hundred we should have proved  by the logic
of events  the accuracy of our judgment 

 Frankly  however  I must admit that in this case any other form of
disposition would have rendered impossible the carrying out of her
wishes   For by her predeceasing her daughter the latter would have
come into possession of the property  and  even had she only survived
her mother by five minutes  her property would  in case there were no
will  and a will was a practical impossibility in such a case  have
been treated at her decease as under intestacy   In which case Lord
Godalming  though so dear a friend  would have had no claim in the
world   And the inheritors  being remote  would not be likely to
abandon their just rights  for sentimental reasons regarding an entire
stranger   I assure you  my dear sirs  I am rejoiced at the result 
perfectly rejoiced  

He was a good fellow  but his rejoicing at the one little part  in
which he was officially interested  of so great a tragedy  was an
object lesson in the limitations of sympathetic understanding 

He did not remain long  but said he would look in later in the day and
see Lord Godalming   His coming  however  had been a certain comfort
to us  since it assured us that we should not have to dread hostile
criticism as to any of our acts   Arthur was expected at five o clock 
so a little before that time we visited the death chamber   It was so
in very truth  for now both mother and daughter lay in it   The
undertaker  true to his craft  had made the best display he could of
his goods  and there was a mortuary air about the place that lowered
our spirits at once 

Van Helsing ordered the former arrangement to be adhered to 
explaining that  as Lord Godalming was coming very soon  it would be
less harrowing to his feelings to see all that was left of his fiancee
quite alone 

The undertaker seemed shocked at his own stupidity and exerted himself
to restore things to the condition in which we left them the night
before  so that when Arthur came such shocks to his feelings as we
could avoid were saved 

Poor fellow   He looked desperately sad and broken   Even his stalwart
manhood seemed to have shrunk somewhat under the strain of his
much tried emotions   He had  I knew  been very genuinely and
devotedly attached to his father  and to lose him  and at such a time 
was a bitter blow to him   With me he was warm as ever  and to Van
Helsing he was sweetly courteous   But I could not help seeing that
there was some constraint with him   The professor noticed it too  and
motioned me to bring him upstairs   I did so  and left him at the door
of the room  as I felt he would like to be quite alone with her  but
he took my arm and led me in  saying huskily 

 You loved her too  old fellow   She told me all about it  and there
was no friend had a closer place in her heart than you   I don t know
how to thank you for all you have done for her   I can t think
yet       

Here he suddenly broke down  and threw his arms round my shoulders and
laid his head on my breast  crying   Oh  Jack   Jack   What shall I
do   The whole of life seems gone from me all at once  and there is
nothing in the wide world for me to live for  

I comforted him as well as I could   In such cases men do not need
much expression   A grip of the hand  the tightening of an arm over
the shoulder  a sob in unison  are expressions of sympathy dear to a
man s heart   I stood still and silent till his sobs died away  and
then I said softly to him   Come and look at her  

Together we moved over to the bed  and I lifted the lawn from her
face   God   How beautiful she was   Every hour seemed to be enhancing
her loveliness   It frightened and amazed me somewhat   And as for
Arthur  he fell to trembling  and finally was shaken with doubt as
with an ague   At last  after a long pause  he said to me in a faint
whisper   Jack  is she really dead  

I assured him sadly that it was so  and went on to suggest  for I felt
that such a horrible doubt should not have life for a moment longer
than I could help  that it often happened that after death faces
become softened and even resolved into their youthful beauty  that
this was especially so when death had been preceded by any acute or
prolonged suffering   I seemed to quite do away with any doubt  and
after kneeling beside the couch for a while and looking at her
lovingly and long  he turned aside   I told him that that must be
goodbye  as the coffin had to be prepared  so he went back and took
her dead hand in his and kissed it  and bent over and kissed her
forehead   He came away  fondly looking back over his shoulder at her
as he came 

I left him in the drawing room  and told Van Helsing that he had said
goodbye  so the latter went to the kitchen to tell the undertaker s
men to proceed with the preparations and to screw up the coffin   When
he came out of the room again I told him of Arthur s question  and he
replied   I am not surprised   Just now I doubted for a moment
myself  

We all dined together  and I could see that poor Art was trying to
make the best of things   Van Helsing had been silent all dinner time 
but when we had lit our cigars he said   Lord        but Arthur
interrupted him 

 No  no  not that  for God s sake   Not yet at any rate   Forgive me 
sir   I did not mean to speak offensively   It is only because my loss
is so recent  

The Professor answered very sweetly   I only used that name because I
was in doubt   I must not call you  Mr   and I have grown to love you 
yes  my dear boy  to love you  as Arthur  

Arthur held out his hand  and took the old man s warmly    Call me
what you will   he said    I hope I may always have the title of a
friend   And let me say that I am at a loss for words to thank you for
your goodness to my poor dear    He paused a moment  and went on   I
know that she understood your goodness even better than I do   And if
I was rude or in any way wanting at that time you acted so  you
remember   the Professor nodded   you must forgive me  

He answered with a grave kindness   I know it was hard for you to
quite trust me then  for to trust such violence needs to understand 
and I take it that you do not  that you cannot  trust me now  for you
do not yet understand   And there may be more times when I shall want
you to trust when you cannot  and may not  and must not yet
understand   But the time will come when your trust shall be whole and
complete in me  and when you shall understand as though the sunlight
himself shone through   Then you shall bless me from first to last for
your own sake  and for the sake of others  and for her dear sake to
whom I swore to protect  

 And indeed  indeed  sir   said Arthur warmly    I shall in all ways
trust you   I know and believe you have a very noble heart  and you
are Jack s friend  and you were hers   You shall do what you like  

The Professor cleared his throat a couple of times  as though about to
speak  and finally said   May I ask you something now  

 Certainly  

 You know that Mrs  Westenra left you all her property  

 No  poor dear   I never thought of it  

 And as it is all yours  you have a right to deal with it as you will 
I want you to give me permission to read all Miss Lucy s papers and
letters   Believe me  it is no idle curiosity   I have a motive of
which  be sure  she would have approved   I have them all here   I
took them before we knew that all was yours  so that no strange hand
might touch them  no strange eye look through words into her soul   I
shall keep them  if I may   Even you may not see them yet  but I shall
keep them safe   No word shall be lost  and in the good time I shall
give them back to you   It is a hard thing that I ask  but you will do
it  will you not  for Lucy s sake  

Arthur spoke out heartily  like his old self   Dr  Van Helsing  you
may do what you will   I feel that in saying this I am doing what my
dear one would have approved   I shall not trouble you with questions
till the time comes  

The old Professor stood up as he said solemnly   And you are right 
There will be pain for us all  but it will not be all pain  nor will
this pain be the last   We and you too  you most of all  dear boy 
will have to pass through the bitter water before we reach the sweet 
But we must be brave of heart and unselfish  and do our duty  and all
will be well  

I slept on a sofa in Arthur s room that night   Van Helsing did not go
to bed at all   He went to and fro  as if patroling the house  and was
never out of sight of the room where Lucy lay in her coffin  strewn
with the wild garlic flowers  which sent through the odour of lily and
rose  a heavy  overpowering smell into the night 




MINA HARKER S JOURNAL

22 September   In the train to Exeter   Jonathan sleeping   It seems
only yesterday that the last entry was made  and yet how much between
then  in Whitby and all the world before me  Jonathan away and no news
of him  and now  married to Jonathan  Jonathan a solicitor  a partner 
rich  master of his business  Mr  Hawkins dead and buried  and
Jonathan with another attack that may harm him   Some day he may ask
me about it   Down it all goes   I am rusty in my shorthand  see what
unexpected prosperity does for us  so it may be as well to freshen it
up again with an exercise anyhow 

The service was very simple and very solemn   There were only
ourselves and the servants there  one or two old friends of his from
Exeter  his London agent  and a gentleman representing Sir John
Paxton  the President of the Incorporated Law Society   Jonathan and I
stood hand in hand  and we felt that our best and dearest friend was
gone from us 

We came back to town quietly  taking a bus to Hyde Park Corner 
Jonathan thought it would interest me to go into the Row for a while 
so we sat down   But there were very few people there  and it was
sad looking and desolate to see so many empty chairs   It made us
think of the empty chair at home   So we got up and walked down
Piccadilly   Jonathan was holding me by the arm  the way he used to in
the old days before I went to school   I felt it very improper  for
you can t go on for some years teaching etiquette and decorum to other
girls without the pedantry of it biting into yourself a bit   But it
was Jonathan  and he was my husband  and we didn t know anybody who
saw us  and we didn t care if they did  so on we walked   I was
looking at a very beautiful girl  in a big cart wheel hat  sitting in
a victoria outside Guiliano s  when I felt Jonathan clutch my arm so
tight that he hurt me  and he said under his breath   My God  

I am always anxious about Jonathan  for I fear that some nervous fit
may upset him again   So I turned to him quickly  and asked him what
it was that disturbed him 

He was very pale  and his eyes seemed bulging out as  half in terror
and half in amazement  he gazed at a tall  thin man  with a beaky nose
and black moustache and pointed beard  who was also observing the
pretty girl   He was looking at her so hard that he did not see either
of us  and so I had a good view of him   His face was not a good
face   It was hard  and cruel  and sensual  and big white teeth  that
looked all the whiter because his lips were so red  were pointed like
an animal s   Jonathan kept staring at him  till I was afraid he would
notice   I feared he might take it ill  he looked so fierce and nasty 
I asked Jonathan why he was disturbed  and he answered  evidently
thinking that I knew as much about it as he did   Do you see who it
is  

 No  dear   I said    I don t know him  who is it    His answer seemed
to shock and thrill me  for it was said as if he did not know that it
was me  Mina  to whom he was speaking    It is the man himself  

The poor dear was evidently terrified at something  very greatly
terrified   I do believe that if he had not had me to lean on and to
support him he would have sunk down   He kept staring   A man came out
of the shop with a small parcel  and gave it to the lady  who then
drove off   The dark man kept his eyes fixed on her  and when the
carriage moved up Piccadilly he followed in the same direction  and
hailed a hansom   Jonathan kept looking after him  and said  as if to
himself 

 I believe it is the Count  but he has grown young   My God  if this
be so   Oh  my God   My God   If only I knew   If only I knew    He was
distressing himself so much that I feared to keep his mind on the
subject by asking him any questions  so I remained silent   I drew
away quietly  and he  holding my arm  came easily   We walked a little
further  and then went in and sat for a while in the Green Park   It
was a hot day for autumn  and there was a comfortable seat in a shady
place   After a few minutes  staring at nothing  Jonathan s eyes
closed  and he went quickly into a sleep  with his head on my
shoulder   I thought it was the best thing for him  so did not disturb
him   In about twenty minutes he woke up  and said to me quite
cheerfully 

 Why  Mina  have I been asleep   Oh  do forgive me for being so rude 
Come  and we ll have a cup of tea somewhere  

He had evidently forgotten all about the dark stranger  as in his
illness he had forgotten all that this episode had reminded him of   I
don t like this lapsing into forgetfulness   It may make or continue
some injury to the brain   I must not ask him  for fear I shall do
more harm than good  but I must somehow learn the facts of his journey
abroad   The time is come  I fear  when I must open the parcel  and
know what is written   Oh  Jonathan  you will  I know  forgive me if I
do wrong  but it is for your own dear sake 


Later   A sad homecoming in every way  the house empty of the dear
soul who was so good to us   Jonathan still pale and dizzy under a
slight relapse of his malady  and now a telegram from Van Helsing 
whoever he may be    You will be grieved to hear that Mrs  Westenra
died five days ago  and that Lucy died the day before yesterday   They
were both buried today  

Oh  what a wealth of sorrow in a few words   Poor Mrs  Westenra   Poor
Lucy   Gone  gone  never to return to us   And poor  poor Arthur  to
have lost such a sweetness out of his life   God help us all to bear
our troubles 



DR  SEWARD S DIARY CONT 

22 September   It is all over   Arthur has gone back to Ring  and has
taken Quincey Morris with him   What a fine fellow is Quincey   I
believe in my heart of hearts that he suffered as much about Lucy s
death as any of us  but he bore himself through it like a moral
Viking   If America can go on breeding men like that  she will be a
power in the world indeed   Van Helsing is lying down  having a rest
preparatory to his journey   He goes to Amsterdam tonight  but says he
returns tomorrow night  that he only wants to make some arrangements
which can only be made personally   He is to stop with me then  if he
can   He says he has work to do in London which may take him some
time   Poor old fellow   I fear that the strain of the past week has
broken down even his iron strength   All the time of the burial he
was  I could see  putting some terrible restraint on himself   When it
was all over  we were standing beside Arthur  who  poor fellow  was
speaking of his part in the operation where his blood had been
transfused to his Lucy s veins   I could see Van Helsing s face grow
white and purple by turns   Arthur was saying that he felt since then
as if they two had been really married  and that she was his wife in
the sight of God   None of us said a word of the other operations  and
none of us ever shall   Arthur and Quincey went away together to the
station  and Van Helsing and I came on here   The moment we were alone
in the carriage he gave way to a regular fit of hysterics   He has
denied to me since that it was hysterics  and insisted that it was
only his sense of humor asserting itself under very terrible
conditions   He laughed till he cried  and I had to draw down the
blinds lest any one should see us and misjudge   And then he cried 
till he laughed again  and laughed and cried together  just as a woman
does   I tried to be stern with him  as one is to a woman under the
circumstances  but it had no effect   Men and women are so different
in manifestations of nervous strength or weakness   Then when his face
grew grave and stern again I asked him why his mirth  and why at such
a time   His reply was in a way characteristic of him  for it was
logical and forceful and mysterious   He said 

 Ah  you don t comprehend  friend John   Do not think that I am not
sad  though I laugh   See  I have cried even when the laugh did choke
me   But no more think that I am all sorry when I cry  for the laugh
he come just the same   Keep it always with you that laughter who
knock at your door and say   May I come in   is not true laughter 
No   He is a king  and he come when and how he like   He ask no
person  he choose no time of suitability   He say   I am here  
Behold  in example I grieve my heart out for that so sweet young
girl   I give my blood for her  though I am old and worn   I give my
time  my skill  my sleep   I let my other sufferers want that she may
have all   And yet I can laugh at her very grave  laugh when the clay
from the spade of the sexton drop upon her coffin and say  Thud 
thud   to my heart  till it send back the blood from my cheek   My
heart bleed for that poor boy  that dear boy  so of the age of mine
own boy had I been so blessed that he live  and with his hair and eyes
the same 

 There  you know now why I love him so   And yet when he say things
that touch my husband heart to the quick  and make my father heart
yearn to him as to no other man  not even you  friend John  for we are
more level in experiences than father and son  yet even at such a
moment King Laugh he come to me and shout and bellow in my ear   Here I
am   Here I am   till the blood come dance back and bring some of the
sunshine that he carry with him to my cheek   Oh  friend John  it is a
strange world  a sad world  a world full of miseries  and woes  and
troubles   And yet when King Laugh come  he make them all dance to the
tune he play   Bleeding hearts  and dry bones of the churchyard  and
tears that burn as they fall  all dance together to the music that he
make with that smileless mouth of him   And believe me  friend John 
that he is good to come  and kind   Ah  we men and women are like
ropes drawn tight with strain that pull us different ways   Then tears
come  and like the rain on the ropes  they brace us up  until perhaps
the strain become too great  and we break   But King Laugh he come
like the sunshine  and he ease off the strain again  and we bear to go
on with our labor  what it may be  

I did not like to wound him by pretending not to see his idea  but as
I did not yet understand the cause of his laughter  I asked him   As
he answered me his face grew stern  and he said in quite a different
tone 

 Oh  it was the grim irony of it all  this so lovely lady garlanded
with flowers  that looked so fair as life  till one by one we wondered
if she were truly dead  she laid in that so fine marble house in that
lonely churchyard  where rest so many of her kin  laid there with the
mother who loved her  and whom she loved  and that sacred bell going
 Toll   Toll   Toll   so sad and slow  and those holy men  with the
white garments of the angel  pretending to read books  and yet all the
time their eyes never on the page  and all of us with the bowed head 
And all for what   She is dead  so   Is it not  

 Well  for the life of me  Professor   I said   I can t see anything
to laugh at in all that   Why  your expression makes it a harder
puzzle than before   But even if the burial service was comic  what
about poor Art and his trouble   Why his heart was simply breaking  

 Just so   Said he not that the transfusion of his blood to her veins
had made her truly his bride  

 Yes  and it was a sweet and comforting idea for him  

 Quite so   But there was a difficulty  friend John   If so that  then
what about the others   Ho  ho   Then this so sweet maid is a
polyandrist  and me  with my poor wife dead to me  but alive by
Church s law  though no wits  all gone  even I  who am faithful
husband to this now no wife  am bigamist  

 I don t see where the joke comes in there either   I said  and I did
not feel particularly pleased with him for saying such things   He
laid his hand on my arm  and said 

 Friend John  forgive me if I pain   I showed not my feeling to others
when it would wound  but only to you  my old friend  whom I can trust 
If you could have looked into my heart then when I want to laugh  if
you could have done so when the laugh arrived  if you could do so now 
when King Laugh have pack up his crown  and all that is to him  for he
go far  far away from me  and for a long  long time  maybe you would
perhaps pity me the most of all  

I was touched by the tenderness of his tone  and asked why 

 Because I know  

And now we are all scattered  and for many a long day loneliness will
sit over our roofs with brooding wings   Lucy lies in the tomb of her
kin  a lordly death house in a lonely churchyard  away from teeming
London  where the air is fresh  and the sun rises over Hampstead Hill 
and where wild flowers grow of their own accord 

So I can finish this diary  and God only knows if I shall ever begin
another   If I do  or if I even open this again  it will be to deal
with different people and different themes  for here at the end  where
the romance of my life is told  ere I go back to take up the thread of
my life work  I say sadly and without hope   FINIS  




THE WESTMINSTER GAZETTE  25 SEPTEMBER A HAMPSTEAD MYSTERY

The neighborhood of Hampstead is just at present exercised
with a series of events which seem to run on lines parallel
to those of what was known to the writers of headlines as
 The Kensington Horror   or  The Stabbing Woman   or  The
Woman in Black    During the past two or three days several
cases have occurred of young children straying from home or
neglecting to return from their playing on the Heath   In
all these cases the children were too young to give any
properly intelligible account of themselves  but the
consensus of their excuses is that they had been with a
 bloofer lady    It has always been late in the evening when
they have been missed  and on two occasions the children
have not been found until early in the following morning 
It is generally supposed in the neighborhood that  as the
first child missed gave as his reason for being away that a
 bloofer lady  had asked him to come for a walk  the others
had picked up the phrase and used it as occasion served   This
is the more natural as the favourite game of the little ones
at present is luring each other away by wiles   A correspondent
writes us that to see some of the tiny tots pretending to be the
 bloofer lady  is supremely funny   Some of our caricaturists
might  he says  take a lesson in the irony of grotesque by
comparing the reality and the picture   It is only in accordance
with general principles of human nature that the  bloofer lady 
should be the popular role at these al fresco performances   Our
correspondent naively says that even Ellen Terry could not be so
winningly attractive as some of these grubby faced little
children pretend  and even imagine themselves  to be 

There is  however  possibly a serious side to the question 
for some of the children  indeed all who have been missed
at night  have been slightly torn or wounded in the throat 
The wounds seem such as might be made by a rat or a small
dog  and although of not much importance individually  would tend
to show that whatever animal inflicts them has a system or method
of its own   The police of the division have been instructed to
keep a sharp lookout for straying children  especially when very
young  in and around Hampstead Heath  and for any stray dog which
may be about 




THE WESTMINSTER GAZETTE  25 SEPTEMBER EXTRA SPECIAL

THE HAMPSTEAD HORROR


ANOTHER CHILD INJURED

THE  BLOOFER LADY 

We have just received intelligence that another child 
missed last night  was only discovered late in the morning
under a furze bush at the Shooter s Hill side of Hampstead
Heath  which is perhaps  less frequented than the other
parts   It has the same tiny wound in the throat as has
been noticed in other cases   It was terribly weak  and
looked quite emaciated   It too  when partially restored 
had the common story to tell of being lured away by the
 bloofer lady  




CHAPTER 14


MINA HARKER S JOURNAL

23 September   Jonathan is better after a bad night   I am so glad
that he has plenty of work to do  for that keeps his mind off the
terrible things  and oh  I am rejoiced that he is not now weighed down
with the responsibility of his new position   I knew he would be true
to himself  and now how proud I am to see my Jonathan rising to the
height of his advancement and keeping pace in all ways with the duties
that come upon him   He will be away all day till late  for he said he
could not lunch at home   My household work is done  so I shall take
his foreign journal  and lock myself up in my room and read it 


24 September   I hadn t the heart to write last night  that terrible
record of Jonathan s upset me so   Poor dear   How he must have
suffered  whether it be true or only imagination   I wonder if there
is any truth in it at all   Did he get his brain fever  and then write
all those terrible things  or had he some cause for it all   I suppose
I shall never know  for I dare not open the subject to him   And yet
that man we saw yesterday   He seemed quite certain of him  poor
fellow   I suppose it was the funeral upset him and sent his mind back
on some train of thought 

He believes it all himself   I remember how on our wedding day he said
 Unless some solemn duty come upon me to go back to the bitter hours 
asleep or awake  mad or sane         There seems to be through it all
some thread of continuity   That fearful Count was coming to London 
If it should be  and he came to London  with its teeming millions      
There may be a solemn duty  and if it come we must not shrink from
it   I shall be prepared   I shall get my typewriter this very hour
and begin transcribing   Then we shall be ready for other eyes if
required   And if it be wanted  then  perhaps  if I am ready  poor
Jonathan may not be upset  for I can speak for him and never let him
be troubled or worried with it at all   If ever Jonathan quite gets
over the nervousness he may want to tell me of it all  and I can ask
him questions and find out things  and see how I may comfort him 




LETTER  VAN HELSING TO MRS  HARKER

24 September

 Confidence 

 Dear Madam 

 I pray you to pardon my writing  in that I am so far
friend as that I sent to you sad news of Miss Lucy
Westenra s death   By the kindness of Lord Godalming  I am
empowered to read her letters and papers  for I am deeply
concerned about certain matters vitally important   In them
I find some letters from you  which show how great friends
you were and how you love her   Oh  Madam Mina  by that
love  I implore you  help me   It is for others  good that
I ask  to redress great wrong  and to lift much and terrible
troubles  that may be more great than you can know   May it be
that I see you   You can trust me   I am friend of Dr  John
Seward and of Lord Godalming  that was Arthur of Miss Lucy    I
must keep it private for the present from all   I should come to
Exeter to see you at once if you tell me I am privilege to come 
and where and when   I implore your pardon  Madam   I have read
your letters to poor Lucy  and know how good you are and how your
husband suffer   So I pray you  if it may be  enlighten him not 
least it may harm   Again your pardon  and forgive me 

 VAN HELSING 




TELEGRAM  MRS  HARKER TO VAN HELSING

25 September   Come today by quarter past ten train if you
can catch it   Can see you any time you call 

 WILHELMINA HARKER 




MINA HARKER S JOURNAL

25 September   I cannot help feeling terribly excited as the time
draws near for the visit of Dr  Van Helsing  for somehow I expect that
it will throw some light upon Jonathan s sad experience  and as he
attended poor dear Lucy in her last illness  he can tell me all about
her   That is the reason of his coming   It is concerning Lucy and her
sleep walking  and not about Jonathan   Then I shall never know the
real truth now   How silly I am   That awful journal gets hold of my
imagination and tinges everything with something of its own colour   Of
course it is about Lucy   That habit came back to the poor dear  and
that awful night on the cliff must have made her ill   I had almost
forgotten in my own affairs how ill she was afterwards   She must have
told him of her sleep walking adventure on the cliff  and that I knew
all about it  and now he wants me to tell him what I know  so that he
may understand   I hope I did right in not saying anything of it to
Mrs  Westenra   I should never forgive myself if any act of mine  were
it even a negative one  brought harm on poor dear Lucy   I hope too 
Dr  Van Helsing will not blame me   I have had so much trouble and
anxiety of late that I feel I cannot bear more just at present 

I suppose a cry does us all good at times  clears the air as other
rain does   Perhaps it was reading the journal yesterday that upset
me  and then Jonathan went away this morning to stay away from me a
whole day and night  the first time we have been parted since our
marriage   I do hope the dear fellow will take care of himself  and
that nothing will occur to upset him   It is two o clock  and the
doctor will be here soon now   I shall say nothing of Jonathan s
journal unless he asks me   I am so glad I have typewritten out my own
journal  so that  in case he asks about Lucy  I can hand it to him 
It will save much questioning 

Later   He has come and gone   Oh  what a strange meeting  and how it
all makes my head whirl round   I feel like one in a dream   Can it be
all possible  or even a part of it   If I had not read Jonathan s
journal first  I should never have accepted even a possibility   Poor 
poor  dear Jonathan   How he must have suffered   Please the good God 
all this may not upset him again   I shall try to save him from it 
But it may be even a consolation and a help to him  terrible though it
be and awful in its consequences  to know for certain that his eyes
and ears and brain did not deceive him  and that it is all true   It
may be that it is the doubt which haunts him  that when the doubt is
removed  no matter which  waking or dreaming  may prove the truth  he
will be more satisfied and better able to bear the shock   Dr  Van
Helsing must be a good man as well as a clever one if he is Arthur s
friend and Dr  Seward s  and if they brought him all the way from
Holland to look after Lucy   I feel from having seen him that he is
good and kind and of a noble nature   When he comes tomorrow I shall
ask him about Jonathan   And then  please God  all this sorrow and
anxiety may lead to a good end   I used to think I would like to
practice interviewing   Jonathan s friend on  The Exeter News  told
him that memory is everything in such work  that you must be able to
put down exactly almost every word spoken  even if you had to refine
some of it afterwards   Here was a rare interview   I shall try to
record it verbatim 

It was half past two o clock when the knock came   I took my courage a
deux mains and waited   In a few minutes Mary opened the door  and
announced  Dr  Van Helsing  

I rose and bowed  and he came towards me  a man of medium weight 
strongly built  with his shoulders set back over a broad  deep chest
and a neck well balanced on the trunk as the head is on the neck   The
poise of the head strikes me at once as indicative of thought and
power   The head is noble  well sized  broad  and large behind the
ears   The face  clean shaven  shows a hard  square chin  a large
resolute  mobile mouth  a good sized nose  rather straight  but with
quick  sensitive nostrils  that seem to broaden as the big bushy brows
come down and the mouth tightens   The forehead is broad and fine 
rising at first almost straight and then sloping back above two bumps
or ridges wide apart  such a forehead that the reddish hair cannot
possibly tumble over it  but falls naturally back and to the sides 
Big  dark blue eyes are set widely apart  and are quick and tender or
stern with the man s moods   He said to me 

 Mrs  Harker  is it not    I bowed assent 

 That was Miss Mina Murray    Again I assented 

 It is Mina Murray that I came to see that was friend of that poor dear
child Lucy Westenra   Madam Mina  it is on account of the dead that I
come  

 Sir   I said   you could have no better claim on me than that you
were a friend and helper of Lucy Westenra    And I held out my hand 
He took it and said tenderly 

 Oh  Madam Mina  I know that the friend of that poor little girl must
be good  but I had yet to learn         He finished his speech with a
courtly bow   I asked him what it was that he wanted to see me about 
so he at once began 

 I have read your letters to Miss Lucy   Forgive me  but I had to
begin to inquire somewhere  and there was none to ask   I know that
you were with her at Whitby   She sometimes kept a diary  you need not
look surprised  Madam Mina   It was begun after you had left  and was
an imitation of you  and in that diary she traces by inference certain
things to a sleep walking in which she puts down that you saved her 
In great perplexity then I come to you  and ask you out of your so
much kindness to tell me all of it that you can remember  

 I can tell you  I think  Dr  Van Helsing  all about it  

 Ah  then you have good memory for facts  for details   It is not
always so with young ladies  

 No  doctor  but I wrote it all down at the time   I can show it to
you if you like  

 Oh  Madam Mina  I well be grateful   You will do me much favour  

I could not resist the temptation of mystifying him a bit  I suppose
it is some taste of the original apple that remains still in our
mouths  so I handed him the shorthand diary   He took it with a
grateful bow  and said   May I read it  

 If you wish   I answered as demurely as I could   He opened it  and
for an instant his face fell   Then he stood up and bowed 

 Oh  you so clever woman   he said    I knew long that Mr  Jonathan
was a man of much thankfulness  but see  his wife have all the good
things   And will you not so much honour me and so help me as to read
it for me   Alas   I know not the shorthand  

By this time my little joke was over  and I was almost ashamed   So I
took the typewritten copy from my work basket and handed it to him 

 Forgive me   I said    I could not help it  but I had been thinking
that it was of dear Lucy that you wished to ask  and so that you might
not have time to wait  not on my account  but because I know your time
must be precious  I have written it out on the typewriter for you  

He took it and his eyes glistened    You are so good   he said    And
may I read it now   I may want to ask you some things when I have
read  

 By all means   I said   read it over whilst I order lunch  and then
you can ask me questions whilst we eat  

He bowed and settled himself in a chair with his back to the light 
and became so absorbed in the papers  whilst I went to see after lunch
chiefly in order that he might not be disturbed   When I came back  I
found him walking hurriedly up and down the room  his face all ablaze
with excitement   He rushed up to me and took me by both hands 

 Oh  Madam Mina   he said   how can I say what I owe to you   This
paper is as sunshine   It opens the gate to me   I am dazed  I am
dazzled  with so much light  and yet clouds roll in behind the light
every time   But that you do not  cannot comprehend   Oh  but I am
grateful to you  you so clever woman   Madame   he said this very
solemnly   if ever Abraham Van Helsing can do anything for you or
yours  I trust you will let me know   It will be pleasure and delight
if I may serve you as a friend  as a friend  but all I have ever
learned  all I can ever do  shall be for you and those you love   There
are darknesses in life  and there are lights   You are one of the
lights   You will have a happy life and a good life  and your husband
will be blessed in you  

 But  doctor  you praise me too much  and you do not know me  

 Not know you  I  who am old  and who have studied all my life men and
women  I who have made my specialty the brain and all that belongs to
him and all that follow from him   And I have read your diary that you
have so goodly written for me  and which breathes out truth in every
line   I  who have read your so sweet letter to poor Lucy of your
marriage and your trust  not know you   Oh  Madam Mina  good women
tell all their lives  and by day and by hour and by minute  such
things that angels can read   And we men who wish to know have in us
something of angels  eyes   Your husband is noble nature  and you are
noble too  for you trust  and trust cannot be where there is mean
nature   And your husband  tell me of him   Is he quite well   Is all
that fever gone  and is he strong and hearty  

I saw here an opening to ask him about Jonathan  so I said   He was
almost recovered  but he has been greatly upset by Mr  Hawkins death  

He interrupted   Oh  yes   I know   I know   I have read your last two
letters  

I went on   I suppose this upset him  for when we were in town on
Thursday last he had a sort of shock  

 A shock  and after brain fever so soon   That is not good   What kind
of shock was it  

 He thought he saw some one who recalled something terrible  something
which led to his brain fever    And here the whole thing seemed to
overwhelm me in a rush   The pity for Jonathan  the horror which he
experienced  the whole fearful mystery of his diary  and the fear that
has been brooding over me ever since  all came in a tumult   I suppose
I was hysterical  for I threw myself on my knees and held up my hands
to him  and implored him to make my husband well again   He took my
hands and raised me up  and made me sit on the sofa  and sat by me   He
held my hand in his  and said to me with  oh  such infinite sweetness 

 My life is a barren and lonely one  and so full of work that I have
not had much time for friendships  but since I have been summoned to
here by my friend John Seward I have known so many good people and
seen such nobility that I feel more than ever  and it has grown with
my advancing years  the loneliness of my life   Believe me  then  that
I come here full of respect for you  and you have given me hope  hope 
not in what I am seeking of  but that there are good women still left
to make life happy  good women  whose lives and whose truths may make
good lesson for the children that are to be   I am glad  glad  that I
may here be of some use to you   For if your husband suffer  he suffer
within the range of my study and experience   I promise you that I
will gladly do all for him that I can  all to make his life strong and
manly  and your life a happy one   Now you must eat   You are
overwrought and perhaps over anxious   Husband Jonathan would not like
to see you so pale  and what he like not where he love  is not to his
good   Therefore for his sake you must eat and smile   You have told
me about Lucy  and so now we shall not speak of it  lest it distress 
I shall stay in Exeter tonight  for I want to think much over what you
have told me  and when I have thought I will ask you questions  if I
may   And then too  you will tell me of husband Jonathan s trouble so
far as you can  but not yet   You must eat now  afterwards you shall
tell me all  

After lunch  when we went back to the drawing room  he said to me 
 And now tell me all about him  

When it came to speaking to this great learned man  I began to fear
that he would think me a weak fool  and Jonathan a madman  that
journal is all so strange  and I hesitated to go on   But he was so
sweet and kind  and he had promised to help  and I trusted him  so I
said 

 Dr  Van Helsing  what I have to tell you is so queer that you must
not laugh at me or at my husband   I have been since yesterday in a
sort of fever of doubt   You must be kind to me  and not think me
foolish that I have even half believed some very strange things  

He reassured me by his manner as well as his words when he said   Oh 
my dear  if you only know how strange is the matter regarding which I
am here  it is you who would laugh   I have learned not to think
little of any one s belief  no matter how strange it may be   I have
tried to keep an open mind  and it is not the ordinary things of life
that could close it  but the strange things  the extraordinary things 
the things that make one doubt if they be mad or sane  

 Thank you  thank you a thousand times   You have taken a weight off my
mind   If you will let me  I shall give you a paper to read   It is
long  but I have typewritten it out   It will tell you my trouble and
Jonathan s   It is the copy of his journal when abroad  and all that
happened   I dare not say anything of it   You will read for yourself
and judge   And then when I see you  perhaps  you will be very kind
and tell me what you think  

 I promise   he said as I gave him the papers    I shall in the
morning  as soon as I can  come to see you and your husband  if I
may  

 Jonathan will be here at half past eleven  and you must come to lunch
with us and see him then   You could catch the quick 3 34 train  which
will leave you at Paddington before eight    He was surprised at my
knowledge of the trains offhand  but he does not know that I have made
up all the trains to and from Exeter  so that I may help Jonathan in
case he is in a hurry 

So he took the papers with him and went away  and I sit here thinking 
thinking I don t know what 




LETTER  by hand   VAN HELSING TO MRS  HARKER

25 September  6 o clock

 Dear Madam Mina 

 I have read your husband s so wonderful diary   You may
sleep without doubt   Strange and terrible as it is  it is
true   I will pledge my life on it   It may be worse for
others  but for him and you there is no dread   He is a
noble fellow  and let me tell you from experience of men 
that one who would do as he did in going down that wall and
to that room  aye  and going a second time  is not one to
be injured in permanence by a shock   His brain and his
heart are all right  this I swear  before I have even seen
him  so be at rest   I shall have much to ask him of other
things   I am blessed that today I come to see you  for I
have learn all at once so much that again I am dazzled 
dazzled more than ever  and I must think 

 Yours the most faithful 

 Abraham Van Helsing  


LETTER  MRS  HARKER TO VAN HELSING

25 September  6 30 P M 

 My dear Dr  Van Helsing 

 A thousand thanks for your kind letter  which has taken a
great weight off my mind   And yet  if it be true  what
terrible things there are in the world  and what an awful
thing if that man  that monster  be really in London   I
fear to think   I have this moment  whilst writing  had a
wire from Jonathan  saying that he leaves by the 6 25 tonight
from Launceston and will be here at 10 18  so that I shall have
no fear tonight   Will you  therefore  instead of lunching with
us  please come to breakfast at eight o clock  if this be not too
early for you   You can get away  if you are in a hurry  by the
10 30 train  which will bring you to Paddington by 2 35   Do not
answer this  as I shall take it that  if I do not hear  you will
come to breakfast 

 Believe me 

 Your faithful and grateful friend 

 Mina Harker  





JONATHAN HARKER S JOURNAL

26 September   I thought never to write in this diary again  but the
time has come   When I got home last night Mina had supper ready  and
when we had supped she told me of Van Helsing s visit  and of her
having given him the two diaries copied out  and of how anxious she
has been about me   She showed me in the doctor s letter that all I
wrote down was true   It seems to have made a new man of me   It was
the doubt as to the reality of the whole thing that knocked me over 
I felt impotent  and in the dark  and distrustful   But  now that I
know  I am not afraid  even of the Count   He has succeeded after all 
then  in his design in getting to London  and it was he I saw   He has
got younger  and how   Van Helsing is the man to unmask him and hunt
him out  if he is anything like what Mina says   We sat late  and
talked it over   Mina is dressing  and I shall call at the hotel in a
few minutes and bring him over 


He was  I think  surprised to see me   When I came into the room where
he was  and introduced myself  he took me by the shoulder  and turned
my face round to the light  and said  after a sharp scrutiny 

 But Madam Mina told me you were ill  that you had had a shock  

It was so funny to hear my wife called  Madam Mina  by this kindly 
strong faced old man   I smiled  and said   I was ill  I have had a
shock  but you have cured me already  

 And how  

 By your letter to Mina last night   I was in doubt  and then
everything took a hue of unreality  and I did not know what to trust 
even the evidence of my own senses   Not knowing what to trust  I did
not know what to do  and so had only to keep on working in what had
hitherto been the groove of my life   The groove ceased to avail me 
and I mistrusted myself   Doctor  you don t know what it is to doubt
everything  even yourself   No  you don t  you couldn t with eyebrows
like yours  

He seemed pleased  and laughed as he said   So   You are a
physiognomist   I learn more here with each hour   I am with so much
pleasure coming to you to breakfast  and  oh  sir  you will pardon
praise from an old man  but you are blessed in your wife  

I would listen to him go on praising Mina for a day  so I simply
nodded and stood silent 

 She is one of God s women  fashioned by His own hand to show us men
and other women that there is a heaven where we can enter  and that
its light can be here on earth   So true  so sweet  so noble  so
little an egoist  and that  let me tell you  is much in this age  so
sceptical and selfish   And you  sir       I have read all the letters
to poor Miss Lucy  and some of them speak of you  so I know you since
some days from the knowing of others  but I have seen your true self
since last night   You will give me your hand  will you not   And let
us be friends for all our lives  

We shook hands  and he was so earnest and so kind that it made me
quite choky 

 And now   he said   may I ask you for some more help   I have a great
task to do  and at the beginning it is to know   You can help me
here   Can you tell me what went before your going to Transylvania 
Later on I may ask more help  and of a different kind  but at first
this will do  

 Look here  Sir   I said   does what you have to do concern the
Count  

 It does   he said solemnly 

 Then I am with you heart and soul   As you go by the 10 30 train  you
will not have time to read them  but I shall get the bundle of papers 
You can take them with you and read them in the train  

After breakfast I saw him to the station   When we were parting he
said   Perhaps you will come to town if I send for you  and take Madam
Mina too  

 We shall both come when you will   I said 

I had got him the morning papers and the London papers of the previous
night  and while we were talking at the carriage window  waiting for
the train to start  he was turning them over   His eyes suddenly
seemed to catch something in one of them   The Westminster Gazette   I
knew it by the colour  and he grew quite white   He read something
intently  groaning to himself   Mein Gott   Mein Gott   So soon   So
soon    I do not think he remembered me at the moment   Just then the
whistle blew  and the train moved off   This recalled him to himself 
and he leaned out of the window and waved his hand  calling out   Love
to Madam Mina   I shall write so soon as ever I can  




DR  SEWARD S DIARY

26 September   Truly there is no such thing as finality   Not a week
since I said  Finis   and yet here I am starting fresh again  or
rather going on with the record   Until this afternoon I had no cause
to think of what is done   Renfield had become  to all intents  as
sane as he ever was   He was already well ahead with his fly business 
and he had just started in the spider line also  so he had not been of
any trouble to me   I had a letter from Arthur  written on Sunday  and
from it I gather that he is bearing up wonderfully well   Quincey
Morris is with him  and that is much of a help  for he himself is a
bubbling well of good spirits   Quincey wrote me a line too  and from
him I hear that Arthur is beginning to recover something of his old
buoyancy  so as to them all my mind is at rest   As for myself  I was
settling down to my work with the enthusiasm which I used to have for
it  so that I might fairly have said that the wound which poor Lucy
left on me was becoming cicatrised 

Everything is  however  now reopened  and what is to be the end God
only knows   I have an idea that Van Helsing thinks he knows  too  but
he will only let out enough at a time to whet curiosity   He went to
Exeter yesterday  and stayed there all night   Today he came back  and
almost bounded into the room at about half past five o clock  and
thrust last night s  Westminster Gazette  into my hand 

 What do you think of that   he asked as he stood back and folded his
arms 

I looked over the paper  for I really did not know what he meant  but
he took it from me and pointed out a paragraph about children being
decoyed away at Hampstead   It did not convey much to me  until I
reached a passage where it described small puncture wounds on their
throats   An idea struck me  and I looked up 

 Well   he said 

 It is like poor Lucy s  

 And what do you make of it  

 Simply that there is some cause in common   Whatever it was that
injured her has injured them    I did not quite understand his answer 

 That is true indirectly  but not directly  

 How do you mean  Professor   I asked   I was a little inclined to
take his seriousness lightly  for  after all  four days of rest and
freedom from burning  harrowing  anxiety does help to restore one s
spirits  but when I saw his face  it sobered me   Never  even in the
midst of our despair about poor Lucy  had he looked more stern 

 Tell me   I said    I can hazard no opinion   I do not know what to
think  and I have no data on which to found a conjecture  

 Do you mean to tell me  friend John  that you have no suspicion as to
what poor Lucy died of  not after all the hints given  not only by
events  but by me  

 Of nervous prostration following a great loss or waste of blood  

 And how was the blood lost or wasted    I shook my head 

He stepped over and sat down beside me  and went on   You are a clever
man  friend John   You reason well  and your wit is bold  but you are
too prejudiced   You do not let your eyes see nor your ears hear  and
that which is outside your daily life is not of account to you   Do
you not think that there are things which you cannot understand  and
yet which are  that some people see things that others cannot   But
there are things old and new which must not be contemplated by men s
eyes  because they know  or think they know  some things which other
men have told them   Ah  it is the fault of our science that it wants
to explain all  and if it explain not  then it says there is nothing
to explain   But yet we see around us every day the growth of new
beliefs  which think themselves new  and which are yet but the old 
which pretend to be young  like the fine ladies at the opera   I
suppose now you do not believe in corporeal transference   No   Nor in
materialization   No   Nor in astral bodies   No   Nor in the reading
of thought   No   Nor in hypnotism       

 Yes   I said    Charcot has proved that pretty well  

He smiled as he went on   Then you are satisfied as to it   Yes   And
of course then you understand how it act  and can follow the mind of
the great Charcot  alas that he is no more  into the very soul of the
patient that he influence   No   Then  friend John  am I to take it
that you simply accept fact  and are satisfied to let from premise to
conclusion be a blank   No   Then tell me  for I am a student of the
brain  how you accept hypnotism and reject the thought reading   Let
me tell you  my friend  that there are things done today in electrical
science which would have been deemed unholy by the very man who
discovered electricity  who would themselves not so long before been
burned as wizards   There are always mysteries in life   Why was it
that Methuselah lived nine hundred years  and  Old Parr  one hundred
and sixty nine  and yet that poor Lucy  with four men s blood in her
poor veins  could not live even one day   For  had she live one more
day  we could save her   Do you know all the mystery of life and
death   Do you know the altogether of comparative anatomy and can say
wherefore the qualities of brutes are in some men  and not in others 
Can you tell me why  when other spiders die small and soon  that one
great spider lived for centuries in the tower of the old Spanish
church and grew and grew  till  on descending  he could drink the oil
of all the church lamps   Can you tell me why in the Pampas  ay and
elsewhere  there are bats that come out at night and open the veins of
cattle and horses and suck dry their veins  how in some islands of the
Western seas there are bats which hang on the trees all day  and those
who have seen describe as like giant nuts or pods  and that when the
sailors sleep on the deck  because that it is hot  flit down on them
and then  and then in the morning are found dead men  white as even
Miss Lucy was  

 Good God  Professor   I said  starting up    Do you mean to tell me
that Lucy was bitten by such a bat  and that such a thing is here in
London in the nineteenth century  

He waved his hand for silence  and went on   Can you tell me why the
tortoise lives more long than generations of men  why the elephant
goes on and on till he have sees dynasties  and why the parrot never
die only of bite of cat of dog or other complaint   Can you tell me
why men believe in all ages and places that there are men and women
who cannot die   We all know  because science has vouched for the
fact  that there have been toads shut up in rocks for thousands of
years  shut in one so small hole that only hold him since the youth of
the world   Can you tell me how the Indian fakir can make himself to
die and have been buried  and his grave sealed and corn sowed on it 
and the corn reaped and be cut and sown and reaped and cut again  and
then men come and take away the unbroken seal and that there lie the
Indian fakir  not dead  but that rise up and walk amongst them as
before  

Here I interrupted him   I was getting bewildered   He so crowded on
my mind his list of nature s eccentricities and possible
impossibilities that my imagination was getting fired   I had a dim
idea that he was teaching me some lesson  as long ago he used to do in
his study at Amsterdam   But he used them to tell me the thing  so
that I could have the object of thought in mind all the time   But now
I was without his help  yet I wanted to follow him  so I said 

 Professor  let me be your pet student again   Tell me the thesis  so
that I may apply your knowledge as you go on   At present I am going
in my mind from point to point as a madman  and not a sane one 
follows an idea   I feel like a novice lumbering through a bog in a
midst  jumping from one tussock to another in the mere blind effort to
move on without knowing where I am going  

 That is a good image   he said    Well  I shall tell you   My thesis
is this  I want you to believe  

 To believe what  

 To believe in things that you cannot   Let me illustrate   I heard
once of an American who so defined faith   that faculty which enables
us to believe things which we know to be untrue    For one  I follow
that man   He meant that we shall have an open mind  and not let a
little bit of truth check the rush of the big truth  like a small rock
does a railway truck   We get the small truth first   Good   We keep
him  and we value him  but all the same we must not let him think
himself all the truth in the universe  

 Then you want me not to let some previous conviction inure the
receptivity of my mind with regard to some strange matter   Do I read
your lesson aright  

 Ah  you are my favourite pupil still   It is worth to teach you   Now
that you are willing to understand  you have taken the first step to
understand   You think then that those so small holes in the
children s throats were made by the same that made the holes in Miss
Lucy  

 I suppose so  

He stood up and said solemnly   Then you are wrong   Oh  would it were
so   But alas   No   It is worse  far  far worse  

 In God s name  Professor Van Helsing  what do you mean   I cried 

He threw himself with a despairing gesture into a chair  and placed
his elbows on the table  covering his face with his hands as he spoke 

 They were made by Miss Lucy  




CHAPTER 15


DR  SEWARD S DIARY  cont 

For a while sheer anger mastered me   It was as if he had during her
life struck Lucy on the face   I smote the table hard and rose up as I
said to him   Dr  Van Helsing  are you mad  

He raised his head and looked at me  and somehow the tenderness of his
face calmed me at once    Would I were   he said    Madness were easy
to bear compared with truth like this   Oh  my friend  why  think
you  did I go so far round  why take so long to tell so simple a
thing   Was it because I hate you and have hated you all my life   Was
it because I wished to give you pain   Was it that I wanted  now so
late  revenge for that time when you saved my life  and from a fearful
death   Ah no  

 Forgive me   said I 

He went on   My friend  it was because I wished to be gentle in the
breaking to you  for I know you have loved that so sweet lady   But
even yet I do not expect you to believe   It is so hard to accept at
once any abstract truth  that we may doubt such to be possible when we
have always believed the  no  of it   It is more hard still to accept
so sad a concrete truth  and of such a one as Miss Lucy   Tonight I go
to prove it   Dare you come with me  

This staggered me   A man does not like to prove such a truth  Byron
excepted from the category  jealousy 

     And prove the very truth he most abhorred  

He saw my hesitation  and spoke   The logic is simple  no madman s
logic this time  jumping from tussock to tussock in a misty bog   If
it not be true  then proof will be relief   At worst it will not harm 
If it be true   Ah  there is the dread   Yet every dread should help my
cause  for in it is some need of belief   Come  I tell you what I
propose   First  that we go off now and see that child in the
hospital   Dr  Vincent  of the North Hospital  where the papers say
the child is  is a friend of mine  and I think of yours since you were
in class at Amsterdam   He will let two scientists see his case  if he
will not let two friends   We shall tell him nothing  but only that we
wish to learn   And then       

 And then  

He took a key from his pocket and held it up    And then we spend the
night  you and I  in the churchyard where Lucy lies   This is the key
that lock the tomb   I had it from the coffin man to give to Arthur  

My heart sank within me  for I felt that there was some fearful ordeal
before us   I could do nothing  however  so I plucked up what heart I
could and said that we had better hasten  as the afternoon was
passing 

We found the child awake   It had had a sleep and taken some food  and
altogether was going on well   Dr  Vincent took the bandage from its
throat  and showed us the punctures   There was no mistaking the
similarity to those which had been on Lucy s throat   They were
smaller  and the edges looked fresher  that was all   We asked Vincent
to what he attributed them  and he replied that it must have been a
bite of some animal  perhaps a rat  but for his own part  he was
inclined to think it was one of the bats which are so numerous on the
northern heights of London    Out of so many harmless ones   he said 
 there may be some wild specimen from the South of a more malignant
species   Some sailor may have brought one home  and it managed to
escape  or even from the Zoological Gardens a young one may have got
loose  or one be bred there from a vampire   These things do occur 
you  know   Only ten days ago a wolf got out  and was  I believe 
traced up in this direction   For a week after  the children were
playing nothing but Red Riding Hood on the Heath and in every alley in
the place until this  bloofer lady  scare came along  since then it
has been quite a gala time with them   Even this poor little mite 
when he woke up today  asked the nurse if he might go away   When she
asked him why he wanted to go  he said he wanted to play with the
 bloofer lady   

 I hope   said Van Helsing   that when you are sending the child home
you will caution its parents to keep strict watch over it   These
fancies to stray are most dangerous  and if the child were to remain
out another night  it would probably be fatal   But in any case I
suppose you will not let it away for some days  

 Certainly not  not for a week at least  longer if the wound is not
healed  

Our visit to the hospital took more time than we had reckoned on  and
the sun had dipped before we came out   When Van Helsing saw how dark
it was  he said 

 There is not hurry   It is more late than I thought   Come  let us
seek somewhere that we may eat  and then we shall go on our way  

We dined at  Jack Straw s Castle  along with a little crowd of
bicyclists and others who were genially noisy   About ten o clock we
started from the inn   It was then very dark  and the scattered lamps
made the darkness greater when we were once outside their individual
radius   The Professor had evidently noted the road we were to go  for
he went on unhesitatingly  but  as for me  I was in quite a mixup as
to locality   As we went further  we met fewer and fewer people  till
at last we were somewhat surprised when we met even the patrol of
horse police going their usual suburban round   At last we reached the
wall of the churchyard  which we climbed over   With some little
difficulty  for it was very dark  and the whole place seemed so
strange to us  we found the Westenra tomb   The Professor took the
key  opened the creaky door  and standing back  politely  but quite
unconsciously  motioned me to precede him   There was a delicious
irony in the offer  in the courtliness of giving preference on such a
ghastly occasion   My companion followed me quickly  and cautiously
drew the door to  after carefully ascertaining that the lock was a
falling  and not a spring one   In the latter case we should have been
in a bad plight   Then he fumbled in his bag  and taking out a
matchbox and a piece of candle  proceeded to make a light   The tomb
in the daytime  and when wreathed with fresh flowers  had looked grim
and gruesome enough  but now  some days afterwards  when the flowers
hung lank and dead  their whites turning to rust and their greens to
browns  when the spider and the beetle had resumed their accustomed
dominance  when the time discoloured stone  and dust encrusted mortar 
and rusty  dank iron  and tarnished brass  and clouded silver plating
gave back the feeble glimmer of a candle  the effect was more
miserable and sordid than could have been imagined   It conveyed
irresistibly the idea that life  animal life  was not the only thing
which could pass away 

Van Helsing went about his work systematically   Holding his candle so
that he could read the coffin plates  and so holding it that the sperm
dropped in white patches which congealed as they touched the metal  he
made assurance of Lucy s coffin   Another search in his bag  and he
took out a turnscrew 

 What are you going to do   I asked 

 To open the coffin   You shall yet be convinced  

Straightway he began taking out the screws  and finally lifted off the
lid  showing the casing of lead beneath   The sight was almost too
much for me   It seemed to be as much an affront to the dead as it
would have been to have stripped off her clothing in her sleep whilst
living   I actually took hold of his hand to stop him 

He only said   You shall see   and again fumbling in his bag took out
a tiny fret saw   Striking the turnscrew through the lead with a swift
downward stab  which made me wince  he made a small hole  which was 
however  big enough to admit the point of the saw   I had expected a
rush of gas from the week old corpse   We doctors  who have had to
study our dangers  have to become accustomed to such things  and I
drew back towards the door   But the Professor never stopped for a
moment   He sawed down a couple of feet along one side of the lead
coffin  and then across  and down the other side   Taking the edge of
the loose flange  he bent it back towards the foot of the coffin  and
holding up the candle into the aperture  motioned to me to look 

I drew near and looked   The coffin was empty   It was certainly a
surprise to me  and gave me a considerable shock  but Van Helsing was
unmoved   He was now more sure than ever of his ground  and so
emboldened to proceed in his task    Are you satisfied now  friend
John   he asked 

I felt all the dogged argumentativeness of my nature awake within me as
I answered him   I am satisfied that Lucy s body is not in that
coffin  but that only proves one thing  

 And what is that  friend John  

 That it is not there  

 That is good logic   he said   so far as it goes   But how do you 
how can you  account for it not being there  

 Perhaps a body snatcher   I suggested    Some of the undertaker s
people may have stolen it    I felt that I was speaking folly  and yet
it was the only real cause which I could suggest 

The Professor sighed    Ah well   he said   we must have more proof 
Come with me  

He put on the coffin lid again  gathered up all his things and placed
them in the bag  blew out the light  and placed the candle also in the
bag   We opened the door  and went out   Behind us he closed the door
and locked it   He handed me the key  saying   Will you keep it   You
had better be assured  

I laughed  it was not a very cheerful laugh  I am bound to say  as I
motioned him to keep it    A key is nothing   I said   there are many
duplicates  and anyhow it is not difficult to pick a lock of this
kind  

He said nothing  but put the key in his pocket   Then he told me to
watch at one side of the churchyard whilst he would watch at the
other 

I took up my place behind a yew tree  and I saw his dark figure move
until the intervening headstones and trees hid it from my sight 

It was a lonely vigil   Just after I had taken my place I heard a
distant clock strike twelve  and in time came one and two   I was
chilled and unnerved  and angry with the Professor for taking me on
such an errand and with myself for coming   I was too cold and too
sleepy to be keenly observant  and not sleepy enough to betray my
trust  so altogether I had a dreary  miserable time 

Suddenly  as I turned round  I thought I saw something like a white
streak  moving between two dark yew trees at the side of the
churchyard farthest from the tomb   At the same time a dark mass moved
from the Professor s side of the ground  and hurriedly went towards
it   Then I too moved  but I had to go round headstones and railed off
tombs  and I stumbled over graves   The sky was overcast  and
somewhere far off an early cock crew   A little ways off  beyond a
line of scattered juniper trees  which marked the pathway to the
church  a white dim figure flitted in the direction of the tomb   The
tomb itself was hidden by trees  and I could not see where the figure
had disappeared   I heard the rustle of actual movement where I had
first seen the white figure  and coming over  found the Professor
holding in his arms a tiny child   When he saw me he held it out to
me  and said   Are you satisfied now  

 No   I said  in a way that I felt was aggressive 

 Do you not see the child  

 Yes  it is a child  but who brought it here   And is it wounded  

 We shall see   said the Professor  and with one impulse we took our
way out of the churchyard  he carrying the sleeping child 

When we had got some little distance away  we went into a clump of
trees  and struck a match  and looked at the child s throat   It was
without a scratch or scar of any kind 

 Was I right   I asked triumphantly 

 We were just in time   said the Professor thankfully 

We had now to decide what we were to do with the child  and so
consulted about it   If we were to take it to a police station we
should have to give some account of our movements during the night 
At least  we should have had to make some statement as to how we had
come to find the child   So finally we decided that we would take it
to the Heath  and when we heard a policeman coming  would leave it
where he could not fail to find it   We would then seek our way home
as quickly as we could   All fell out well   At the edge of Hampstead
Heath we heard a policeman s heavy tramp  and laying the child on the
pathway  we waited and watched until he saw it as he flashed his
lantern to and fro   We heard his exclamation of astonishment  and
then we went away silently   By good chance we got a cab near the
 Spainiards   and drove to town 

I cannot sleep  so I make this entry   But I must try to get a few
hours  sleep  as Van Helsing is to call for me at noon   He insists
that I go with him on another expedition 


27 September   It was two o clock before we found a suitable
opportunity for our attempt   The funeral held at noon was all
completed  and the last stragglers of the mourners had taken
themselves lazily away  when  looking carefully from behind a clump of
alder trees  we saw the sexton lock the gate after him   We knew that
we were safe till morning did we desire it  but the Professor told me
that we should not want more than an hour at most   Again I felt that
horrid sense of the reality of things  in which any effort of
imagination seemed out of place  and I realized distinctly the perils
of the law which we were incurring in our unhallowed work   Besides  I
felt it was all so useless   Outrageous as it was to open a leaden
coffin  to see if a woman dead nearly a week were really dead  it now
seemed the height of folly to open the tomb again  when we knew  from
the evidence of our own eyesight  that the coffin was empty   I
shrugged my shoulders  however  and rested silent  for Van Helsing had
a way of going on his own road  no matter who remonstrated   He took
the key  opened the vault  and again courteously motioned me to
precede   The place was not so gruesome as last night  but oh  how
unutterably mean looking when the sunshine streamed in   Van Helsing
walked over to Lucy s coffin  and I followed   He bent over and again
forced back the leaden flange  and a shock of surprise and dismay shot
through me 

There lay Lucy  seemingly just as we had seen her the night before her
funeral   She was  if possible  more radiantly beautiful than ever 
and I could not believe that she was dead   The lips were red  nay
redder than before  and on the cheeks was a delicate bloom 

 Is this a juggle   I said to him 

 Are you convinced now   said the Professor  in response  and as he
spoke he put over his hand  and in a way that made me shudder  pulled
back the dead lips and showed the white teeth    See   he went on 
 they are even sharper than before   With this and this   and he
touched one of the canine teeth and that below it   the little
children can be bitten   Are you of belief now  friend John  

Once more argumentative hostility woke within me   I could not accept
such an overwhelming idea as he suggested   So  with an attempt to
argue of which I was even at the moment ashamed  I said   She may have
been placed here since last night  

 Indeed   That is so  and by whom  

 I do not know   Someone has done it  

 And yet she has been dead one week   Most peoples in that time would
not look so  

I had no answer for this  so was silent   Van Helsing did not seem to
notice my silence   At any rate  he showed neither chagrin nor
triumph   He was looking intently at the face of the dead woman 
raising the eyelids and looking at the eyes  and once more opening the
lips and examining the teeth   Then he turned to me and said 

 Here  there is one thing which is different from all recorded   Here
is some dual life that is not as the common   She was bitten by the
vampire when she was in a trance  sleep walking  oh  you start   You
do not know that  friend John  but you shall know it later  and in
trance could he best come to take more blood   In trance she dies  and
in trance she is UnDead  too   So it is that she differ from all
other   Usually when the UnDead sleep at home   as he spoke he made a
comprehensive sweep of his arm to designate what to a vampire was
 home    their face show what they are  but this so sweet that was
when she not UnDead she go back to the nothings of the common dead 
There is no malign there  see  and so it make hard that I must kill
her in her sleep  

This turned my blood cold  and it began to dawn upon me that I was
accepting Van Helsing s theories   But if she were really dead  what
was there of terror in the idea of killing her 

He looked up at me  and evidently saw the change in my face  for he
said almost joyously   Ah  you believe now  

I answered   Do not press me too hard all at once   I am willing to
accept   How will you do this bloody work  

 I shall cut off her head and fill her mouth with garlic  and I shall
drive a stake through her body  

It made me shudder to think of so mutilating the body of the woman
whom I had loved   And yet the feeling was not so strong as I had
expected   I was  in fact  beginning to shudder at the presence of
this being  this UnDead  as Van Helsing called it  and to loathe it 
Is it possible that love is all subjective  or all objective 

I waited a considerable time for Van Helsing to begin  but he stood as
if wrapped in thought   Presently he closed the catch of his bag with
a snap  and said 

 I have been thinking  and have made up my mind as to what is best 
If I did simply follow my inclining I would do now  at this moment 
what is to be done   But there are other things to follow  and things
that are thousand times more difficult in that them we do not know 
This is simple   She have yet no life taken  though that is of time 
and to act now would be to take danger from her forever   But then we
may have to want Arthur  and how shall we tell him of this   If you 
who saw the wounds on Lucy s throat  and saw the wounds so similar on
the child s at the hospital  if you  who saw the coffin empty last
night and full today with a woman who have not change only to be more
rose and more beautiful in a whole week  after she die  if you know of
this and know of the white figure last night that brought the child to
the churchyard  and yet of your own senses you did not believe  how
then  can I expect Arthur  who know none of those things  to believe 

 He doubted me when I took him from her kiss when she was dying   I
know he has forgiven me because in some mistaken idea I have done
things that prevent him say goodbye as he ought  and he may think that
in some more mistaken idea this woman was buried alive  and that in
most mistake of all we have killed her   He will then argue back that
it is we  mistaken ones  that have killed her by our ideas  and so he
will be much unhappy always   Yet he never can be sure  and that is
the worst of all   And he will sometimes think that she he loved was
buried alive  and that will paint his dreams with horrors of what she
must have suffered  and again  he will think that we may be right  and
that his so beloved was  after all  an UnDead   No   I told him once 
and since then I learn much   Now  since I know it is all true  a
hundred thousand times more do I know that he must pass through the
bitter waters to reach the sweet   He  poor fellow  must have one hour
that will make the very face of heaven grow black to him  then we can
act for good all round and send him peace   My mind is made up   Let
us go   You return home for tonight to your asylum  and see that all
be well   As for me  I shall spend the night here in this churchyard
in my own way   Tomorrow night you will come to me to the Berkeley
Hotel at ten of the clock   I shall send for Arthur to come too  and
also that so fine young man of America that gave his blood   Later we
shall all have work to do   I come with you so far as Piccadilly and
there dine  for I must be back here before the sun set  

So we locked the tomb and came away  and got over the wall of the
churchyard  which was not much of a task  and drove back to
Piccadilly 




NOTE LEFT BY VAN HELSING IN HIS PORTMANTEAU  BERKELEY HOTEL DIRECTED TO
JOHN SEWARD  M  D   Not Delivered 

27 September

 Friend John 

 I write this in case anything should happen   I go alone to
watch in that churchyard   It pleases me that the UnDead 
Miss Lucy  shall not leave tonight  that so on the morrow
night she may be more eager   Therefore I shall fix some
things she like not  garlic and a crucifix  and so seal up
the door of the tomb   She is young as UnDead  and will
heed   Moreover  these are only to prevent her coming out 
They may not prevail on her wanting to get in  for then the
UnDead is desperate  and must find the line of least resistance 
whatsoever it may be   I shall be at hand all the night from
sunset till after sunrise  and if there be aught that may be
learned I shall learn it   For Miss Lucy or from her  I have no
fear  but that other to whom is there that she is UnDead  he have
not the power to seek her tomb and find shelter   He is cunning 
as I know from Mr  Jonathan and from the way that all along he
have fooled us when he played with us for Miss Lucy s life  and
we lost  and in many ways the UnDead are strong   He have always
the strength in his hand of twenty men  even we four who gave our
strength to Miss Lucy it also is all to him   Besides  he can
summon his wolf and I know not what   So if it be that he came
thither on this night he shall find me   But none other shall 
until it be too late   But it may be that he will not attempt the
place   There is no reason why he should   His hunting ground is
more full of game than the churchyard where the UnDead woman
sleeps  and the one old man watch 

 Therefore I write this in case       Take the papers that
are with this  the diaries of Harker and the rest  and read
them  and then find this great UnDead  and cut off his head
and burn his heart or drive a stake through it  so that the
world may rest from him 

 If it be so  farewell 

 VAN HELSING  




DR  SEWARD S DIARY

28 September   It is wonderful what a good night s sleep will do for
one   Yesterday I was almost willing to accept Van Helsing s monstrous
ideas  but now they seem to start out lurid before me as outrages on
common sense   I have no doubt that he believes it all   I wonder if
his mind can have become in any way unhinged   Surely there must be
some rational explanation of all these mysterious things   Is it
possible that the Professor can have done it himself   He is so
abnormally clever that if he went off his head he would carry out his
intent with regard to some fixed idea in a wonderful way   I am loathe
to think it  and indeed it would be almost as great a marvel as the
other to find that Van Helsing was mad  but anyhow I shall watch him
carefully   I may get some light on the mystery 


29 September   Last night  at a little before ten o clock  Arthur and
Quincey came into Van Helsing s room   He told us all what he wanted
us to do  but especially addressing himself to Arthur  as if all our
wills were centred in his   He began by saying that he hoped we would
all come with him too   for   he said   there is a grave duty to be
done there   You were doubtless surprised at my letter    This query
was directly addressed to Lord Godalming 

 I was   It rather upset me for a bit   There has been so much trouble
around my house of late that I could do without any more   I have been
curious  too  as to what you mean 

 Quincey and I talked it over  but the more we talked  the more
puzzled we got  till now I can say for myself that I m about up a tree
as to any meaning about anything  

 Me too   said Quincey Morris laconically 

 Oh   said the Professor   then you are nearer the beginning  both of
you  than friend John here  who has to go a long way back before he
can even get so far as to begin  

It was evident that he recognized my return to my old doubting frame
of mind without my saying a word   Then  turning to the other two  he
said with intense gravity 

 I want your permission to do what I think good this night   It is  I
know  much to ask  and when you know what it is I propose to do you
will know  and only then how much   Therefore may I ask that you
promise me in the dark  so that afterwards  though you may be angry
with me for a time  I must not disguise from myself the possibility
that such may be  you shall not blame yourselves for anything  

 That s frank anyhow   broke in Quincey    I ll answer for the
Professor   I don t quite see his drift  but I swear he s honest  and
that s good enough for me  

 I thank you  Sir   said Van Helsing proudly    I have done myself the
honour of counting you one trusting friend  and such endorsement is
dear to me    He held out a hand  which Quincey took 

Then Arthur spoke out   Dr  Van Helsing  I don t quite like to  buy a
pig in a poke   as they say in Scotland  and if it be anything in
which my honour as a gentleman or my faith as a Christian is
concerned  I cannot make such a promise   If you can assure me that
what you intend does not violate either of these two  then I give my
consent at once  though for the life of me  I cannot understand what
you are driving at  

 I accept your limitation   said Van Helsing   and all I ask of you is
that if you feel it necessary to condemn any act of mine  you will
first consider it well and be satisfied that it does not violate your
reservations  

 Agreed   said Arthur    That is only fair   And now that the
pourparlers are over  may I ask what it is we are to do  

 I want you to come with me  and to come in secret  to the churchyard
at Kingstead  

Arthur s face fell as he said in an amazed sort of way 

 Where poor Lucy is buried  

The Professor bowed 

Arthur went on   And when there  

 To enter the tomb  

Arthur stood up    Professor  are you in earnest  or is it some
monstrous joke   Pardon me  I see that you are in earnest    He sat
down again  but I could see that he sat firmly and proudly  as one who
is on his dignity   There was silence until he asked again   And when
in the tomb  

 To open the coffin  

 This is too much   he said  angrily rising again    I am willing to
be patient in all things that are reasonable  but in this  this
desecration of the grave  of one who         He fairly choked with
indignation 

The Professor looked pityingly at him    If I could spare you one pang 
my poor friend   he said   God knows I would   But this night our feet
must tread in thorny paths  or later  and for ever  the feet you love
must walk in paths of flame  

Arthur looked up with set white face and said   Take care  sir  take
care  

 Would it not be well to hear what I have to say   said Van Helsing 
 And then you will at least know the limit of my purpose   Shall I go
on  

 That s fair enough   broke in Morris 

After a pause Van Helsing went on  evidently with an effort   Miss
Lucy is dead  is it not so   Yes   Then there can be no wrong to her 
But if she be not dead       

Arthur jumped to his feet   Good God   he cried    What do you mean 
Has there been any mistake  has she been buried alive    He groaned in
anguish that not even hope could soften 

 I did not say she was alive  my child   I did not think it   I go no
further than to say that she might be UnDead  

 UnDead   Not alive   What do you mean   Is this all a nightmare  or
what is it  

 There are mysteries which men can only guess at  which age by age
they may solve only in part   Believe me  we are now on the verge of
one   But I have not done   May I cut off the head of dead Miss Lucy  

 Heavens and earth  no   cried Arthur in a storm of passion    Not for
the wide world will I consent to any mutilation of her dead body   Dr 
Van Helsing  you try me too far   What have I done to you that you
should torture me so   What did that poor  sweet girl do that you
should want to cast such dishonour on her grave   Are you mad  that you
speak of such things  or am I mad to listen to them   Don t dare think
more of such a desecration   I shall not give my consent to anything
you do   I have a duty to do in protecting her grave from outrage  and
by God  I shall do it  

Van Helsing rose up from where he had all the time been seated  and
said  gravely and sternly   My Lord Godalming  I too  have a duty to
do  a duty to others  a duty to you  a duty to the dead  and by God  I
shall do it   All I ask you now is that you come with me  that you
look and listen  and if when later I make the same request you do not
be more eager for its fulfillment even than I am  then  I shall do my
duty  whatever it may seem to me   And then  to follow your Lordship s
wishes I shall hold myself at your disposal to render an account to
you  when and where you will    His voice broke a little  and he went
on with a voice full of pity 

 But I beseech you  do not go forth in anger with me   In a long life
of acts which were often not pleasant to do  and which sometimes did
wring my heart  I have never had so heavy a task as now   Believe me
that if the time comes for you to change your mind towards me  one
look from you will wipe away all this so sad hour  for I would do what
a man can to save you from sorrow   Just think   For why should I give
myself so much labor and so much of sorrow   I have come here from my
own land to do what I can of good  at the first to please my friend
John  and then to help a sweet young lady  whom too  I come to love 
For her  I am ashamed to say so much  but I say it in kindness  I gave
what you gave  the blood of my veins   I gave it  I who was not  like
you  her lover  but only her physician and her friend   I gave her my
nights and days  before death  after death  and if my death can do her
good even now  when she is the dead UnDead  she shall have it freely  
He said this with a very grave  sweet pride  and Arthur was much
affected by it 

He took the old man s hand and said in a broken voice   Oh  it is hard
to think of it  and I cannot understand  but at least I shall go with
you and wait  




CHAPTER 16


DR  SEWARD S DIARY  cont 

It was just a quarter before twelve o clock when we got into the
churchyard over the low wall   The night was dark with occasional
gleams of moonlight between the dents of the heavy clouds that scudded
across the sky   We all kept somehow close together  with Van Helsing
slightly in front as he led the way   When we had come close to the
tomb I looked well at Arthur  for I feared the proximity to a place
laden with so sorrowful a memory would upset him  but he bore himself
well   I took it that the very mystery of the proceeding was in some
way a counteractant to his grief   The Professor unlocked the door 
and seeing a natural hesitation amongst us for various reasons  solved
the difficulty by entering first himself   The rest of us followed 
and he closed the door   He then lit a dark lantern and pointed to a
coffin   Arthur stepped forward hesitatingly   Van Helsing said to me 
 You were with me here yesterday   Was the body of Miss Lucy in that
coffin  

 It was  

The Professor turned to the rest saying   You hear  and yet there is
no one who does not believe with me  

He took his screwdriver and again took off the lid of the coffin 
Arthur looked on  very pale but silent   When the lid was removed he
stepped forward   He evidently did not know that there was a leaden
coffin  or at any rate  had not thought of it   When he saw the rent
in the lead  the blood rushed to his face for an instant  but as
quickly fell away again  so that he remained of a ghastly whiteness 
He was still silent   Van Helsing forced back the leaden flange  and
we all looked in and recoiled 

The coffin was empty 

For several minutes no one spoke a word   The silence was broken by
Quincey Morris   Professor  I answered for you   Your word is all I
want   I wouldn t ask such a thing ordinarily  I wouldn t so dishonour
you as to imply a doubt  but this is a mystery that goes beyond any
honour or dishonour   Is this your doing  

 I swear to you by all that I hold sacred that I have not removed or
touched her   What happened was this   Two nights ago my friend Seward
and I came here  with good purpose  believe me   I opened that coffin 
which was then sealed up  and we found it as now  empty   We then
waited  and saw something white come through the trees   The next day
we came here in daytime and she lay there   Did she not  friend John 

 Yes  

 That night we were just in time   One more so small child was
missing  and we find it  thank God  unharmed amongst the graves 
Yesterday I came here before sundown  for at sundown the UnDead can
move   I waited here all night till the sun rose  but I saw nothing 
It was most probable that it was because I had laid over the clamps of
those doors garlic  which the UnDead cannot bear  and other things
which they shun   Last night there was no exodus  so tonight before
the sundown I took away my garlic and other things   And so it is we
find this coffin empty   But bear with me   So far there is much that
is strange   Wait you with me outside  unseen and unheard  and things
much stranger are yet to be   So   here he shut the dark slide of his
lantern   now to the outside    He opened the door  and we filed out 
he coming last and locking the door behind him 

Oh   But it seemed fresh and pure in the night air after the terror of
that vault   How sweet it was to see the clouds race by  and the
passing gleams of the moonlight between the scudding clouds crossing
and passing  like the gladness and sorrow of a man s life   How sweet
it was to breathe the fresh air  that had no taint of death and decay 
How humanizing to see the red lighting of the sky beyond the hill  and
to hear far away the muffled roar that marks the life of a great
city   Each in his own way was solemn and overcome   Arthur was
silent  and was  I could see  striving to grasp the purpose and the
inner meaning of the mystery   I was myself tolerably patient  and
half inclined again to throw aside doubt and to accept Van Helsing s
conclusions   Quincey Morris was phlegmatic in the way of a man who
accepts all things  and accepts them in the spirit of cool bravery 
with hazard of all he has at stake   Not being able to smoke  he cut
himself a good sized plug of tobacco and began to chew   As to Van
Helsing  he was employed in a definite way   First he took from his
bag a mass of what looked like thin  wafer like biscuit  which was
carefully rolled up in a white napkin   Next he took out a double
handful of some whitish stuff  like dough or putty   He crumbled the
wafer up fine and worked it into the mass between his hands   This he
then took  and rolling it into thin strips  began to lay them into the
crevices between the door and its setting in the tomb   I was somewhat
puzzled at this  and being close  asked him what it was that he was
doing   Arthur and Quincey drew near also  as they too were curious 

He answered   I am closing the tomb so that the UnDead may not enter  

 And is that stuff you have there going to do it  

 It is  

 What is that which you are using    This time the question was by
Arthur   Van Helsing reverently lifted his hat as he answered 

 The Host   I brought it from Amsterdam   I have an Indulgence  

It was an answer that appalled the most sceptical of us  and we felt
individually that in the presence of such earnest purpose as the
Professor s  a purpose which could thus use the to him most sacred of
things  it was impossible to distrust   In respectful silence we took
the places assigned to us close round the tomb  but hidden from the
sight of any one approaching   I pitied the others  especially Arthur 
I had myself been apprenticed by my former visits to this watching
horror  and yet I  who had up to an hour ago repudiated the proofs 
felt my heart sink within me   Never did tombs look so ghastly white 
Never did cypress  or yew  or juniper so seem the embodiment of
funeral gloom   Never did tree or grass wave or rustle so ominously 
Never did bough creak so mysteriously  and never did the far away
howling of dogs send such a woeful presage through the night 

There was a long spell of silence  big  aching  void  and then from
the Professor a keen  S s s s    He pointed  and far down the avenue of
yews we saw a white figure advance  a dim white figure  which held
something dark at its breast   The figure stopped  and at the moment a
ray of moonlight fell upon the masses of driving clouds  and showed in
startling prominence a dark haired woman  dressed in the cerements of
the grave   We could not see the face  for it was bent down over what
we saw to be a fair haired child   There was a pause and a sharp
little cry  such as a child gives in sleep  or a dog as it lies before
the fire and dreams   We were starting forward  but the Professor s
warning hand  seen by us as he stood behind a yew tree  kept us back 
And then as we looked the white figure moved forwards again   It was
now near enough for us to see clearly  and the moonlight still held 
My own heart grew cold as ice  and I could hear the gasp of Arthur  as
we recognized the features of Lucy Westenra   Lucy Westenra  but yet
how changed   The sweetness was turned to adamantine  heartless
cruelty  and the purity to voluptuous wantonness 

Van Helsing stepped out  and obedient to his gesture  we all advanced
too   The four of us ranged in a line before the door of the tomb   Van
Helsing raised his lantern and drew the slide   By the concentrated
light that fell on Lucy s face we could see that the lips were crimson
with fresh blood  and that the stream had trickled over her chin and
stained the purity of her lawn death robe 

We shuddered with horror   I could see by the tremulous light that
even Van Helsing s iron nerve had failed   Arthur was next to me  and
if I had not seized his arm and held him up  he would have fallen 

When Lucy  I call the thing that was before us Lucy because it bore
her shape  saw us she drew back with an angry snarl  such as a cat
gives when taken unawares  then her eyes ranged over us   Lucy s eyes
in form and colour  but Lucy s eyes unclean and full of hell fire 
instead of the pure  gentle orbs we knew   At that moment the remnant
of my love passed into hate and loathing   Had she then to be killed 
I could have done it with savage delight   As she looked  her eyes
blazed with unholy light  and the face became wreathed with a
voluptuous smile   Oh  God  how it made me shudder to see it   With a
careless motion  she flung to the ground  callous as a devil  the
child that up to now she had clutched strenuously to her breast 
growling over it as a dog growls over a bone   The child gave a sharp
cry  and lay there moaning   There was a cold bloodedness in the act
which wrung a groan from Arthur   When she advanced to him with
outstretched arms and a wanton smile he fell back and hid his face in
his hands 

She still advanced  however  and with a languorous  voluptuous grace 
said   Come to me  Arthur   Leave these others and come to me   My
arms are hungry for you   Come  and we can rest together   Come  my
husband  come  

There was something diabolically sweet in her tones  something of the
tinkling of glass when struck  which rang through the brains even of
us who heard the words addressed to another 

As for Arthur  he seemed under a spell  moving his hands from his
face  he opened wide his arms   She was leaping for them  when Van
Helsing sprang forward and held between them his little golden
crucifix   She recoiled from it  and  with a suddenly distorted face 
full of rage  dashed past him as if to enter the tomb 

When within a foot or two of the door  however  she stopped  as if
arrested by some irresistible force   Then she turned  and her face
was shown in the clear burst of moonlight and by the lamp  which had
now no quiver from Van Helsing s nerves   Never did I see such baffled
malice on a face  and never  I trust  shall such ever be seen again by
mortal eyes   The beautiful colour became livid  the eyes seemed to
throw out sparks of hell fire  the brows were wrinkled as though the
folds of flesh were the coils of Medusa s snakes  and the lovely 
blood stained mouth grew to an open square  as in the passion masks of
the Greeks and Japanese   If ever a face meant death  if looks could
kill  we saw it at that moment 

And so for full half a minute  which seemed an eternity  she remained
between the lifted crucifix and the sacred closing of her means of
entry 

Van Helsing broke the silence by asking Arthur   Answer me  oh my
friend   Am I to proceed in my work  

 Do as you will  friend   Do as you will   There can be no horror like
this ever any more    And he groaned in spirit 

Quincey and I simultaneously moved towards him  and took his arms   We
could hear the click of the closing lantern as Van Helsing held it
down   Coming close to the tomb  he began to remove from the chinks
some of the sacred emblem which he had placed there   We all looked on
with horrified amazement as we saw  when he stood back  the woman 
with a corporeal body as real at that moment as our own  pass through
the interstice where scarce a knife blade could have gone   We all
felt a glad sense of relief when we saw the Professor calmly restoring
the strings of putty to the edges of the door 

When this was done  he lifted the child and said   Come now  my
friends   We can do no more till tomorrow   There is a funeral at
noon  so here we shall all come before long after that   The friends
of the dead will all be gone by two  and when the sexton locks the
gate we shall remain   Then there is more to do  but not like this of
tonight   As for this little one  he is not much harmed  and by
tomorrow night he shall be well   We shall leave him where the police
will find him  as on the other night  and then to home  

Coming close to Arthur  he said   My friend Arthur  you have had a sore
trial  but after  when you look back  you will see how it was
necessary   You are now in the bitter waters  my child   By this time
tomorrow you will  please God  have passed them  and have drunk of the
sweet waters   So do not mourn over much   Till then I shall not ask
you to forgive me  

Arthur and Quincey came home with me  and we tried to cheer each other
on the way   We had left behind the child in safety  and were tired 
So we all slept with more or less reality of sleep 


29 September  night   A little before twelve o clock we three  Arthur 
Quincey Morris  and myself  called for the Professor   It was odd to
notice that by common consent we had all put on black clothes   Of
course  Arthur wore black  for he was in deep mourning  but the rest
of us wore it by instinct   We got to the graveyard by half past one 
and strolled about  keeping out of official observation  so that when
the gravediggers had completed their task and the sexton  under the
belief that every one had gone  had locked the gate  we had the place
all to ourselves   Van Helsing  instead of his little black bag  had
with him a long leather one  something like a cricketing bag   It was
manifestly of fair weight 

When we were alone and had heard the last of the footsteps die out up
the road  we silently  and as if by ordered intention  followed the
Professor to the tomb   He unlocked the door  and we entered  closing
it behind us   Then he took from his bag the lantern  which he lit 
and also two wax candles  which  when lighted  he stuck by melting
their own ends  on other coffins  so that they might give light
sufficient to work by   When he again lifted the lid off Lucy s coffin
we all looked  Arthur trembling like an aspen  and saw that the corpse
lay there in all its death beauty   But there was no love in my own
heart  nothing but loathing for the foul Thing which had taken Lucy s
shape without her soul   I could see even Arthur s face grow hard as
he looked   Presently he said to Van Helsing   Is this really Lucy s
body  or only a demon in her shape  

 It is her body  and yet not it   But wait a while  and you shall see
her as she was  and is  

She seemed like a nightmare of Lucy as she lay there  the pointed
teeth  the blood stained  voluptuous mouth  which made one shudder to
see  the whole carnal and unspirited appearance  seeming like a
devilish mockery of Lucy s sweet purity   Van Helsing  with his usual
methodicalness  began taking the various contents from his bag and
placing them ready for use   First he took out a soldering iron and
some plumbing solder  and then small oil lamp  which gave out  when
lit in a corner of the tomb  gas which burned at a fierce heat with a
blue flame  then his operating knives  which he placed to hand  and
last a round wooden stake  some two and a half or three inches thick
and about three feet long   One end of it was hardened by charring in
the fire  and was sharpened to a fine point   With this stake came a
heavy hammer  such as in households is used in the coal cellar for
breaking the lumps   To me  a doctor s preparations for work of any
kind are stimulating and bracing  but the effect of these things on
both Arthur and Quincey was to cause them a sort of consternation 
They both  however  kept their courage  and remained silent and quiet 

When all was ready  Van Helsing said   Before we do anything  let me
tell you this   It is out of the lore and experience of the ancients
and of all those who have studied the powers of the UnDead   When they
become such  there comes with the change the curse of immortality 
They cannot die  but must go on age after age adding new victims and
multiplying the evils of the world   For all that die from the preying
of the Undead become themselves Undead  and prey on their kind   And
so the circle goes on ever widening  like as the ripples from a stone
thrown in the water   Friend Arthur  if you had met that kiss which
you know of before poor Lucy die  or again  last night when you open
your arms to her  you would in time  when you had died  have become
nosferatu  as they call it in Eastern Europe  and would for all time
make more of those Un Deads that so have filled us with horror   The
career of this so unhappy dear lady is but just begun   Those children
whose blood she sucked are not as yet so much the worse  but if she
lives on  UnDead  more and more they lose their blood and by her power
over them they come to her  and so she draw their blood with that so
wicked mouth   But if she die in truth  then all cease   The tiny
wounds of the throats disappear  and they go back to their play
unknowing ever of what has been   But of the most blessed of all  when
this now UnDead be made to rest as true dead  then the soul of the
poor lady whom we love shall again be free   Instead of working
wickedness by night and growing more debased in the assimilating of it
by day  she shall take her place with the other Angels   So that  my
friend  it will be a blessed hand for her that shall strike the blow
that sets her free   To this I am willing  but is there none amongst
us who has a better right   Will it be no joy to think of hereafter in
the silence of the night when sleep is not   It was my hand that sent
her to the stars   It was the hand of him that loved her best  the
hand that of all she would herself have chosen  had it been to her to
choose    Tell me if there be such a one amongst us  

We all looked at Arthur   He saw too  what we all did  the infinite
kindness which suggested that his should be the hand which would
restore Lucy to us as a holy  and not an unholy  memory   He stepped
forward and said bravely  though his hand trembled  and his face was
as pale as snow   My true friend  from the bottom of my broken heart I
thank you   Tell me what I am to do  and I shall not falter  

Van Helsing laid a hand on his shoulder  and said   Brave lad   A
moment s courage  and it is done   This stake must be driven through
her   It well be a fearful ordeal  be not deceived in that  but it
will be only a short time  and you will then rejoice more than your
pain was great   From this grim tomb you will emerge as though you
tread on air   But you must not falter when once you have begun   Only
think that we  your true friends  are round you  and that we pray for
you all the time  

 Go on   said Arthur hoarsely    Tell me what I am to do  

 Take this stake in your left hand  ready to place to the point over
the heart  and the hammer in your right   Then when we begin our
prayer for the dead  I shall read him  I have here the book  and the
others shall follow  strike in God s name  that so all may be well
with the dead that we love and that the UnDead pass away  

Arthur took the stake and the hammer  and when once his mind was set
on action his hands never trembled nor even quivered   Van Helsing
opened his missal and began to read  and Quincey and I followed as
well as we could 

Arthur placed the point over the heart  and as I looked I could see its
dint in the white flesh   Then he struck with all his might 

The thing in the coffin writhed  and a hideous  blood curdling screech
came from the opened red lips   The body shook and quivered and
twisted in wild contortions   The sharp white teeth champed together till
the lips were cut  and the mouth was smeared with a crimson foam   But
Arthur never faltered   He looked like a figure of Thor as his
untrembling arm rose and fell  driving deeper and deeper the
mercy bearing stake  whilst the blood from the pierced heart welled
and spurted up around it   His face was set  and high duty seemed to
shine through it   The sight of it gave us courage so that our voices
seemed to ring through the little vault 

And then the writhing and quivering of the body became less  and the
teeth seemed to champ  and the face to quiver   Finally it lay still 
The terrible task was over 

The hammer fell from Arthur s hand   He reeled and would have fallen
had we not caught him   The great drops of sweat sprang from his
forehead  and his breath came in broken gasps   It had indeed been an
awful strain on him  and had he not been forced to his task by more
than human considerations he could never have gone through with it 
For a few minutes we were so taken up with him that we did not look
towards the coffin   When we did  however  a murmur of startled
surprise ran from one to the other of us   We gazed so eagerly that
Arthur rose  for he had been seated on the ground  and came and looked
too  and then a glad strange light broke over his face and dispelled
altogether the gloom of horror that lay upon it 

There  in the coffin lay no longer the foul Thing that we had so
dreaded and grown to hate that the work of her destruction was yielded
as a privilege to the one best entitled to it  but Lucy as we had seen
her in life  with her face of unequalled sweetness and purity   True
that there were there  as we had seen them in life  the traces of care
and pain and waste   But these were all dear to us  for they marked
her truth to what we knew   One and all we felt that the holy calm
that lay like sunshine over the wasted face and form was only an
earthly token and symbol of the calm that was to reign for ever 

Van Helsing came and laid his hand on Arthur s shoulder  and said to
him   And now  Arthur my friend  dear lad  am I not forgiven  

The reaction of the terrible strain came as he took the old man s hand
in his  and raising it to his lips  pressed it  and said   Forgiven 
God bless you that you have given my dear one her soul again  and me
peace    He put his hands on the Professor s shoulder  and laying his
head on his breast  cried for a while silently  whilst we stood
unmoving 

When he raised his head Van Helsing said to him   And now  my child 
you may kiss her   Kiss her dead lips if you will  as she would have
you to  if for her to choose   For she is not a grinning devil now 
not any more a foul Thing for all eternity   No longer she is the
devil s UnDead   She is God s true dead  whose soul is with Him  

Arthur bent and kissed her  and then we sent him and Quincey out of the
tomb   The Professor and I sawed the top off the stake  leaving the
point of it in the body   Then we cut off the head and filled the
mouth with garlic   We soldered up the leaden coffin  screwed on the
coffin lid  and gathering up our belongings  came away   When the
Professor locked the door he gave the key to Arthur 

Outside the air was sweet  the sun shone  and the birds sang  and it
seemed as if all nature were tuned to a different pitch   There was
gladness and mirth and peace everywhere  for we were at rest ourselves
on one account  and we were glad  though it was with a tempered joy 

Before we moved away Van Helsing said   Now  my friends  one step of
our work is done  one the most harrowing to ourselves   But there
remains a greater task  to find out the author of all this our sorrow
and to stamp him out   I have clues which we can follow  but it is a
long task  and a difficult one  and there is danger in it  and pain 
Shall you not all help me   We have learned to believe  all of us  is
it not so   And since so  do we not see our duty   Yes   And do we not
promise to go on to the bitter end  

Each in turn  we took his hand  and the promise was made   Then said
the Professor as we moved off   Two nights hence you shall meet with
me and dine together at seven of the clock with friend John   I shall
entreat two others  two that you know not as yet  and I shall be ready
to all our work show and our plans unfold   Friend John  you come with
me home  for I have much to consult you about  and you can help me 
Tonight I leave for Amsterdam  but shall return tomorrow night   And
then begins our great quest   But first I shall have much to say  so
that you may know what to do and to dread   Then our promise shall be
made to each other anew   For there is a terrible task before us  and
once our feet are on the ploughshare we must not draw back  




CHAPTER 17


DR  SEWARD S DIARY  cont 

When we arrived at the Berkeley Hotel  Van Helsing found a telegram
waiting for him 

 Am coming up by train   Jonathan at Whitby   Important news   Mina
Harker  


The Professor was delighted    Ah  that wonderful Madam Mina   he
said   pearl among women   She arrive  but I cannot stay   She must go
to your house  friend John   You must meet her at the station 
Telegraph her en route so that she may be prepared  

When the wire was dispatched he had a cup of tea   Over it he told me
of a diary kept by Jonathan Harker when abroad  and gave me a
typewritten copy of it  as also of Mrs  Harker s diary at Whitby 
 Take these   he said   and study them well   When I have returned you
will be master of all the facts  and we can then better enter on our
inquisition   Keep them safe  for there is in them much of treasure 
You will need all your faith  even you who have had such an experience
as that of today   What is here told   he laid his hand heavily and
gravely on the packet of papers as he spoke   may be the beginning of
the end to you and me and many another  or it may sound the knell of
the UnDead who walk the earth   Read all  I pray you  with the open
mind  and if you can add in any way to the story here told do so  for
it is all important   You have kept a diary of all these so strange
things  is it not so   Yes   Then we shall go through all these
together when we meet    He then made ready for his departure and
shortly drove off to Liverpool Street   I took my way to Paddington 
where I arrived about fifteen minutes before the train came in 

The crowd melted away  after the bustling fashion common to arrival
platforms  and I was beginning to feel uneasy  lest I might miss my
guest  when a sweet faced  dainty looking girl stepped up to me  and
after a quick glance said   Dr  Seward  is it not  

 And you are Mrs  Harker   I answered at once  whereupon she held out
her hand 

 I knew you from the description of poor dear Lucy  but         She
stopped suddenly  and a quick blush overspread her face 

The blush that rose to my own cheeks somehow set us both at ease  for
it was a tacit answer to her own   I got her luggage  which included a
typewriter  and we took the Underground to Fenchurch Street  after I
had sent a wire to my housekeeper to have a sitting room and a bedroom
prepared at once for Mrs  Harker 

In due time we arrived   She knew  of course  that the place was a
lunatic asylum  but I could see that she was unable to repress a
shudder when we entered 

She told me that  if she might  she would come presently to my study 
as she had much to say   So here I am finishing my entry in my
phonograph diary whilst I await her   As yet I have not had the chance
of looking at the papers which Van Helsing left with me  though they
lie open before me   I must get her interested in something  so that I
may have an opportunity of reading them   She does not know how
precious time is  or what a task we have in hand   I must be careful
not to frighten her   Here she is 




MINA HARKER S JOURNAL

29 September   After I had tidied myself  I went down to Dr  Seward s
study   At the door I paused a moment  for I thought I heard him
talking with some one   As  however  he had pressed me to be quick  I
knocked at the door  and on his calling out   Come in   I entered 

To my intense surprise  there was no one with him   He was quite
alone  and on the table opposite him was what I knew at once from the
description to be a phonograph   I had never seen one  and was much
interested 

 I hope I did not keep you waiting   I said   but I stayed at the door
as I heard you talking  and thought there was someone with you  

 Oh   he replied with a smile   I was only entering my diary  

 Your diary   I asked him in surprise 

 Yes   he answered    I keep it in this    As he spoke he laid his
hand on the phonograph   I felt quite excited over it  and blurted
out   Why  this beats even shorthand   May I hear it say something  

 Certainly   he replied with alacrity  and stood up to put it in train
for speaking   Then he paused  and a troubled look overspread his
face 

 The fact is   he began awkwardly   I only keep my diary in it  and as
it is entirely  almost entirely  about my cases it may be awkward 
that is  I mean         He stopped  and I tried to help him out of his
embarrassment 

 You helped to attend dear Lucy at the end   Let me hear how she died 
for all that I know of her  I shall be very grateful   She was very 
very dear to me  

To my surprise  he answered  with a horrorstruck look in his face 
 Tell you of her death   Not for the wide world  

 Why not   I asked  for some grave  terrible feeling was coming over me 

Again he paused  and I could see that he was trying to invent an
excuse   At length  he stammered out   You see  I do not know how to
pick out any particular part of the diary  

Even while he was speaking an idea dawned upon him  and he said with
unconscious simplicity  in a different voice  and with the naivete of
a child   that s quite true  upon my honour   Honest Indian  

I could not but smile  at which he grimaced    I gave myself away that
time   he said    But do you know that  although I have kept the diary
for months past  it never once struck me how I was going to find any
particular part of it in case I wanted to look it up  

By this time my mind was made up that the diary of a doctor who
attended Lucy might have something to add to the sum of our knowledge
of that terrible Being  and I said boldly   Then  Dr  Seward  you had
better let me copy it out for you on my typewriter  

He grew to a positively deathly pallor as he said   No   No   No   For
all the world   I wouldn t let you know that terrible story  

Then it was terrible   My intuition was right   For a moment  I
thought  and as my eyes ranged the room  unconsciously looking for
something or some opportunity to aid me  they lit on a great batch of
typewriting on the table   His eyes caught the look in mine  and
without his thinking  followed their direction   As they saw the
parcel he realized my meaning 

 You do not know me   I said    When you have read those papers  my
own diary and my husband s also  which I have typed  you will know me
better   I have not faltered in giving every thought of my own heart
in this cause   But  of course  you do not know me  yet  and I must
not expect you to trust me so far  

He is certainly a man of noble nature   Poor dear Lucy was right about
him   He stood up and opened a large drawer  in which were arranged in
order a number of hollow cylinders of metal covered with dark wax  and
said 

 You are quite right   I did not trust you because I did not know
you   But I know you now  and let me say that I should have known you
long ago   I know that Lucy told you of me   She told me of you too 
May I make the only atonement in my power   Take the cylinders and
hear them   The first half dozen of them are personal to me  and they
will not horrify you   Then you will know me better   Dinner will by
then be ready   In the meantime I shall read over some of these
documents  and shall be better able to understand certain things  

He carried the phonograph himself up to my sitting room and adjusted
it for me   Now I shall learn something pleasant  I am sure   For it
will tell me the other side of a true love episode of which I know one
side already 




DR  SEWARD S DIARY

29 September   I was so absorbed in that wonderful diary of Jonathan
Harker and that other of his wife that I let the time run on without
thinking   Mrs  Harker was not down when the maid came to announce
dinner  so I said   She is possibly tired   Let dinner wait an hour  
and I went on with my work   I had just finished Mrs  Harker s diary 
when she came in   She looked sweetly pretty  but very sad  and her
eyes were flushed with crying   This somehow moved me much   Of late I
have had cause for tears  God knows   But the relief of them was
denied me  and now the sight of those sweet eyes  brightened by recent
tears  went straight to my heart   So I said as gently as I could   I
greatly fear I have distressed you  

 Oh  no  not distressed me   she replied    But I have been more
touched than I can say by your grief   That is a wonderful machine 
but it is cruelly true   It told me  in its very tones  the anguish of
your heart   It was like a soul crying out to Almighty God   No one
must hear them spoken ever again   See  I have tried to be useful   I
have copied out the words on my typewriter  and none other need now
hear your heart beat  as I did  

 No one need ever know  shall ever know   I said in a low voice   She
laid her hand on mine and said very gravely   Ah  but they must  

 Must   But why   I asked 

 Because it is a part of the terrible story  a part of poor Lucy s
death and all that led to it   Because in the struggle which we have
before us to rid the earth of this terrible monster we must have all
the knowledge and all the help which we can get   I think that the
cylinders which you gave me contained more than you intended me to
know   But I can see that there are in your record many lights to this
dark mystery   You will let me help  will you not   I know all up to a
certain point  and I see already  though your diary only took me to 7
September  how poor Lucy was beset  and how her terrible doom was
being wrought out   Jonathan and I have been working day and night
since Professor Van Helsing saw us   He is gone to Whitby to get more
information  and he will be here tomorrow to help us   We need have no
secrets amongst us   Working together and with absolute trust  we can
surely be stronger than if some of us were in the dark  

She looked at me so appealingly  and at the same time manifested such
courage and resolution in her bearing  that I gave in at once to her
wishes    You shall   I said   do as you like in the matter   God
forgive me if I do wrong   There are terrible things yet to learn of 
but if you have so far traveled on the road to poor Lucy s death  you
will not be content  I know  to remain in the dark   Nay  the end  the
very end  may give you a gleam of peace   Come  there is dinner   We
must keep one another strong for what is before us   We have a cruel
and dreadful task   When you have eaten you shall learn the rest  and
I shall answer any questions you ask  if there be anything which you
do not understand  though it was apparent to us who were present  



MINA HARKER S JOURNAL

29 September   After dinner I came with Dr  Seward to his study   He
brought back the phonograph from my room  and I took a chair  and
arranged the phonograph so that I could touch it without getting up 
and showed me how to stop it in case I should want to pause   Then he
very thoughtfully took a chair  with his back to me  so that I might
be as free as possible  and began to read   I put the forked metal to
my ears and listened 

When the terrible story of Lucy s death  and all that followed  was
done  I lay back in my chair powerless   Fortunately I am not of a
fainting disposition   When Dr  Seward saw me he jumped up with a
horrified exclamation  and hurriedly taking a case bottle from the
cupboard  gave me some brandy  which in a few minutes somewhat
restored me   My brain was all in a whirl  and only that there came
through all the multitude of horrors  the holy ray of light that my
dear Lucy was at last at peace  I do not think I could have borne it
without making a scene   It is all so wild and mysterious  and strange
that if I had not known Jonathan s experience in Transylvania I could
not have believed   As it was  I didn t know what to believe  and so
got out of my difficulty by attending to something else   I took the
cover off my typewriter  and said to Dr  Seward 

 Let me write this all out now   We must be ready for Dr  Van Helsing
when he comes   I have sent a telegram to Jonathan to come on here
when he arrives in London from Whitby   In this matter dates are
everything  and I think that if we get all of our material ready  and
have every item put in chronological order  we shall have done much 

 You tell me that Lord Godalming and Mr  Morris are coming too   Let
us be able to tell them when they come  

He accordingly set the phonograph at a slow pace  and I began to
typewrite from the beginning of the seventeenth cylinder   I used
manifold  and so took three copies of the diary  just as I had done
with the rest   It was late when I got through  but Dr  Seward went
about his work of going his round of the patients   When he had
finished he came back and sat near me  reading  so that I did not feel
too lonely whilst I worked   How good and thoughtful he is   The world
seems full of good men  even if there are monsters in it 

Before I left him I remembered what Jonathan put in his diary of the
Professor s perturbation at reading something in an evening paper at
the station at Exeter  so  seeing that Dr  Seward keeps his
newspapers  I borrowed the files of  The Westminster Gazette  and  The
Pall Mall Gazette  and took them to my room   I remember how much the
 Dailygraph  and  The Whitby Gazette   of which I had made cuttings 
had helped us to understand the terrible events at Whitby when Count
Dracula landed  so I shall look through the evening papers since then 
and perhaps I shall get some new light   I am not sleepy  and the work
will help to keep me quiet 




DR  SEWARD S DIARY

30 September   Mr  Harker arrived at nine o clock   He got his wife s
wire just before starting   He is uncommonly clever  if one can judge
from his face  and full of energy   If this journal be true  and
judging by one s own wonderful experiences  it must be  he is also a
man of great nerve   That going down to the vault a second time was a
remarkable piece of daring   After reading his account of it I was
prepared to meet a good specimen of manhood  but hardly the quiet 
businesslike gentleman who came here today 


LATER   After lunch Harker and his wife went back to their own room 
and as I passed a while ago I heard the click of the typewriter   They
are hard at it   Mrs  Harker says that they are knitting together in
chronological order every scrap of evidence they have   Harker has got
the letters between the consignee of the boxes at Whitby and the
carriers in London who took charge of them   He is now reading his
wife s transcript of my diary   I wonder what they make out of it 
Here it is      

Strange that it never struck me that the very next house might be the
Count s hiding place   Goodness knows that we had enough clues from
the conduct of the patient Renfield   The bundle of letters relating
to the purchase of the house were with the transcript   Oh  if we had
only had them earlier we might have saved poor Lucy   Stop   That way
madness lies   Harker has gone back  and is again collecting material 
He says that by dinner time they will be able to show a whole
connected narrative   He thinks that in the meantime I should see
Renfield  as hitherto he has been a sort of index to the coming and
going of the Count   I hardly see this yet  but when I get at the
dates I suppose I shall   What a good thing that Mrs  Harker put my
cylinders into type   We never could have found the dates otherwise 

I found Renfield sitting placidly in his room with his hands folded 
smiling benignly   At the moment he seemed as sane as any one I ever
saw   I sat down and talked with him on a lot of subjects  all of
which he treated naturally   He then  of his own accord  spoke of
going home  a subject he has never mentioned to my knowledge during
his sojourn here   In fact  he spoke quite confidently of getting his
discharge at once   I believe that  had I not had the chat with Harker
and read the letters and the dates of his outbursts  I should have
been prepared to sign for him after a brief time of observation   As
it is  I am darkly suspicious   All those out breaks were in some way
linked with the proximity of the Count   What then does this absolute
content mean   Can it be that his instinct is satisfied as to the
vampire s ultimate triumph   Stay   He is himself zoophagous  and in
his wild ravings outside the chapel door of the deserted house he
always spoke of  master    This all seems confirmation of our idea 
However  after a while I came away   My friend is just a little too
sane at present to make it safe to probe him too deep with questions 
He might begin to think  and then       So I came away   I mistrust
these quiet moods of his  so I have given the attendant a hint to
look closely after him  and to have a strait waistcoat ready in case
of need 





JOHNATHAN HARKER S JOURNAL

29 September  in train to London   When I received Mr  Billington s
courteous message that he would give me any information in his power I
thought it best to go down to Whitby and make  on the spot  such
inquiries as I wanted   It was now my object to trace that horrid
cargo of the Count s to its place in London   Later  we may be able to
deal with it   Billington junior  a nice lad  met me at the station 
and brought me to his father s house  where they had decided that I
must spend the night   They are hospitable  with true Yorkshire
hospitality  give a guest everything and leave him to do as he likes 
They all knew that I was busy  and that my stay was short  and Mr 
Billington had ready in his office all the papers concerning the
consignment of boxes   It gave me almost a turn to see again one of
the letters which I had seen on the Count s table before I knew of his
diabolical plans   Everything had been carefully thought out  and done
systematically and with precision   He seemed to have been prepared
for every obstacle which might be placed by accident in the way of his
intentions being carried out   To use an Americanism  he had  taken no
chances   and the absolute accuracy with which his instructions were
fulfilled was simply the logical result of his care   I saw the
invoice  and took note of it    Fifty cases of common earth  to be used
for experimental purposes    Also the copy of the letter to Carter
Paterson  and their reply   Of both these I got copies   This was all
the information Mr  Billington could give me  so I went down to the
port and saw the coastguards  the Customs Officers and the harbour
master  who kindly put me in communication with the men who had
actually received the boxes   Their tally was exact with the list  and
they had nothing to add to the simple description  fifty cases of
common earth   except that the boxes were  main and mortal heavy   and
that shifting them was dry work   One of them added that it was hard
lines that there wasn t any gentleman  such like as like yourself 
squire   to show some sort of appreciation of their efforts in a
liquid form   Another put in a rider that the thirst then generated
was such that even the time which had elapsed had not completely
allayed it   Needless to add  I took care before leaving to lift 
forever and adequately  this source of reproach 

30 September   The station master was good enough to give me a line to
his old companion the station master at King s Cross  so that when I
arrived there in the morning I was able to ask him about the arrival
of the boxes   He  too put me at once in communication with the proper
officials  and I saw that their tally was correct with the original
invoice   The opportunities of acquiring an abnormal thirst had been
here limited   A noble use of them had  however  been made  and again
I was compelled to deal with the result in ex post facto manner 

From thence I went to Carter Paterson s central office  where I met
with the utmost courtesy   They looked up the transaction in their day
book and letter book  and at once telephoned to their King s Cross
office for more details   By good fortune  the men who did the teaming
were waiting for work  and the official at once sent them over 
sending also by one of them the way bill and all the papers connected
with the delivery of the boxes at Carfax   Here again I found the
tally agreeing exactly   The carriers  men were able to supplement the
paucity of the written words with a few more details   These were  I
shortly found  connected almost solely with the dusty nature of the
job  and the consequent thirst engendered in the operators   On my
affording an opportunity  through the medium of the currency of the
realm  of the allaying  at a later period  this beneficial evil  one
of the men remarked 

 That  ere  ouse  guv nor  is the rummiest I ever was in   Blyme   But
it ain t been touched sence a hundred years   There was dust that
thick in the place that you might have slep  on it without  urtin  of
yer bones   An  the place was that neglected that yer might  ave
smelled ole Jerusalem in it   But the old chapel  that took the cike 
that did   Me and my mate  we thort we wouldn t never git out quick
enough   Lor   I wouldn t take less nor a quid a moment to stay there
arter dark  

Having been in the house  I could well believe him  but if he knew
what I know  he would  I think have raised his terms 

Of one thing I am now satisfied   That all those boxes which arrived at
Whitby from Varna in the Demeter were safely deposited in the old
chapel at Carfax   There should be fifty of them there  unless any
have since been removed  as from Dr  Seward s diary I fear 


Later   Mina and I have worked all day  and we have put all the papers
into order 




MINA HARKER S JOURNAL

30 September   I am so glad that I hardly know how to contain myself 
It is  I suppose  the reaction from the haunting fear which I have
had  that this terrible affair and the reopening of his old wound
might act detrimentally on Jonathan   I saw him leave for Whitby with
as brave a face as could  but I was sick with apprehension   The
effort has  however  done him good   He was never so resolute  never
so strong  never so full of volcanic energy  as at present   It is
just as that dear  good Professor Van Helsing said  he is true grit 
and he improves under strain that would kill a weaker nature   He came
back full of life and hope and determination   We have got everything
in order for tonight   I feel myself quite wild with excitement   I
suppose one ought to pity anything so hunted as the Count   That is
just it   This thing is not human  not even a beast   To read Dr 
Seward s account of poor Lucy s death  and what followed  is enough to
dry up the springs of pity in one s heart 


Later   Lord Godalming and Mr  Morris arrived earlier than we
expected   Dr  Seward was out on business  and had taken Jonathan with
him  so I had to see them   It was to me a painful meeting  for it
brought back all poor dear Lucy s hopes of only a few months ago   Of
course they had heard Lucy speak of me  and it seemed that Dr  Van
Helsing  too  had been quite  blowing my trumpet   as Mr  Morris
expressed it   Poor fellows  neither of them is aware that I know all
about the proposals they made to Lucy   They did not quite know what
to say or do  as they were ignorant of the amount of my knowledge   So
they had to keep on neutral subjects   However  I thought the matter
over  and came to the conclusion that the best thing I could do would
be to post them on affairs right up to date   I knew from Dr  Seward s
diary that they had been at Lucy s death  her real death  and that I
need not fear to betray any secret before the time   So I told them 
as well as I could  that I had read all the papers and diaries  and
that my husband and I  having typewritten them  had just finished
putting them in order   I gave them each a copy to read in the
library   When Lord Godalming got his and turned it over  it does make
a pretty good pile  he said   Did you write all this  Mrs  Harker  

I nodded  and he went on 

 I don t quite see the drift of it  but you people are all so good and
kind  and have been working so earnestly and so energetically  that
all I can do is to accept your ideas blindfold and try to help you   I
have had one lesson already in accepting facts that should make a man
humble to the last hour of his life   Besides  I know you loved my
Lucy       

Here he turned away and covered his face with his hands   I could hear
the tears in his voice   Mr  Morris  with instinctive delicacy  just
laid a hand for a moment on his shoulder  and then walked quietly out
of the room   I suppose there is something in a woman s nature that
makes a man free to break down before her and express his feelings on
the tender or emotional side without feeling it derogatory to his
manhood   For when Lord Godalming found himself alone with me he sat
down on the sofa and gave way utterly and openly   I sat down beside
him and took his hand   I hope he didn t think it forward of me  and
that if he ever thinks of it afterwards he never will have such a
thought   There I wrong him   I know he never will   He is too true a
gentleman   I said to him  for I could see that his heart was
breaking   I loved dear Lucy  and I know what she was to you  and what
you were to her   She and I were like sisters  and now she is gone 
will you not let me be like a sister to you in your trouble   I know
what sorrows you have had  though I cannot measure the depth of them 
If sympathy and pity can help in your affliction  won t you let me be
of some little service  for Lucy s sake  

In an instant the poor dear fellow was overwhelmed with grief   It
seemed to me that all that he had of late been suffering in silence
found a vent at once   He grew quite hysterical  and raising his open
hands  beat his palms together in a perfect agony of grief   He stood
up and then sat down again  and the tears rained down his cheeks   I
felt an infinite pity for him  and opened my arms unthinkingly   With
a sob he laid his head on my shoulder and cried like a wearied child 
whilst he shook with emotion 

We women have something of the mother in us that makes us rise above
smaller matters when the mother spirit is invoked   I felt this big
sorrowing man s head resting on me  as though it were that of a baby
that some day may lie on my bosom  and I stroked his hair as though he
were my own child   I never thought at the time how strange it all
was 

After a little bit his sobs ceased  and he raised himself with an
apology  though he made no disguise of his emotion   He told me that
for days and nights past  weary days and sleepless nights  he had been
unable to speak with any one  as a man must speak in his time of
sorrow   There was no woman whose sympathy could be given to him  or
with whom  owing to the terrible circumstance with which his sorrow
was surrounded  he could speak freely 

 I know now how I suffered   he said  as he dried his eyes   but I do
not know even yet  and none other can ever know  how much your sweet
sympathy has been to me today   I shall know better in time  and
believe me that  though I am not ungrateful now  my gratitude will
grow with my understanding   You will let me be like a brother  will
you not  for all our lives  for dear Lucy s sake  

 For dear Lucy s sake   I said as we clasped hands    Ay  and for your
own sake   he added   for if a man s esteem and gratitude are ever
worth the winning  you have won mine today   If ever the future should
bring to you a time when you need a man s help  believe me  you will
not call in vain   God grant that no such time may ever come to you to
break the sunshine of your life  but if it should ever come  promise
me that you will let me know  

He was so earnest  and his sorrow was so fresh  that I felt it would
comfort him  so I said   I promise  

As I came along the corridor I saw Mr  Morris looking out of a window 
He turned as he heard my footsteps    How is Art   he said   Then
noticing my red eyes  he went on   Ah  I see you have been comforting
him   Poor old fellow   He needs it   No one but a woman can help a
man when he is in trouble of the heart  and he had no one to comfort
him  

He bore his own trouble so bravely that my heart bled for him   I saw
the manuscript in his hand  and I knew that when he read it he would
realize how much I knew  so I said to him   I wish I could comfort all
who suffer from the heart   Will you let me be your friend  and will
you come to me for comfort if you need it   You will know later why I
speak  

He saw that I was in earnest  and stooping  took my hand  and raising
it to his lips  kissed it   It seemed but poor comfort to so brave and
unselfish a soul  and impulsively I bent over and kissed him   The
tears rose in his eyes  and there was a momentary choking in his
throat   He said quite calmly   Little girl  you will never forget
that true hearted kindness  so long as ever you live    Then he went
into the study to his friend 

 Little girl    The very words he had used to Lucy  and  oh  but he
proved himself a friend 




CHAPTER 18


DR  SEWARD S DIARY

30 September   I got home at five o clock  and found that Godalming
and Morris had not only arrived  but had already studied the
transcript of the various diaries and letters which Harker had not yet
returned from his visit to the carriers  men  of whom Dr  Hennessey
had written to me   Mrs  Harker gave us a cup of tea  and I can
honestly say that  for the first time since I have lived in it  this
old house seemed like home   When we had finished  Mrs  Harker said 

 Dr  Seward  may I ask a favour   I want to see your patient  Mr 
Renfield   Do let me see him   What you have said of him in your diary
interests me so much  

She looked so appealing and so pretty that I could not refuse her  and
there was no possible reason why I should  so I took her with me 
When I went into the room  I told the man that a lady would like to see
him  to which he simply answered   Why  

 She is going through the house  and wants to see every one in it   I
answered 

 Oh  very well   he said   let her come in  by all means  but just
wait a minute till I tidy up the place  

His method of tidying was peculiar  he simply swallowed all the flies
and spiders in the boxes before I could stop him   It was quite
evident that he feared  or was jealous of  some interference   When he
had got through his disgusting task  he said cheerfully   Let the lady
come in   and sat down on the edge of his bed with his head down  but
with his eyelids raised so that he could see her as she entered   For
a moment I thought that he might have some homicidal intent   I
remembered how quiet he had been just before he attacked me in my own
study  and I took care to stand where I could seize him at once if he
attempted to make a spring at her 

She came into the room with an easy gracefulness which would at once
command the respect of any lunatic  for easiness is one of the
qualities mad people most respect   She walked over to him  smiling
pleasantly  and held out her hand 

 Good evening  Mr  Renfield   said she    You see  I know you  for Dr 
Seward has told me of you    He made no immediate reply  but eyed her
all over intently with a set frown on his face   This look gave way to
one of wonder  which merged in doubt  then to my intense astonishment
he said   You re not the girl the doctor wanted to marry  are you   You
can t be  you know  for she s dead  

Mrs  Harker smiled sweetly as she replied   Oh no   I have a husband
of my own  to whom I was married before I ever saw Dr  Seward  or he
me   I am Mrs  Harker  

 Then what are you doing here  

 My husband and I are staying on a visit with Dr  Seward  

 Then don t stay  

 But why not  

I thought that this style of conversation might not be pleasant to
Mrs  Harker  any more than it was to me  so I joined in   How did you
know I wanted to marry anyone  

His reply was simply contemptuous  given in a pause in which he turned
his eyes from Mrs  Harker to me  instantly turning them back again 
 What an asinine question  

 I don t see that at all  Mr  Renfield   said Mrs  Harker  at once
championing me 

He replied to her with as much courtesy and respect as he had shown
contempt to me   You will  of course  understand  Mrs  Harker  that
when a man is so loved and honoured as our host is  everything
regarding him is of interest in our little community   Dr  Seward is
loved not only by his household and his friends  but even by his
patients  who  being some of them hardly in mental equilibrium  are
apt to distort causes and effects   Since I myself have been an inmate
of a lunatic asylum  I cannot but notice that the sophistic tendencies
of some of its inmates lean towards the errors of non causa and
ignoratio elenche  

I positively opened my eyes at this new development   Here was my own
pet lunatic  the most pronounced of his type that I had ever met with 
talking elemental philosophy  and with the manner of a polished
gentleman   I wonder if it was Mrs  Harker s presence which had
touched some chord in his memory   If this new phase was spontaneous 
or in any way due to her unconscious influence  she must have some
rare gift or power 

We continued to talk for some time  and seeing that he was seemingly
quite reasonable  she ventured  looking at me questioningly as she
began  to lead him to his favourite topic   I was again astonished 
for he addressed himself to the question with the impartiality of
the completest sanity   He even took himself as an example when he
mentioned certain things 

 Why  I myself am an instance of a man who had a strange belief 
Indeed  it was no wonder that my friends were alarmed  and insisted on
my being put under control   I used to fancy that life was a positive
and perpetual entity  and that by consuming a multitude of live
things  no matter how low in the scale of creation  one might
indefinitely prolong life   At times I held the belief so strongly
that I actually tried to take human life   The doctor here will bear
me out that on one occasion I tried to kill him for the purpose of
strengthening my vital powers by the assimilation with my own body of
his life through the medium of his blood  relying of course  upon the
Scriptural phrase   For the blood is the life    Though  indeed  the
vendor of a certain nostrum has vulgarized the truism to the very
point of contempt   Isn t that true  doctor  

I nodded assent  for I was so amazed that I hardly knew what to either
think or say  it was hard to imagine that I had seen him eat up his
spiders and flies not five minutes before   Looking at my watch  I saw
that I should go to the station to meet Van Helsing  so I told Mrs 
Harker that it was time to leave 

She came at once  after saying pleasantly to Mr  Renfield   Goodbye 
and I hope I may see you often  under auspices pleasanter to
yourself  

To which  to my astonishment  he replied   Goodbye  my dear   I pray
God I may never see your sweet face again   May He bless and keep
you  

When I went to the station to meet Van Helsing I left the boys behind
me   Poor Art seemed more cheerful than he has been since Lucy first
took ill  and Quincey is more like his own bright self than he has
been for many a long day 

Van Helsing stepped from the carriage with the eager nimbleness of a
boy   He saw me at once  and rushed up to me  saying   Ah  friend
John  how goes all   Well   So   I have been busy  for I come here to
stay if need be   All affairs are settled with me  and I have much to
tell   Madam Mina is with you   Yes   And her so fine husband   And
Arthur and my friend Quincey  they are with you  too   Good  

As I drove to the house I told him of what had passed  and of how my
own diary had come to be of some use through Mrs  Harker s suggestion 
at which the Professor interrupted me 

 Ah  that wonderful Madam Mina   She has man s brain  a brain that a
man should have were he much gifted  and a woman s heart   The good
God fashioned her for a purpose  believe me  when He made that so good
combination   Friend John  up to now fortune has made that woman of
help to us  after tonight she must not have to do with this so
terrible affair   It is not good that she run a risk so great   We men
are determined  nay  are we not pledged  to destroy this monster   But
it is no part for a woman   Even if she be not harmed  her heart may
fail her in so much and so many horrors and hereafter she may suffer 
both in waking  from her nerves  and in sleep  from her dreams   And 
besides  she is young woman and not so long married  there may be
other things to think of some time  if not now   You tell me she has
wrote all  then she must consult with us  but tomorrow she say goodbye
to this work  and we go alone  

I agreed heartily with him  and then I told him what we had found in
his absence  that the house which Dracula had bought was the very next
one to my own   He was amazed  and a great concern seemed to come on
him 

 Oh that we had known it before   he said   for then we might have
reached him in time to save poor Lucy   However   the milk that is
spilt cries not out afterwards   as you say   We shall not think of
that  but go on our way to the end    Then he fell into a silence that
lasted till we entered my own gateway   Before we went to prepare for
dinner he said to Mrs  Harker   I am told  Madam Mina  by my friend
John that you and your husband have put up in exact order all things
that have been  up to this moment  

 Not up to this moment  Professor   she said impulsively   but up to
this morning  

 But why not up to now   We have seen hitherto how good light all the
little things have made   We have told our secrets  and yet no one who
has told is the worse for it  

Mrs  Harker began to blush  and taking a paper from her pockets  she
said   Dr  Van Helsing  will you read this  and tell me if it must go
in   It is my record of today   I too have seen the need of putting
down at present everything  however trivial  but there is little in
this except what is personal   Must it go in  

The Professor read it over gravely  and handed it back  saying   It
need not go in if you do not wish it  but I pray that it may   It can
but make your husband love you the more  and all us  your friends 
more honour you  as well as more esteem and love    She took it back
with another blush and a bright smile 

And so now  up to this very hour  all the records we have are complete
and in order   The Professor took away one copy to study after dinner 
and before our meeting  which is fixed for nine o clock   The rest of
us have already read everything  so when we meet in the study we shall
all be informed as to facts  and can arrange our plan of battle with
this terrible and mysterious enemy 





MINA HARKER S JOURNAL

30 September   When we met in Dr  Seward s study two hours after
dinner  which had been at six o clock  we unconsciously formed a sort
of board or committee   Professor Van Helsing took the head of the
table  to which Dr  Seward motioned him as he came into the room   He
made me sit next to him on his right  and asked me to act as
secretary   Jonathan sat next to me   Opposite us were Lord Godalming 
Dr  Seward  and Mr  Morris  Lord Godalming being next the Professor 
and Dr  Seward in the centre 

The Professor said   I may  I suppose  take it that we are all
acquainted with the facts that are in these papers    We all expressed
assent  and he went on   Then it were  I think  good that I tell you
something of the kind of enemy with which we have to deal   I shall
then make known to you something of the history of this man  which has
been ascertained for me   So we then can discuss how we shall act  and
can take our measure according 

 There are such beings as vampires  some of us have evidence that they
exist   Even had we not the proof of our own unhappy experience  the
teachings and the records of the past give proof enough for sane
peoples   I admit that at the first I was sceptic   Were it not that
through long years I have trained myself to keep an open mind  I could
not have believed until such time as that fact thunder on my ear    See 
See   I prove  I prove    Alas   Had I known at first what now I know 
nay  had I even guess at him  one so precious life had been spared to
many of us who did love her   But that is gone  and we must so work 
that other poor souls perish not  whilst we can save   The nosferatu
do not die like the bee when he sting once   He is only stronger  and
being stronger  have yet more power to work evil   This vampire which
is amongst us is of himself so strong in person as twenty men  he is
of cunning more than mortal  for his cunning be the growth of ages  he
have still the aids of necromancy  which is  as his etymology imply 
the divination by the dead  and all the dead that he can come nigh to
are for him at command  he is brute  and more than brute  he is devil
in callous  and the heart of him is not  he can  within his range 
direct the elements  the storm  the fog  the thunder  he can command
all the meaner things  the rat  and the owl  and the bat  the moth 
and the fox  and the wolf  he can grow and become small  and he can at
times vanish and come unknown   How then are we to begin our strike to
destroy him   How shall we find his where  and having found it  how
can we destroy   My friends  this is much  it is a terrible task that
we undertake  and there may be consequence to make the brave shudder 
For if we fail in this our fight he must surely win  and then where
end we   Life is nothings  I heed him not   But to fail here  is not
mere life or death   It is that we become as him  that we henceforward
become foul things of the night like him  without heart or conscience 
preying on the bodies and the souls of those we love best   To us
forever are the gates of heaven shut  for who shall open them to us
again   We go on for all time abhorred by all  a blot on the face of
God s sunshine  an arrow in the side of Him who died for man   But we
are face to face with duty  and in such case must we shrink   For me 
I say no  but then I am old  and life  with his sunshine  his fair
places  his song of birds  his music and his love  lie far behind   You
others are young   Some have seen sorrow  but there are fair days yet
in store   What say you  

Whilst he was speaking  Jonathan had taken my hand   I feared  oh so
much  that the appalling nature of our danger was overcoming him when
I saw his hand stretch out  but it was life to me to feel its touch 
so strong  so self reliant  so resolute   A brave man s hand can speak
for itself  it does not even need a woman s love to hear its music 

When the Professor had done speaking my husband looked in my eyes  and
I in his  there was no need for speaking between us 

 I answer for Mina and myself   he said 

 Count me in  Professor   said Mr  Quincey Morris  laconically as
usual 

 I am with you   said Lord Godalming   for Lucy s sake  if for no
other reason  

Dr  Seward simply nodded 

The Professor stood up and  after laying his golden crucifix on the
table  held out his hand on either side   I took his right hand  and
Lord Godalming his left  Jonathan held my right with his left and
stretched across to Mr  Morris   So as we all took hands our solemn
compact was made   I felt my heart icy cold  but it did not even occur
to me to draw back   We resumed our places  and Dr  Van Helsing went
on with a sort of cheerfulness which showed that the serious work had
begun   It was to be taken as gravely  and in as businesslike a way 
as any other transaction of life 

 Well  you know what we have to contend against  but we too  are not
without strength   We have on our side power of combination  a power
denied to the vampire kind  we have sources of science  we are free to
act and think  and the hours of the day and the night are ours
equally   In fact  so far as our powers extend  they are unfettered 
and we are free to use them   We have self devotion in a cause and an
end to achieve which is not a selfish one   These things are much 

 Now let us see how far the general powers arrayed against us are
restrict  and how the individual cannot   In fine  let us consider the
limitations of the vampire in general  and of this one in particular 

 All we have to go upon are traditions and superstitions   These do
not at the first appear much  when the matter is one of life and
death  nay of more than either life or death   Yet must we be
satisfied  in the first place because we have to be  no other means is
at our control  and secondly  because  after all these things 
tradition and superstition  are everything   Does not the belief in
vampires rest for others  though not  alas  for us  on them   A year
ago which of us would have received such a possibility  in the midst
of our scientific  sceptical  matter of fact nineteenth century   We
even scouted a belief that we saw justified under our very eyes   Take
it  then  that the vampire  and the belief in his limitations and his
cure  rest for the moment on the same base   For  let me tell you  he
is known everywhere that men have been   In old Greece  in old Rome 
he flourish in Germany all over  in France  in India  even in the
Chermosese  and in China  so far from us in all ways  there even is
he  and the peoples for him at this day   He have follow the wake of
the berserker Icelander  the devil begotten Hun  the Slav  the Saxon 
the Magyar 

 So far  then  we have all we may act upon  and let me tell you that
very much of the beliefs are justified by what we have seen in our own
so unhappy experience   The vampire live on  and cannot die by mere
passing of the time  he can flourish when that he can fatten on the
blood of the living   Even more  we have seen amongst us that he can
even grow younger  that his vital faculties grow strenuous  and seem
as though they refresh themselves when his special pabulum is plenty 

 But he cannot flourish without this diet  he eat not as others   Even
friend Jonathan  who lived with him for weeks  did never see him eat 
never   He throws no shadow  he make in the mirror no reflect  as
again Jonathan observe   He has the strength of many of his hand 
witness again Jonathan when he shut the door against the wolves  and
when he help him from the diligence too   He can transform himself to
wolf  as we gather from the ship arrival in Whitby  when he tear open
the dog  he can be as bat  as Madam Mina saw him on the window at
Whitby  and as friend John saw him fly from this so near house  and as
my friend Quincey saw him at the window of Miss Lucy 

 He can come in mist which he create  that noble ship s captain proved
him of this  but  from what we know  the distance he can make this
mist is limited  and it can only be round himself 

 He come on moonlight rays as elemental dust  as again Jonathan saw
those sisters in the castle of Dracula   He become so small  we
ourselves saw Miss Lucy  ere she was at peace  slip through a
hairbreadth space at the tomb door   He can  when once he find his
way  come out from anything or into anything  no matter how close it
be bound or even fused up with fire  solder you call it   He can see
in the dark  no small power this  in a world which is one half shut
from the light   Ah  but hear me through 

 He can do all these things  yet he is not free   Nay  he is even more
prisoner than the slave of the galley  than the madman in his cell 
He cannot go where he lists  he who is not of nature has yet to obey
some of nature s laws  why we know not   He may not enter anywhere at
the first  unless there be some one of the household who bid him to
come  though afterwards he can come as he please   His power ceases 
as does that of all evil things  at the coming of the day 

 Only at certain times can he have limited freedom   If he be not at
the place whither he is bound  he can only change himself at noon or
at exact sunrise or sunset   These things we are told  and in this
record of ours we have proof by inference   Thus  whereas he can do as
he will within his limit  when he have his earth home  his
coffin home  his hell home  the place unhallowed  as we saw when he
went to the grave of the suicide at Whitby  still at other time he can
only change when the time come   It is said  too  that he can only
pass running water at the slack or the flood of the tide   Then there
are things which so afflict him that he has no power  as the garlic
that we know of  and as for things sacred  as this symbol  my
crucifix  that was amongst us even now when we resolve  to them he is
nothing  but in their presence he take his place far off and silent
with respect   There are others  too  which I shall tell you of  lest
in our seeking we may need them 

 The branch of wild rose on his coffin keep him that he move not from
it  a sacred bullet fired into the coffin kill him so that he be true
dead  and as for the stake through him  we know already of its peace 
or the cut off head that giveth rest   We have seen it with our eyes 

 Thus when we find the habitation of this man that was  we can confine
him to his coffin and destroy him  if we obey what we know   But he is
clever   I have asked my friend Arminius  of Buda Pesth University  to
make his record  and from all the means that are  he tell me of what
he has been   He must  indeed  have been that Voivode Dracula who won
his name against the Turk  over the great river on the very frontier
of Turkeyland   If it be so  then was he no common man  for in that
time  and for centuries after  he was spoken of as the cleverest and
the most cunning  as well as the bravest of the sons of the  land
beyond the forest    That mighty brain and that iron resolution went
with him to his grave  and are even now arrayed against us   The
Draculas were  says Arminius  a great and noble race  though now and
again were scions who were held by their coevals to have had dealings
with the Evil One   They learned his secrets in the Scholomance 
amongst the mountains over Lake Hermanstadt  where the devil claims
the tenth scholar as his due   In the records are such words as
 stregoica  witch   ordog  and  pokol  Satan and hell  and in one
manuscript this very Dracula is spoken of as  wampyr   which we all
understand too well   There have been from the loins of this very one
great men and good women  and their graves make sacred the earth where
alone this foulness can dwell   For it is not the least of its terrors
that this evil thing is rooted deep in all good  in soil barren of
holy memories it cannot rest  

Whilst they were talking Mr  Morris was looking steadily at the
window  and he now got up quietly  and went out of the room   There
was a little pause  and then the Professor went on 

 And now we must settle what we do   We have here much data  and we
must proceed to lay out our campaign   We know from the inquiry of
Jonathan that from the castle to Whitby came fifty boxes of earth  all
of which were delivered at Carfax  we also know that at least some of
these boxes have been removed   It seems to me  that our first step
should be to ascertain whether all the rest remain in the house beyond
that wall where we look today  or whether any more have been removed 
If the latter  we must trace       

Here we were interrupted in a very startling way   Outside the house
came the sound of a pistol shot  the glass of the window was shattered
with a bullet  which ricochetting from the top of the embrasure 
struck the far wall of the room   I am afraid I am at heart a coward 
for I shrieked out   The men all jumped to their feet  Lord Godalming
flew over to the window and threw up the sash   As he did so we heard
Mr  Morris  voice without   Sorry   I fear I have alarmed you   I
shall come in and tell you about it  

A minute later he came in and said   It was an idiotic thing of me to
do  and I ask your pardon  Mrs  Harker  most sincerely  I fear I must
have frightened you terribly   But the fact is that whilst the
Professor was talking there came a big bat and sat on the window sill 
I have got such a horror of the damned brutes from recent events that
I cannot stand them  and I went out to have a shot  as I have been
doing of late of evenings  whenever I have seen one   You used to
laugh at me for it then  Art  

 Did you hit it   asked Dr  Van Helsing 

 I don t know  I fancy not  for it flew away into the wood    Without
saying any more he took his seat  and the Professor began to resume
his statement 

 We must trace each of these boxes  and when we are ready  we must
either capture or kill this monster in his lair  or we must  so to
speak  sterilize the earth  so that no more he can seek safety in it 
Thus in the end we may find him in his form of man between the hours
of noon and sunset  and so engage with him when he is at his most
weak 

 And now for you  Madam Mina  this night is the end until all be well 
You are too precious to us to have such risk   When we part tonight 
you no more must question   We shall tell you all in good time   We
are men and are able to bear  but you must be our star and our hope 
and we shall act all the more free that you are not in the danger 
such as we are  

All the men  even Jonathan  seemed relieved  but it did not seem to me
good that they should brave danger and  perhaps lessen their safety 
strength being the best safety  through care of me  but their minds
were made up  and though it was a bitter pill for me to swallow  I
could say nothing  save to accept their chivalrous care of me 

Mr  Morris resumed the discussion   As there is no time to lose  I
vote we have a look at his house right now   Time is everything with
him  and swift action on our part may save another victim  

I own that my heart began to fail me when the time for action came so
close  but I did not say anything  for I had a greater fear that if I
appeared as a drag or a hindrance to their work  they might even leave
me out of their counsels altogether   They have now gone off to
Carfax  with means to get into the house 

Manlike  they had told me to go to bed and sleep  as if a woman can
sleep when those she loves are in danger   I shall lie down  and
pretend to sleep  lest Jonathan have added anxiety about me when he
returns 




DR  SEWARD S DIARY

1 October  4 A M   Just as we were about to leave the house  an urgent
message was brought to me from Renfield to know if I would see him at
once  as he had something of the utmost importance to say to me   I
told the messenger to say that I would attend to his wishes in the
morning  I was busy just at the moment 

The attendant added   He seems very importunate  sir   I have never
seen him so eager   I don t know but what  if you don t see him soon 
he will have one of his violent fits    I knew the man would not have
said this without some cause  so I said   All right  I ll go now   and
I asked the others to wait a few minutes for me  as I had to go and
see my patient 

 Take me with you  friend John   said the Professor    His case in your
diary interest me much  and it had bearing  too  now and again on our
case   I should much like to see him  and especial when his mind is
disturbed  

 May I come also   asked Lord Godalming 

 Me too   said Quincey Morris    May I come   said Harker   I nodded 
and we all went down the passage together 

We found him in a state of considerable excitement  but far more
rational in his speech and manner than I had ever seen him   There was
an unusual understanding of himself  which was unlike anything I had
ever met with in a lunatic  and he took it for granted that his
reasons would prevail with others entirely sane   We all five went
into the room  but none of the others at first said anything   His
request was that I would at once release him from the asylum and send
him home   This he backed up with arguments regarding his complete
recovery  and adduced his own existing sanity 

 I appeal to your friends   he said   they will  perhaps  not mind
sitting in judgement on my case   By the way  you have not introduced
me  

I was so much astonished  that the oddness of introducing a madman in
an asylum did not strike me at the moment  and besides  there was a
certain dignity in the man s manner  so much of the habit of equality 
that I at once made the introduction   Lord Godalming  Professor Van
Helsing  Mr  Quincey Morris  of Texas  Mr  Jonathan Harker  Mr 
Renfield  

He shook hands with each of them  saying in turn   Lord Godalming  I
had the honour of seconding your father at the Windham  I grieve to
know  by your holding the title  that he is no more   He was a man
loved and honoured by all who knew him  and in his youth was  I have
heard  the inventor of a burnt rum punch  much patronized on Derby
night   Mr  Morris  you should be proud of your great state   Its
reception into the Union was a precedent which may have far reaching
effects hereafter  when the Pole and the Tropics may hold alliance to
the Stars and Stripes   The power of Treaty may yet prove a vast
engine of enlargement  when the Monroe doctrine takes its true place
as a political fable   What shall any man say of his pleasure at
meeting Van Helsing   Sir  I make no apology for dropping all forms of
conventional prefix   When an individual has revolutionized
therapeutics by his discovery of the continuous evolution of brain
matter  conventional forms are unfitting  since they would seem to
limit him to one of a class   You  gentlemen  who by nationality  by
heredity  or by the possession of natural gifts  are fitted to hold
your respective places in the moving world  I take to witness that I
am as sane as at least the majority of men who are in full possession
of their liberties   And I am sure that you  Dr  Seward  humanitarian
and medico jurist as well as scientist  will deem it a moral duty to
deal with me as one to be considered as under exceptional
circumstances    He made this last appeal with a courtly air of
conviction which was not without its own charm 

I think we were all staggered   For my own part  I was under the
conviction  despite my knowledge of the man s character and history 
that his reason had been restored  and I felt under a strong impulse
to tell him that I was satisfied as to his sanity  and would see about
the necessary formalities for his release in the morning   I thought
it better to wait  however  before making so grave a statement  for of
old I knew the sudden changes to which this particular patient was
liable   So I contented myself with making a general statement that he
appeared to be improving very rapidly  that I would have a longer chat
with him in the morning  and would then see what I could do in the
direction of meeting his wishes 

This did not at all satisfy him  for he said quickly   But I fear  Dr 
Seward  that you hardly apprehend my wish   I desire to go at once 
here  now  this very hour  this very moment  if I may   Time presses 
and in our implied agreement with the old scytheman it is of the
essence of the contract   I am sure it is only necessary to put before
so admirable a practitioner as Dr  Seward so simple  yet so momentous
a wish  to ensure its fulfilment  

He looked at me keenly  and seeing the negative in my face  turned to
the others  and scrutinized them closely   Not meeting any sufficient
response  he went on   Is it possible that I have erred in my
supposition  

 You have   I said frankly  but at the same time  as I felt  brutally 

There was a considerable pause  and then he said slowly   Then I
suppose I must only shift my ground of request   Let me ask for this
concession  boon  privilege  what you will   I am content to implore
in such a case  not on personal grounds  but for the sake of others   I
am not at liberty to give you the whole of my reasons  but you may  I
assure you  take it from me that they are good ones  sound and
unselfish  and spring from the highest sense of duty 

 Could you look  sir  into my heart  you would approve to the full the
sentiments which animate me   Nay  more  you would count me amongst
the best and truest of your friends  

Again he looked at us all keenly   I had a growing conviction that
this sudden change of his entire intellectual method was but yet
another phase of his madness  and so determined to let him go on a
little longer  knowing from experience that he would  like all
lunatics  give himself away in the end   Van Helsing was gazing at him
with a look of utmost intensity  his bushy eyebrows almost meeting
with the fixed concentration of his look   He said to Renfield in a
tone which did not surprise me at the time  but only when I thought of
it afterwards  for it was as of one addressing an equal   Can you not
tell frankly your real reason for wishing to be free tonight   I will
undertake that if you will satisfy even me  a stranger  without
prejudice  and with the habit of keeping an open mind  Dr  Seward will
give you  at his own risk and on his own responsibility  the privilege
you seek  

He shook his head sadly  and with a look of poignant regret on his
face   The Professor went on   Come  sir  bethink yourself   You claim
the privilege of reason in the highest degree  since you seek to
impress us with your complete reasonableness   You do this  whose
sanity we have reason to doubt  since you are not yet released from
medical treatment for this very defect   If you will not help us in
our effort to choose the wisest course  how can we perform the duty
which you yourself put upon us   Be wise  and help us  and if we can
we shall aid you to achieve your wish  

He still shook his head as he said   Dr  Van Helsing  I have nothing to
say   Your argument is complete  and if I were free to speak I should
not hesitate a moment  but I am not my own master in the matter   I
can only ask you to trust me   If I am refused  the responsibility
does not rest with me  

I thought it was now time to end the scene  which was becoming too
comically grave  so I went towards the door  simply saying   Come  my
friends  we have work to do   Goodnight  

As  however  I got near the door  a new change came over the patient 
He moved towards me so quickly that for the moment I feared that he
was about to make another homicidal attack   My fears  however  were
groundless  for he held up his two hands imploringly  and made his
petition in a moving manner   As he saw that the very excess of his
emotion was militating against him  by restoring us more to our old
relations  he became still more demonstrative   I glanced at Van
Helsing  and saw my conviction reflected in his eyes  so I became a
little more fixed in my manner  if not more stern  and motioned to him
that his efforts were unavailing   I had previously seen something of
the same constantly growing excitement in him when he had to make some
request of which at the time he had thought much  such for instance 
as when he wanted a cat  and I was prepared to see the collapse into
the same sullen acquiescence on this occasion 

My expectation was not realized  for when he found that his appeal
would not be successful  he got into quite a frantic condition   He
threw himself on his knees  and held up his hands  wringing them in
plaintive supplication  and poured forth a torrent of entreaty  with
the tears rolling down his cheeks  and his whole face and form
expressive of the deepest emotion 

 Let me entreat you  Dr  Seward  oh  let me implore you  to let me out
of this house at once   Send me away how you will and where you will 
send keepers with me with whips and chains  let them take me in a
strait waistcoat  manacled and leg ironed  even to gaol  but let me go
out of this   You don t know what you do by keeping me here   I am
speaking from the depths of my heart  of my very soul   You don t know
whom you wrong  or how  and I may not tell   Woe is me   I may not
tell   By all you hold sacred  by all you hold dear  by your love that
is lost  by your hope that lives  for the sake of the Almighty  take
me out of this and save my soul from guilt   Can t you hear me  man 
Can t you understand   Will you never learn   Don t you know that I am
sane and earnest now  that I am no lunatic in a mad fit  but a sane
man fighting for his soul   Oh  hear me   Hear me   Let me go  let me
go  let me go  

I thought that the longer this went on the wilder he would get  and so
would bring on a fit  so I took him by the hand and raised him up 

 Come   I said sternly   no more of this  we have had quite enough
already   Get to your bed and try to behave more discreetly  

He suddenly stopped and looked at me intently for several moments 
Then  without a word  he rose and moving over  sat down on the side of
the bed   The collapse had come  as on former occasions  just as I had
expected 

When I was leaving the room  last of our party  he said to me in a
quiet  well bred voice   You will  I trust  Dr  Seward  do me the
justice to bear in mind  later on  that I did what I could to convince
you tonight  




CHAPTER 19


JONATHAN HARKER S JOURNAL

1 October  5 A M   I went with the party to the search with an easy
mind  for I think I never saw Mina so absolutely strong and well   I
am so glad that she consented to hold back and let us men do the work 
Somehow  it was a dread to me that she was in this fearful business at
all  but now that her work is done  and that it is due to her energy
and brains and foresight that the whole story is put together in such
a way that every point tells  she may well feel that her part is
finished  and that she can henceforth leave the rest to us   We were 
I think  all a little upset by the scene with Mr  Renfield   When we
came away from his room we were silent till we got back to the study 

Then Mr  Morris said to Dr  Seward   Say  Jack  if that man wasn t
attempting a bluff  he is about the sanest lunatic I ever saw   I m
not sure  but I believe that he had some serious purpose  and if he
had  it was pretty rough on him not to get a chance  

Lord Godalming and I were silent  but Dr  Van Helsing added   Friend
John  you know more lunatics than I do  and I m glad of it  for I fear
that if it had been to me to decide I would before that last
hysterical outburst have given him free   But we live and learn  and
in our present task we must take no chance  as my friend Quincey would
say   All is best as they are  

Dr  Seward seemed to answer them both in a dreamy kind of way   I
don t know but that I agree with you   If that man had been an
ordinary lunatic I would have taken my chance of trusting him  but he
seems so mixed up with the Count in an indexy kind of way that I am
afraid of doing anything wrong by helping his fads   I can t forget
how he prayed with almost equal fervor for a cat  and then tried to
tear my throat out with his teeth   Besides  he called the Count  lord
and master   and he may want to get out to help him in some diabolical
way   That horrid thing has the wolves and the rats and his own kind
to help him  so I suppose he isn t above trying to use a respectable
lunatic   He certainly did seem earnest  though   I only hope we have
done what is best   These things  in conjunction with the wild work we
have in hand  help to unnerve a man  

The Professor stepped over  and laying his hand on his shoulder  said
in his grave  kindly way   Friend John  have no fear   We are trying
to do our duty in a very sad and terrible case  we can only do as we
deem best   What else have we to hope for  except the pity of the good
God  

Lord Godalming had slipped away for a few minutes  but now he
returned   He held up a little silver whistle as he remarked   That
old place may be full of rats  and if so  I ve got an antidote on
call  

Having passed the wall  we took our way to the house  taking care to
keep in the shadows of the trees on the lawn when the moonlight shone
out   When we got to the porch the Professor opened his bag and took
out a lot of things  which he laid on the step  sorting them into four
little groups  evidently one for each   Then he spoke 

 My friends  we are going into a terrible danger  and we need arms of
many kinds   Our enemy is not merely spiritual   Remember that he has
the strength of twenty men  and that  though our necks or our
windpipes are of the common kind  and therefore breakable or
crushable  his are not amenable to mere strength   A stronger man  or
a body of men more strong in all than him  can at certain times hold
him  but they cannot hurt him as we can be hurt by him   We must 
therefore  guard ourselves from his touch   Keep this near your
heart    As he spoke he lifted a little silver crucifix and held it
out to me  I being nearest to him   put these flowers round your
neck   here he handed to me a wreath of withered garlic blossoms   for
other enemies more mundane  this revolver and this knife  and for aid
in all  these so small electric lamps  which you can fasten to your
breast  and for all  and above all at the last  this  which we must
not desecrate needless  

This was a portion of Sacred Wafer  which he put in an envelope and
handed to me   Each of the others was similarly equipped 

 Now   he said   friend John  where are the skeleton keys   If so that
we can open the door  we need not break house by the window  as before
at Miss Lucy s  

Dr  Seward tried one or two skeleton keys  his mechanical dexterity as
a surgeon standing him in good stead   Presently he got one to suit 
after a little play back and forward the bolt yielded  and with a
rusty clang  shot back   We pressed on the door  the rusty hinges
creaked  and it slowly opened   It was startlingly like the image
conveyed to me in Dr  Seward s diary of the opening of Miss Westenra s
tomb  I fancy that the same idea seemed to strike the others  for with
one accord they shrank back   The Professor was the first to move
forward  and stepped into the open door 

 In manus tuas  Domine   he said  crossing himself as he passed over
the threshold   We closed the door behind us  lest when we should have
lit our lamps we should possibly attract attention from the road   The
Professor carefully tried the lock  lest we might not be able to open
it from within should we be in a hurry making our exit   Then we all
lit our lamps and proceeded on our search 

The light from the tiny lamps fell in all sorts of odd forms  as the
rays crossed each other  or the opacity of our bodies threw great
shadows   I could not for my life get away from the feeling that there
was someone else amongst us   I suppose it was the recollection  so
powerfully brought home to me by the grim surroundings  of that
terrible experience in Transylvania   I think the feeling was common
to us all  for I noticed that the others kept looking over their
shoulders at every sound and every new shadow  just as I felt myself
doing 

The whole place was thick with dust   The floor was seemingly inches
deep  except where there were recent footsteps  in which on holding
down my lamp I could see marks of hobnails where the dust was cracked 
The walls were fluffy and heavy with dust  and in the corners were
masses of spider s webs  whereon the dust had gathered till they
looked like old tattered rags as the weight had torn them partly down 
On a table in the hall was a great bunch of keys  with a time yellowed
label on each   They had been used several times  for on the table
were several similar rents in the blanket of dust  similar to that
exposed when the Professor lifted them 

He turned to me and said   You know this place  Jonathan   You have
copied maps of it  and you know it at least more than we do   Which is
the way to the chapel  

I had an idea of its direction  though on my former visit I had not
been able to get admission to it  so I led the way  and after a few
wrong turnings found myself opposite a low  arched oaken door  ribbed
with iron bands 

 This is the spot   said the Professor as he turned his lamp on a
small map of the house  copied from the file of my original
correspondence regarding the purchase   With a little trouble we found
the key on the bunch and opened the door   We were prepared for some
unpleasantness  for as we were opening the door a faint  malodorous
air seemed to exhale through the gaps  but none of us ever expected
such an odour as we encountered   None of the others had met the Count
at all at close quarters  and when I had seen him he was either in the
fasting stage of his existence in his rooms or  when he was bloated
with fresh blood  in a ruined building open to the air  but here the
place was small and close  and the long disuse had made the air
stagnant and foul   There was an earthy smell  as of some dry miasma 
which came through the fouler air   But as to the odour itself  how
shall I describe it   It was not alone that it was composed of all the
ills of mortality and with the pungent  acrid smell of blood  but it
seemed as though corruption had become itself corrupt   Faugh   It
sickens me to think of it   Every breath exhaled by that monster
seemed to have clung to the place and intensified its loathsomeness 

Under ordinary circumstances such a stench would have brought our
enterprise to an end  but this was no ordinary case  and the high and
terrible purpose in which we were involved gave us a strength which
rose above merely physical considerations   After the involuntary
shrinking consequent on the first nauseous whiff  we one and all set
about our work as though that loathsome place were a garden of roses 

We made an accurate examination of the place  the Professor saying as
we began   The first thing is to see how many of the boxes are left 
we must then examine every hole and corner and cranny and see if we
cannot get some clue as to what has become of the rest  

A glance was sufficient to show how many remained  for the great earth
chests were bulky  and there was no mistaking them 

There were only twenty nine left out of the fifty   Once I got a
fright  for  seeing Lord Godalming suddenly turn and look out of the
vaulted door into the dark passage beyond  I looked too  and for an
instant my heart stood still   Somewhere  looking out from the shadow 
I seemed to see the high lights of the Count s evil face  the ridge of
the nose  the red eyes  the red lips  the awful pallor   It was only
for a moment  for  as Lord Godalming said   I thought I saw a face 
but it was only the shadows   and resumed his inquiry  I turned my
lamp in the direction  and stepped into the passage   There was no
sign of anyone  and as there were no corners  no doors  no aperture of
any kind  but only the solid walls of the passage  there could be no
hiding place even for him   I took it that fear had helped
imagination  and said nothing 

A few minutes later I saw Morris step suddenly back from a corner 
which he was examining   We all followed his movements with our eyes 
for undoubtedly some nervousness was growing on us  and we saw a whole
mass of phosphorescence  which twinkled like stars   We all
instinctively drew back   The whole place was becoming alive with
rats 

For a moment or two we stood appalled  all save Lord Godalming  who
was seemingly prepared for such an emergency   Rushing over to the
great iron bound oaken door  which Dr  Seward had described from the
outside  and which I had seen myself  he turned the key in the lock 
drew the huge bolts  and swung the door open   Then  taking his little
silver whistle from his pocket  he blew a low  shrill call   It was
answered from behind Dr  Seward s house by the yelping of dogs  and
after about a minute three terriers came dashing round the corner of
the house   Unconsciously we had all moved towards the door  and as we
moved I noticed that the dust had been much disturbed   The boxes
which had been taken out had been brought this way   But even in the
minute that had elapsed the number of the rats had vastly increased 
They seemed to swarm over the place all at once  till the lamplight 
shining on their moving dark bodies and glittering  baleful eyes  made
the place look like a bank of earth set with fireflies   The dogs
dashed on  but at the threshold suddenly stopped and snarled  and
then  simultaneously lifting their noses  began to howl in most
lugubrious fashion   The rats were multiplying in thousands  and we
moved out 

Lord Godalming lifted one of the dogs  and carrying him in  placed him
on the floor   The instant his feet touched the ground he seemed to
recover his courage  and rushed at his natural enemies   They fled
before him so fast that before he had shaken the life out of a score 
the other dogs  who had by now been lifted in the same manner  had but
small prey ere the whole mass had vanished 

With their going it seemed as if some evil presence had departed  for
the dogs frisked about and barked merrily as they made sudden darts at
their prostrate foes  and turned them over and over and tossed them in
the air with vicious shakes   We all seemed to find our spirits rise 
Whether it was the purifying of the deadly atmosphere by the opening
of the chapel door  or the relief which we experienced by finding
ourselves in the open I know not  but most certainly the shadow of
dread seemed to slip from us like a robe  and the occasion of our
coming lost something of its grim significance  though we did not
slacken a whit in our resolution   We closed the outer door and barred
and locked it  and bringing the dogs with us  began our search of the
house   We found nothing throughout except dust in extraordinary
proportions  and all untouched save for my own footsteps when I had
made my first visit   Never once did the dogs exhibit any symptom of
uneasiness  and even when we returned to the chapel they frisked about
as though they had been rabbit hunting in a summer wood 

The morning was quickening in the east when we emerged from the front 
Dr  Van Helsing had taken the key of the hall door from the bunch  and
locked the door in orthodox fashion  putting the key into his pocket
when he had done 

 So far   he said   our night has been eminently successful   No harm
has come to us such as I feared might be and yet we have ascertained
how many boxes are missing   More than all do I rejoice that this  our
first  and perhaps our most difficult and dangerous  step has been
accomplished without the bringing thereinto our most sweet Madam Mina
or troubling her waking or sleeping thoughts with sights and sounds
and smells of horror which she might never forget   One lesson  too 
we have learned  if it be allowable to argue a particulari  that the
brute beasts which are to the Count s command are yet themselves not
amenable to his spiritual power  for look  these rats that would come
to his call  just as from his castle top he summon the wolves to your
going and to that poor mother s cry  though they come to him  they run
pell mell from the so little dogs of my friend Arthur   We have other
matters before us  other dangers  other fears  and that monster      
He has not used his power over the brute world for the only or the
last time tonight   So be it that he has gone elsewhere   Good   It
has given us opportunity to cry  check  in some ways in this chess
game  which we play for the stake of human souls   And now let us go
home   The dawn is close at hand  and we have reason to be content
with our first night s work   It may be ordained that we have many
nights and days to follow  if full of peril  but we must go on  and
from no danger shall we shrink  

The house was silent when we got back  save for some poor creature who
was screaming away in one of the distant wards  and a low  moaning
sound from Renfield s room   The poor wretch was doubtless torturing
himself  after the manner of the insane  with needless thoughts of
pain 

I came tiptoe into our own room  and found Mina asleep  breathing so
softly that I had to put my ear down to hear it   She looks paler than
usual   I hope the meeting tonight has not upset her   I am truly
thankful that she is to be left out of our future work  and even of
our deliberations   It is too great a strain for a woman to bear   I
did not think so at first  but I know better now   Therefore I am glad
that it is settled   There may be things which would frighten her to
hear  and yet to conceal them from her might be worse than to tell her
if once she suspected that there was any concealment   Henceforth our
work is to be a sealed book to her  till at least such time as we can
tell her that all is finished  and the earth free from a monster of
the nether world   I daresay it will be difficult to begin to keep
silence after such confidence as ours  but I must be resolute  and
tomorrow I shall keep dark over tonight s doings  and shall refuse to
speak of anything that has happened   I rest on the sofa  so as not to
disturb her 


1 October  later   I suppose it was natural that we should have all
overslept ourselves  for the day was a busy one  and the night had no
rest at all   Even Mina must have felt its exhaustion  for though I
slept till the sun was high  I was awake before her  and had to call
two or three times before she awoke   Indeed  she was so sound asleep
that for a few seconds she did not recognize me  but looked at me with
a sort of blank terror  as one looks who has been waked out of a bad
dream   She complained a little of being tired  and I let her rest
till later in the day   We now know of twenty one boxes having been
removed  and if it be that several were taken in any of these removals
we may be able to trace them all   Such will  of course  immensely
simplify our labor  and the sooner the matter is attended to the
better   I shall look up Thomas Snelling today 



DR  SEWARD S DIARY

1 October   It was towards noon when I was awakened by the Professor
walking into my room   He was more jolly and cheerful than usual  and
it is quite evident that last night s work has helped to take some of
the brooding weight off his mind 

After going over the adventure of the night he suddenly said   Your
patient interests me much   May it be that with you I visit him this
morning   Or if that you are too occupy  I can go alone if it may be 
It is a new experience to me to find a lunatic who talk philosophy 
and reason so sound  

I had some work to do which pressed  so I told him that if he would go
alone I would be glad  as then I should not have to keep him waiting 
so I called an attendant and gave him the necessary instructions 
Before the Professor left the room I cautioned him against getting any
false impression from my patient 

 But   he answered   I want him to talk of himself and of his delusion
as to consuming live things   He said to Madam Mina  as I see in your
diary of yesterday  that he had once had such a belief   Why do you
smile  friend John  

 Excuse me   I said   but the answer is here    I laid my hand on the
typewritten matter    When our sane and learned lunatic made that very
statement of how he used to consume life  his mouth was actually
nauseous with the flies and spiders which he had eaten just before
Mrs  Harker entered the room  

Van Helsing smiled in turn    Good   he said    Your memory is true 
friend John   I should have remembered   And yet it is this very
obliquity of thought and memory which makes mental disease such a
fascinating study   Perhaps I may gain more knowledge out of the folly
of this madman than I shall from the teaching of the most wise   Who
knows  

I went on with my work  and before long was through that in hand   It
seemed that the time had been very short indeed  but there was Van
Helsing back in the study 

 Do I interrupt   he asked politely as he stood at the door 

 Not at all   I answered    Come in   My work is finished  and I am
free   I can go with you now  if you like  

 It is needless  I have seen him  

 Well  

 I fear that he does not appraise me at much   Our interview was
short   When I entered his room he was sitting on a stool in the
centre  with his elbows on his knees  and his face was the picture of
sullen discontent   I spoke to him as cheerfully as I could  and with
such a measure of respect as I could assume   He made no reply
whatever    Don t you know me   I asked   His answer was not
reassuring   I know you well enough  you are the old fool Van
Helsing   I wish you would take yourself and your idiotic brain
theories somewhere else   Damn all thick headed Dutchmen    Not a word
more would he say  but sat in his implacable sullenness as indifferent
to me as though I had not been in the room at all   Thus departed for
this time my chance of much learning from this so clever lunatic  so I
shall go  if I may  and cheer myself with a few happy words with that
sweet soul Madam Mina   Friend John  it does rejoice me unspeakable
that she is no more to be pained  no more to be worried with our
terrible things   Though we shall much miss her help  it is better
so  

 I agree with you with all my heart   I answered earnestly  for I did
not want him to weaken in this matter    Mrs  Harker is better out of
it   Things are quite bad enough for us  all men of the world  and who
have been in many tight places in our time  but it is no place for a
woman  and if she had remained in touch with the affair  it would in
time infallibly have wrecked her  

So Van Helsing has gone to confer with Mrs  Harker and Harker  Quincey
and Art are all out following up the clues as to the earth boxes   I
shall finish my round of work and we shall meet tonight 





MINA HARKER S JOURNAL

1 October   It is strange to me to be kept in the dark as I am today 
after Jonathan s full confidence for so many years  to see him
manifestly avoid certain matters  and those the most vital of all 
This morning I slept late after the fatigues of yesterday  and though
Jonathan was late too  he was the earlier   He spoke to me before he
went out  never more sweetly or tenderly  but he never mentioned a
word of what had happened in the visit to the Count s house   And yet
he must have known how terribly anxious I was   Poor dear fellow   I
suppose it must have distressed him even more than it did me   They
all agreed that it was best that I should not be drawn further into
this awful work  and I acquiesced   But to think that he keeps
anything from me   And now I am crying like a silly fool  when I know
it comes from my husband s great love and from the good  good wishes
of those other strong men 

That has done me good   Well  some day Jonathan will tell me all   And
lest it should ever be that he should think for a moment that I kept
anything from him  I still keep my journal as usual   Then if he has
feared of my trust I shall show it to him  with every thought of my
heart put down for his dear eyes to read   I feel strangely sad and
low spirited today   I suppose it is the reaction from the terrible
excitement 

Last night I went to bed when the men had gone  simply because they
told me to   I didn t feel sleepy  and I did feel full of devouring
anxiety   I kept thinking over everything that has been ever since
Jonathan came to see me in London  and it all seems like a horrible
tragedy  with fate pressing on relentlessly to some destined end 
Everything that one does seems  no matter how right it may be  to bring
on the very thing which is most to be deplored   If I hadn t gone to
Whitby  perhaps poor dear Lucy would be with us now   She hadn t taken
to visiting the churchyard till I came  and if she hadn t come there
in the day time with me she wouldn t have walked in her sleep   And if
she hadn t gone there at night and asleep  that monster couldn t have
destroyed her as he did   Oh  why did I ever go to Whitby   There now 
crying again   I wonder what has come over me today   I must hide it
from Jonathan  for if he knew that I had been crying twice in one
morning       I  who never cried on my own account  and whom he has
never caused to shed a tear  the dear fellow would fret his heart out 
I shall put a bold face on  and if I do feel weepy  he shall never see
it   I suppose it is just one of the lessons that we poor women have
to learn      

I can t quite remember how I fell asleep last night   I remember
hearing the sudden barking of the dogs and a lot of queer sounds  like
praying on a very tumultuous scale  from Mr  Renfield s room  which is
somewhere under this   And then there was silence over everything 
silence so profound that it startled me  and I got up and looked out
of the window   All was dark and silent  the black shadows thrown by
the moonlight seeming full of a silent mystery of their own   Not a
thing seemed to be stirring  but all to be grim and fixed as death or
fate  so that a thin streak of white mist  that crept with almost
imperceptible slowness across the grass towards the house  seemed to
have a sentience and a vitality of its own   I think that the
digression of my thoughts must have done me good  for when I got back
to bed I found a lethargy creeping over me   I lay a while  but could
not quite sleep  so I got out and looked out of the window again   The
mist was spreading  and was now close up to the house  so that I could
see it lying thick against the wall  as though it were stealing up to
the windows   The poor man was more loud than ever  and though I could
not distinguish a word he said  I could in some way recognize in his
tones some passionate entreaty on his part   Then there was the sound
of a struggle  and I knew that the attendants were dealing with him 
I was so frightened that I crept into bed  and pulled the clothes over
my head  putting my fingers in my ears   I was not then a bit sleepy 
at least so I thought  but I must have fallen asleep  for except
dreams  I do not remember anything until the morning  when Jonathan
woke me   I think that it took me an effort and a little time to
realize where I was  and that it was Jonathan who was bending over me 
My dream was very peculiar  and was almost typical of the way that
waking thoughts become merged in  or continued in  dreams 

I thought that I was asleep  and waiting for Jonathan to come back   I
was very anxious about him  and I was powerless to act  my feet  and
my hands  and my brain were weighted  so that nothing could proceed at
the usual pace   And so I slept uneasily and thought   Then it began
to dawn upon me that the air was heavy  and dank  and cold   I put
back the clothes from my face  and found  to my surprise  that all was
dim around   The gaslight which I had left lit for Jonathan  but
turned down  came only like a tiny red spark through the fog  which
had evidently grown thicker and poured into the room   Then it
occurred to me that I had shut the window before I had come to bed   I
would have got out to make certain on the point  but some leaden
lethargy seemed to chain my limbs and even my will   I lay still and
endured  that was all   I closed my eyes  but could still see through
my eyelids    It is wonderful what tricks our dreams play us  and how
conveniently we can imagine    The mist grew thicker and thicker and I
could see now how it came in  for I could see it like smoke  or with
the white energy of boiling water  pouring in  not through the window 
but through the joinings of the door   It got thicker and thicker 
till it seemed as if it became concentrated into a sort of pillar of
cloud in the room  through the top of which I could see the light of
the gas shining like a red eye   Things began to whirl through my
brain just as the cloudy column was now whirling in the room  and
through it all came the scriptural words  a pillar of cloud by day and
of fire by night    Was it indeed such spiritual guidance that was
coming to me in my sleep   But the pillar was composed of both the day
and the night guiding  for the fire was in the red eye  which at the
thought got a new fascination for me  till  as I looked  the fire
divided  and seemed to shine on me through the fog like two red eyes 
such as Lucy told me of in her momentary mental wandering when  on the
cliff  the dying sunlight struck the windows of St  Mary s Church 
Suddenly the horror burst upon me that it was thus that Jonathan had
seen those awful women growing into reality through the whirling mist
in the moonlight  and in my dream I must have fainted  for all became
black darkness   The last conscious effort which imagination made was
to show me a livid white face bending over me out of the mist 

I must be careful of such dreams  for they would unseat one s reason if
there were too much of them   I would get Dr  Van Helsing or Dr 
Seward to prescribe something for me which would make me sleep  only
that I fear to alarm them   Such a dream at the present time would
become woven into their fears for me   Tonight I shall strive hard to
sleep naturally   If I do not  I shall tomorrow night get them to give
me a dose of chloral  that cannot hurt me for once  and it will give
me a good night s sleep   Last night tired me more than if I had not
slept at all 


2 October 10 P M   Last night I slept  but did not dream   I must have
slept soundly  for I was not waked by Jonathan coming to bed  but the
sleep has not refreshed me  for today I feel terribly weak and
spiritless   I spent all yesterday trying to read  or lying down
dozing   In the afternoon  Mr  Renfield asked if he might see me   Poor
man  he was very gentle  and when I came away he kissed my hand and
bade God bless me   Some way it affected me much   I am crying when I
think of him   This is a new weakness  of which I must be careful 
Jonathan would be miserable if he knew I had been crying   He and the
others were out till dinner time  and they all came in tired   I did
what I could to brighten them up  and I suppose that the effort did me
good  for I forgot how tired I was   After dinner they sent me to bed 
and all went off to smoke together  as they said  but I knew that they
wanted to tell each other of what had occurred to each during the day 
I could see from Jonathan s manner that he had something important to
communicate   I was not so sleepy as I should have been  so before
they went I asked Dr  Seward to give me a little opiate of some kind 
as I had not slept well the night before   He very kindly made me up a
sleeping draught  which he gave to me  telling me that it would do me
no harm  as it was very mild       I have taken it  and am waiting for
sleep  which still keeps aloof   I hope I have not done wrong  for as
sleep begins to flirt with me  a new fear comes  that I may have been
foolish in thus depriving myself of the power of waking   I might want
it   Here comes sleep   Goodnight 




CHAPTER 20


JONATHAN HARKER S JOURNAL

1 October  evening   I found Thomas Snelling in his house at Bethnal
Green  but unhappily he was not in a condition to remember anything 
The very prospect of beer which my expected coming had opened to him
had proved too much  and he had begun too early on his expected
debauch   I learned  however  from his wife  who seemed a decent  poor
soul  that he was only the assistant of Smollet  who of the two mates
was the responsible person   So off I drove to Walworth  and found Mr 
Joseph Smollet at home and in his shirtsleeves  taking a late tea out
of a saucer   He is a decent  intelligent fellow  distinctly a good 
reliable type of workman  and with a headpiece of his own   He
remembered all about the incident of the boxes  and from a wonderful
dog eared notebook  which he produced from some mysterious receptacle
about the seat of his trousers  and which had hieroglyphical entries
in thick  half obliterated pencil  he gave me the destinations of the
boxes   There were  he said  six in the cartload which he took from
Carfax and left at 197 Chicksand Street  Mile End New Town  and
another six which he deposited at Jamaica Lane  Bermondsey   If then
the Count meant to scatter these ghastly refuges of his over London 
these places were chosen as the first of delivery  so that later he
might distribute more fully   The systematic manner in which this was
done made me think that he could not mean to confine himself to two
sides of London   He was now fixed on the far east on the northern
shore  on the east of the southern shore  and on the south   The north
and west were surely never meant to be left out of his diabolical
scheme  let alone the City itself and the very heart of fashionable
London in the south west and west   I went back to Smollet  and asked
him if he could tell us if any other boxes had been taken from Carfax 

He replied   Well guv nor  you ve treated me very  an some   I had
given him half a sovereign   an I ll tell yer all I know   I heard a
man by the name of Bloxam say four nights ago in the  Are an   Ounds 
in Pincher s Alley  as  ow he an  his mate  ad  ad a rare dusty job in
a old  ouse at Purfleet   There ain t a many such jobs as this  ere 
an  I m thinkin  that maybe Sam Bloxam could tell ye summut  

I asked if he could tell me where to find him   I told him that if he
could get me the address it would be worth another half sovereign to
him   So he gulped down the rest of his tea and stood up  saying that
he was going to begin the search then and there 

At the door he stopped  and said   Look  ere  guv nor  there ain t no
sense in me a keepin  you  ere   I may find Sam soon  or I mayn t  but
anyhow he ain t like to be in a way to tell ye much tonight   Sam is a
rare one when he starts on the booze   If you can give me a envelope
with a stamp on it  and put yer address on it  I ll find out where Sam
is to be found and post it ye tonight   But ye d better be up arter
 im soon in the mornin   never mind the booze the night afore  

This was all practical  so one of the children went off with a penny
to buy an envelope and a sheet of paper  and to keep the change   When
she came back  I addressed the envelope and stamped it  and when
Smollet had again faithfully promised to post the address when found 
I took my way to home   We re on the track anyhow   I am tired
tonight  and I want to sleep   Mina is fast asleep  and looks a little
too pale   Her eyes look as though she had been crying   Poor dear 
I ve no doubt it frets her to be kept in the dark  and it may make her
doubly anxious about me and the others   But it is best as it is   It
is better to be disappointed and worried in such a way now than to
have her nerve broken   The doctors were quite right to insist on her
being kept out of this dreadful business   I must be firm  for on me
this particular burden of silence must rest   I shall not ever enter
on the subject with her under any circumstances   Indeed  It may not
be a hard task  after all  for she herself has become reticent on the
subject  and has not spoken of the Count or his doings ever since we
told her of our decision 


2 October  evening  A long and trying and exciting day   By the first
post I got my directed envelope with a dirty scrap of paper enclosed 
on which was written with a carpenter s pencil in a sprawling hand 
 Sam Bloxam  Korkrans  4 Poters Cort  Bartel Street  Walworth   Arsk
for the depite  

I got the letter in bed  and rose without waking Mina   She looked
heavy and sleepy and pale  and far from well   I determined not to
wake her  but that when I should return from this new search  I would
arrange for her going back to Exeter   I think she would be happier in
our own home  with her daily tasks to interest her  than in being here
amongst us and in ignorance   I only saw Dr  Seward for a moment  and
told him where I was off to  promising to come back and tell the rest
so soon as I should have found out anything   I drove to Walworth and
found  with some difficulty  Potter s Court   Mr  Smollet s spelling
misled me  as I asked for Poter s Court instead of Potter s Court 
However  when I had found the court  I had no difficulty in
discovering Corcoran s lodging house 

When I asked the man who came to the door for the  depite   he shook
his head  and said   I dunno  im   There ain t no such a person  ere 
I never  eard of  im in all my bloomin  days   Don t believe there
ain t nobody of that kind livin   ere or anywheres  

I took out Smollet s letter  and as I read it it seemed to me that the
lesson of the spelling of the name of the court might guide me    What
are you   I asked 

 I m the depity   he answered 

I saw at once that I was on the right track   Phonetic spelling had
again misled me   A half crown tip put the deputy s knowledge at my
disposal  and I learned that Mr  Bloxam  who had slept off the remains
of his beer on the previous night at Corcoran s  had left for his work
at Poplar at five o clock that morning   He could not tell me where
the place of work was situated  but he had a vague idea that it was
some kind of a  new fangled ware us   and with this slender clue I had
to start for Poplar   It was twelve o clock before I got any
satisfactory hint of such a building  and this I got at a coffee shop 
where some workmen were having their dinner   One of them suggested
that there was being erected at Cross Angel Street a new  cold
storage  building  and as this suited the condition of a  new fangled
ware us   I at once drove to it   An interview with a surly gatekeeper
and a surlier foreman  both of whom were appeased with the coin of the
realm  put me on the track of Bloxam   He was sent for on my
suggestion that I was willing to pay his days wages to his foreman for
the privilege of asking him a few questions on a private matter   He
was a smart enough fellow  though rough of speech and bearing   When I
had promised to pay for his information and given him an earnest  he
told me that he had made two journeys between Carfax and a house in
Piccadilly  and had taken from this house to the latter nine great
boxes   main heavy ones   with a horse and cart hired by him for this
purpose 

I asked him if he could tell me the number of the house in Piccadilly 
to which he replied   Well  guv nor  I forgits the number  but it was
only a few door from a big white church  or somethink of the kind  not
long built   It was a dusty old  ouse  too  though nothin  to the
dustiness of the  ouse we tooked the bloomin  boxes from  

 How did you get in if both houses were empty  

 There was the old party what engaged me a waitin  in the  ouse at
Purfleet   He  elped me to lift the boxes and put them in the dray 
Curse me  but he was the strongest chap I ever struck  an  him a old
feller  with a white moustache  one that thin you would think he
couldn t throw a shadder  

How this phrase thrilled through me 

 Why   e took up  is end o  the boxes like they was pounds of tea  and
me a puffin  an  a blowin  afore I could upend mine anyhow  an  I m no
chicken  neither  

 How did you get into the house in Piccadilly   I asked 

 He was there too   He must  a started off and got there afore me  for
when I rung of the bell he kem an  opened the door  isself an   elped
me carry the boxes into the  all  

 The whole nine   I asked 

 Yus  there was five in the first load an  four in the second   It was
main dry work  an  I don t so well remember  ow I got  ome  

I interrupted him   Were the boxes left in the hall  

 Yus  it was a big  all  an  there was nothin  else in it  

I made one more attempt to further matters    You didn t have any
key  

 Never used no key nor nothink   The old gent  he opened the door
 isself an  shut it again when I druv off   I don t remember the last
time  but that was the beer  

 And you can t remember the number of the house  

 No  sir   But ye needn t have no difficulty about that   It s a  igh
 un with a stone front with a bow on it  an   igh steps up to the
door   I know them steps   avin   ad to carry the boxes up with three
loafers what come round to earn a copper   The old gent give them
shillin s  an  they seein  they got so much  they wanted more   But  e
took one of them by the shoulder and was like to throw  im down the
steps  till the lot of them went away cussin   

I thought that with this description I could find the house  so having
paid my friend for his information  I started off for Piccadilly   I
had gained a new painful experience   The Count could  it was evident 
handle the earth boxes himself   If so  time was precious  for now
that he had achieved a certain amount of distribution  he could  by
choosing his own time  complete the task unobserved   At Piccadilly
Circus I discharged my cab  and walked westward   Beyond the Junior
Constitutional I came across the house described and was satisfied
that this was the next of the lairs arranged by Dracula   The house
looked as though it had been long untenanted   The windows were
encrusted with dust  and the shutters were up   All the framework was
black with time  and from the iron the paint had mostly scaled away 
It was evident that up to lately there had been a large notice board
in front of the balcony   It had  however  been roughly torn away  the
uprights which had supported it still remaining   Behind the rails of
the balcony I saw there were some loose boards  whose raw edges looked
white   I would have given a good deal to have been able to see the
notice board intact  as it would  perhaps  have given some clue to the
ownership of the house   I remembered my experience of the investigation
and purchase of Carfax  and I could not but feel that if I could find
the former owner there might be some means discovered of gaining access
to the house 

There was at present nothing to be learned from the Piccadilly side 
and nothing could be done  so I went around to the back to see if
anything could be gathered from this quarter   The mews were active 
the Piccadilly houses being mostly in occupation   I asked one or two
of the grooms and helpers whom I saw around if they could tell me
anything about the empty house   One of them said that he heard it had
lately been taken  but he couldn t say from whom   He told me 
however  that up to very lately there had been a notice board of  For
Sale  up  and that perhaps Mitchell  Sons    Candy the house agents
could tell me something  as he thought he remembered seeing the name
of that firm on the board   I did not wish to seem too eager  or to
let my informant know or guess too much  so thanking him in the usual
manner  I strolled away   It was now growing dusk  and the autumn
night was closing in  so I did not lose any time   Having learned the
address of Mitchell  Sons    Candy from a directory at the Berkeley  I
was soon at their office in Sackville Street 

The gentleman who saw me was particularly suave in manner  but
uncommunicative in equal proportion   Having once told me that the
Piccadilly house  which throughout our interview he called a
 mansion   was sold  he considered my business as concluded   When I
asked who had purchased it  he opened his eyes a thought wider  and
paused a few seconds before replying   It is sold  sir  

 Pardon me   I said  with equal politeness   but I have a special
reason for wishing to know who purchased it  

Again he paused longer  and raised his eyebrows still more    It is
sold  sir   was again his laconic reply 

 Surely   I said   you do not mind letting me know so much  

 But I do mind   he answered    The affairs of their clients are
absolutely safe in the hands of Mitchell  Sons    Candy  

This was manifestly a prig of the first water  and there was no use
arguing with him   I thought I had best meet him on his own ground  so
I said   Your clients  sir  are happy in having so resolute a guardian
of their confidence   I am myself a professional man  

Here I handed him my card    In this instance I am not prompted by
curiosity  I act on the part of Lord Godalming  who wishes to know
something of the property which was  he understood  lately for sale  

These words put a different complexion on affairs   He said   I would
like to oblige you if I could  Mr  Harker  and especially would I like
to oblige his lordship   We once carried out a small matter of renting
some chambers for him when he was the honourable Arthur Holmwood   If
you will let me have his lordship s address I will consult the House
on the subject  and will  in any case  communicate with his lordship
by tonight s post   It will be a pleasure if we can so far deviate
from our rules as to give the required information to his lordship  

I wanted to secure a friend  and not to make an enemy  so I thanked
him  gave the address at Dr  Seward s and came away   It was now dark 
and I was tired and hungry   I got a cup of tea at the Aerated Bread
Company and came down to Purfleet by the next train 

I found all the others at home   Mina was looking tired and pale  but
she made a gallant effort to be bright and cheerful   It wrung my
heart to think that I had had to keep anything from her and so caused
her inquietude   Thank God  this will be the last night of her looking
on at our conferences  and feeling the sting of our not showing our
confidence   It took all my courage to hold to the wise resolution of
keeping her out of our grim task   She seems somehow more reconciled 
or else the very subject seems to have become repugnant to her  for
when any accidental allusion is made she actually shudders   I am glad
we made our resolution in time  as with such a feeling as this  our
growing knowledge would be torture to her 

I could not tell the others of the day s discovery till we were alone 
so after dinner  followed by a little music to save appearances even
amongst ourselves  I took Mina to her room and left her to go to bed 
The dear girl was more affectionate with me than ever  and clung to me
as though she would detain me  but there was much to be talked of and
I came away   Thank God  the ceasing of telling things has made no
difference between us 

When I came down again I found the others all gathered round the fire
in the study   In the train I had written my diary so far  and simply
read it off to them as the best means of letting them get abreast of
my own information 

When I had finished Van Helsing said   This has been a great day s
work  friend Jonathan   Doubtless we are on the track of the missing
boxes   If we find them all in that house  then our work is near the
end   But if there be some missing  we must search until we find them 
Then shall we make our final coup  and hunt the wretch to his real
death  

We all sat silent awhile and all at once Mr  Morris spoke   Say   How
are we going to get into that house  

 We got into the other   answered Lord Godalming quickly 

 But  Art  this is different   We broke house at Carfax  but we had
night and a walled park to protect us   It will be a mighty different
thing to commit burglary in Piccadilly  either by day or night   I
confess I don t see how we are going to get in unless that agency duck
can find us a key of some sort  

Lord Godalming s brows contracted  and he stood up and walked about the
room   By and by he stopped and said  turning from one to another of
us   Quincey s head is level   This burglary business is getting
serious   We got off once all right  but we have now a rare job on
hand   Unless we can find the Count s key basket  

As nothing could well be done before morning  and as it would be at
least advisable to wait till Lord Godalming should hear from
Mitchell s  we decided not to take any active step before breakfast
time   For a good while we sat and smoked  discussing the matter in
its various lights and bearings   I took the opportunity of bringing
this diary right up to the moment   I am very sleepy and shall go to
bed      

Just a line   Mina sleeps soundly and her breathing is regular   Her
forehead is puckered up into little wrinkles  as though she thinks
even in her sleep   She is still too pale  but does not look so
haggard as she did this morning   Tomorrow will  I hope  mend all
this   She will be herself at home in Exeter   Oh  but I am sleepy 




DR  SEWARD S DIARY

1 October   I am puzzled afresh about Renfield   His moods change so
rapidly that I find it difficult to keep touch of them  and as they
always mean something more than his own well being  they form a more
than interesting study   This morning  when I went to see him after
his repulse of Van Helsing  his manner was that of a man commanding
destiny   He was  in fact  commanding destiny  subjectively   He did
not really care for any of the things of mere earth  he was in the
clouds and looked down on all the weaknesses and wants of us poor
mortals 

I thought I would improve the occasion and learn something  so I asked
him   What about the flies these times  

He smiled on me in quite a superior sort of way  such a smile as would
have become the face of Malvolio  as he answered me   The fly  my dear
sir  has one striking feature   It s wings are typical of the aerial
powers of the psychic faculties   The ancients did well when they
typified the soul as a butterfly  

I thought I would push his analogy to its utmost logically  so I said
quickly   Oh  it is a soul you are after now  is it  

His madness foiled his reason  and a puzzled look spread over his face
as  shaking his head with a decision which I had but seldom seen in
him 

He said   Oh  no  oh no   I want no souls   Life is all I want    Here
he brightened up    I am pretty indifferent about it at present   Life
is all right   I have all I want   You must get a new patient  doctor 
if you wish to study zoophagy  

This puzzled me a little  so I drew him on    Then you command life 
You are a god  I suppose  

He smiled with an ineffably benign superiority    Oh no   Far be it
from me to arrogate to myself the attributes of the Deity   I am not
even concerned in His especially spiritual doings   If I may state my
intellectual position I am  so far as concerns things purely
terrestrial  somewhat in the position which Enoch occupied
spiritually  

This was a poser to me   I could not at the moment recall Enoch s
appositeness  so I had to ask a simple question  though I felt that by
so doing I was lowering myself in the eyes of the lunatic    And why
with Enoch  

 Because he walked with God  

I could not see the analogy  but did not like to admit it  so I harked
back to what he had denied    So you don t care about life and you
don t want souls   Why not    I put my question quickly and somewhat
sternly  on purpose to disconcert him 

The effort succeeded  for an instant he unconsciously relapsed into
his old servile manner  bent low before me  and actually fawned upon
me as he replied    I don t want any souls  indeed  indeed   I don t 
I couldn t use them if I had them   They would be no manner of use to
me   I couldn t eat them or       

He suddenly stopped and the old cunning look spread over his face 
like a wind sweep on the surface of the water 

 And doctor  as to life  what is it after all   When you ve got all
you require  and you know that you will never want  that is all   I
have friends  good friends  like you  Dr  Seward    This was said with
a leer of inexpressible cunning    I know that I shall never lack the
means of life  

I think that through the cloudiness of his insanity he saw some
antagonism in me  for he at once fell back on the last refuge of such
as he  a dogged silence   After a short time I saw that for the
present it was useless to speak to him   He was sulky  and so I came
away 

Later in the day he sent for me   Ordinarily I would not have come
without special reason  but just at present I am so interested in him
that I would gladly make an effort   Besides  I am glad to have
anything to help pass the time   Harker is out  following up clues 
and so are Lord Godalming and Quincey   Van Helsing sits in my study
poring over the record prepared by the Harkers   He seems to think
that by accurate knowledge of all details he will light up on some
clue   He does not wish to be disturbed in the work  without cause   I
would have taken him with me to see the patient  only I thought that
after his last repulse he might not care to go again   There was also
another reason   Renfield might not speak so freely before a third
person as when he and I were alone 

I found him sitting in the middle of the floor on his stool  a pose
which is generally indicative of some mental energy on his part   When
I came in  he said at once  as though the question had been waiting on
his lips    What about souls  

It was evident then that my surmise had been correct   Unconscious
cerebration was doing its work  even with the lunatic   I determined
to have the matter out 

 What about them yourself   I asked 

He did not reply for a moment but looked all around him  and up and
down  as though he expected to find some inspiration for an answer 

 I don t want any souls   he said in a feeble  apologetic way   The
matter seemed preying on his mind  and so I determined to use it  to
 be cruel only to be kind    So I said   You like life  and you want
life  

 Oh yes   But that is all right   You needn t worry about that  

 But   I asked   how are we to get the life without getting the soul
also  

This seemed to puzzle him  so I followed it up   A nice time you ll
have some time when you re flying out here  with the souls of
thousands of flies and spiders and birds and cats buzzing and
twittering and moaning all around you   You ve got their lives  you
know  and you must put up with their souls  

Something seemed to affect his imagination  for he put his fingers to
his ears and shut his eyes  screwing them up tightly just as a small
boy does when his face is being soaped   There was something pathetic
in it that touched me   It also gave me a lesson  for it seemed that
before me was a child  only a child  though the features were worn 
and the stubble on the jaws was white   It was evident that he was
undergoing some process of mental disturbance  and knowing how his
past moods had interpreted things seemingly foreign to himself  I
thought I would enter into his mind as well as I could and go with him 

The first step was to restore confidence  so I asked him  speaking
pretty loud so that he would hear me through his closed ears   Would
you like some sugar to get your flies around again  

He seemed to wake up all at once  and shook his head   With a laugh he
replied   Not much   Flies are poor things  after all    After a pause
he added   But I don t want their souls buzzing round me  all the
same  

 Or spiders   I went on 

 Blow spiders   What s the use of spiders   There isn t anything in
them to eat or         He stopped suddenly as though reminded of a
forbidden topic 

 So  so   I thought to myself   this is the second time he has
suddenly stopped at the word  drink    What does it mean  

Renfield seemed himself aware of having made a lapse  for he hurried
on  as though to distract my attention from it   I don t take any
stock at all in such matters    Rats and mice and such small deer   as
Shakespeare has it   chicken feed of the larder  they might be called 
I m past all that sort of nonsense   You might as well ask a man to
eat molecules with a pair of chopsticks  as to try to interest me
about the less carnivora  when I know of what is before me  

 I see   I said    You want big things that you can make your teeth
meet in   How would you like to breakfast on an elephant  

 What ridiculous nonsense you are talking    He was getting too wide
awake  so I thought I would press him hard 

 I wonder   I said reflectively   what an elephant s soul is like  

The effect I desired was obtained  for he at once fell from his
high horse and became a child again 

 I don t want an elephant s soul  or any soul at all   he said   For a
few moments he sat despondently   Suddenly he jumped to his feet  with
his eyes blazing and all the signs of intense cerebral excitement 
 To hell with you and your souls   he shouted    Why do you plague me
about souls   Haven t I got enough to worry  and pain  to distract me
already  without thinking of souls  

He looked so hostile that I thought he was in for another homicidal
fit  so I blew my whistle 

The instant  however  that I did so he became calm  and said
apologetically   Forgive me  Doctor   I forgot myself   You do not
need any help   I am so worried in my mind that I am apt to be
irritable   If you only knew the problem I have to face  and that I am
working out  you would pity  and tolerate  and pardon me   Pray do not
put me in a strait waistcoat   I want to think and I cannot think
freely when my body is confined   I am sure you will understand  

He had evidently self control  so when the attendants came I told them
not to mind  and they withdrew   Renfield watched them go   When the
door was closed he said with considerable dignity and sweetness   Dr 
Seward  you have been very considerate towards me   Believe me that I
am very  very grateful to you  

I thought it well to leave him in this mood  and so I came away 
There is certainly something to ponder over in this man s state 
Several points seem to make what the American interviewer calls  a
story   if one could only get them in proper order   Here they are 

    Will not mention  drinking  

    Fears the thought of being burdened with the  soul  of anything 

    Has no dread of wanting  life  in the future 

    Despises the meaner forms of life altogether  though he dreads
    being haunted by their souls 

    Logically all these things point one way   He has assurance of
    some kind that he will acquire some higher life 

    He dreads the consequence  the burden of a soul   Then it is a
    human life he looks to 

    And the assurance       

Merciful God   The Count has been to him  and there is some new scheme
of terror afoot 


Later   I went after my round to Van Helsing and told him my
suspicion   He grew very grave  and after thinking the matter over for
a while asked me to take him to Renfield   I did so   As we came to
the door we heard the lunatic within singing gaily  as he used to do
in the time which now seems so long ago 

When we entered we saw with amazement that he had spread out his sugar
as of old   The flies  lethargic with the autumn  were beginning to
buzz into the room   We tried to make him talk of the subject of our
previous conversation  but he would not attend   He went on with his
singing  just as though we had not been present   He had got a scrap
of paper and was folding it into a notebook   We had to come away as
ignorant as we went in 

His is a curious case indeed   We must watch him tonight 





LETTER  MITCHELL  SONS   CANDY TO LORD GODALMING 

 1 October 

 My Lord 

 We are at all times only too happy to meet your wishes   We beg 
with regard to the desire of your Lordship  expressed by Mr 
Harker on your behalf  to supply the following information
concerning the sale and purchase of No  347  Piccadilly   The
original vendors are the executors of the late Mr  Archibald
Winter Suffield   The purchaser is a foreign nobleman  Count de
Ville  who effected the purchase himself paying the purchase
money in notes  over the counter   if your Lordship will pardon
us using so vulgar an expression   Beyond this we know nothing
whatever of him 

 We are  my Lord 

 Your Lordship s humble servants 

 MITCHELL  SONS   CANDY  




DR  SEWARD S DIARY

2 October   I placed a man in the corridor last night  and told him to
make an accurate note of any sound he might hear from Renfield s room 
and gave him instructions that if there should be anything strange he
was to call me   After dinner  when we had all gathered round the fire
in the study  Mrs  Harker having gone to bed  we discussed the
attempts and discoveries of the day   Harker was the only one who had
any result  and we are in great hopes that his clue may be an
important one 

Before going to bed I went round to the patient s room and looked in
through the observation trap   He was sleeping soundly  his heart rose
and fell with regular respiration 

This morning the man on duty reported to me that a little after
midnight he was restless and kept saying his prayers somewhat loudly 
I asked him if that was all   He replied that it was all he heard 
There was something about his manner  so suspicious that I asked him
point blank if he had been asleep   He denied sleep  but admitted to
having  dozed  for a while   It is too bad that men cannot be trusted
unless they are watched 

Today Harker is out following up his clue  and Art and Quincey are
looking after horses   Godalming thinks that it will be well to have
horses always in readiness  for when we get the information which we
seek there will be no time to lose   We must sterilize all the
imported earth between sunrise and sunset   We shall thus catch the
Count at his weakest  and without a refuge to fly to   Van Helsing is
off to the British Museum looking up some authorities on ancient
medicine   The old physicians took account of things which their
followers do not accept  and the Professor is searching for witch and
demon cures which may be useful to us later 

I sometimes think we must be all mad and that we shall wake to sanity
in strait waistcoats 

Later   We have met again   We seem at last to be on the track  and
our work of tomorrow may be the beginning of the end   I wonder if
Renfield s quiet has anything to do with this   His moods have so
followed the doings of the Count  that the coming destruction of the
monster may be carried to him some subtle way   If we could only get
some hint as to what passed in his mind  between the time of my
argument with him today and his resumption of fly catching  it might
afford us a valuable clue   He is now seemingly quiet for a spell      
Is he   That wild yell seemed to come from his room      

The attendant came bursting into my room and told me that Renfield had
somehow met with some accident   He had heard him yell  and when he
went to him found him lying on his face on the floor  all covered with
blood   I must go at once      




CHAPTER 21


DR  SEWARD S DIARY

3 October   Let me put down with exactness all that happened  as well
as I can remember  since last I made an entry   Not a detail that I
can recall must be forgotten   In all calmness I must proceed 

When I came to Renfield s room I found him lying on the floor on his
left side in a glittering pool of blood   When I went to move him  it
became at once apparent that he had received some terrible injuries 
There seemed none of the unity of purpose between the parts of the
body which marks even lethargic sanity   As the face was exposed I
could see that it was horribly bruised  as though it had been beaten
against the floor   Indeed it was from the face wounds that the pool
of blood originated 

The attendant who was kneeling beside the body said to me as we turned
him over   I think  sir  his back is broken   See  both his right arm
and leg and the whole side of his face are paralysed    How such a
thing could have happened puzzled the attendant beyond measure   He
seemed quite bewildered  and his brows were gathered in as he said   I
can t understand the two things   He could mark his face like that by
beating his own head on the floor   I saw a young woman do it once at
the Eversfield Asylum before anyone could lay hands on her   And I
suppose he might have broken his neck by falling out of bed  if he got
in an awkward kink   But for the life of me I can t imagine how the
two things occurred   If his back was broke  he couldn t beat his
head  and if his face was like that before the fall out of bed  there
would be marks of it  

I said to him   Go to Dr  Van Helsing  and ask him to kindly come here
at once   I want him without an instant s delay  

The man ran off  and within a few minutes the Professor  in his
dressing gown and slippers  appeared   When he saw Renfield on the
ground  he looked keenly at him a moment  and then turned to me   I
think he recognized my thought in my eyes  for he said very quietly 
manifestly for the ears of the attendant   Ah  a sad accident   He
will need very careful watching  and much attention   I shall stay
with you myself  but I shall first dress myself   If you will remain I
shall in a few minutes join you  

The patient was now breathing stertorously and it was easy to see that
he had suffered some terrible injury 

Van Helsing returned with extraordinary celerity  bearing with him a
surgical case   He had evidently been thinking and had his mind made
up  for almost before he looked at the patient  he whispered to me 
 Send the attendant away   We must be alone with him when he becomes
conscious  after the operation  

I said   I think that will do now  Simmons   We have done all that we
can at present   You had better go your round  and Dr  Van Helsing
will operate   Let me know instantly if there be anything unusual
anywhere  

The man withdrew  and we went into a strict examination of the
patient   The wounds of the face were superficial   The real injury
was a depressed fracture of the skull  extending right up through the
motor area 

The Professor thought a moment and said   We must reduce the pressure
and get back to normal conditions  as far as can be   The rapidity of
the suffusion shows the terrible nature of his injury   The whole
motor area seems affected   The suffusion of the brain will increase
quickly  so we must trephine at once or it may be too late  

As he was speaking there was a soft tapping at the door   I went over
and opened it and found in the corridor without  Arthur and Quincey in
pajamas and slippers  the former spoke   I heard your man call up Dr 
Van Helsing and tell him of an accident   So I woke Quincey or rather
called for him as he was not asleep   Things are moving too quickly
and too strangely for sound sleep for any of us these times   I ve
been thinking that tomorrow night will not see things as they have
been   We ll have to look back  and forward a little more than we have
done   May we come in  

I nodded  and held the door open till they had entered  then I closed
it again   When Quincey saw the attitude and state of the patient  and
noted the horrible pool on the floor  he said softly   My God   What
has happened to him   Poor  poor devil  

I told him briefly  and added that we expected he would recover
consciousness after the operation  for a short time  at all events 
He went at once and sat down on the edge of the bed  with Godalming
beside him   We all watched in patience 

 We shall wait   said Van Helsing   just long enough to fix the best
spot for trephining  so that we may most quickly and perfectly remove
the blood clot  for it is evident that the haemorrhage is increasing  

The minutes during which we waited passed with fearful slowness   I
had a horrible sinking in my heart  and from Van Helsing s face I
gathered that he felt some fear or apprehension as to what was to
come   I dreaded the words Renfield might speak   I was positively
afraid to think   But the conviction of what was coming was on me  as
I have read of men who have heard the death watch   The poor man s
breathing came in uncertain gasps   Each instant he seemed as though
he would open his eyes and speak  but then would follow a prolonged
stertorous breath  and he would relapse into a more fixed
insensibility   Inured as I was to sick beds and death  this suspense
grew and grew upon me   I could almost hear the beating of my own
heart  and the blood surging through my temples sounded like blows
from a hammer   The silence finally became agonizing   I looked at my
companions  one after another  and saw from their flushed faces and
damp brows that they were enduring equal torture   There was a nervous
suspense over us all  as though overhead some dread bell would peal
out powerfully when we should least expect it 

At last there came a time when it was evident that the patient was
sinking fast   He might die at any moment   I looked up at the
Professor and caught his eyes fixed on mine   His face was sternly set
as he spoke   There is no time to lose   His words may be worth many
lives   I have been thinking so  as I stood here   It may be there is
a soul at stake   We shall operate just above the ear  

Without another word he made the operation   For a few moments the
breathing continued to be stertorous   Then there came a breath so
prolonged that it seemed as though it would tear open his chest 
Suddenly his eyes opened  and became fixed in a wild  helpless stare 
This was continued for a few moments  then it was softened into a glad
surprise  and from his lips came a sigh of relief   He moved
convulsively  and as he did so  said   I ll be quiet  Doctor   Tell
them to take off the strait waistcoat   I have had a terrible dream 
and it has left me so weak that I cannot move   What s wrong with my
face   It feels all swollen  and it smarts dreadfully  

He tried to turn his head  but even with the effort his eyes seemed to
grow glassy again so I gently put it back   Then Van Helsing said in a
quiet grave tone   Tell us your dream  Mr  Renfield  

As he heard the voice his face brightened  through its mutilation  and
he said   That is Dr  Van Helsing   How good it is of you to be here 
Give me some water  my lips are dry  and I shall try to tell you   I
dreamed       

He stopped and seemed fainting   I called quietly to Quincey   The
brandy  it is in my study  quick    He flew and returned with a glass 
the decanter of brandy and a carafe of water   We moistened the
parched lips  and the patient quickly revived 

It seemed  however  that his poor injured brain had been working in
the interval  for when he was quite conscious  he looked at me
piercingly with an agonized confusion which I shall never forget  and
said   I must not deceive myself   It was no dream  but all a grim
reality    Then his eyes roved round the room   As they caught sight
of the two figures sitting patiently on the edge of the bed he went
on   If I were not sure already  I would know from them  

For an instant his eyes closed  not with pain or sleep but
voluntarily  as though he were bringing all his faculties to bear 
When he opened them he said  hurriedly  and with more energy than he
had yet displayed   Quick  Doctor  quick  I am dying   I feel that I
have but a few minutes  and then I must go back to death  or worse 
Wet my lips with brandy again   I have something that I must say
before I die   Or before my poor crushed brain dies anyhow   Thank
you   It was that night after you left me  when I implored you to let
me go away   I couldn t speak then  for I felt my tongue was tied 
But I was as sane then  except in that way  as I am now   I was in an
agony of despair for a long time after you left me  it seemed hours 
Then there came a sudden peace to me   My brain seemed to become cool
again  and I realized where I was   I heard the dogs bark behind our
house  but not where He was  

As he spoke  Van Helsing s eyes never blinked  but his hand came out
and met mine and gripped it hard   He did not  however  betray
himself   He nodded slightly and said   Go on   in a low voice 

Renfield proceeded    He came up to the window in the mist  as I had
seen him often before  but he was solid then  not a ghost  and his
eyes were fierce like a man s when angry   He was laughing with his
red mouth  the sharp white teeth glinted in the moonlight when he
turned to look back over the belt of trees  to where the dogs were
barking   I wouldn t ask him to come in at first  though I knew he
wanted to  just as he had wanted all along   Then he began promising
me things  not in words but by doing them  

He was interrupted by a word from the Professor   How  

 By making them happen   Just as he used to send in the flies when the
sun was shining   Great big fat ones with steel and sapphire on their
wings   And big moths  in the night  with skull and cross bones on
their backs  

Van Helsing nodded to him as he whispered to me unconsciously   The
Acherontia Atropos of the Sphinges  what you call the  Death s head
Moth   

The patient went on without stopping   Then he began to whisper    Rats 
rats  rats   Hundreds  thousands  millions of them  and every one a
life   And dogs to eat them  and cats too   All lives   All red blood 
with years of life in it  and not merely buzzing flies    I laughed at
him  for I wanted to see what he could do   Then the dogs howled  away
beyond the dark trees in His house   He beckoned me to the window   I
got up and looked out  and He raised his hands  and seemed to call out
without using any words   A dark mass spread over the grass  coming on
like the shape of a flame of fire   And then He moved the mist to the
right and left  and I could see that there were thousands of rats with
their eyes blazing red  like His only smaller   He held up his hand 
and they all stopped  and I thought he seemed to be saying   All these
lives will I give you  ay  and many more and greater  through
countless ages  if you will fall down and worship me    And then a red
cloud  like the colour of blood  seemed to close over my eyes  and
before I knew what I was doing  I found myself opening the sash and
saying to Him   Come in  Lord and Master    The rats were all gone  but
He slid into the room through the sash  though it was only open an
inch wide  just as the Moon herself has often come in through the
tiniest crack and has stood before me in all her size and splendour  

His voice was weaker  so I moistened his lips with the brandy again 
and he continued  but it seemed as though his memory had gone on
working in the interval for his story was further advanced   I was
about to call him back to the point  but Van Helsing whispered to me 
 Let him go on   Do not interrupt him   He cannot go back  and maybe
could not proceed at all if once he lost the thread of his thought  

He proceeded   All day I waited to hear from him  but he did not send
me anything  not even a blowfly  and when the moon got up I was pretty
angry with him   When he did slide in through the window  though it
was shut  and did not even knock  I got mad with him   He sneered at
me  and his white face looked out of the mist with his red eyes
gleaming  and he went on as though he owned the whole place  and I was
no one   He didn t even smell the same as he went by me   I couldn t
hold him   I thought that  somehow  Mrs  Harker had come into the
room  

The two men sitting on the bed stood up and came over  standing behind
him so that he could not see them  but where they could hear better 
They were both silent  but the Professor started and quivered   His
face  however  grew grimmer and sterner still   Renfield went on
without noticing   When Mrs  Harker came in to see me this afternoon
she wasn t the same   It was like tea after the teapot has been
watered    Here we all moved  but no one said a word 

He went on   I didn t know that she was here till she spoke  and she
didn t look the same   I don t care for the pale people   I like them
with lots of blood in them  and hers all seemed to have run out   I
didn t think of it at the time  but when she went away I began to
think  and it made me mad to know that He had been taking the life out
of her    I could feel that the rest quivered  as I did  but we
remained otherwise still    So when He came tonight I was ready for
Him   I saw the mist stealing in  and I grabbed it tight   I had heard
that madmen have unnatural strength   And as I knew I was a madman  at
times anyhow  I resolved to use my power   Ay  and He felt it too  for
He had to come out of the mist to struggle with me   I held tight  and
I thought I was going to win  for I didn t mean Him to take any more
of her life  till I saw His eyes   They burned into me  and my
strength became like water   He slipped through it  and when I tried
to cling to Him  He raised me up and flung me down   There was a red
cloud before me  and a noise like thunder  and the mist seemed to
steal away under the door  

His voice was becoming fainter and his breath more stertorous   Van
Helsing stood up instinctively 

 We know the worst now   he said    He is here  and we know his
purpose   It may not be too late   Let us be armed  the same as we
were the other night  but lose no time  there is not an instant to
spare  

There was no need to put our fear  nay our conviction  into words  we
shared them in common   We all hurried and took from our rooms the
same things that we had when we entered the Count s house   The
Professor had his ready  and as we met in the corridor he pointed to
them significantly as he said   They never leave me  and they shall
not till this unhappy business is over   Be wise also  my friends   It
is no common enemy that we deal with Alas   Alas   That dear Madam
Mina should suffer    He stopped  his voice was breaking  and I do not
know if rage or terror predominated in my own heart 

Outside the Harkers  door we paused   Art and Quincey held back  and
the latter said   Should we disturb her  

 We must   said Van Helsing grimly    If the door be locked  I shall
break it in  

 May it not frighten her terribly   It is unusual to break into a
lady s room  

Van Helsing said solemnly   You are always right   But this is life
and death   All chambers are alike to the doctor   And even were they
not they are all as one to me tonight   Friend John  when I turn the
handle  if the door does not open  do you put your shoulder down and
shove  and you too  my friends   Now  

He turned the handle as he spoke  but the door did not yield   We
threw ourselves against it   With a crash it burst open  and we almost
fell headlong into the room   The Professor did actually fall  and I
saw across him as he gathered himself up from hands and knees   What I
saw appalled me   I felt my hair rise like bristles on the back of my
neck  and my heart seemed to stand still 

The moonlight was so bright that through the thick yellow blind the
room was light enough to see   On the bed beside the window lay
Jonathan Harker  his face flushed and breathing heavily as though in a
stupor   Kneeling on the near edge of the bed facing outwards was the
white clad figure of his wife   By her side stood a tall  thin man 
clad in black   His face was turned from us  but the instant we saw we
all recognized the Count  in every way  even to the scar on his
forehead   With his left hand he held both Mrs  Harker s hands 
keeping them away with her arms at full tension   His right hand
gripped her by the back of the neck  forcing her face down on his
bosom   Her white nightdress was smeared with blood  and a thin stream
trickled down the man s bare chest which was shown by his torn open
dress   The attitude of the two had a terrible resemblance to a child
forcing a kitten s nose into a saucer of milk to compel it to drink 
As we burst into the room  the Count turned his face  and the hellish
look that I had heard described seemed to leap into it   His eyes
flamed red with devilish passion   The great nostrils of the white
aquiline nose opened wide and quivered at the edge  and the white
sharp teeth  behind the full lips of the blood dripping mouth  clamped
together like those of a wild beast   With a wrench  which threw his
victim back upon the bed as though hurled from a height  he turned and
sprang at us   But by this time the Professor had gained his feet  and
was holding towards him the envelope which contained the Sacred Wafer 
The Count suddenly stopped  just as poor Lucy had done outside the
tomb  and cowered back   Further and further back he cowered  as we 
lifting our crucifixes  advanced   The moonlight suddenly failed  as a
great black cloud sailed across the sky   And when the gaslight sprang
up under Quincey s match  we saw nothing but a faint vapour   This  as
we looked  trailed under the door  which with the recoil from its
bursting open  had swung back to its old position   Van Helsing  Art 
and I moved forward to Mrs  Harker  who by this time had drawn her
breath and with it had given a scream so wild  so ear piercing  so
despairing that it seems to me now that it will ring in my ears till
my dying day   For a few seconds she lay in her helpless attitude and
disarray   Her face was ghastly  with a pallor which was accentuated
by the blood which smeared her lips and cheeks and chin   From her
throat trickled a thin stream of blood   Her eyes were mad with
terror   Then she put before her face her poor crushed hands  which
bore on their whiteness the red mark of the Count s terrible grip  and
from behind them came a low desolate wail which made the terrible
scream seem only the quick expression of an endless grief   Van
Helsing stepped forward and drew the coverlet gently over her body 
whilst Art  after looking at her face for an instant despairingly  ran
out of the room 

Van Helsing whispered to me   Jonathan is in a stupor such as we know
the Vampire can produce   We can do nothing with poor Madam Mina for a
few moments till she recovers herself   I must wake him  

He dipped the end of a towel in cold water and with it began to flick
him on the face  his wife all the while holding her face between her
hands and sobbing in a way that was heart breaking to hear   I raised
the blind  and looked out of the window   There was much moonshine 
and as I looked I could see Quincey Morris run across the lawn and
hide himself in the shadow of a great yew tree   It puzzled me to
think why he was doing this   But at the instant I heard Harker s
quick exclamation as he woke to partial consciousness  and turned to
the bed   On his face  as there might well be  was a look of wild
amazement   He seemed dazed for a few seconds  and then full
consciousness seemed to burst upon him all at once  and he started up 

His wife was aroused by the quick movement  and turned to him with her
arms stretched out  as though to embrace him   Instantly  however  she
drew them in again  and putting her elbows together  held her hands
before her face  and shuddered till the bed beneath her shook 

 In God s name what does this mean   Harker cried out    Dr  Seward 
Dr  Van Helsing  what is it   What has happened   What is wrong   Mina 
dear what is it   What does that blood mean   My God  my God   Has it
come to this    And  raising himself to his knees  he beat his hands
wildly together    Good God help us   Help her   Oh  help her  

With a quick movement he jumped from bed  and began to pull on his
clothes  all the man in him awake at the need for instant exertion 
 What has happened   Tell me all about it   he cried without pausing 
 Dr  Van Helsing  you love Mina  I know   Oh  do something to save her 
It cannot have gone too far yet   Guard her while I look for him  

His wife  through her terror and horror and distress  saw some sure
danger to him   Instantly forgetting her own grief  she seized hold of
him and cried out 

 No   No   Jonathan  you must not leave me   I have suffered enough
tonight  God knows  without the dread of his harming you   You must
stay with me   Stay with these friends who will watch over you    Her
expression became frantic as she spoke   And  he yielding to her  she
pulled him down sitting on the bedside  and clung to him fiercely 

Van Helsing and I tried to calm them both   The Professor held up his
golden crucifix  and said with wonderful calmness   Do not fear  my
dear   We are here  and whilst this is close to you no foul thing can
approach   You are safe for tonight  and we must be calm and take
counsel together  

She shuddered and was silent  holding down her head on her husband s
breast   When she raised it  his white nightrobe was stained with
blood where her lips had touched  and where the thin open wound in the
neck had sent forth drops   The instant she saw it she drew back  with
a low wail  and whispered  amidst choking sobs 

 Unclean  unclean   I must touch him or kiss him no more   Oh  that it
should be that it is I who am now his worst enemy  and whom he may
have most cause to fear  

To this he spoke out resolutely   Nonsense  Mina   It is a shame to me
to hear such a word   I would not hear it of you   And I shall not
hear it from you   May God judge me by my deserts  and punish me with
more bitter suffering than even this hour  if by any act or will of
mine anything ever come between us  

He put out his arms and folded her to his breast   And for a while she
lay there sobbing   He looked at us over her bowed head  with eyes
that blinked damply above his quivering nostrils   His mouth was set
as steel 

After a while her sobs became less frequent and more faint  and then
he said to me  speaking with a studied calmness which I felt tried his
nervous power to the utmost 

 And now  Dr  Seward  tell me all about it   Too well I know the broad
fact   Tell me all that has been  

I told him exactly what had happened and he listened with seeming
impassiveness  but his nostrils twitched and his eyes blazed as I told
how the ruthless hands of the Count had held his wife in that terrible
and horrid position  with her mouth to the open wound in his breast 
It interested me  even at that moment  to see that whilst the face of
white set passion worked convulsively over the bowed head  the hands
tenderly and lovingly stroked the ruffled hair   Just as I had
finished  Quincey and Godalming knocked at the door   They entered in
obedience to our summons   Van Helsing looked at me questioningly   I
understood him to mean if we were to take advantage of their coming to
divert if possible the thoughts of the unhappy husband and wife from
each other and from themselves   So on nodding acquiescence to him he
asked them what they had seen or done   To which Lord Godalming
answered 

 I could not see him anywhere in the passage  or in any of our rooms 
I looked in the study but  though he had been there  he had gone   He
had  however         He stopped suddenly  looking at the poor drooping
figure on the bed 

Van Helsing said gravely   Go on  friend Arthur   We want here no more
concealments   Our hope now is in knowing all   Tell freely  

So Art went on   He had been there  and though it could only have been
for a few seconds  he made rare hay of the place   All the manuscript
had been burned  and the blue flames were flickering amongst the white
ashes   The cylinders of your phonograph too were thrown on the fire 
and the wax had helped the flames  

Here I interrupted    Thank God there is the other copy in the safe  

His face lit for a moment  but fell again as he went on    I ran
downstairs then  but could see no sign of him   I looked into
Renfield s room  but there was no trace there except         Again he
paused 

 Go on   said Harker hoarsely   So he bowed his head and moistening his
lips with his tongue  added   except that the poor fellow is dead  

Mrs  Harker raised her head  looking from one to the other of us she
said solemnly   God s will be done  

I could not but feel that Art was keeping back something   But  as I
took it that it was with a purpose  I said nothing 

Van Helsing turned to Morris and asked   And you  friend Quincey  have
you any to tell  

 A little   he answered    It may be much eventually  but at present I
can t say   I thought it well to know if possible where the Count
would go when he left the house   I did not see him  but I saw a bat
rise from Renfield s window  and flap westward   I expected to see him
in some shape go back to Carfax  but he evidently sought some other
lair   He will not be back tonight  for the sky is reddening in the
east  and the dawn is close   We must work tomorrow  

He said the latter words through his shut teeth   For a space of
perhaps a couple of minutes there was silence  and I could fancy that
I could hear the sound of our hearts beating 

Then Van Helsing said  placing his hand tenderly on Mrs  Harker s
head   And now  Madam Mina  poor dear  dear  Madam Mina  tell us
exactly what happened   God knows that I do not want that you be
pained  but it is need that we know all   For now more than ever has
all work to be done quick and sharp  and in deadly earnest   The day
is close to us that must end all  if it may be so  and now is the
chance that we may live and learn  

The poor dear lady shivered  and I could see the tension of her nerves
as she clasped her husband closer to her and bent her head lower and
lower still on his breast   Then she raised her head proudly  and held
out one hand to Van Helsing who took it in his  and after stooping and
kissing it reverently  held it fast   The other hand was locked in
that of her husband  who held his other arm thrown round her
protectingly   After a pause in which she was evidently ordering her
thoughts  she began 

 I took the sleeping draught which you had so kindly given me  but for
a long time it did not act   I seemed to become more wakeful  and
myriads of horrible fancies began to crowd in upon my mind   All of
them connected with death  and vampires  with blood  and pain  and
trouble    Her husband involuntarily groaned as she turned to him and
said lovingly   Do not fret  dear   You must be brave and strong  and
help me through the horrible task   If you only knew what an effort it
is to me to tell of this fearful thing at all  you would understand
how much I need your help   Well  I saw I must try to help the
medicine to its work with my will  if it was to do me any good  so I
resolutely set myself to sleep   Sure enough sleep must soon have come
to me  for I remember no more   Jonathan coming in had not waked me 
for he lay by my side when next I remember   There was in the room the
same thin white mist that I had before noticed   But I forget now if
you know of this   You will find it in my diary which I shall show you
later   I felt the same vague terror which had come to me before and
the same sense of some presence   I turned to wake Jonathan  but found
that he slept so soundly that it seemed as if it was he who had taken
the sleeping draught  and not I   I tried  but I could not wake him 
This caused me a great fear  and I looked around terrified   Then
indeed  my heart sank within me   Beside the bed  as if he had stepped
out of the mist  or rather as if the mist had turned into his figure 
for it had entirely disappeared  stood a tall  thin man  all in
black   I knew him at once from the description of the others   The
waxen face  the high aquiline nose  on which the light fell in a thin
white line  the parted red lips  with the sharp white teeth showing
between  and the red eyes that I had seemed to see in the sunset on
the windows of St  Mary s Church at Whitby   I knew  too  the red scar
on his forehead where Jonathan had struck him   For an instant my
heart stood still  and I would have screamed out  only that I was
paralyzed   In the pause he spoke in a sort of keen  cutting whisper 
pointing as he spoke to Jonathan 

  Silence   If you make a sound I shall take him and dash his brains
out before your very eyes    I was appalled and was too bewildered to
do or say anything   With a mocking smile  he placed one hand upon my
shoulder and  holding me tight  bared my throat with the other  saying
as he did so   First  a little refreshment to reward my exertions 
You may as well be quiet   It is not the first time  or the second 
that your veins have appeased my thirst    I was bewildered  and
strangely enough  I did not want to hinder him   I suppose it is a
part of the horrible curse that such is  when his touch is on his
victim   And oh  my God  my God  pity me   He placed his reeking lips
upon my throat    Her husband groaned again   She clasped his hand
harder  and looked at him pityingly  as if he were the injured one 
and went on 

 I felt my strength fading away  and I was in a half swoon   How long
this horrible thing lasted I know not  but it seemed that a long time
must have passed before he took his foul  awful  sneering mouth away 
I saw it drip with the fresh blood    The remembrance seemed for a while
to overpower her  and she drooped and would have sunk down but for her
husband s sustaining arm   With a great effort she recovered herself
and went on 

 Then he spoke to me mockingly   And so you  like the others  would
play your brains against mine   You would help these men to hunt me
and frustrate me in my design   You know now  and they know in part
already  and will know in full before long  what it is to cross my
path   They should have kept their energies for use closer to home 
Whilst they played wits against me  against me who commanded nations 
and intrigued for them  and fought for them  hundreds of years before
they were born  I was countermining them   And you  their best beloved
one  are now to me  flesh of my flesh  blood of my blood  kin of my
kin  my bountiful wine press for a while  and shall be later on my
companion and my helper   You shall be avenged in turn  for not one of
them but shall minister to your needs   But as yet you are to be
punished for what you have done   You have aided in thwarting me   Now
you shall come to my call   When my brain says  Come   to you  you
shall cross land or sea to do my bidding   And to that end this  

 With that he pulled open his shirt  and with his long sharp nails
opened a vein in his breast   When the blood began to spurt out  he
took my hands in one of his  holding them tight  and with the other
seized my neck and pressed my mouth to the wound  so that I must
either suffocate or swallow some to the       Oh  my God   My God 
What have I done   What have I done to deserve such a fate  I who have
tried to walk in meekness and righteousness all my days   God pity
me   Look down on a poor soul in worse than mortal peril   And in
mercy pity those to whom she is dear    Then she began to rub her lips
as though to cleanse them from pollution 

As she was telling her terrible story  the eastern sky began to
quicken  and everything became more and more clear   Harker was still
and quiet  but over his face  as the awful narrative went on  came a
grey look which deepened and deepened in the morning light  till when
the first red streak of the coming dawn shot up  the flesh stood
darkly out against the whitening hair 

We have arranged that one of us is to stay within call of the unhappy
pair till we can meet together and arrange about taking action 

Of this I am sure   The sun rises today on no more miserable house in
all the great round of its daily course 




CHAPTER 22


JONATHAN HARKER S JOURNAL

3 October   As I must do something or go mad  I write this diary   It
is now six o clock  and we are to meet in the study in half an hour
and take something to eat  for Dr  Van Helsing and Dr  Seward are
agreed that if we do not eat we cannot work our best   Our best will
be  God knows  required today   I must keep writing at every chance 
for I dare not stop to think   All  big and little  must go down 
Perhaps at the end the little things may teach us most   The teaching 
big or little  could not have landed Mina or me anywhere worse than we
are today   However  we must trust and hope   Poor Mina told me just
now  with the tears running down her dear cheeks  that it is in
trouble and trial that our faith is tested   That we must keep on
trusting  and that God will aid us up to the end   The end   Oh my
God   What end        To work   To work 

When Dr  Van Helsing and Dr  Seward had come back from seeing poor
Renfield  we went gravely into what was to be done   First  Dr  Seward
told us that when he and Dr  Van Helsing had gone down to the room
below they had found Renfield lying on the floor  all in a heap   His
face was all bruised and crushed in  and the bones of the neck were
broken 

Dr  Seward asked the attendant who was on duty in the passage if he
had heard anything   He said that he had been sitting down  he
confessed to half dozing  when he heard loud voices in the room  and
then Renfield had called out loudly several times   God   God   God  
After that there was a sound of falling  and when he entered the room
he found him lying on the floor  face down  just as the doctors had
seen him   Van Helsing asked if he had heard  voices  or  a voice  
and he said he could not say   That at first it had seemed to him as
if there were two  but as there was no one in the room it could have
been only one   He could swear to it  if required  that the word  God 
was spoken by the patient 

Dr  Seward said to us  when we were alone  that he did not wish to go
into the matter   The question of an inquest had to be considered  and
it would never do to put forward the truth  as no one would believe
it   As it was  he thought that on the attendant s evidence he could
give a certificate of death by misadventure in falling from bed   In
case the coroner should demand it  there would be a formal inquest 
necessarily to the same result 

When the question began to be discussed as to what should be our next
step  the very first thing we decided was that Mina should be in full
confidence   That nothing of any sort  no matter how painful  should
be kept from her   She herself agreed as to its wisdom  and it was
pitiful to see her so brave and yet so sorrowful  and in such a depth
of despair 

 There must be no concealment   she said    Alas   We have had too
much already   And besides there is nothing in all the world that can
give me more pain than I have already endured  than I suffer now 
Whatever may happen  it must be of new hope or of new courage to me  

Van Helsing was looking at her fixedly as she spoke  and said 
suddenly but quietly   But dear Madam Mina  are you not afraid   Not
for yourself  but for others from yourself  after what has happened  

Her face grew set in its lines  but her eyes shone with the devotion
of a martyr as she answered   Ah no   For my mind is made up  

 To what   he asked gently  whilst we were all very still  for each in
our own way we had a sort of vague idea of what she meant 

Her answer came with direct simplicity  as though she was simply
stating a fact   Because if I find in myself  and I shall watch keenly
for it  a sign of harm to any that I love  I shall die  

 You would not kill yourself   he asked  hoarsely 

 I would   If there were no friend who loved me  who would save me
such a pain  and so desperate an effort    She looked at him meaningly
as she spoke 

He was sitting down  but now he rose and came close to her and put his
hand on her head as he said solemnly    My child  there is such an one
if it were for your good   For myself I could hold it in my account
with God to find such an euthanasia for you  even at this moment if it
were best   Nay  were it safe   But my child       

For a moment he seemed choked  and a great sob rose in his throat   He
gulped it down and went on   There are here some who would stand
between you and death   You must not die   You must not die by any
hand  but least of all your own   Until the other  who has fouled your
sweet life  is true dead you must not die   For if he is still with
the quick Undead  your death would make you even as he is   No  you
must live   You must struggle and strive to live  though death would
seem a boon unspeakable   You must fight Death himself  though he come
to you in pain or in joy   By the day  or the night  in safety or in
peril   On your living soul I charge you that you do not die   Nay 
nor think of death  till this great evil be past  

The poor dear grew white as death  and shook and shivered  as I have
seen a quicksand shake and shiver at the incoming of the tide   We
were all silent   We could do nothing   At length she grew more calm
and turning to him said sweetly  but oh so sorrowfully  as she held
out her hand   I promise you  my dear friend  that if God will let me
live  I shall strive to do so   Till  if it may be in His good time 
this horror may have passed away from me  

She was so good and brave that we all felt that our hearts were
strengthened to work and endure for her  and we began to discuss what
we were to do   I told her that she was to have all the papers in the
safe  and all the papers or diaries and phonographs we might hereafter
use  and was to keep the record as she had done before   She was
pleased with the prospect of anything to do  if  pleased  could be
used in connection with so grim an interest 

As usual Van Helsing had thought ahead of everyone else  and was
prepared with an exact ordering of our work 

 It is perhaps well   he said   that at our meeting after our visit to
Carfax we decided not to do anything with the earth boxes that lay
there   Had we done so  the Count must have guessed our purpose  and
would doubtless have taken measures in advance to frustrate such an
effort with regard to the others   But now he does not know our
intentions   Nay  more  in all probability  he does not know that such
a power exists to us as can sterilize his lairs  so that he cannot use
them as of old 

 We are now so much further advanced in our knowledge as to their
disposition that  when we have examined the house in Piccadilly  we may
track the very last of them   Today then  is ours  and in it rests our
hope   The sun that rose on our sorrow this morning guards us in its
course   Until it sets tonight  that monster must retain whatever form
he now has   He is confined within the limitations of his earthly
envelope   He cannot melt into thin air nor disappear through cracks
or chinks or crannies   If he go through a doorway  he must open the
door like a mortal   And so we have this day to hunt out all his lairs
and sterilize them   So we shall  if we have not yet catch him and
destroy him  drive him to bay in some place where the catching and the
destroying shall be  in time  sure  

Here I started up for I could not contain myself at the thought that
the minutes and seconds so preciously laden with Mina s life and
happiness were flying from us  since whilst we talked action was
impossible   But Van Helsing held up his hand warningly 

 Nay  friend Jonathan   he said   in this  the quickest way home is
the longest way  so your proverb say   We shall all act and act with
desperate quick  when the time has come   But think  in all probable
the key of the situation is in that house in Piccadilly   The Count
may have many houses which he has bought   Of them he will have deeds
of purchase  keys and other things   He will have paper that he write
on   He will have his book of cheques   There are many belongings that
he must have somewhere   Why not in this place so central  so quiet 
where he come and go by the front or the back at all hours  when in
the very vast of the traffic there is none to notice   We shall go
there and search that house   And when we learn what it holds  then we
do what our friend Arthur call  in his phrases of hunt  stop the
earths  and so we run down our old fox  so   Is it not  

 Then let us come at once   I cried   we are wasting the precious 
precious time  

The Professor did not move  but simply said   And how are we to get
into that house in Piccadilly  

 Any way   I cried    We shall break in if need be  

 And your police   Where will they be  and what will they say  

I was staggered  but I knew that if he wished to delay he had a good
reason for it   So I said  as quietly as I could   Don t wait more
than need be   You know  I am sure  what torture I am in  

 Ah  my child  that I do   And indeed there is no wish of me to add to
your anguish   But just think  what can we do  until all the world be
at movement   Then will come our time   I have thought and thought 
and it seems to me that the simplest way is the best of all   Now we
wish to get into the house  but we have no key   Is it not so    I
nodded 

 Now suppose that you were  in truth  the owner of that house  and
could not still get in   And think there was to you no conscience of
the housebreaker  what would you do  

 I should get a respectable locksmith  and set him to work to pick the
lock for me  

 And your police  they would interfere  would they not  

 Oh no   Not if they knew the man was properly employed  

 Then   he looked at me as keenly as he spoke   all that is in doubt
is the conscience of the employer  and the belief of your policemen as
to whether or not that employer has a good conscience or a bad one 
Your police must indeed be zealous men and clever  oh so clever  in
reading the heart  that they trouble themselves in such matter   No 
no  my friend Jonathan  you go take the lock off a hundred empty
houses in this your London  or of any city in the world  and if you do
it as such things are rightly done  and at the time such things are
rightly done  no one will interfere   I have read of a gentleman who
owned a so fine house in London  and when he went for months of summer
to Switzerland and lock up his house  some burglar come and broke
window at back and got in   Then he went and made open the shutters in
front and walk out and in through the door  before the very eyes of
the police   Then he have an auction in that house  and advertise it 
and put up big notice   And when the day come he sell off by a great
auctioneer all the goods of that other man who own them   Then he go
to a builder  and he sell him that house  making an agreement that he
pull it down and take all away within a certain time   And your police
and other authority help him all they can   And when that owner come
back from his holiday in Switzerland he find only an empty hole where
his house had been   This was all done en regle  and in our work we
shall be en regle too   We shall not go so early that the policemen
who have then little to think of  shall deem it strange   But we shall
go after ten o clock  when there are many about  and such things would
be done were we indeed owners of the house  

I could not but see how right he was and the terrible despair of
Mina s face became relaxed in thought   There was hope in such good
counsel 

Van Helsing went on   When once within that house we may find more
clues   At any rate some of us can remain there whilst the rest find
the other places where there be more earth boxes  at Bermondsey and
Mile End  

Lord Godalming stood up    I can be of some use here   he said    I
shall wire to my people to have horses and carriages where they will
be most convenient  

 Look here  old fellow   said Morris   it is a capital idea to have
all ready in case we want to go horse backing  but don t you think
that one of your snappy carriages with its heraldic adornments in a
byway of Walworth or Mile End would attract too much attention for our
purpose   It seems to me that we ought to take cabs when we go south
or east   And even leave them somewhere near the neighbourhood we are
going to  

 Friend Quincey is right   said the Professor    His head is what you
call in plane with the horizon   It is a difficult thing that we go to
do  and we do not want no peoples to watch us if so it may  

Mina took a growing interest in everything and I was rejoiced to see
that the exigency of affairs was helping her to forget for a time the
terrible experience of the night   She was very  very pale  almost
ghastly  and so thin that her lips were drawn away  showing her teeth
in somewhat of prominence   I did not mention this last  lest it
should give her needless pain  but it made my blood run cold in my
veins to think of what had occurred with poor Lucy when the Count had
sucked her blood   As yet there was no sign of the teeth growing
sharper  but the time as yet was short  and there was time for fear 

When we came to the discussion of the sequence of our efforts and of
the disposition of our forces  there were new sources of doubt   It
was finally agreed that before starting for Piccadilly we should
destroy the Count s lair close at hand   In case he should find it out
too soon  we should thus be still ahead of him in our work of
destruction   And his presence in his purely material shape  and at
his weakest  might give us some new clue 

As to the disposal of forces  it was suggested by the Professor that 
after our visit to Carfax  we should all enter the house in
Piccadilly   That the two doctors and I should remain there  whilst
Lord Godalming and Quincey found the lairs at Walworth and Mile End
and destroyed them   It was possible  if not likely  the Professor
urged  that the Count might appear in Piccadilly during the day  and
that if so we might be able to cope with him then and there   At any
rate  we might be able to follow him in force   To this plan I
strenuously objected  and so far as my going was concerned  for I said
that I intended to stay and protect Mina   I thought that my mind was
made up on the subject  but Mina would not listen to my objection   She
said that there might be some law matter in which I could be useful 
That amongst the Count s papers might be some clue which I could
understand out of my experience in Transylvania   And that  as it was 
all the strength we could muster was required to cope with the Count s
extraordinary power   I had to give in  for Mina s resolution was
fixed   She said that it was the last hope for her that we should all
work together 

 As for me   she said   I have no fear   Things have been as bad as
they can be   And whatever may happen must have in it some element of
hope or comfort   Go  my husband   God can  if He wishes it  guard me
as well alone as with any one present  

So I started up crying out   Then in God s name let us come at once 
for we are losing time   The Count may come to Piccadilly earlier than
we think  

 Not so   said Van Helsing  holding up his hand 

 But why   I asked 

 Do you forget   he said  with actually a smile   that last night he
banqueted heavily  and will sleep late  

Did I forget   Shall I ever       can I ever   Can any of us ever
forget that terrible scene   Mina struggled hard to keep her brave
countenance  but the pain overmastered her and she put her hands
before her face  and shuddered whilst she moaned   Van Helsing had not
intended to recall her frightful experience   He had simply lost sight
of her and her part in the affair in his intellectual effort 

When it struck him what he said  he was horrified at his
thoughtlessness and tried to comfort her 

 Oh  Madam Mina   he said   dear  dear  Madam Mina  alas   That I of
all who so reverence you should have said anything so forgetful   These
stupid old lips of mine and this stupid old head do not deserve so 
but you will forget it  will you not    He bent low beside her as he
spoke 

She took his hand  and looking at him through her tears  said
hoarsely   No  I shall not forget  for it is well that I remember 
And with it I have so much in memory of you that is sweet  that I take
it all together   Now  you must all be going soon   Breakfast is
ready  and we must all eat that we may be strong  

Breakfast was a strange meal to us all   We tried to be cheerful and
encourage each other  and Mina was the brightest and most cheerful of
us   When it was over  Van Helsing stood up and said   Now  my dear
friends  we go forth to our terrible enterprise   Are we all armed  as
we were on that night when first we visited our enemy s lair   Armed
against ghostly as well as carnal attack  

We all assured him 

 Then it is well   Now  Madam Mina  you are in any case quite safe
here until the sunset   And before then we shall return       if      
We shall return   But before we go let me see you armed against personal
attack   I have myself  since you came down  prepared your chamber by
the placing of things of which we know  so that He may not enter   Now
let me guard yourself   On your forehead I touch this piece of Sacred
Wafer in the name of the Father  the Son  and       

There was a fearful scream which almost froze our hearts to hear   As
he had placed the Wafer on Mina s forehead  it had seared it       had
burned into the flesh as though it had been a piece of white hot metal 
My poor darling s brain had told her the significance of the fact as
quickly as her nerves received the pain of it  and the two so
overwhelmed her that her overwrought nature had its voice in that
dreadful scream 

But the words to her thought came quickly   The echo of the scream had
not ceased to ring on the air when there came the reaction  and she
sank on her knees on the floor in an agony of abasement   Pulling her
beautiful hair over her face  as the leper of old his mantle  she
wailed out 

 Unclean   Unclean   Even the Almighty shuns my polluted flesh   I
must bear this mark of shame upon my forehead until the Judgement
Day  

They all paused   I had thrown myself beside her in an agony of
helpless grief  and putting my arms around held her tight   For a few
minutes our sorrowful hearts beat together  whilst the friends around
us turned away their eyes that ran tears silently   Then Van Helsing
turned and said gravely   So gravely that I could not help feeling
that he was in some way inspired  and was stating things outside
himself 

 It may be that you may have to bear that mark till God himself see
fit  as He most surely shall  on the Judgement Day  to redress all
wrongs of the earth and of His children that He has placed thereon 
And oh  Madam Mina  my dear  my dear  may we who love you be there to
see  when that red scar  the sign of God s knowledge of what has been 
shall pass away  and leave your forehead as pure as the heart we know 
For so surely as we live  that scar shall pass away when God sees
right to lift the burden that is hard upon us   Till then we bear our
Cross  as His Son did in obedience to His Will   It may be that we are
chosen instruments of His good pleasure  and that we ascend to His
bidding as that other through stripes and shame   Through tears and
blood   Through doubts and fear  and all that makes the difference
between God and man  

There was hope in his words  and comfort   And they made for
resignation   Mina and I both felt so  and simultaneously we each took
one of the old man s hands and bent over and kissed it   Then without
a word we all knelt down together  and all holding hands  swore to be
true to each other   We men pledged ourselves to raise the veil of
sorrow from the head of her whom  each in his own way  we loved   And
we prayed for help and guidance in the terrible task which lay before
us   It was then time to start   So I said farewell to Mina  a parting
which neither of us shall forget to our dying day  and we set out 

To one thing I have made up my mind   If we find out that Mina must be
a vampire in the end  then she shall not go into that unknown and
terrible land alone   I suppose it is thus that in old times one
vampire meant many   Just as their hideous bodies could only rest in
sacred earth  so the holiest love was the recruiting sergeant for
their ghastly ranks 

We entered Carfax without trouble and found all things the same as on
the first occasion   It was hard to believe that amongst so prosaic
surroundings of neglect and dust and decay there was any ground for
such fear as already we knew   Had not our minds been made up  and had
there not been terrible memories to spur us on  we could hardly have
proceeded with our task   We found no papers  or any sign of use in
the house   And in the old chapel the great boxes looked just as we
had seen them last 

Dr  Van Helsing said to us solemnly as we stood before him   And now 
my friends  we have a duty here to do   We must sterilize this earth 
so sacred of holy memories  that he has brought from a far distant
land for such fell use   He has chosen this earth because it has been
holy   Thus we defeat him with his own weapon  for we make it more
holy still   It was sanctified to such use of man  now we sanctify it
to God  

As he spoke he took from his bag a screwdriver and a wrench  and very
soon the top of one of the cases was thrown open   The earth smelled
musty and close  but we did not somehow seem to mind  for our
attention was concentrated on the Professor   Taking from his box a
piece of the Sacred Wafer he laid it reverently on the earth  and then
shutting down the lid began to screw it home  we aiding him as he
worked 

One by one we treated in the same way each of the great boxes  and
left them as we had found them to all appearance   But in each was a
portion of the Host   When we closed the door behind us  the Professor
said solemnly   So much is already done   It may be that with all the
others we can be so successful  then the sunset of this evening may
shine of Madam Mina s forehead all white as ivory and with no stain  

As we passed across the lawn on our way to the station to catch our
train we could see the front of the asylum   I looked eagerly  and in
the window of my own room saw Mina   I waved my hand to her  and
nodded to tell that our work there was successfully accomplished   She
nodded in reply to show that she understood   The last I saw  she was
waving her hand in farewell   It was with a heavy heart that we sought
the station and just caught the train  which was steaming in as we
reached the platform   I have written this in the train 


Piccadilly  12 30 o clock   Just before we reached Fenchurch Street
Lord Godalming said to me   Quincey and I will find a locksmith   You
had better not come with us in case there should be any difficulty 
For under the circumstances it wouldn t seem so bad for us to break
into an empty house   But you are a solicitor and the Incorporated Law
Society might tell you that you should have known better  

I demurred as to my not sharing any danger even of odium  but he went
on   Besides  it will attract less attention if there are not too many
of us   My title will make it all right with the locksmith  and with
any policeman that may come along   You had better go with Jack and
the Professor and stay in the Green Park   Somewhere in sight of the
house  and when you see the door opened and the smith has gone away 
do you all come across   We shall be on the lookout for you  and shall
let you in  

 The advice is good   said Van Helsing  so we said no more   Godalming
and Morris hurried off in a cab  we following in another   At the
corner of Arlington Street our contingent got out and strolled into
the Green Park   My heart beat as I saw the house on which so much of
our hope was centred  looming up grim and silent in its deserted
condition amongst its more lively and spruce looking neighbours   We
sat down on a bench within good view  and began to smoke cigars so as
to attract as little attention as possible   The minutes seemed to
pass with leaden feet as we waited for the coming of the others 

At length we saw a four wheeler drive up   Out of it  in leisurely
fashion  got Lord Godalming and Morris   And down from the box
descended a thick set working man with his rush woven basket of tools 
Morris paid the cabman  who touched his hat and drove away   Together
the two ascended the steps  and Lord Godalming pointed out what he
wanted done   The workman took off his coat leisurely and hung it on
one of the spikes of the rail  saying something to a policeman who
just then sauntered along   The policeman nodded acquiescence  and the
man kneeling down placed his bag beside him   After searching through
it  he took out a selection of tools which he proceeded to lay beside
him in orderly fashion   Then he stood up  looked in the keyhole  blew
into it  and turning to his employers  made some remark   Lord
Godalming smiled  and the man lifted a good sized bunch of keys 
Selecting one of them  he began to probe the lock  as if feeling his
way with it   After fumbling about for a bit he tried a second  and
then a third   All at once the door opened under a slight push from
him  and he and the two others entered the hall   We sat still   My
own cigar burnt furiously  but Van Helsing s went cold altogether   We
waited patiently as we saw the workman come out and bring his bag 
Then he held the door partly open  steadying it with his knees  whilst
he fitted a key to the lock   This he finally handed to Lord
Godalming  who took out his purse and gave him something   The man
touched his hat  took his bag  put on his coat and departed   Not a
soul took the slightest notice of the whole transaction 

When the man had fairly gone  we three crossed the street and knocked
at the door   It was immediately opened by Quincey Morris  beside whom
stood Lord Godalming lighting a cigar 

 The place smells so vilely   said the latter as we came in   It did
indeed smell vilely   Like the old chapel at Carfax   And with our
previous experience it was plain to us that the Count had been using
the place pretty freely   We moved to explore the house  all keeping
together in case of attack  for we knew we had a strong and wily enemy
to deal with  and as yet we did not know whether the Count might not
be in the house 

In the dining room  which lay at the back of the hall  we found eight
boxes of earth   Eight boxes only out of the nine which we sought 
Our work was not over  and would never be until we should have found
the missing box 

First we opened the shutters of the window which looked out across a
narrow stone flagged yard at the blank face of a stable  pointed to
look like the front of a miniature house   There were no windows in
it  so we were not afraid of being overlooked   We did not lose any
time in examining the chests   With the tools which we had brought
with us we opened them  one by one  and treated them as we had treated
those others in the old chapel   It was evident to us that the Count
was not at present in the house  and we proceeded to search for any of
his effects 

After a cursory glance at the rest of the rooms  from basement to
attic  we came to the conclusion that the dining room contained any
effects which might belong to the Count   And so we proceeded to
minutely examine them   They lay in a sort of orderly disorder on the
great dining room table 

There were title deeds of the Piccadilly house in a great bundle 
deeds of the purchase of the houses at Mile End and Bermondsey 
notepaper  envelopes  and pens and ink   All were covered up in thin
wrapping paper to keep them from the dust   There were also a clothes
brush  a brush and comb  and a jug and basin   The latter containing
dirty water which was reddened as if with blood   Last of all was a
little heap of keys of all sorts and sizes  probably those belonging
to the other houses 

When we had examined this last find  Lord Godalming and Quincey Morris
taking accurate notes of the various addresses of the houses in the
East and the South  took with them the keys in a great bunch  and set
out to destroy the boxes in these places   The rest of us are  with
what patience we can  waiting their return  or the coming of the
Count 




CHAPTER 23


DR  SEWARD S DIARY

3 October   The time seemed terribly long whilst we were waiting for
the coming of Godalming and Quincey Morris   The Professor tried to
keep our minds active by using them all the time   I could see his
beneficent purpose  by the side glances which he threw from time to
time at Harker   The poor fellow is overwhelmed in a misery that is
appalling to see   Last night he was a frank  happy looking man  with
strong  youthful face  full of energy  and with dark brown hair 
Today he is a drawn  haggard old man  whose white hair matches well
with the hollow burning eyes and grief written lines of his face   His
energy is still intact   In fact  he is like a living flame   This may
yet be his salvation  for if all go well  it will tide him over the
despairing period   He will then  in a kind of way  wake again to the
realities of life   Poor fellow  I thought my own trouble was bad
enough  but his        

The Professor knows this well enough  and is doing his best to keep
his mind active   What he has been saying was  under the
circumstances  of absorbing interest   So well as I can remember  here
it is 

 I have studied  over and over again since they came into my hands 
all the papers relating to this monster  and the more I have studied 
the greater seems the necessity to utterly stamp him out   All through
there are signs of his advance   Not only of his power  but of his
knowledge of it   As I learned from the researches of my friend
Arminius of Buda Pesth  he was in life a most wonderful man   Soldier 
statesman  and alchemist  which latter was the highest development of
the science knowledge of his time   He had a mighty brain  a learning
beyond compare  and a heart that knew no fear and no remorse   He
dared even to attend the Scholomance  and there was no branch of
knowledge of his time that he did not essay 

 Well  in him the brain powers survived the physical death   Though it
would seem that memory was not all complete   In some faculties of
mind he has been  and is  only a child   But he is growing  and some
things that were childish at the first are now of man s stature   He
is experimenting  and doing it well   And if it had not been that we
have crossed his path he would be yet  he may be yet if we fail  the
father or furtherer of a new order of beings  whose road must lead
through Death  not Life  

Harker groaned and said   And this is all arrayed against my darling 
But how is he experimenting   The knowledge may help us to defeat
him  

 He has all along  since his coming  been trying his power  slowly but
surely   That big child brain of his is working   Well for us  it is
as yet a child brain   For had he dared  at the first  to attempt
certain things he would long ago have been beyond our power   However 
he means to succeed  and a man who has centuries before him can afford
to wait and to go slow   Festina lente may well be his motto  

 I fail to understand   said Harker wearily    Oh  do be more plain to
me   Perhaps grief and trouble are dulling my brain  

The Professor laid his hand tenderly on his shoulder as he spoke   Ah 
my child  I will be plain   Do you not see how  of late  this monster
has been creeping into knowledge experimentally   How he has been
making use of the zoophagous patient to effect his entry into friend
John s home   For your Vampire  though in all afterwards he can come
when and how he will  must at the first make entry only when asked
thereto by an inmate   But these are not his most important
experiments   Do we not see how at the first all these so great boxes
were moved by others   He knew not then but that must be so   But all
the time that so great child brain of his was growing  and he began to
consider whether he might not himself move the box   So he began to
help   And then  when he found that this be all right  he try to move
them all alone   And so he progress  and he scatter these graves of
him   And none but he know where they are hidden 

 He may have intend to bury them deep in the ground   So that only he
use them in the night  or at such time as he can change his form  they
do him equal well  and none may know these are his hiding place   But 
my child  do not despair  this knowledge came to him just too late 
Already all of his lairs but one be sterilize as for him   And before
the sunset this shall be so   Then he have no place where he can move
and hide   I delayed this morning that so we might be sure   Is there
not more at stake for us than for him   Then why not be more careful
than him   By my clock it is one hour and already  if all be well 
friend Arthur and Quincey are on their way to us   Today is our day 
and we must go sure  if slow  and lose no chance   See   There are
five of us when those absent ones return  

Whilst we were speaking we were startled by a knock at the hall door 
the double postman s knock of the telegraph boy   We all moved out to
the hall with one impulse  and Van Helsing  holding up his hand to us
to keep silence  stepped to the door and opened it   The boy handed in
a dispatch   The Professor closed the door again  and after looking at
the direction  opened it and read aloud 

 Look out for D   He has just now  12 45  come from Carfax
hurriedly and hastened towards the South   He seems to be
going the round and may want to see you   Mina  

There was a pause  broken by Jonathan Harker s voice   Now  God be
thanked  we shall soon meet  

Van Helsing turned to him quickly and said   God will act in His own
way and time   Do not fear  and do not rejoice as yet   For what we
wish for at the moment may be our own undoings  

 I care for nothing now   he answered hotly   except to wipe out this
brute from the face of creation   I would sell my soul to do it  

 Oh  hush  hush  my child   said Van Helsing    God does not purchase
souls in this wise  and the Devil  though he may purchase  does not
keep faith   But God is merciful and just  and knows your pain and
your devotion to that dear Madam Mina   Think you  how her pain would
be doubled  did she but hear your wild words   Do not fear any of us 
we are all devoted to this cause  and today shall see the end   The
time is coming for action   Today this Vampire is limit to the powers
of man  and till sunset he may not change   It will take him time to
arrive here  see it is twenty minutes past one  and there are yet some
times before he can hither come  be he never so quick   What we must
hope for is that my Lord Arthur and Quincey arrive first  

About half an hour after we had received Mrs  Harker s telegram  there
came a quiet  resolute knock at the hall door   It was just an
ordinary knock  such as is given hourly by thousands of gentlemen  but
it made the Professor s heart and mine beat loudly   We looked at each
other  and together moved out into the hall   We each held ready to
use our various armaments  the spiritual in the left hand  the mortal
in the right   Van Helsing pulled back the latch  and holding the door
half open  stood back  having both hands ready for action   The
gladness of our hearts must have shown upon our faces when on the
step  close to the door  we saw Lord Godalming and Quincey Morris 
They came quickly in and closed the door behind them  the former
saying  as they moved along the hall 

 It is all right   We found both places   Six boxes in each and we
destroyed them all  

 Destroyed   asked the Professor 

 For him    We were silent for a minute  and then Quincey said 
 There s nothing to do but to wait here   If  however  he doesn t turn
up by five o clock  we must start off   For it won t do to leave Mrs 
Harker alone after sunset  

 He will be here before long now   said Van Helsing  who had been
consulting his pocketbook    Nota bene  in Madam s telegram he went
south from Carfax   That means he went to cross the river  and he
could only do so at slack of tide  which should be something before
one o clock   That he went south has a meaning for us   He is as yet
only suspicious  and he went from Carfax first to the place where he
would suspect interference least   You must have been at Bermondsey
only a short time before him   That he is not here already shows that
he went to Mile End next   This took him some time  for he would then
have to be carried over the river in some way   Believe me  my
friends  we shall not have long to wait now   We should have ready
some plan of attack  so that we may throw away no chance   Hush  there
is no time now   Have all your arms   Be ready    He held up a warning
hand as he spoke  for we all could hear a key softly inserted in the
lock of the hall door 

I could not but admire  even at such a moment  the way in which a
dominant spirit asserted itself   In all our hunting parties and
adventures in different parts of the world  Quincey Morris had always
been the one to arrange the plan of action  and Arthur and I had been
accustomed to obey him implicitly   Now  the old habit seemed to be
renewed instinctively   With a swift glance around the room  he at
once laid out our plan of attack  and without speaking a word  with a
gesture  placed us each in position   Van Helsing  Harker  and I were
just behind the door  so that when it was opened the Professor could
guard it whilst we two stepped between the incomer and the door 
Godalming behind and Quincey in front stood just out of sight ready to
move in front of the window   We waited in a suspense that made the
seconds pass with nightmare slowness   The slow  careful steps came
along the hall   The Count was evidently prepared for some surprise 
at least he feared it 

Suddenly with a single bound he leaped into the room   Winning a way
past us before any of us could raise a hand to stay him   There was
something so pantherlike in the movement  something so unhuman  that
it seemed to sober us all from the shock of his coming   The first to
act was Harker  who with a quick movement  threw himself before the
door leading into the room in the front of the house   As the Count
saw us  a horrible sort of snarl passed over his face  showing the
eyeteeth long and pointed   But the evil smile as quickly passed into
a cold stare of lion like disdain   His expression again changed as 
with a single impulse  we all advanced upon him   It was a pity that
we had not some better organized plan of attack  for even at the
moment I wondered what we were to do   I did not myself know whether
our lethal weapons would avail us anything 

Harker evidently meant to try the matter  for he had ready his great
Kukri knife and made a fierce and sudden cut at him   The blow was a
powerful one  only the diabolical quickness of the Count s leap back
saved him   A second less and the trenchant blade had shorn through
his heart   As it was  the point just cut the cloth of his coat 
making a wide gap whence a bundle of bank notes and a stream
of gold fell out   The expression of the Count s face was so hellish 
that for a moment I feared for Harker  though I saw him throw the
terrible knife aloft again for another stroke   Instinctively I moved
forward with a protective impulse  holding the Crucifix and Wafer in
my left hand   I felt a mighty power fly along my arm  and it was
without surprise that I saw the monster cower back before a similar
movement made spontaneously by each one of us   It would be impossible
to describe the expression of hate and baffled malignity  of anger and
hellish rage  which came over the Count s face   His waxen hue became
greenish yellow by the contrast of his burning eyes  and the red scar
on the forehead showed on the pallid skin like a palpitating wound 
The next instant  with a sinuous dive he swept under Harker s arm  ere
his blow could fall  and grasping a handful of the money from the
floor  dashed across the room  threw himself at the window   Amid the
crash and glitter of the falling glass  he tumbled into the flagged
area below   Through the sound of the shivering glass I could hear the
 ting  of the gold  as some of the sovereigns fell on the flagging 

We ran over and saw him spring unhurt from the ground   He  rushing up
the steps  crossed the flagged yard  and pushed open the stable door 
There he turned and spoke to us 

 You think to baffle me  you with your pale faces all in a row  like
sheep in a butcher s   You shall be sorry yet  each one of you   You
think you have left me without a place to rest  but I have more   My
revenge is just begun   I spread it over centuries  and time is on my
side   Your girls that you all love are mine already   And through
them you and others shall yet be mine  my creatures  to do my bidding
and to be my jackals when I want to feed   Bah  

With a contemptuous sneer  he passed quickly through the door  and we
heard the rusty bolt creak as he fastened it behind him   A door
beyond opened and shut   The first of us to speak was the Professor 
Realizing the difficulty of following him through the stable  we moved
toward the hall 

 We have learnt something       much   Notwithstanding his brave words 
he fears us   He fears time  he fears want   For if not  why he hurry
so   His very tone betray him  or my ears deceive   Why take that
money   You follow quick   You are hunters of the wild beast  and
understand it so   For me  I make sure that nothing here may be of use
to him  if so that he returns  

As he spoke he put the money remaining in his pocket  took the title
deeds in the bundle as Harker had left them  and swept the remaining
things into the open fireplace  where he set fire to them with a
match 

Godalming and Morris had rushed out into the yard  and Harker had
lowered himself from the window to follow the Count   He had  however 
bolted the stable door  and by the time they had forced it open there
was no sign of him   Van Helsing and I tried to make inquiry at the
back of the house   But the mews was deserted and no one had seen him
depart 

It was now late in the afternoon  and sunset was not far off   We had
to recognize that our game was up   With heavy hearts we agreed with
the Professor when he said   Let us go back to Madam Mina   Poor  poor
dear Madam Mina   All we can do just now is done  and we can there  at
least  protect her   But we need not despair   There is but one more
earth box  and we must try to find it   When that is done all may yet
be well  

I could see that he spoke as bravely as he could to comfort Harker 
The poor fellow was quite broken down  now and again he gave a low
groan which he could not suppress   He was thinking of his wife 

With sad hearts we came back to my house  where we found Mrs  Harker
waiting us  with an appearance of cheerfulness which did honour to her
bravery and unselfishness   When she saw our faces  her own became as
pale as death   For a second or two her eyes were closed as if she
were in secret prayer 

And then she said cheerfully   I can never thank you all enough   Oh 
my poor darling  

As she spoke  she took her husband s grey head in her hands and kissed
it 

 Lay your poor head here and rest it   All will yet be well  dear   God
will protect us if He so will it in His good intent    The poor fellow
groaned   There was no place for words in his sublime misery 

We had a sort of perfunctory supper together  and I think it cheered
us all up somewhat   It was  perhaps  the mere animal heat of food to
hungry people  for none of us had eaten anything since breakfast  or
the sense of companionship may have helped us  but anyhow we were all
less miserable  and saw the morrow as not altogether without hope 

True to our promise  we told Mrs  Harker everything which had passed 
And although she grew snowy white at times when danger had seemed to
threaten her husband  and red at others when his devotion to her was
manifested  she listened bravely and with calmness   When we came to
the part where Harker had rushed at the Count so recklessly  she clung
to her husband s arm  and held it tight as though her clinging could
protect him from any harm that might come   She said nothing  however 
till the narration was all done  and matters had been brought up to
the present time 

Then without letting go her husband s hand she stood up amongst us and
spoke   Oh  that I could give any idea of the scene   Of that sweet 
sweet  good  good woman in all the radiant beauty of her youth and
animation  with the red scar on her forehead  of which she was
conscious  and which we saw with grinding of our teeth  remembering
whence and how it came   Her loving kindness against our grim hate 
Her tender faith against all our fears and doubting   And we  knowing
that so far as symbols went  she with all her goodness and purity and
faith  was outcast from God 

 Jonathan   she said  and the word sounded like music on her lips it
was so full of love and tenderness   Jonathan dear  and you all my
true  true friends  I want you to bear something in mind through all
this dreadful time   I know that you must fight   That you must
destroy even as you destroyed the false Lucy so that the true Lucy
might live hereafter   But it is not a work of hate   That poor soul
who has wrought all this misery is the saddest case of all   Just
think what will be his joy when he  too  is destroyed in his worser
part that his better part may have spiritual immortality   You must be
pitiful to him  too  though it may not hold your hands from his
destruction  

As she spoke I could see her husband s face darken and draw together 
as though the passion in him were shriveling his being to its core 
Instinctively the clasp on his wife s hand grew closer  till his
knuckles looked white   She did not flinch from the pain which I knew
she must have suffered  but looked at him with eyes that were more
appealing than ever 

As she stopped speaking he leaped to his feet  almost tearing his hand
from hers as he spoke 

 May God give him into my hand just for long enough to destroy that
earthly life of him which we are aiming at   If beyond it I could send
his soul forever and ever to burning hell I would do it  

 Oh  hush   Oh  hush in the name of the good God   Don t say such
things  Jonathan  my husband  or you will crush me with fear and
horror   Just think  my dear       I have been thinking all this long 
long day of it       that       perhaps       some day       I  too  may
need such pity  and that some other like you  and with equal cause for
anger  may deny it to me   Oh  my husband   My husband  indeed I would
have spared you such a thought had there been another way   But I pray
that God may not have treasured your wild words  except as the
heart broken wail of a very loving and sorely stricken man   Oh  God 
let these poor white hairs go in evidence of what he has suffered  who
all his life has done no wrong  and on whom so many sorrows have
come  

We men were all in tears now   There was no resisting them  and we
wept openly   She wept  too  to see that her sweeter counsels had
prevailed   Her husband flung himself on his knees beside her  and
putting his arms round her  hid his face in the folds of her dress 
Van Helsing beckoned to us and we stole out of the room  leaving the
two loving hearts alone with their God 

Before they retired the Professor fixed up the room against any coming
of the Vampire  and assured Mrs  Harker that she might rest in peace 
She tried to school herself to the belief  and manifestly for her
husband s sake  tried to seem content   It was a brave struggle  and
was  I think and believe  not without its reward   Van Helsing had
placed at hand a bell which either of them was to sound in case of any
emergency   When they had retired  Quincey  Godalming  and I arranged
that we should sit up  dividing the night between us  and watch over
the safety of the poor stricken lady   The first watch falls to
Quincey  so the rest of us shall be off to bed as soon as we can 

Godalming has already turned in  for his is the second watch   Now
that my work is done I  too  shall go to bed 



JONATHAN HARKER S JOURNAL

3 4 October  close to midnight   I thought yesterday would never end 
There was over me a yearning for sleep  in some sort of blind belief
that to wake would be to find things changed  and that any change must
now be for the better   Before we parted  we discussed what our next
step was to be  but we could arrive at no result   All we knew was
that one earth box remained  and that the Count alone knew where it
was   If he chooses to lie hidden  he may baffle us for years   And in
the meantime  the thought is too horrible  I dare not think of it even
now   This I know  that if ever there was a woman who was all
perfection  that one is my poor wronged darling   I loved her a
thousand times more for her sweet pity of last night  a pity that made
my own hate of the monster seem despicable   Surely God will not
permit the world to be the poorer by the loss of such a creature   This
is hope to me   We are all drifting reefwards now  and faith is our
only anchor   Thank God   Mina is sleeping  and sleeping without
dreams   I fear what her dreams might be like  with such terrible
memories to ground them in   She has not been so calm  within my
seeing  since the sunset   Then  for a while  there came over her face
a repose which was like spring after the blasts of March   I thought
at the time that it was the softness of the red sunset on her face 
but somehow now I think it has a deeper meaning   I am not sleepy
myself  though I am weary       weary to death   However  I must try
to sleep   For there is tomorrow to think of  and there is no rest for
me until      


Later  I must have fallen asleep  for I was awakened by Mina  who was
sitting up in bed  with a startled look on her face   I could see
easily  for we did not leave the room in darkness   She had placed a
warning hand over my mouth  and now she whispered in my ear   Hush 
There is someone in the corridor    I got up softly  and crossing the
room  gently opened the door 

Just outside  stretched on a mattress  lay Mr  Morris  wide awake   He
raised a warning hand for silence as he whispered to me   Hush   Go
back to bed   It is all right   One of us will be here all night   We
don t mean to take any chances  

His look and gesture forbade discussion  so I came back and told Mina 
She sighed and positively a shadow of a smile stole over her poor 
pale face as she put her arms round me and said softly   Oh  thank God
for good brave men    With a sigh she sank back again to sleep   I
write this now as I am not sleepy  though I must try again 


4 October  morning   Once again during the night I was wakened by
Mina   This time we had all had a good sleep  for the grey of the
coming dawn was making the windows into sharp oblongs  and the gas
flame was like a speck rather than a disc of light 

She said to me hurriedly   Go  call the Professor   I want to see him
at once  

 Why   I asked 

 I have an idea   I suppose it must have come in the night  and
matured without my knowing it   He must hypnotize me before the dawn 
and then I shall be able to speak   Go quick  dearest  the time is
getting close  

I went to the door   Dr  Seward was resting on the mattress  and
seeing me  he sprang to his feet 

 Is anything wrong   he asked  in alarm 

 No   I replied    But Mina wants to see Dr  Van Helsing at once  

 I will go   he said  and hurried into the Professor s room 

Two or three minutes later Van Helsing was in the room in his dressing
gown  and Mr  Morris and Lord Godalming were with Dr  Seward at the
door asking questions   When the Professor saw Mina a smile  a
positive smile ousted the anxiety of his face 

He rubbed his hands as he said   Oh  my dear Madam Mina  this is
indeed a change   See   Friend Jonathan  we have got our dear Madam
Mina  as of old  back to us today    Then turning to her  he said
cheerfully   And what am I to do for you   For at this hour you do not
want me for nothing  

 I want you to hypnotize me   she said    Do it before the dawn  for I
feel that then I can speak  and speak freely   Be quick  for the time
is short    Without a word he motioned her to sit up in bed 

Looking fixedly at her  he commenced to make passes in front of her 
from over the top of her head downward  with each hand in turn   Mina
gazed at him fixedly for a few minutes  during which my own heart beat
like a trip hammer  for I felt that some crisis was at hand 
Gradually her eyes closed  and she sat  stock still   Only by the
gentle heaving of her bosom could one know that she was alive   The
Professor made a few more passes and then stopped  and I could see
that his forehead was covered with great beads of perspiration   Mina
opened her eyes  but she did not seem the same woman   There was a
far away look in her eyes  and her voice had a sad dreaminess which
was new to me   Raising his hand to impose silence  the Professor
motioned to me to bring the others in   They came on tiptoe  closing
the door behind them  and stood at the foot of the bed  looking on 
Mina appeared not to see them   The stillness was broken by Van
Helsing s voice speaking in a low level tone which would not break the
current of her thoughts 

 Where are you    The answer came in a neutral way 

 I do not know   Sleep has no place it can call its own    For several
minutes there was silence   Mina sat rigid  and the Professor stood
staring at her fixedly 

The rest of us hardly dared to breathe   The room was growing lighter 
Without taking his eyes from Mina s face  Dr  Van Helsing motioned me
to pull up the blind   I did so  and the day seemed just upon us   A
red streak shot up  and a rosy light seemed to diffuse itself through
the room   On the instant the Professor spoke again 

 Where are you now  

The answer came dreamily  but with intention   It were as though she
were interpreting something   I have heard her use the same tone when
reading her shorthand notes 

 I do not know   It is all strange to me  

 What do you see  

 I can see nothing   It is all dark  

 What do you hear    I could detect the strain in the Professor s
patient voice 

 The lapping of water   It is gurgling by  and little waves leap   I
can hear them on the outside  

 Then you are on a ship   

We all looked at each other  trying to glean something each from the
other   We were afraid to think 

The answer came quick   Oh  yes  

 What else do you hear  

 The sound of men stamping overhead as they run about   There is the
creaking of a chain  and the loud tinkle as the check of the capstan
falls into the ratchet  

 What are you doing  

 I am still  oh so still   It is like death    The voice faded away
into a deep breath as of one sleeping  and the open eyes closed again 

By this time the sun had risen  and we were all in the full light of
day   Dr  Van Helsing placed his hands on Mina s shoulders  and laid
her head down softly on her pillow   She lay like a sleeping child for
a few moments  and then  with a long sigh  awoke and stared in wonder
to see us all around her 

 Have I been talking in my sleep   was all she said   She seemed 
however  to know the situation without telling  though she was eager
to know what she had told   The Professor repeated the conversation 
and she said   Then there is not a moment to lose   It may not be yet
too late  

Mr  Morris and Lord Godalming started for the door but the Professor s
calm voice called them back 

 Stay  my friends   That ship  wherever it was  was weighing anchor at
the moment in your so great Port of London   Which of them is it that
you seek   God be thanked that we have once again a clue  though
whither it may lead us we know not   We have been blind somewhat 
Blind after the manner of men  since we can look back we see what we
might have seen looking forward if we had been able to see what we
might have seen   Alas  but that sentence is a puddle  is it not   We
can know now what was in the Count s mind  when he seize that money 
though Jonathan s so fierce knife put him in the danger that even he
dread   He meant escape   Hear me  ESCAPE   He saw that with but one
earth box left  and a pack of men following like dogs after a fox 
this London was no place for him   He have take his last earth box on
board a ship  and he leave the land   He think to escape  but no   We
follow him   Tally Ho   As friend Arthur would say when he put on his
red frock   Our old fox is wily   Oh   So wily  and we must follow
with wile   I  too  am wily and I think his mind in a little while 
In meantime we may rest and in peace  for there are between us which
he do not want to pass  and which he could not if he would   Unless
the ship were to touch the land  and then only at full or slack tide 
See  and the sun is just rose  and all day to sunset is us   Let us
take bath  and dress  and have breakfast which we all need  and which
we can eat comfortably since he be not in the same land with us  

Mina looked at him appealingly as she asked   But why need we seek him
further  when he is gone away from us  

He took her hand and patted it as he replied   Ask me nothing as yet 
When we have breakfast  then I answer all questions    He would say no
more  and we separated to dress 

After breakfast Mina repeated her question   He looked at her gravely
for a minute and then said sorrowfully   Because my dear  dear Madam
Mina  now more than ever must we find him even if we have to follow
him to the jaws of Hell  

She grew paler as she asked faintly   Why  

 Because   he answered solemnly   he can live for centuries  and you
are but mortal woman   Time is now to be dreaded  since once he put
that mark upon your throat  

I was just in time to catch her as she fell forward in a faint 




CHAPTER 24


DR  SEWARD S PHONOGRAPH DIARY

SPOKEN BY VAN HELSING

This to Jonathan Harker 

You are to stay with your dear Madam Mina   We shall go to make our
search  if I can call it so  for it is not search but knowing  and we
seek confirmation only   But do you stay and take care of her today 
This is your best and most holiest office   This day nothing can find
him here 

Let me tell you that so you will know what we four know already  for I
have tell them   He  our enemy  have gone away   He have gone back to
his Castle in Transylvania   I know it so well  as if a great hand of
fire wrote it on the wall   He have prepare for this in some way  and
that last earth box was ready to ship somewheres   For this he took
the money   For this he hurry at the last  lest we catch him before
the sun go down   It was his last hope  save that he might hide in the
tomb that he think poor Miss Lucy  being as he thought like him  keep
open to him   But there was not of time   When that fail he make
straight for his last resource  his last earth work I might say did I
wish double entente   He is clever  oh so clever   He know that his
game here was finish   And so he decide he go back home   He find ship
going by the route he came  and he go in it 

We go off now to find what ship  and whither bound   When we have
discover that  we come back and tell you all   Then we will comfort
you and poor Madam Mina with new hope   For it will be hope when you
think it over  that all is not lost   This very creature that we
pursue  he take hundreds of years to get so far as London   And yet in
one day  when we know of the disposal of him we drive him out   He is
finite  though he is powerful to do much harm and suffers not as we
do   But we are strong  each in our purpose  and we are all more
strong together   Take heart afresh  dear husband of Madam Mina   This
battle is but begun and in the end we shall win   So sure as that God
sits on high to watch over His children   Therefore be of much comfort
till we return 

VAN HELSING 





JONATHAN HARKER S JOURNAL

4 October   When I read to Mina  Van Helsing s message in the
phonograph  the poor girl brightened up considerably   Already the
certainty that the Count is out of the country has given her comfort 
And comfort is strength to her   For my own part  now that his
horrible danger is not face to face with us  it seems almost
impossible to believe in it   Even my own terrible experiences in
Castle Dracula seem like a long forgotten dream   Here in the crisp
autumn air in the bright sunlight 

Alas   How can I disbelieve   In the midst of my thought my eye fell
on the red scar on my poor darling s white forehead   Whilst that
lasts  there can be no disbelief   Mina and I fear to be idle  so we
have been over all the diaries again and again   Somehow  although the
reality seem greater each time  the pain and the fear seem less   There
is something of a guiding purpose manifest throughout  which is
comforting   Mina says that perhaps we are the instruments of ultimate
good   It may be   I shall try to think as she does   We have never
spoken to each other yet of the future   It is better to wait till we
see the Professor and the others after their investigations 

The day is running by more quickly than I ever thought a day could run
for me again   It is now three o clock 





MINA HARKER S JOURNAL

5 October  5 P M   Our meeting for report   Present   Professor Van
Helsing  Lord Godalming  Dr  Seward  Mr  Quincey Morris  Jonathan
Harker  Mina Harker 

Dr  Van Helsing described what steps were taken during the day to
discover on what boat and whither bound Count Dracula made his escape 

 As I knew that he wanted to get back to Transylvania  I felt sure
that he must go by the Danube mouth  or by somewhere in the Black Sea 
since by that way he come   It was a dreary blank that was before us 
Omme ignotum pro magnifico  and so with heavy hearts we start to find
what ships leave for the Black Sea last night   He was in sailing
ship  since Madam Mina tell of sails being set   These not so
important as to go in your list of the shipping in the Times  and so
we go  by suggestion of Lord Godalming  to your Lloyd s  where are
note of all ships that sail  however so small   There we find that
only one Black Sea bound ship go out with the tide   She is the
Czarina Catherine  and she sail from Doolittle s Wharf for Varna  and
thence to other ports and up the Danube    So   said I   this is the
ship whereon is the Count    So off we go to Doolittle s Wharf  and
there we find a man in an office   From him we inquire of the goings
of the Czarina Catherine   He swear much  and he red face and loud of
voice  but he good fellow all the same   And when Quincey give him
something from his pocket which crackle as he roll it up  and put it
in a so small bag which he have hid deep in his clothing  he still
better fellow and humble servant to us   He come with us  and ask many
men who are rough and hot   These be better fellows too when they have
been no more thirsty   They say much of blood and bloom  and of others
which I comprehend not  though I guess what they mean   But
nevertheless they tell us all things which we want to know 

 They make known to us among them  how last afternoon at about five
o clock comes a man so hurry   A tall man  thin and pale  with high
nose and teeth so white  and eyes that seem to be burning   That he be
all in black  except that he have a hat of straw which suit not him or
the time   That he scatter his money in making quick inquiry as to
what ship sails for the Black Sea and for where   Some took him to the
office and then to the ship  where he will not go aboard but halt at
shore end of gangplank  and ask that the captain come to him   The
captain come  when told that he will be pay well  and though he swear
much at the first he agree to term   Then the thin man go and some one
tell him where horse and cart can be hired   He go there and soon he
come again  himself driving cart on which a great box   This he
himself lift down  though it take several to put it on truck for the
ship   He give much talk to captain as to how and where his box is to
be place   But the captain like it not and swear at him in many
tongues  and tell him that if he like he can come and see where it
shall be   But he say  no   that he come not yet  for that he have
much to do   Whereupon the captain tell him that he had better be
quick  with blood  for that his ship will leave the place  of blood 
before the turn of the tide  with blood   Then the thin man smile and
say that of course he must go when he think fit  but he will be
surprise if he go quite so soon   The captain swear again  polyglot 
and the thin man make him bow  and thank him  and say that he will so
far intrude on his kindness as to come aboard before the sailing 
Final the captain  more red than ever  and in more tongues  tell him
that he doesn t want no Frenchmen  with bloom upon them and also with
blood  in his ship  with blood on her also   And so  after asking
where he might purchase ship forms  he departed 

 No one knew where he went  or bloomin  well cared  as they said  for
they had something else to think of  well with blood again   For it
soon became apparent to all that the Czarina Catherine would not sail
as was expected   A thin mist began to creep up from the river  and it
grew  and grew   Till soon a dense fog enveloped the ship and all
around her   The captain swore polyglot  very polyglot  polyglot with
bloom and blood  but he could do nothing   The water rose and rose 
and he began to fear that he would lose the tide altogether   He was
in no friendly mood  when just at full tide  the thin man came up the
gangplank again and asked to see where his box had been stowed   Then
the captain replied that he wished that he and his box  old and with
much bloom and blood  were in hell   But the thin man did not be
offend  and went down with the mate and saw where it was place  and
came up and stood awhile on deck in fog   He must have come off by
himself  for none notice him   Indeed they thought not of him  for
soon the fog begin to melt away  and all was clear again   My friends
of the thirst and the language that was of bloom and blood laughed  as
they told how the captain s swears exceeded even his usual polyglot 
and was more than ever full of picturesque  when on questioning other
mariners who were on movement up and down the river that hour  he
found that few of them had seen any of fog at all  except where it lay
round the wharf   However  the ship went out on the ebb tide  and was
doubtless by morning far down the river mouth   She was then  when
they told us  well out to sea 

 And so  my dear Madam Mina  it is that we have to rest for a time 
for our enemy is on the sea  with the fog at his command  on his way
to the Danube mouth   To sail a ship takes time  go she never so
quick   And when we start to go on land more quick  and we meet him
there   Our best hope is to come on him when in the box between
sunrise and sunset   For then he can make no struggle  and we may deal
with him as we should   There are days for us  in which we can make
ready our plan   We know all about where he go   For we have seen the
owner of the ship  who have shown us invoices and all papers that can
be   The box we seek is to be landed in Varna  and to be given to an
agent  one Ristics who will there present his credentials   And so our
merchant friend will have done his part   When he ask if there be any
wrong  for that so  he can telegraph and have inquiry made at Varna 
we say  no   for what is to be done is not for police or of the
customs   It must be done by us alone and in our own way  

When Dr  Van Helsing had done speaking  I asked him if he were certain
that the Count had remained on board the ship   He replied   We have
the best proof of that  your own evidence  when in the hypnotic trance
this morning  

I asked him again if it were really necessary that they should pursue
the Count  for oh   I dread Jonathan leaving me  and I know that he
would surely go if the others went   He answered in growing passion 
at first quietly   As he went on  however  he grew more angry and more
forceful  till in the end we could not but see wherein was at least
some of that personal dominance which made him so long a master
amongst men 

 Yes  it is necessary  necessary  necessary   For your sake in the
first  and then for the sake of humanity   This monster has done much
harm already  in the narrow scope where he find himself  and in the
short time when as yet he was only as a body groping his so small
measure in darkness and not knowing   All this have I told these
others   You  my dear Madam Mina  will learn it in the phonograph of
my friend John  or in that of your husband   I have told them how the
measure of leaving his own barren land  barren of peoples  and coming
to a new land where life of man teems till they are like the multitude
of standing corn  was the work of centuries   Were another of the
Undead  like him  to try to do what he has done  perhaps not all the
centuries of the world that have been  or that will be  could aid him 
With this one  all the forces of nature that are occult and deep and
strong must have worked together in some wonderous way   The very
place  where he have been alive  Undead for all these centuries  is
full of strangeness of the geologic and chemical world   There are
deep caverns and fissures that reach none know whither   There have
been volcanoes  some of whose openings still send out waters of
strange properties  and gases that kill or make to vivify   Doubtless 
there is something magnetic or electric in some of these combinations
of occult forces which work for physical life in strange way  and in
himself were from the first some great qualities   In a hard and
warlike time he was celebrate that he have more iron nerve  more
subtle brain  more braver heart  than any man   In him some vital
principle have in strange way found their utmost   And as his body
keep strong and grow and thrive  so his brain grow too   All this
without that diabolic aid which is surely to him   For it have to
yield to the powers that come from  and are  symbolic of good   And
now this is what he is to us   He have infect you  oh forgive me  my
dear  that I must say such  but it is for good of you that I speak   He
infect you in such wise  that even if he do no more  you have only to
live  to live in your own old  sweet way  and so in time  death  which
is of man s common lot and with God s sanction  shall make you like to
him   This must not be   We have sworn together that it must not 
Thus are we ministers of God s own wish   That the world  and men for
whom His Son die  will not be given over to monsters  whose very
existence would defame Him   He have allowed us to redeem one soul
already  and we go out as the old knights of the Cross to redeem
more   Like them we shall travel towards the sunrise   And like them 
if we fall  we fall in good cause  

He paused and I said   But will not the Count take his rebuff wisely 
Since he has been driven from England  will he not avoid it  as a
tiger does the village from which he has been hunted  

 Aha   he said   your simile of the tiger good  for me  and I shall
adopt him   Your maneater  as they of India call the tiger who has
once tasted blood of the human  care no more for the other prey  but
prowl unceasing till he get him   This that we hunt from our village
is a tiger  too  a maneater  and he never cease to prowl   Nay  in
himself he is not one to retire and stay afar   In his life  his
living life  he go over the Turkey frontier and attack his enemy on
his own ground   He be beaten back  but did he stay   No   He come
again  and again  and again   Look at his persistence and endurance 
With the child brain that was to him he have long since conceive the
idea of coming to a great city   What does he do   He find out the
place of all the world most of promise for him   Then he deliberately
set himself down to prepare for the task   He find in patience just
how is his strength  and what are his powers   He study new tongues 
He learn new social life  new environment of old ways  the politics 
the law  the finance  the science  the habit of a new land and a new
people who have come to be since he was   His glimpse that he have
had  whet his appetite only and enkeen his desire   Nay  it help him
to grow as to his brain   For it all prove to him how right he was at
the first in his surmises   He have done this alone  all alone   From
a ruin tomb in a forgotten land   What more may he not do when the
greater world of thought is open to him   He that can smile at death 
as we know him   Who can flourish in the midst of diseases that kill
off whole peoples   Oh   If such an one was to come from God  and not
the Devil  what a force for good might he not be in this old world of
ours   But we are pledged to set the world free   Our toil must be in
silence  and our efforts all in secret   For in this enlightened age 
when men believe not even what they see  the doubting of wise men
would be his greatest strength   It would be at once his sheath and
his armor  and his weapons to destroy us  his enemies  who are willing
to peril even our own souls for the safety of one we love   For the
good of mankind  and for the honour and glory of God  

After a general discussion it was determined that for tonight nothing
be definitely settled   That we should all sleep on the facts  and try
to think out the proper conclusions   Tomorrow  at breakfast  we are
to meet again  and after making our conclusions known to one another 
we shall decide on some definite cause of action      

I feel a wonderful peace and rest tonight   It is as if some haunting
presence were removed from me   Perhaps      

My surmise was not finished  could not be  for I caught sight in the
mirror of the red mark upon my forehead  and I knew that I was still
unclean 




DR  SEWARD S DIARY

5 October   We all arose early  and I think that sleep did much for
each and all of us   When we met at early breakfast there was more
general cheerfulness than any of us had ever expected to experience
again 

It is really wonderful how much resilience there is in human nature 
Let any obstructing cause  no matter what  be removed in any way  even
by death  and we fly back to first principles of hope and enjoyment 
More than once as we sat around the table  my eyes opened in wonder
whether the whole of the past days had not been a dream   It was only
when I caught sight of the red blotch on Mrs  Harker s forehead that I
was brought back to reality   Even now  when I am gravely revolving
the matter  it is almost impossible to realize that the cause of all
our trouble is still existent   Even Mrs  Harker seems to lose sight
of her trouble for whole spells   It is only now and again  when
something recalls it to her mind  that she thinks of her terrible
scar   We are to meet here in my study in half an hour and decide on
our course of action   I see only one immediate difficulty  I know it
by instinct rather than reason   We shall all have to speak frankly 
And yet I fear that in some mysterious way poor Mrs  Harker s tongue
is tied   I know that she forms conclusions of her own  and from all
that has been I can guess how brilliant and how true they must be 
But she will not  or cannot  give them utterance   I have mentioned
this to Van Helsing  and he and I are to talk it over when we are
alone   I suppose it is some of that horrid poison which has got into
her veins beginning to work   The Count had his own purposes when he
gave her what Van Helsing called  the Vampire s baptism of blood  
Well  there may be a poison that distills itself out of good things 
In an age when the existence of ptomaines is a mystery we should not
wonder at anything   One thing I know  that if my instinct be true
regarding poor Mrs  Harker s silences  then there is a terrible
difficulty  an unknown danger  in the work before us   The same power
that compels her silence may compel her speech   I dare not think
further  for so I should in my thoughts dishonour a noble woman 


Later   When the Professor came in  we talked over the state of
things   I could see that he had something on his mind  which he
wanted to say  but felt some hesitancy about broaching the subject 
After beating about the bush a little  he said   Friend John  there is
something that you and I must talk of alone  just at the first at any
rate   Later  we may have to take the others into our confidence  

Then he stopped  so I waited   He went on   Madam Mina  our poor  dear
Madam Mina is changing  

A cold shiver ran through me to find my worst fears thus endorsed 
Van Helsing continued 

 With the sad experience of Miss Lucy  we must this time be warned
before things go too far   Our task is now in reality more difficult
than ever  and this new trouble makes every hour of the direst
importance   I can see the characteristics of the vampire coming in
her face   It is now but very  very slight   But it is to be seen if
we have eyes to notice without prejudge   Her teeth are sharper  and
at times her eyes are more hard   But these are not all  there is to
her the silence now often  as so it was with Miss Lucy   She did not
speak  even when she wrote that which she wished to be known later 
Now my fear is this   If it be that she can  by our hypnotic trance 
tell what the Count see and hear  is it not more true that he who have
hypnotize her first  and who have drink of her very blood and make her
drink of his  should if he will  compel her mind to disclose to him
that which she know  

I nodded acquiescence   He went on   Then  what we must do is to
prevent this   We must keep her ignorant of our intent  and so she
cannot tell what she know not   This is a painful task   Oh  so
painful that it heartbreak me to think of it  but it must be   When
today we meet  I must tell her that for reason which we will not to
speak she must not more be of our council  but be simply guarded by
us  

He wiped his forehead  which had broken out in profuse perspiration at
the thought of the pain which he might have to inflict upon the poor
soul already so tortured   I knew that it would be some sort of
comfort to him if I told him that I also had come to the same
conclusion   For at any rate it would take away the pain of doubt   I
told him  and the effect was as I expected 

It is now close to the time of our general gathering   Van Helsing has
gone away to prepare for the meeting  and his painful part of it   I
really believe his purpose is to be able to pray alone 


Later   At the very outset of our meeting a great personal relief was
experienced by both Van Helsing and myself   Mrs  Harker had sent a
message by her husband to say that she would not join us at present 
as she thought it better that we should be free to discuss our
movements without her presence to embarrass us   The Professor and I
looked at each other for an instant  and somehow we both seemed
relieved   For my own part  I thought that if Mrs  Harker realized the
danger herself  it was much pain as well as much danger averted 
Under the circumstances we agreed  by a questioning look and answer 
with finger on lip  to preserve silence in our suspicions  until we
should have been able to confer alone again   We went at once into our
Plan of Campaign 

Van Helsing roughly put the facts before us first   The Czarina
Catherine left the Thames yesterday morning   It will take her at the
quickest speed she has ever made at least three weeks to reach Varna 
But we can travel overland to the same place in three days   Now  if
we allow for two days less for the ship s voyage  owing to such
weather influences as we know that the Count can bring to bear  and if
we allow a whole day and night for any delays which may occur to us 
then we have a margin of nearly two weeks 

 Thus  in order to be quite safe  we must leave here on 17th at
latest   Then we shall at any rate be in Varna a day before the ship
arrives  and able to make such preparations as may be necessary   Of
course we shall all go armed  armed against evil things  spiritual as
well as physical  

Here Quincey Morris added   I understand that the Count comes from a
wolf country  and it may be that he shall get there before us   I
propose that we add Winchesters to our armament   I have a kind of
belief in a Winchester when there is any trouble of that sort around 
Do you remember  Art  when we had the pack after us at Tobolsk   What
wouldn t we have given then for a repeater apiece  

 Good   said Van Helsing   Winchesters it shall be   Quincey s head is
level at times  but most so when there is to hunt  metaphor be more
dishonour to science than wolves be of danger to man   In the meantime
we can do nothing here   And as I think that Varna is not familiar to
any of us  why not go there more soon   It is as long to wait here as
there   Tonight and tomorrow we can get ready  and then if all be
well  we four can set out on our journey  

 We four   said Harker interrogatively  looking from one to another of
us 

 Of course   answered the Professor quickly    You must remain to take
care of your so sweet wife  

Harker was silent for awhile and then said in a hollow voice   Let us
talk of that part of it in the morning   I want to consult with Mina  

I thought that now was the time for Van Helsing to warn him not to
disclose our plan to her  but he took no notice   I looked at him
significantly and coughed   For answer he put his finger to his lips
and turned away 



JONATHAN HARKER S JOURNAL

5 October  afternoon   For some time after our meeting this morning I
could not think   The new phases of things leave my mind in a state of
wonder which allows no room for active thought   Mina s determination
not to take any part in the discussion set me thinking   And as I
could not argue the matter with her  I could only guess   I am as far
as ever from a solution now   The way the others received it  too
puzzled me   The last time we talked of the subject we agreed that
there was to be no more concealment of anything amongst us   Mina is
sleeping now  calmly and sweetly like a little child   Her lips are
curved and her face beams with happiness   Thank God  there are such
moments still for her 


Later   How strange it all is   I sat watching Mina s happy sleep  and
I came as near to being happy myself as I suppose I shall ever be   As
the evening drew on  and the earth took its shadows from the sun
sinking lower  the silence of the room grew more and more solemn to
me 

All at once Mina opened her eyes  and looking at me tenderly said 
 Jonathan  I want you to promise me something on your word of honour 
A promise made to me  but made holily in God s hearing  and not to be
broken though I should go down on my knees and implore you with bitter
tears   Quick  you must make it to me at once  

 Mina   I said   a promise like that  I cannot make at once   I may
have no right to make it  

 But  dear one   she said  with such spiritual intensity that her eyes
were like pole stars   it is I who wish it   And it is not for myself 
You can ask Dr  Van Helsing if I am not right   If he disagrees you
may do as you will   Nay  more if you all agree  later you are
absolved from the promise  

 I promise   I said  and for a moment she looked supremely happy 
Though to me all happiness for her was denied by the red scar on her
forehead 

She said   Promise me that you will not tell me anything of the plans
formed for the campaign against the Count   Not by word  or inference 
or implication  not at any time whilst this remains to me    And she
solemnly pointed to the scar   I saw that she was in earnest  and said
solemnly   I promise   and as I said it I felt that from that instant
a door had been shut between us 


Later  midnight   Mina has been bright and cheerful all the evening 
So much so that all the rest seemed to take courage  as if infected
somewhat with her gaiety   As a result even I myself felt as if the
pall of gloom which weighs us down were somewhat lifted   We all
retired early   Mina is now sleeping like a little child   It is
wonderful thing that her faculty of sleep remains to her in the midst
of her terrible trouble   Thank God for it  for then at least she can
forget her care   Perhaps her example may affect me as her gaiety did
tonight   I shall try it   Oh   For a dreamless sleep 

6 October  morning   Another surprise   Mina woke me early  about the
same time as yesterday  and asked me to bring Dr  Van Helsing   I
thought that it was another occasion for hypnotism  and without
question went for the Professor   He had evidently expected some such
call  for I found him dressed in his room   His door was ajar  so that
he could hear the opening of the door of our room   He came at once 
As he passed into the room  he asked Mina if the others might come 
too 

 No   she said quite simply   it will not be necessary   You can tell
them just as well   I must go with you on your journey  

Dr  Van Helsing was as startled as I was   After a moment s pause he
asked   But why  

 You must take me with you   I am safer with you  and you shall be
safer  too  

 But why  dear Madam Mina   You know that your safety is our solemnest
duty   We go into danger  to which you are  or may be  more liable
than any of us from       from circumstances       things that have
been    He paused embarrassed 

As she replied  she raised her finger and pointed to her forehead    I
know   That is why I must go   I can tell you now  whilst the sun is
coming up   I may not be able again   I know that when the Count wills
me I must go   I know that if he tells me to come in secret  I must by
wile   By any device to hoodwink  even Jonathan    God saw the look
that she turned on me as she spoke  and if there be indeed a Recording
Angel that look is noted to her ever lasting honour   I could only
clasp her hand   I could not speak   My emotion was too great for even
the relief of tears 

She went on    You men are brave and strong   You are strong in your
numbers  for you can defy that which would break down the human
endurance of one who had to guard alone   Besides  I may be of
service  since you can hypnotize me and so learn that which even I
myself do not know  

Dr  Van Helsing said gravely   Madam Mina  you are  as always  most
wise   You shall with us come   And together we shall do that which we
go forth to achieve  

When he had spoken  Mina s long spell of silence made me look at her 
She had fallen back on her pillow asleep   She did not even wake when
I had pulled up the blind and let in the sunlight which flooded the
room   Van Helsing motioned to me to come with him quietly   We went
to his room  and within a minute Lord Godalming  Dr  Seward  and Mr 
Morris were with us also 

He told them what Mina had said  and went on    In the morning we
shall leave for Varna   We have now to deal with a new factor  Madam
Mina   Oh  but her soul is true   It is to her an agony to tell us so
much as she has done   But it is most right  and we are warned in
time   There must be no chance lost  and in Varna we must be ready to
act the instant when that ship arrives  

 What shall we do exactly   asked Mr  Morris laconically 

The Professor paused before replying   We shall at the first board
that ship   Then  when we have identified the box  we shall place a
branch of the wild rose on it   This we shall fasten  for when it is
there none can emerge  so that at least says the superstition   And to
superstition must we trust at the first   It was man s faith in the
early  and it have its root in faith still   Then  when we get the
opportunity that we seek  when none are near to see  we shall open the
box  and       and all will be well  

 I shall not wait for any opportunity   said Morris    When I see the
box I shall open it and destroy the monster  though there were a
thousand men looking on  and if I am to be wiped out for it the next
moment    I grasped his hand instinctively and found it as firm as a
piece of steel   I think he understood my look   I hope he did 

 Good boy   said Dr  Van Helsing    Brave boy   Quincey is all man 
God bless him for it   My child  believe me none of us shall lag
behind or pause from any fear   I do but say what we may do       what
we must do   But  indeed  indeed we cannot say what we may do   There
are so many things which may happen  and their ways and their ends are
so various that until the moment we may not say   We shall all be
armed  in all ways   And when the time for the end has come  our
effort shall not be lack   Now let us today put all our affairs in
order   Let all things which touch on others dear to us  and who on us
depend  be complete   For none of us can tell what  or when  or how 
the end may be   As for me  my own affairs are regulate  and as I have
nothing else to do  I shall go make arrangements for the travel   I
shall have all tickets and so forth for our journey  

There was nothing further to be said  and we parted   I shall now
settle up all my affairs of earth  and be ready for whatever may come 


Later   It is done   My will is made  and all complete   Mina if she
survive is my sole heir   If it should not be so  then the others who
have been so good to us shall have remainder 

It is now drawing towards the sunset   Mina s uneasiness calls my
attention to it   I am sure that there is something on her mind which
the time of exact sunset will reveal   These occasions are becoming
harrowing times for us all   For each sunrise and sunset opens up some
new danger  some new pain  which however  may in God s will be means
to a good end   I write all these things in the diary since my darling
must not hear them now   But if it may be that she can see them again 
they shall be ready   She is calling to me 




CHAPTER 25


DR  SEWARD S DIARY

11 October  Evening   Jonathan Harker has asked me to note this  as he
says he is hardly equal to the task  and he wants an exact record
kept 

I think that none of us were surprised when we were asked to see Mrs 
Harker a little before the time of sunset   We have of late come to
understand that sunrise and sunset are to her times of peculiar
freedom   When her old self can be manifest without any controlling
force subduing or restraining her  or inciting her to action   This
mood or condition begins some half hour or more before actual sunrise
or sunset  and lasts till either the sun is high  or whilst the clouds
are still aglow with the rays streaming above the horizon   At first
there is a sort of negative condition  as if some tie were loosened 
and then the absolute freedom quickly follows   When  however  the
freedom ceases the change back or relapse comes quickly  preceded
only by a spell of warning silence 

Tonight  when we met  she was somewhat constrained  and bore all the
signs of an internal struggle   I put it down myself to her making a
violent effort at the earliest instant she could do so 

A very few minutes  however  gave her complete control of herself 
Then  motioning her husband to sit beside her on the sofa where she
was half reclining  she made the rest of us bring chairs up close 

Taking her husband s hand in hers  she began   We are all here
together in freedom  for perhaps the last time   I know that you will
always be with me to the end    This was to her husband whose hand had 
as we could see  tightened upon her    In the morning we go out upon
our task  and God alone knows what may be in store for any of us   You
are going to be so good to me to take me with you   I know that all
that brave earnest men can do for a poor weak woman  whose soul
perhaps is lost  no  no  not yet  but is at any rate at stake  you
will do   But you must remember that I am not as you are   There is a
poison in my blood  in my soul  which may destroy me  which must
destroy me  unless some relief comes to us   Oh  my friends  you know
as well as I do  that my soul is at stake   And though I know there is
one way out for me  you must not and I must not take it    She looked
appealingly to us all in turn  beginning and ending with her husband 

 What is that way   asked Van Helsing in a hoarse voice    What is
that way  which we must not  may not  take  

 That I may die now  either by my own hand or that of another  before
the greater evil is entirely wrought   I know  and you know  that were
I once dead you could and would set free my immortal spirit  even as
you did my poor Lucy s   Were death  or the fear of death  the only
thing that stood in the way I would not shrink to die here now  amidst
the friends who love me   But death is not all   I cannot believe that
to die in such a case  when there is hope before us and a bitter task
to be done  is God s will   Therefore  I on my part  give up here the
certainty of eternal rest  and go out into the dark where may be the
blackest things that the world or the nether world holds  

We were all silent  for we knew instinctively that this was only a
prelude   The faces of the others were set  and Harker s grew ashen
grey   Perhaps  he guessed better than any of us what was coming 

She continued   This is what I can give into the hotch pot    I could
not but note the quaint legal phrase which she used in such a place 
and with all seriousness    What will each of you give   Your lives I
know   she went on quickly   that is easy for brave men   Your lives
are God s  and you can give them back to Him  but what will you give
to me    She looked again questioningly  but this time avoided her
husband s face   Quincey seemed to understand  he nodded  and her face
lit up    Then I shall tell you plainly what I want  for there must be
no doubtful matter in this connection between us now   You must
promise me  one and all  even you  my beloved husband  that should the
time come  you will kill me  

 What is that time    The voice was Quincey s  but it was low and
strained 

 When you shall be convinced that I am so changed that it is better
that I die that I may live   When I am thus dead in the flesh  then
you will  without a moment s delay  drive a stake through me and cut
off my head  or do whatever else may be wanting to give me rest  

Quincey was the first to rise after the pause   He knelt down before
her and taking her hand in his said solemnly   I m only a rough
fellow  who hasn t  perhaps  lived as a man should to win such a
distinction  but I swear to you by all that I hold sacred and dear
that  should the time ever come  I shall not flinch from the duty that
you have set us   And I promise you  too  that I shall make all
certain  for if I am only doubtful I shall take it that the time has
come  

 My true friend   was all she could say amid her fast falling tears 
as bending over  she kissed his hand 

 I swear the same  my dear Madam Mina   said Van Helsing    And I  
said Lord Godalming  each of them in turn kneeling to her to take the
oath   I followed  myself 

Then her husband turned to her wan eyed and with a greenish pallor
which subdued the snowy whiteness of his hair  and asked   And must I 
too  make such a promise  oh  my wife  

 You too  my dearest   she said  with infinite yearning of pity in her
voice and eyes    You must not shrink   You are nearest and dearest
and all the world to me   Our souls are knit into one  for all life
and all time   Think  dear  that there have been times when brave men
have killed their wives and their womenkind  to keep them from falling
into the hands of the enemy   Their hands did not falter any the more
because those that they loved implored them to slay them   It is men s
duty towards those whom they love  in such times of sore trial   And
oh  my dear  if it is to be that I must meet death at any hand  let it
be at the hand of him that loves me best   Dr  Van Helsing  I have not
forgotten your mercy in poor Lucy s case to him who loved    She
stopped with a flying blush  and changed her phrase   to him who had
best right to give her peace   If that time shall come again  I look
to you to make it a happy memory of my husband s life that it was his
loving hand which set me free from the awful thrall upon me  

 Again I swear   came the Professor s resonant voice 

Mrs  Harker smiled  positively smiled  as with a sigh of relief she
leaned back and said   And now one word of warning  a warning which
you must never forget   This time  if it ever come  may come quickly
and unexpectedly  and in such case you must lose no time in using your
opportunity   At such a time I myself might be       nay   If the time
ever come  shall be  leagued with your enemy against you 

 One more request   she became very solemn as she said this   it is
not vital and necessary like the other  but I want you to do one thing
for me  if you will  

We all acquiesced  but no one spoke   There was no need to speak 

 I want you to read the Burial Service    She was interrupted by a
deep groan from her husband   Taking his hand in hers  she held it
over her heart  and continued    You must read it over me some day 
Whatever may be the issue of all this fearful state of things  it will
be a sweet thought to all or some of us   You  my dearest  will I hope
read it  for then it will be in your voice in my memory forever  come
what may  

 But oh  my dear one   he pleaded   death is afar off from you  

 Nay   she said  holding up a warning hand    I am deeper in death at
this moment than if the weight of an earthly grave lay heavy upon me  

 Oh  my wife  must I read it   he said  before he began 

 It would comfort me  my husband   was all she said  and he began to
read when she had got the book ready 

How can I  how could anyone  tell of that strange scene  its
solemnity  its gloom  its sadness  its horror  and withal  its
sweetness   Even a sceptic  who can see nothing but a travesty of
bitter truth in anything holy or emotional  would have been melted to
the heart had he seen that little group of loving and devoted friends
kneeling round that stricken and sorrowing lady  or heard the tender
passion of her husband s voice  as in tones so broken and emotional
that often he had to pause  he read the simple and beautiful service
from the Burial of the Dead   I cannot go on       words       and
v voices       f fail m me 

She was right in her instinct   Strange as it was  bizarre as it may
hereafter seem even to us who felt its potent influence at the time 
it comforted us much   And the silence  which showed Mrs  Harker s
coming relapse from her freedom of soul  did not seem so full of
despair to any of us as we had dreaded 





JONATHAN HARKER S JOURNAL

15 October  Varna   We left Charing Cross on the morning of the 12th 
got to Paris the same night  and took the places secured for us in the
Orient Express   We traveled night and day  arriving here at about
five o clock   Lord Godalming went to the Consulate to see if any
telegram had arrived for him  whilst the rest of us came on to this
hotel   the Odessus    The journey may have had incidents   I was 
however  too eager to get on  to care for them   Until the Czarina
Catherine comes into port there will be no interest for me in anything
in the wide world   Thank God   Mina is well  and looks to be getting
stronger   Her colour is coming back   She sleeps a great deal 
Throughout the journey she slept nearly all the time   Before sunrise
and sunset  however  she is very wakeful and alert   And it has become
a habit for Van Helsing to hypnotize her at such times   At first 
some effort was needed  and he had to make many passes   But now  she
seems to yield at once  as if by habit  and scarcely any action is
needed   He seems to have power at these particular moments to simply
will  and her thoughts obey him   He always asks her what she can see
and hear 

She answers to the first   Nothing  all is dark  

And to the second   I can hear the waves lapping against the ship  and
the water rushing by   Canvas and cordage strain and masts and yards
creak   The wind is high       I can hear it in the shrouds  and the
bow throws back the foam  

It is evident that the Czarina Catherine is still at sea  hastening on
her way to Varna   Lord Godalming has just returned   He had four
telegrams  one each day since we started  and all to the same effect 
That the Czarina Catherine had not been reported to Lloyd s from
anywhere   He had arranged before leaving London that his agent should
send him every day a telegram saying if the ship had been reported 
He was to have a message even if she were not reported  so that he
might be sure that there was a watch being kept at the other end of
the wire 

We had dinner and went to bed early   Tomorrow we are to see the Vice
Consul  and to arrange  if we can  about getting on board the ship as
soon as she arrives   Van Helsing says that our chance will be to get
on the boat between sunrise and sunset   The Count  even if he takes
the form of a bat  cannot cross the running water of his own volition 
and so cannot leave the ship   As he dare not change to man s form
without suspicion  which he evidently wishes to avoid  he must remain
in the box   If  then  we can come on board after sunrise  he is at
our mercy  for we can open the box and make sure of him  as we did of
poor Lucy  before he wakes   What mercy he shall get from us all will
not count for much   We think that we shall not have much trouble with
officials or the seamen   Thank God   This is the country where
bribery can do anything  and we are well supplied with money   We have
only to make sure that the ship cannot come into port between sunset
and sunrise without our being warned  and we shall be safe   Judge
Moneybag will settle this case  I think 


16 October   Mina s report still the same   Lapping waves and rushing
water  darkness and favouring winds   We are evidently in good time 
and when we hear of the Czarina Catherine we shall be ready   As she
must pass the Dardanelles we are sure to have some report 


17 October   Everything is pretty well fixed now  I think  to welcome
the Count on his return from his tour   Godalming told the shippers
that he fancied that the box sent aboard might contain something
stolen from a friend of his  and got a half consent that he might open
it at his own risk   The owner gave him a paper telling the Captain to
give him every facility in doing whatever he chose on board the ship 
and also a similar authorization to his agent at Varna   We have seen
the agent  who was much impressed with Godalming s kindly manner to
him  and we are all satisfied that whatever he can do to aid our
wishes will be done 

We have already arranged what to do in case we get the box open   If
the Count is there  Van Helsing and Seward will cut off his head at
once and drive a stake through his heart   Morris and Godalming and I
shall prevent interference  even if we have to use the arms which we
shall have ready   The Professor says that if we can so treat the
Count s body  it will soon after fall into dust   In such case there
would be no evidence against us  in case any suspicion of murder were
aroused   But even if it were not  we should stand or fall by our act 
and perhaps some day this very script may be evidence to come between
some of us and a rope   For myself  I should take the chance only too
thankfully if it were to come   We mean to leave no stone unturned to
carry out our intent   We have arranged with certain officials that
the instant the Czarina Catherine is seen  we are to be informed by a
special messenger 


24 October   A whole week of waiting   Daily telegrams to Godalming 
but only the same story    Not yet reported    Mina s morning and
evening hypnotic answer is unvaried   Lapping waves  rushing water 
and creaking masts 




TELEGRAM  OCTOBER 24TH RUFUS SMITH  LLOYD S  LONDON 
TO LORD GODALMING  CARE OF H  B  M  VICE CONSUL  VARNA

 Czarina Catherine reported this morning from Dardanelles  



DR  SEWARD S DIARY

25 October   How I miss my phonograph   To write a diary with a pen is
irksome to me   But Van Helsing says I must   We were all wild with
excitement yesterday when Godalming got his telegram from Lloyd s   I
know now what men feel in battle when the call to action is heard 
Mrs  Harker  alone of our party  did not show any signs of emotion 
After all  it is not strange that she did not  for we took special
care not to let her know anything about it  and we all tried not to
show any excitement when we were in her presence   In old days she
would  I am sure  have noticed  no matter how we might have tried to
conceal it   But in this way she is greatly changed during the past
three weeks   The lethargy grows upon her  and though she seems strong
and well  and is getting back some of her colour  Van Helsing and I are
not satisfied   We talk of her often   We have not  however  said a
word to the others   It would break poor Harker s heart  certainly his
nerve  if he knew that we had even a suspicion on the subject   Van
Helsing examines  he tells me  her teeth very carefully  whilst she is
in the hypnotic condition  for he says that so long as they do not
begin to sharpen there is no active danger of a change in her   If
this change should come  it would be necessary to take steps   We both
know what those steps would have to be  though we do not mention our
thoughts to each other   We should neither of us shrink from the task 
awful though it be to contemplate    Euthanasia  is an excellent and a
comforting word   I am grateful to whoever invented it 

It is only about 24 hours  sail from the Dardanelles to here  at the
rate the Czarina Catherine has come from London   She should therefore
arrive some time in the morning  but as she cannot possibly get in
before noon  we are all about to retire early   We shall get up at one
o clock  so as to be ready 


25 October  Noon   No news yet of the ship s arrival   Mrs  Harker s
hypnotic report this morning was the same as usual  so it is possible
that we may get news at any moment   We men are all in a fever of
excitement  except Harker  who is calm   His hands are cold as ice 
and an hour ago I found him whetting the edge of the great Ghoorka
knife which he now always carries with him   It will be a bad lookout
for the Count if the edge of that  Kukri  ever touches his throat 
driven by that stern  ice cold hand 

Van Helsing and I were a little alarmed about Mrs  Harker today 
About noon she got into a sort of lethargy which we did not like 
Although we kept silence to the others  we were neither of us happy
about it   She had been restless all the morning  so that we were at
first glad to know that she was sleeping   When  however  her husband
mentioned casually that she was sleeping so soundly that he could not
wake her  we went to her room to see for ourselves   She was breathing
naturally and looked so well and peaceful that we agreed that the
sleep was better for her than anything else   Poor girl  she has so
much to forget that it is no wonder that sleep  if it brings oblivion
to her  does her good 


Later   Our opinion was justified  for when after a refreshing sleep
of some hours she woke up  she seemed brighter and better than she had
been for days   At sunset she made the usual hypnotic report 
Wherever he may be in the Black Sea  the Count is hurrying to his
destination   To his doom  I trust 



26 October   Another day and no tidings of the Czarina Catherine   She
ought to be here by now   That she is still journeying somewhere is
apparent  for Mrs  Harker s hypnotic report at sunrise was still the
same   It is possible that the vessel may be lying by  at times  for
fog   Some of the steamers which came in last evening reported patches
of fog both to north and south of the port   We must continue our
watching  as the ship may now be signalled any moment 


27 October  Noon   Most strange   No news yet of the ship we wait for 
Mrs  Harker reported last night and this morning as usual    Lapping
waves and rushing water   though she added that  the waves were very
faint    The telegrams from London have been the same   no further
report    Van Helsing is terribly anxious  and told me just now that he
fears the Count is escaping us 

He added significantly   I did not like that lethargy of Madam Mina s 
Souls and memories can do strange things during trance    I was about
to ask him more  but Harker just then came in  and he held up a
warning hand   We must try tonight at sunset to make her speak more
fully when in her hypnotic state 


28 October   Telegram   Rufus Smith  London  to Lord Godalming  care
H  B  M  Vice Consul  Varna

 Czarina Catherine reported entering Galatz at one o clock today  




DR  SEWARD S DIARY

28 October   When the telegram came announcing the arrival in Galatz I
do not think it was such a shock to any of us as might have been
expected   True  we did not know whence  or how  or when  the bolt
would come   But I think we all expected that something strange would
happen   The day of arrival at Varna made us individually satisfied
that things would not be just as we had expected   We only waited to
learn where the change would occur   None the less  however  it was a
surprise   I suppose that nature works on such a hopeful basis that we
believe against ourselves that things will be as they ought to be  not
as we should know that they will be   Transcendentalism is a beacon to
the angels  even if it be a will o  the wisp to man   Van Helsing
raised his hand over his head for a moment  as though in remonstrance
with the Almighty   But he said not a word  and in a few seconds stood
up with his face sternly set 

Lord Godalming grew very pale  and sat breathing heavily   I was
myself half stunned and looked in wonder at one after another 
Quincey Morris tightened his belt with that quick movement which I
knew so well   In our old wandering days it meant  action    Mrs 
Harker grew ghastly white  so that the scar on her forehead seemed to
burn  but she folded her hands meekly and looked up in prayer   Harker
smiled  actually smiled  the dark  bitter smile of one who is without
hope  but at the same time his action belied his words  for his hands
instinctively sought the hilt of the great Kukri knife and rested
there 

 When does the next train start for Galatz   said Van Helsing to us
generally 

 At 6 30 tomorrow morning    We all started  for the answer came from
Mrs  Harker 

 How on earth do you know   said Art 

 You forget  or perhaps you do not know  though Jonathan does and so
does Dr  Van Helsing  that I am the train fiend   At home in Exeter I
always used to make up the time tables  so as to be helpful to my
husband   I found it so useful sometimes  that I always make a study
of the time tables now   I knew that if anything were to take us to
Castle Dracula we should go by Galatz  or at any rate through
Bucharest  so I learned the times very carefully   Unhappily there are
not many to learn  as the only train tomorrow leaves as I say  

 Wonderful woman   murmured the Professor 

 Can t we get a special   asked Lord Godalming 

Van Helsing shook his head   I fear not   This land is very different
from yours or mine   Even if we did have a special  it would probably
not arrive as soon as our regular train   Moreover  we have something
to prepare   We must think   Now let us organize   You  friend Arthur 
go to the train and get the tickets and arrange that all be ready for
us to go in the morning   Do you  friend Jonathan  go to the agent of
the ship and get from him letters to the agent in Galatz  with
authority to make a search of the ship just as it was here   Quincey
Morris  you see the Vice Consul  and get his aid with his fellow in
Galatz and all he can do to make our way smooth  so that no times be
lost when over the Danube   John will stay with Madam Mina and me  and
we shall consult   For so if time be long you may be delayed   And it
will not matter when the sun set  since I am here with Madam to make
report  

 And I   said Mrs  Harker brightly  and more like her old self than
she had been for many a long day   shall try to be of use in all ways 
and shall think and write for you as I used to do   Something is
shifting from me in some strange way  and I feel freer than I have
been of late  

The three younger men looked happier at the moment as they seemed to
realize the significance of her words   But Van Helsing and I  turning
to each other  met each a grave and troubled glance   We said nothing
at the time  however 

When the three men had gone out to their tasks Van Helsing asked Mrs 
Harker to look up the copy of the diaries and find him the part of
Harker s journal at the Castle   She went away to get it 

When the door was shut upon her he said to me   We mean the same 
Speak out  

 Here is some change   It is a hope that makes me sick  for it may
deceive us  

 Quite so   Do you know why I asked her to get the manuscript  

 No   said I   unless it was to get an opportunity of seeing me
alone  

 You are in part right  friend John  but only in part   I want to tell
you something   And oh  my friend  I am taking a great  a terrible 
risk   But I believe it is right   In the moment when Madam Mina said
those words that arrest both our understanding  an inspiration came to
me   In the trance of three days ago the Count sent her his spirit to
read her mind   Or more like he took her to see him in his earth box
in the ship with water rushing  just as it go free at rise and set of
sun   He learn then that we are here  for she have more to tell in her
open life with eyes to see ears to hear than he  shut as he is  in his
coffin box   Now he make his most effort to escape us   At present he
want her not 

 He is sure with his so great knowledge that she will come at his
call   But he cut her off  take her  as he can do  out of his own
power  that so she come not to him   Ah   There I have hope that our
man brains that have been of man so long and that have not lost the
grace of God  will come higher than his child brain that lie in his
tomb for centuries  that grow not yet to our stature  and that do only
work selfish and therefore small   Here comes Madam Mina   Not a word
to her of her trance   She knows it not  and it would overwhelm her
and make despair just when we want all her hope  all her courage  when
most we want all her great brain which is trained like man s brain 
but is of sweet woman and have a special power which the Count give
her  and which he may not take away altogether  though he think not
so   Hush   Let me speak  and you shall learn   Oh  John  my friend 
we are in awful straits   I fear  as I never feared before   We can
only trust the good God   Silence   Here she comes  

I thought that the Professor was going to break down and have
hysterics  just as he had when Lucy died  but with a great effort he
controlled himself and was at perfect nervous poise when Mrs  Harker
tripped into the room  bright and happy looking and  in the doing of
work  seemingly forgetful of her misery   As she came in  she handed a
number of sheets of typewriting to Van Helsing   He looked over them
gravely  his face brightening up as he read 

Then holding the pages between his finger and thumb he said   Friend
John  to you with so much experience already  and you too  dear Madam
Mina  that are young  here is a lesson   Do not fear ever to think   A
half thought has been buzzing often in my brain  but I fear to let him
loose his wings   Here now  with more knowledge  I go back to where
that half thought come from and I find that he be no half thought at
all   That be a whole thought  though so young that he is not yet
strong to use his little wings   Nay  like the  Ugly Duck  of my
friend Hans Andersen  he be no duck thought at all  but a big swan
thought that sail nobly on big wings  when the time come for him to
try them   See I read here what Jonathan have written 

 That other of his race who  in a later age  again and again  brought
his forces over The Great River into Turkey Land  who when he was
beaten back  came again  and again  and again  though he had to come
alone from the bloody field where his troops were being slaughtered 
since he knew that he alone could ultimately triumph 

 What does this tell us   Not much   No   The Count s child thought
see nothing  therefore he speak so free   Your man thought see
nothing   My man thought see nothing  till just now   No   But there
comes another word from some one who speak without thought because
she  too  know not what it mean  what it might mean   Just as there
are elements which rest  yet when in nature s course they move on
their way and they touch  the pouf   And there comes a flash of light 
heaven wide  that blind and kill and destroy some   But that show up
all earth below for leagues and leagues   Is it not so   Well  I shall
explain   To begin  have you ever study the philosophy of crime 
 Yes  and  No    You  John  yes  for it is a study of insanity   You 
no  Madam Mina  for crime touch you not  not but once   Still  your
mind works true  and argues not a particulari ad universale   There is
this peculiarity in criminals   It is so constant  in all countries
and at all times  that even police  who know not much from philosophy 
come to know it empirically  that it is   That is to be empiric   The
criminal always work at one crime  that is the true criminal who seems
predestinate to crime  and who will of none other   This criminal has
not full man brain   He is clever and cunning and resourceful  but he
be not of man stature as to brain   He be of child brain in much   Now
this criminal of ours is predestinate to crime also   He  too  have
child brain  and it is of the child to do what he have done   The
little bird  the little fish  the little animal learn not by
principle  but empirically   And when he learn to do  then there is to
him the ground to start from to do more    Dos pou sto   said
Archimedes    Give me a fulcrum  and I shall move the world    To do
once  is the fulcrum whereby child brain become man brain   And until
he have the purpose to do more  he continue to do the same again every
time  just as he have done before   Oh  my dear  I see that your eyes
are opened  and that to you the lightning flash show all the leagues  
for Mrs  Harker began to clap her hands and her eyes sparkled 

He went on   Now you shall speak   Tell us two dry men of science what
you see with those so bright eyes    He took her hand and held it
whilst he spoke   His finger and thumb closed on her pulse  as I
thought instinctively and unconsciously  as she spoke 

 The Count is a criminal and of criminal type   Nordau and Lombroso
would so classify him  and qua criminal he is of an imperfectly formed
mind   Thus  in a difficulty he has to seek resource in habit   His
past is a clue  and the one page of it that we know  and that from his
own lips  tells that once before  when in what Mr  Morris would call
a  tight place   he went back to his own country from the land he had
tried to invade  and thence  without losing purpose  prepared himself
for a new effort   He came again better equipped for his work  and
won   So he came to London to invade a new land   He was beaten  and
when all hope of success was lost  and his existence in danger  he
fled back over the sea to his home   Just as formerly he had fled back
over the Danube from Turkey Land  

 Good  good   Oh  you so clever lady   said Van Helsing 
enthusiastically  as he stooped and kissed her hand   A moment later
he said to me  as calmly as though we had been having a sick room
consultation   Seventy two only  and in all this excitement   I have
hope  

Turning to her again  he said with keen expectation   But go on   Go
on   There is more to tell if you will   Be not afraid   John and I
know   I do in any case  and shall tell you if you are right   Speak 
without fear  

 I will try to   But you will forgive me if I seem too egotistical  

 Nay   Fear not  you must be egotist  for it is of you that we think  

 Then  as he is criminal he is selfish   And as his intellect is small
and his action is based on selfishness  he confines himself to one
purpose   That purpose is remorseless   As he fled back over the
Danube  leaving his forces to be cut to pieces  so now he is intent on
being safe  careless of all   So his own selfishness frees my soul
somewhat from the terrible power which he acquired over me on that
dreadful night   I felt it   Oh  I felt it   Thank God  for His great
mercy   My soul is freer than it has been since that awful hour   And
all that haunts me is a fear lest in some trance or dream he may have
used my knowledge for his ends  

The Professor stood up   He has so used your mind  and by it he has
left us here in Varna  whilst the ship that carried him rushed through
enveloping fog up to Galatz  where  doubtless  he had made preparation
for escaping from us   But his child mind only saw so far   And it may
be that as ever is in God s Providence  the very thing that the evil
doer most reckoned on for his selfish good  turns out to be his
chiefest harm   The hunter is taken in his own snare  as the great
Psalmist says   For now that he think he is free from every trace of
us all  and that he has escaped us with so many hours to him  then his
selfish child brain will whisper him to sleep   He think  too  that as
he cut himself off from knowing your mind  there can be no knowledge
of him to you   There is where he fail   That terrible baptism of
blood which he give you makes you free to go to him in spirit  as you
have as yet done in your times of freedom  when the sun rise and set 
At such times you go by my volition and not by his   And this power to
good of you and others  you have won from your suffering at his hands 
This is now all more precious that he know it not  and to guard
himself have even cut himself off from his knowledge of our where 
We  however  are not selfish  and we believe that God is with us
through all this blackness  and these many dark hours   We shall
follow him  and we shall not flinch  even if we peril ourselves that
we become like him   Friend John  this has been a great hour  and it
have done much to advance us on our way   You must be scribe and write
him all down  so that when the others return from their work you can
give it to them  then they shall know as we do  

And so I have written it whilst we wait their return  and Mrs  Harker
has written with the typewriter all since she brought the MS to us 




CHAPTER 26


DR  SEWARD S DIARY

29 October   This is written in the train from Varna to Galatz   Last
night we all assembled a little before the time of sunset   Each of us
had done his work as well as he could  so far as thought  and
endeavour  and opportunity go  we are prepared for the whole of our
journey  and for our work when we get to Galatz   When the usual time
came round Mrs  Harker prepared herself for her hypnotic effort  and
after a longer and more serious effort on the part of Van Helsing than
has been usually necessary  she sank into the trance   Usually she
speaks on a hint  but this time the Professor had to ask her
questions  and to ask them pretty resolutely  before we could learn
anything   At last her answer came 

 I can see nothing   We are still   There are no waves lapping  but
only a steady swirl of water softly running against the hawser   I can
hear men s voices calling  near and far  and the roll and creak of
oars in the rowlocks   A gun is fired somewhere  the echo of it seems
far away   There is tramping of feet overhead  and ropes and chains
are dragged along   What is this   There is a gleam of light   I can
feel the air blowing upon me  

Here she stopped   She had risen  as if impulsively  from where she
lay on the sofa  and raised both her hands  palms upwards  as if
lifting a weight   Van Helsing and I looked at each other with
understanding   Quincey raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at her
intently  whilst Harker s hand instinctively closed round the hilt of
his Kukri   There was a long pause   We all knew that the time when
she could speak was passing  but we felt that it was useless to say
anything 

Suddenly she sat up  and as she opened her eyes said sweetly   Would
none of you like a cup of tea   You must all be so tired  

We could only make her happy  and so acquiesced   She bustled off to
get tea   When she had gone Van Helsing said   You see  my friends   He
is close to land   He has left his earth chest   But he has yet to get
on shore   In the night he may lie hidden somewhere  but if he be not
carried on shore  or if the ship do not touch it  he cannot achieve
the land   In such case he can  if it be in the night  change his form
and jump or fly on shore  then  unless he be carried he cannot escape 
And if he be carried  then the customs men may discover what the box
contain   Thus  in fine  if he escape not on shore tonight  or before
dawn  there will be the whole day lost to him   We may then arrive in
time   For if he escape not at night we shall come on him in daytime 
boxed up and at our mercy   For he dare not be his true self  awake
and visible  lest he be discovered  

There was no more to be said  so we waited in patience until the dawn 
at which time we might learn more from Mrs  Harker 

Early this morning we listened  with breathless anxiety  for her
response in her trance   The hypnotic stage was even longer in coming
than before  and when it came the time remaining until full sunrise
was so short that we began to despair   Van Helsing seemed to throw
his whole soul into the effort   At last  in obedience to his will she
made reply 

 All is dark   I hear lapping water  level with me  and some creaking
as of wood on wood    She paused  and the red sun shot up   We must
wait till tonight 

And so it is that we are travelling towards Galatz in an agony of
expectation   We are due to arrive between two and three in the
morning   But already  at Bucharest  we are three hours late  so we
cannot possibly get in till well after sunup   Thus we shall have two
more hypnotic messages from Mrs  Harker   Either or both may possibly
throw more light on what is happening 


Later   Sunset has come and gone   Fortunately it came at a time when
there was no distraction   For had it occurred whilst we were at a
station  we might not have secured the necessary calm and isolation 
Mrs  Harker yielded to the hypnotic influence even less readily than
this morning   I am in fear that her power of reading the Count s
sensations may die away  just when we want it most   It seems to me
that her imagination is beginning to work   Whilst she has been in the
trance hitherto she has confined herself to the simplest of facts   If
this goes on it may ultimately mislead us   If I thought that the
Count s power over her would die away equally with her power of
knowledge it would be a happy thought   But I am afraid that it may
not be so 

When she did speak  her words were enigmatical   Something is going
out   I can feel it pass me like a cold wind   I can hear  far off 
confused sounds  as of men talking in strange tongues  fierce falling
water  and the howling of wolves    She stopped and a shudder ran
through her  increasing in intensity for a few seconds  till at the
end  she shook as though in a palsy   She said no more  even in answer
to the Professor s imperative questioning   When she woke from the
trance  she was cold  and exhausted  and languid  but her mind was all
alert   She could not remember anything  but asked what she had said 
When she was told  she pondered over it deeply for a long time and in
silence 


30 October  7 A M   We are near Galatz now  and I may not have time to
write later   Sunrise this morning was anxiously looked for by us all 
Knowing of the increasing difficulty of procuring the hypnotic trance 
Van Helsing began his passes earlier than usual   They produced no
effect  however  until the regular time  when she yielded with a still
greater difficulty  only a minute before the sun rose   The Professor
lost no time in his questioning 

Her answer came with equal quickness   All is dark   I hear water
swirling by  level with my ears  and the creaking of wood on wood 
Cattle low far off   There is another sound  a queer one like       
She stopped and grew white  and whiter still 

 Go on  go on   Speak  I command you   said Van Helsing in an agonized
voice   At the same time there was despair in his eyes  for the risen
sun was reddening even Mrs  Harker s pale face   She opened her eyes 
and we all started as she said  sweetly and seemingly with the utmost
unconcern 

 Oh  Professor  why ask me to do what you know I can t   I don t
remember anything    Then  seeing the look of amazement on our faces 
she said  turning from one to the other with a troubled look   What
have I said   What have I done   I know nothing  only that I was lying
here  half asleep  and heard you say  go on  speak  I command you    It
seemed so funny to hear you order me about  as if I were a bad child  

 Oh  Madam Mina   he said  sadly   it is proof  if proof be needed  of
how I love and honour you  when a word for your good  spoken more
earnest than ever  can seem so strange because it is to order her whom
I am proud to obey  

The whistles are sounding   We are nearing Galatz   We are on fire
with anxiety and eagerness 



MINA HARKER S JOURNAL

30 October   Mr  Morris took me to the hotel where our rooms had been
ordered by telegraph  he being the one who could best be spared  since
he does not speak any foreign language   The forces were distributed
much as they had been at Varna  except that Lord Godalming went to the
Vice Consul  as his rank might serve as an immediate guarantee of some
sort to the official  we being in extreme hurry   Jonathan and the two
doctors went to the shipping agent to learn particulars of the arrival
of the Czarina Catherine 


Later   Lord Godalming has returned   The Consul is away  and the Vice
Consul sick   So the routine work has been attended to by a clerk   He
was very obliging  and offered to do anything in his power 



JONATHAN HARKER S JOURNAL

30 October   At nine o clock Dr  Van Helsing  Dr  Seward  and I called
on Messrs  Mackenzie   Steinkoff  the agents of the London firm of
Hapgood   They had received a wire from London  in answer to Lord
Godalming s telegraphed request  asking them to show us any civility
in their power   They were more than kind and courteous  and took us
at once on board the Czarina Catherine  which lay at anchor out in the
river harbor   There we saw the Captain  Donelson by name  who told us
of his voyage   He said that in all his life he had never had so
favourable a run 

 Man   he said   but it made us afeard  for we expect it that we
should have to pay for it wi  some rare piece o  ill luck  so as to
keep up the average   It s no canny to run frae London to the Black
Sea wi  a wind ahint ye  as though the Deil himself were blawin  on
yer sail for his ain purpose   An  a  the time we could no speer a
thing   Gin we were nigh a ship  or a port  or a headland  a fog fell
on us and travelled wi  us  till when after it had lifted and we
looked out  the deil a thing could we see   We ran by Gibraltar wi 
oot bein  able to signal   An  til we came to the Dardanelles and had
to wait to get our permit to pass  we never were within hail o 
aught   At first I inclined to slack off sail and beat about till the
fog was lifted   But whiles  I thocht that if the Deil was minded to
get us into the Black Sea quick  he was like to do it whether we would
or no   If we had a quick voyage it would be no to our miscredit
wi  the owners  or no hurt to our traffic  an  the Old Mon who had
served his ain purpose wad be decently grateful to us for no hinderin 
him  

This mixture of simplicity and cunning  of superstition and commercial
reasoning  aroused Van Helsing  who said   Mine friend  that Devil is
more clever than he is thought by some  and he know when he meet his
match  

The skipper was not displeased with the compliment  and went on   When
we got past the Bosphorus the men began to grumble   Some o  them  the
Roumanians  came and asked me to heave overboard a big box which had
been put on board by a queer lookin  old man just before we had
started frae London   I had seen them speer at the fellow  and put out
their twa fingers when they saw him  to guard them against the evil
eye   Man  but the supersteetion of foreigners is pairfectly
rideeculous   I sent them aboot their business pretty quick  but as
just after a fog closed in on us I felt a wee bit as they did anent
something  though I wouldn t say it was again the big box   Well  on
we went  and as the fog didn t let up for five days I joost let the
wind carry us  for if the Deil wanted to get somewheres  well  he
would fetch it up a reet   An  if he didn t  well  we d keep a sharp
lookout anyhow   Sure eneuch  we had a fair way and deep water all the
time   And two days ago  when the mornin  sun came through the fog  we
found ourselves just in the river opposite Galatz   The Roumanians
were wild  and wanted me right or wrong to take out the box and fling
it in the river   I had to argy wi  them aboot it wi  a handspike   An 
when the last o  them rose off the deck wi  his head in his hand  I
had convinced them that  evil eye or no evil eye  the property and the
trust of my owners were better in my hands than in the river Danube 
They had  mind ye  taken the box on the deck ready to fling in  and as
it was marked Galatz via Varna  I thocht I d let it lie till we
discharged in the port an  get rid o t althegither   We didn t do much
clearin  that day  an  had to remain the nicht at anchor   But in the
mornin   braw an  airly  an hour before sunup  a man came aboard wi 
an order  written to him from England  to receive a box marked for one
Count Dracula   Sure eneuch the matter was one ready to his hand   He
had his papers a  reet  an  glad I was to be rid o  the dam  thing 
for I was beginnin  masel  to feel uneasy at it   If the Deil did have
any luggage aboord the ship  I m thinkin  it was nane ither than that
same  

 What was the name of the man who took it   asked Dr  Van Helsing with
restrained eagerness 

 I ll be tellin  ye quick   he answered  and stepping down to his
cabin  produced a receipt signed  Immanuel Hildesheim    Burgen strasse
16 was the address   We found out that this was all the Captain knew 
so with thanks we came away 

We found Hildesheim in his office  a Hebrew of rather the Adelphi
Theatre type  with a nose like a sheep  and a fez   His arguments were
pointed with specie  we doing the punctuation  and with a little
bargaining he told us what he knew   This turned out to be simple but
important   He had received a letter from Mr  de Ville of London 
telling him to receive  if possible before sunrise so as to avoid
customs  a box which would arrive at Galatz in the Czarina Catherine 
This he was to give in charge to a certain Petrof Skinsky  who dealt
with the Slovaks who traded down the river to the port   He had been
paid for his work by an English bank note  which had been duly cashed
for gold at the Danube International Bank   When Skinsky had come to
him  he had taken him to the ship and handed over the box  so as to
save porterage   That was all he knew 

We then sought for Skinsky  but were unable to find him   One of his
neighbors  who did not seem to bear him any affection  said that he
had gone away two days before  no one knew whither   This was
corroborated by his landlord  who had received by messenger the key of
the house together with the rent due  in English money   This had been
between ten and eleven o clock last night   We were at a standstill
again 

Whilst we were talking one came running and breathlessly gasped out
that the body of Skinsky had been found inside the wall of the
churchyard of St  Peter  and that the throat had been torn open as if
by some wild animal   Those we had been speaking with ran off to see
the horror  the women crying out    This is the work of a Slovak    We
hurried away lest we should have been in some way drawn into the
affair  and so detained 

As we came home we could arrive at no definite conclusion   We were
all convinced that the box was on its way  by water  to somewhere  but
where that might be we would have to discover   With heavy hearts we
came home to the hotel to Mina 

When we met together  the first thing was to consult as to taking Mina
again into our confidence   Things are getting desperate  and it is at
least a chance  though a hazardous one   As a preliminary step  I was
released from my promise to her 





MINA HARKER S JOURNAL

30 October  evening   They were so tired and worn out and dispirited
that there was nothing to be done till they had some rest  so I asked
them all to lie down for half an hour whilst I should enter everything
up to the moment   I feel so grateful to the man who invented the
 Traveller s  typewriter  and to Mr  Morris for getting this one for
me   I should have felt quite astray doing the work if I had to write
with a pen      

It is all done   Poor dear  dear Jonathan  what he must have suffered 
what he must be suffering now   He lies on the sofa hardly seeming to
breathe  and his whole body appears in collapse   His brows are knit 
His face is drawn with pain   Poor fellow  maybe he is thinking  and I
can see his face all wrinkled up with the concentration of his
thoughts   Oh  if I could only help at all   I shall do what I can 

I have asked Dr  Van Helsing  and he has got me all the papers that I
have not yet seen   Whilst they are resting  I shall go over all
carefully  and perhaps I may arrive at some conclusion   I shall try
to follow the Professor s example  and think without prejudice on the
facts before me      

I do believe that under God s providence I have made a discovery   I
shall get the maps and look over them 

I am more than ever sure that I am right   My new conclusion is ready 
so I shall get our party together and read it   They can judge it   It
is well to be accurate  and every minute is precious 



MINA HARKER S MEMORANDUM

 ENTERED IN HER JOURNAL 


Ground of inquiry   Count Dracula s problem is to get back
to his own place 

 a  He must be brought back by some one   This is evident 
for had he power to move himself as he wished he could go
either as man  or wolf  or bat  or in some other way   He
evidently fears discovery or interference  in the state of
helplessness in which he must be  confined as he is between
dawn and sunset in his wooden box 

 b  How is he to be taken   Here a process of exclusions may
help us   By road  by rail  by water 

1   By Road   There are endless difficulties  especially in
leaving the city 

 x  There are people   And people are curious  and
investigate   A hint  a surmise  a doubt as to what might
be in the box  would destroy him 

 y  There are  or there may be  customs and octroi officers
to pass 

 z  His pursuers might follow   This is his highest fear 
And in order to prevent his being betrayed he has repelled 
so far as he can  even his victim  me 

2   By Rail   There is no one in charge of the box   It
would have to take its chance of being delayed  and delay
would be fatal  with enemies on the track   True  he might
escape at night   But what would he be  if left in a strange
place with no refuge that he could fly to   This is not what he
intends  and he does not mean to risk it 

3   By Water   Here is the safest way  in one respect  but
with most danger in another   On the water he is powerless
except at night   Even then he can only summon fog and storm and
snow and his wolves   But were he wrecked  the living water would
engulf him  helpless  and he would indeed be lost   He could have
the vessel drive to land  but if it were unfriendly land  wherein
he was not free to move  his position would still be desperate 

We know from the record that he was on the water  so what
we have to do is to ascertain what water 

The first thing is to realize exactly what he has done as
yet   We may  then  get a light on what his task is to be 

Firstly   We must differentiate between what he did in
London as part of his general plan of action  when he was
pressed for moments and had to arrange as best he could 

Secondly   We must see  as well as we can surmise it from the
facts we know of  what he has done here 

As to the first  he evidently intended to arrive at Galatz 
and sent invoice to Varna to deceive us lest we should ascertain
his means of exit from England   His immediate and sole purpose
then was to escape   The proof of this  is the letter of
instructions sent to Immanuel Hildesheim to clear and take away
the box before sunrise   There is also the instruction to Petrof
Skinsky   These we must only guess at  but there must have been
some letter or message  since Skinsky came to Hildesheim 

That  so far  his plans were successful we know   The Czarina
Catherine made a phenomenally quick journey   So much so that
Captain Donelson s suspicions were aroused   But his superstition
united with his canniness played the Count s game for him  and he
ran with his favouring wind through fogs and all till he brought
up blindfold at Galatz   That the Count s arrangements were well
made  has been proved   Hildesheim cleared the box  took it off 
and gave it to Skinsky   Skinsky took it  and here we lose the
trail   We only know that the box is somewhere on the water 
moving along   The customs and the octroi  if there be any  have
been avoided 

Now we come to what the Count must have done after his
arrival  on land  at Galatz 

The box was given to Skinsky before sunrise   At sunrise
the Count could appear in his own form   Here  we ask why
Skinsky was chosen at all to aid in the work   In my husband s
diary  Skinsky is mentioned as dealing with the Slovaks who trade
down the river to the port   And the man s remark  that the
murder was the work of a Slovak  showed the general feeling
against his class   The Count wanted isolation 

My surmise is this  that in London the Count decided to get
back to his castle by water  as the most safe and secret
way   He was brought from the castle by Szgany  and probably they
delivered their cargo to Slovaks who took the boxes to Varna  for
there they were shipped to London   Thus the Count had knowledge
of the persons who could arrange this service   When the box was
on land  before sunrise or after sunset  he came out from his
box  met Skinsky and instructed him what to do as to arranging
the carriage of the box up some river   When this was done  and
he knew that all was in train  he blotted out his traces  as he
thought  by murdering his agent 

I have examined the map and find that the river most
suitable for the Slovaks to have ascended is either the
Pruth or the Sereth   I read in the typescript that in my
trance I heard cows low and water swirling level with my
ears and the creaking of wood   The Count in his box  then 
was on a river in an open boat  propelled probably either
by oars or poles  for the banks are near and it is working
against stream   There would be no such if floating down
stream 

Of course it may not be either the Sereth or the Pruth  but
we may possibly investigate further   Now of these two  the
Pruth is the more easily navigated  but the Sereth is  at
Fundu  joined by the Bistritza which runs up round the Borgo
Pass   The loop it makes is manifestly as close to Dracula s
castle as can be got by water 



MINA HARKER S JOURNAL  CONTINUED

When I had done reading  Jonathan took me in his arms and kissed me 
The others kept shaking me by both hands  and Dr  Van Helsing said 
 Our dear Madam Mina is once more our teacher   Her eyes have been
where we were blinded   Now we are on the track once again  and this
time we may succeed   Our enemy is at his most helpless   And if we
can come on him by day  on the water  our task will be over   He has a
start  but he is powerless to hasten  as he may not leave this box
lest those who carry him may suspect   For them to suspect would be to
prompt them to throw him in the stream where he perish   This he
knows  and will not   Now men  to our Council of War  for here and
now  we must plan what each and all shall do  

 I shall get a steam launch and follow him   said Lord Godalming 

 And I  horses to follow on the bank lest by chance he land   said Mr 
Morris 

 Good   said the Professor   both good   But neither must go alone 
There must be force to overcome force if need be   The Slovak is
strong and rough  and he carries rude arms    All the men smiled  for
amongst them they carried a small arsenal 

Said Mr  Morris   I have brought some Winchesters   They are pretty
handy in a crowd  and there may be wolves   The Count  if you
remember  took some other precautions   He made some requisitions on
others that Mrs  Harker could not quite hear or understand   We must
be ready at all points  

Dr  Seward said   I think I had better go with Quincey   We have been
accustomed to hunt together  and we two  well armed  will be a match
for whatever may come along   You must not be alone  Art   It may be
necessary to fight the Slovaks  and a chance thrust  for I don t
suppose these fellows carry guns  would undo all our plans   There
must be no chances  this time   We shall not rest until the Count s
head and body have been separated  and we are sure that he cannot
reincarnate  

He looked at Jonathan as he spoke  and Jonathan looked at me   I could
see that the poor dear was torn about in his mind   Of course he
wanted to be with me   But then the boat service would  most likely 
be the one which would destroy the       the       Vampire    Why did
I hesitate to write the word  

He was silent awhile  and during his silence Dr  Van Helsing spoke 
 Friend Jonathan  this is to you for twice reasons   First  because
you are young and brave and can fight  and all energies may be needed
at the last   And again that it is your right to destroy him   That 
which has wrought such woe to you and yours   Be not afraid for Madam
Mina   She will be my care  if I may   I am old   My legs are not so
quick to run as once   And I am not used to ride so long or to pursue
as need be  or to fight with lethal weapons   But I can be of other
service   I can fight in other way   And I can die  if need be  as
well as younger men   Now let me say that what I would is this   While
you  my Lord Godalming and friend Jonathan go in your so swift little
steamboat up the river  and whilst John and Quincey guard the bank
where perchance he might be landed  I will take Madam Mina right into
the heart of the enemy s country   Whilst the old fox is tied in his
box  floating on the running stream whence he cannot escape to land 
where he dares not raise the lid of his coffin box lest his Slovak
carriers should in fear leave him to perish  we shall go in the track
where Jonathan went  from Bistritz over the Borgo  and find our way to
the Castle of Dracula   Here  Madam Mina s hypnotic power will surely
help  and we shall find our way  all dark and unknown otherwise  after
the first sunrise when we are near that fateful place   There is much
to be done  and other places to be made sanctify  so that that nest of
vipers be obliterated  

Here Jonathan interrupted him hotly   Do you mean to say  Professor
Van Helsing  that you would bring Mina  in her sad case and tainted as
she is with that devil s illness  right into the jaws of his
deathtrap   Not for the world   Not for Heaven or Hell  

He became almost speechless for a minute  and then went on   Do you
know what the place is   Have you seen that awful den of hellish
infamy  with the very moonlight alive with grisly shapes  and every
speck of dust that whirls in the wind a devouring monster in embryo 
Have you felt the Vampire s lips upon your throat  

Here he turned to me  and as his eyes lit on my forehead he threw up
his arms with a cry   Oh  my God  what have we done to have this
terror upon us   and he sank down on the sofa in a collapse of misery 

The Professor s voice  as he spoke in clear  sweet tones  which seemed
to vibrate in the air  calmed us all 

 Oh  my friend  it is because I would save Madam Mina from that awful
place that I would go   God forbid that I should take her into that
place   There is work  wild work  to be done before that place can be
purify   Remember that we are in terrible straits   If the Count
escape us this time  and he is strong and subtle and cunning  he may
choose to sleep him for a century  and then in time our dear one   he
took my hand   would come to him to keep him company  and would be as
those others that you  Jonathan  saw   You have told us of their
gloating lips   You heard their ribald laugh as they clutched the
moving bag that the Count threw to them   You shudder  and well may it
be   Forgive me that I make you so much pain  but it is necessary   My
friend  is it not a dire need for that which I am giving  possibly my
life   If it were that any one went into that place to stay  it is I
who would have to go to keep them company  

 Do as you will   said Jonathan  with a sob that shook him all over 
 we are in the hands of God  


Later   Oh  it did me good to see the way that these brave men worked 
How can women help loving men when they are so earnest  and so true 
and so brave   And  too  it made me think of the wonderful power of
money   What can it not do when basely used   I felt so thankful that
Lord Godalming is rich  and both he and Mr  Morris  who also has
plenty of money  are willing to spend it so freely   For if they did
not  our little expedition could not start  either so promptly or so
well equipped  as it will within another hour   It is not three hours
since it was arranged what part each of us was to do   And now Lord
Godalming and Jonathan have a lovely steam launch  with steam up ready
to start at a moment s notice   Dr  Seward and Mr  Morris have half a
dozen good horses  well appointed   We have all the maps and
appliances of various kinds that can be had   Professor Van Helsing
and I are to leave by the 11 40 train tonight for Veresti  where we
are to get a carriage to drive to the Borgo Pass   We are bringing a
good deal of ready money  as we are to buy a carriage and horses   We
shall drive ourselves  for we have no one whom we can trust in the
matter   The Professor knows something of a great many languages  so
we shall get on all right   We have all got arms  even for me a large
bore revolver   Jonathan would not be happy unless I was armed like
the rest   Alas   I cannot carry one arm that the rest do  the scar on
my forehead forbids that   Dear Dr  Van Helsing comforts me by telling
me that I am fully armed as there may be wolves   The weather is
getting colder every hour  and there are snow flurries which come and
go as warnings 


Later   It took all my courage to say goodbye to my darling   We may
never meet again   Courage  Mina   The Professor is looking at you
keenly   His look is a warning   There must be no tears now  unless it
may be that God will let them fall in gladness 



JONATHAN HARKER S JOURNAL

30 October  night   I am writing this in the light from the furnace
door of the steam launch   Lord Godalming is firing up   He is an
experienced hand at the work  as he has had for years a launch of his
own on the Thames  and another on the Norfolk Broads   Regarding our
plans  we finally decided that Mina s guess was correct  and that if
any waterway was chosen for the Count s escape back to his Castle  the
Sereth and then the Bistritza at its junction  would be the one   We
took it  that somewhere about the 47th degree  north latitude  would
be the place chosen for crossing the country between the river and the
Carpathians   We have no fear in running at good speed up the river at
night   There is plenty of water  and the banks are wide enough apart
to make steaming  even in the dark  easy enough   Lord Godalming tells
me to sleep for a while  as it is enough for the present for one to be
on watch   But I cannot sleep  how can I with the terrible danger
hanging over my darling  and her going out into that awful place      

My only comfort is that we are in the hands of God   Only for that
faith it would be easier to die than to live  and so be quit of all
the trouble   Mr  Morris and Dr  Seward were off on their long ride
before we started   They are to keep up the right bank  far enough off
to get on higher lands where they can see a good stretch of river and
avoid the following of its curves   They have  for the first stages 
two men to ride and lead their spare horses  four in all  so as not to
excite curiosity   When they dismiss the men  which shall be shortly 
they shall themselves look after the horses   It may be necessary for
us to join forces   If so they can mount our whole party   One of the
saddles has a moveable horn  and can be easily adapted for Mina  if
required 

It is a wild adventure we are on   Here  as we are rushing along
through the darkness  with the cold from the river seeming to rise up
and strike us  with all the mysterious voices of the night around us 
it all comes home   We seem to be drifting into unknown places and
unknown ways   Into a whole world of dark and dreadful things 
Godalming is shutting the furnace door      


31 October   Still hurrying along   The day has come  and Godalming is
sleeping   I am on watch   The morning is bitterly cold  the furnace
heat is grateful  though we have heavy fur coats   As yet we have
passed only a few open boats  but none of them had on board any box or
package of anything like the size of the one we seek   The men were
scared every time we turned our electric lamp on them  and fell on
their knees and prayed 


1 November  evening   No news all day   We have found nothing of the
kind we seek   We have now passed into the Bistritza  and if we are
wrong in our surmise our chance is gone   We have overhauled every
boat  big and little   Early this morning  one crew took us for a
Government boat  and treated us accordingly   We saw in this a way of
smoothing matters  so at Fundu  where the Bistritza runs into the
Sereth  we got a Roumanian flag which we now fly conspicuously   With
every boat which we have overhauled since then this trick has
succeeded   We have had every deference shown to us  and not once any
objection to whatever we chose to ask or do   Some of the Slovaks tell
us that a big boat passed them  going at more than usual speed as she
had a double crew on board   This was before they came to Fundu  so
they could not tell us whether the boat turned into the Bistritza or
continued on up the Sereth   At Fundu we could not hear of any such
boat  so she must have passed there in the night   I am feeling very
sleepy   The cold is perhaps beginning to tell upon me  and nature
must have rest some time   Godalming insists that he shall keep the
first watch   God bless him for all his goodness to poor dear Mina and
me 


2 November  morning   It is broad daylight   That good fellow would
not wake me   He says it would have been a sin to  for I slept
peacefully and was forgetting my trouble   It seems brutally selfish
to me to have slept so long  and let him watch all night  but he was
quite right   I am a new man this morning   And  as I sit here and
watch him sleeping  I can do all that is necessary both as to minding
the engine  steering  and keeping watch   I can feel that my strength
and energy are coming back to me   I wonder where Mina is now  and Van
Helsing   They should have got to Veresti about noon on Wednesday   It
would take them some time to get the carriage and horses   So if they
had started and travelled hard  they would be about now at the Borgo
Pass   God guide and help them   I am afraid to think what may
happen   If we could only go faster   But we cannot   The engines are
throbbing and doing their utmost   I wonder how Dr  Seward and Mr 
Morris are getting on   There seem to be endless streams running down
the mountains into this river  but as none of them are very large  at
present  at all events  though they are doubtless terrible in winter
and when the snow melts  the horsemen may not have met much
obstruction   I hope that before we get to Strasba we may see them 
For if by that time we have not overtaken the Count  it may be
necessary to take counsel together what to do next 





DR  SEWARD S DIARY

2 November   Three days on the road   No news  and no time to write it
if there had been  for every moment is precious   We have had only the
rest needful for the horses   But we are both bearing it wonderfully 
Those adventurous days of ours are turning up useful   We must push
on   We shall never feel happy till we get the launch in sight again 


3 November   We heard at Fundu that the launch had gone up the
Bistritza   I wish it wasn t so cold   There are signs of snow coming 
And if it falls heavy it will stop us   In such case we must get a
sledge and go on  Russian fashion 

4 November   Today we heard of the launch having been detained by an
accident when trying to force a way up the rapids   The Slovak boats
get up all right  by aid of a rope and steering with knowledge   Some
went up only a few hours before   Godalming is an amateur fitter
himself  and evidently it was he who put the launch in trim again 

Finally  they got up the rapids all right  with local help  and are off
on the chase afresh   I fear that the boat is not any better for the
accident  the peasantry tell us that after she got upon smooth water
again  she kept stopping every now and again so long as she was in
sight   We must push on harder than ever   Our help may be wanted
soon 





MINA HARKER S JOURNAL

31 October   Arrived at Veresti at noon   The Professor tells me that
this morning at dawn he could hardly hypnotize me at all  and that all
I could say was   dark and quiet    He is off now buying a carriage
and horses   He says that he will later on try to buy additional
horses  so that we may be able to change them on the way   We have
something more than 70 miles before us   The country is lovely  and
most interesting   If only we were under different conditions  how
delightful it would be to see it all   If Jonathan and I were driving
through it alone what a pleasure it would be   To stop and see people 
and learn something of their life  and to fill our minds and memories
with all the colour and picturesqueness of the whole wild  beautiful
country and the quaint people   But  alas 


Later   Dr  Van Helsing has returned   He has got the carriage and
horses   We are to have some dinner  and to start in an hour   The
landlady is putting us up a huge basket of provisions   It seems
enough for a company of soldiers   The Professor encourages her  and
whispers to me that it may be a week before we can get any food again 
He has been shopping too  and has sent home such a wonderful lot of
fur coats and wraps  and all sorts of warm things   There will not be
any chance of our being cold 

We shall soon be off   I am afraid to think what may happen to us   We
are truly in the hands of God   He alone knows what may be  and I pray
Him  with all the strength of my sad and humble soul  that He will
watch over my beloved husband   That whatever may happen  Jonathan may
know that I loved him and honoured him more than I can say  and that my
latest and truest thought will be always for him 




CHAPTER 27


MINA HARKER S JOURNAL

1 November   All day long we have travelled  and at a good speed   The
horses seem to know that they are being kindly treated  for they go
willingly their full stage at best speed   We have now had so many
changes and find the same thing so constantly that we are encouraged
to think that the journey will be an easy one   Dr  Van Helsing is
laconic  he tells the farmers that he is hurrying to Bistritz  and
pays them well to make the exchange of horses   We get hot soup  or
coffee  or tea  and off we go   It is a lovely country   Full of
beauties of all imaginable kinds  and the people are brave  and
strong  and simple  and seem full of nice qualities   They are very 
very superstitious   In the first house where we stopped  when the
woman who served us saw the scar on my forehead  she crossed herself
and put out two fingers towards me  to keep off the evil eye   I
believe they went to the trouble of putting an extra amount of garlic
into our food  and I can t abide garlic   Ever since then I have taken
care not to take off my hat or veil  and so have escaped their
suspicions   We are travelling fast  and as we have no driver with us
to carry tales  we go ahead of scandal   But I daresay that fear of
the evil eye will follow hard behind us all the way   The Professor
seems tireless   All day he would not take any rest  though he made me
sleep for a long spell   At sunset time he hypnotized me  and he says
I answered as usual   darkness  lapping water and creaking wood    So
our enemy is still on the river   I am afraid to think of Jonathan 
but somehow I have now no fear for him  or for myself   I write this
whilst we wait in a farmhouse for the horses to be ready   Dr  Van
Helsing is sleeping   Poor dear  he looks very tired and old and grey 
but his mouth is set as firmly as a conqueror s   Even in his sleep he
is intense with resolution   When we have well started I must make him
rest whilst I drive   I shall tell him that we have days before us 
and he must not break down when most of all his strength will be
needed       All is ready   We are off shortly 


2 November  morning   I was successful  and we took turns driving all
night   Now the day is on us  bright though cold   There is a strange
heaviness in the air   I say heaviness for want of a better word   I
mean that it oppresses us both   It is very cold  and only our warm
furs keep us comfortable   At dawn Van Helsing hypnotized me   He says
I answered  darkness  creaking wood and roaring water   so the river
is changing as they ascend   I do hope that my darling will not run
any chance of danger  more than need be  but we are in God s hands 


2 November  night   All day long driving   The country gets wilder as
we go  and the great spurs of the Carpathians  which at Veresti seemed
so far from us and so low on the horizon  now seem to gather round us
and tower in front   We both seem in good spirits   I think we make an
effort each to cheer the other  in the doing so we cheer ourselves 
Dr  Van Helsing says that by morning we shall reach the Borgo Pass 
The houses are very few here now  and the Professor says that the last
horse we got will have to go on with us  as we may not be able to
change   He got two in addition to the two we changed  so that now we
have a rude four in hand   The dear horses are patient and good  and
they give us no trouble   We are not worried with other travellers 
and so even I can drive   We shall get to the Pass in daylight   We do
not want to arrive before   So we take it easy  and have each a long
rest in turn   Oh  what will tomorrow bring to us   We go to seek the
place where my poor darling suffered so much   God grant that we may
be guided aright  and that He will deign to watch over my husband and
those dear to us both  and who are in such deadly peril   As for me  I
am not worthy in His sight   Alas   I am unclean to His eyes  and
shall be until He may deign to let me stand forth in His sight as one
of those who have not incurred His wrath 





MEMORANDUM BY ABRAHAM VAN HELSING

4 November   This to my old and true friend John Seward  M D  
of Purfleet  London  in case I may not see him   It may
explain   It is morning  and I write by a fire which all
the night I have kept alive  Madam Mina aiding me   It is
cold  cold   So cold that the grey heavy sky is full of
snow  which when it falls will settle for all winter as the
ground is hardening to receive it   It seems to have affected
Madam Mina   She has been so heavy of head all day that she was
not like herself   She sleeps  and sleeps  and sleeps   She who
is usual so alert  have done literally nothing all the day   She
even have lost her appetite   She make no entry into her little
diary  she who write so faithful at every pause   Something
whisper to me that all is not well   However  tonight she is more
 vif    Her long sleep all day have refresh and restore her  for
now she is all sweet and bright as ever   At sunset I try to
hypnotize her  but alas  with no effect   The power has grown
less and less with each day  and tonight it fail me altogether 
Well  God s will be done  whatever it may be  and whithersoever
it may lead 

Now to the historical  for as Madam Mina write not in her
stenography  I must  in my cumbrous old fashion  that so
each day of us may not go unrecorded 

We got to the Borgo Pass just after sunrise yesterday
morning   When I saw the signs of the dawn I got ready for
the hypnotism   We stopped our carriage  and got down so
that there might be no disturbance   I made a couch with
furs  and Madam Mina  lying down  yield herself as usual 
but more slow and more short time than ever  to the hypnotic
sleep   As before  came the answer   darkness and the swirling of
water    Then she woke  bright and radiant and we go on our way
and soon reach the Pass   At this time and place  she become all
on fire with zeal   Some new guiding power be in her manifested 
for she point to a road and say   This is the way  

 How know you it   I ask 

 Of course I know it   she answer  and with a pause  add 
 Have not my Jonathan travelled it and wrote of his travel  

At first I think somewhat strange  but soon I see that there be
only one such byroad   It is used but little  and very different
from the coach road from the Bukovina to Bistritz  which is more
wide and hard  and more of use 

So we came down this road   When we meet other ways  not
always were we sure that they were roads at all  for they
be neglect and light snow have fallen  the horses know and
they only   I give rein to them  and they go on so patient   By
and by we find all the things which Jonathan have note in that
wonderful diary of him   Then we go on for long  long hours and
hours   At the first  I tell Madam Mina to sleep   She try  and
she succeed   She sleep all the time  till at the last  I feel
myself to suspicious grow  and attempt to wake her   But she
sleep on  and I may not wake her though I try   I do not wish to
try too hard lest I harm her   For I know that she have suffer
much  and sleep at times be all in all to her   I think I drowse
myself  for all of sudden I feel guilt  as though I have done
something   I find myself bolt up  with the reins in my hand  and
the good horses go along jog  jog  just as ever   I look down and
find Madam Mina still asleep   It is now not far off sunset time 
and over the snow the light of the sun flow in big yellow flood 
so that we throw great long shadow on where the mountain rise so
steep   For we are going up  and up  and all is oh so wild and
rocky  as though it were the end of the world 

Then I arouse Madam Mina   This time she wake with not much
trouble  and then I try to put her to hypnotic sleep   But
she sleep not  being as though I were not   Still I try and
try  till all at once I find her and myself in dark  so I
look round  and find that the sun have gone down   Madam
Mina laugh  and I turn and look at her   She is now quite
awake  and look so well as I never saw her since that night
at Carfax when we first enter the Count s house   I am amaze  and
not at ease then   But she is so bright and tender and thoughtful
for me that I forget all fear   I light a fire  for we have
brought supply of wood with us  and she prepare food while I undo
the horses and set them  tethered in shelter  to feed   Then when
I return to the fire she have my supper ready   I go to help her 
but she smile  and tell me that she have eat already   That she
was so hungry that she would not wait   I like it not  and I have
grave doubts   But I fear to affright her  and so I am silent of
it   She help me and I eat alone  and then we wrap in fur and lie
beside the fire  and I tell her to sleep while I watch   But
presently I forget all of watching   And when I sudden remember
that I watch  I find her lying quiet  but awake  and looking at
me with so bright eyes   Once  twice more the same occur  and I
get much sleep till before morning   When I wake I try to
hypnotize her  but alas  though she shut her eyes obedient  she
may not sleep   The sun rise up  and up  and up  and then sleep
come to her too late  but so heavy that she will not wake   I
have to lift her up  and place her sleeping in the carriage when
I have harnessed the horses and made all ready   Madam still
sleep  and she look in her sleep more healthy and more redder
than before   And I like it not   And I am afraid  afraid 
afraid   I am afraid of all things  even to think but I must go
on my way   The stake we play for is life and death  or more than
these  and we must not flinch 


5 November  morning   Let me be accurate in everything  for
though you and I have seen some strange things together 
you may at the first think that I  Van Helsing  am mad 
That the many horrors and the so long strain on nerves has
at the last turn my brain 

All yesterday we travel  always getting closer to the
mountains  and moving into a more and more wild and desert
land   There are great  frowning precipices and much falling
water  and Nature seem to have held sometime her carnival   Madam
Mina still sleep and sleep   And though I did have hunger and
appeased it  I could not waken her  even for food   I began to
fear that the fatal spell of the place was upon her  tainted as
she is with that Vampire baptism    Well   said I to myself   if
it be that she sleep all the day  it shall also be that I do not
sleep at night    As we travel on the rough road  for a road of
an ancient and imperfect kind there was  I held down my head and
slept 

Again I waked with a sense of guilt and of time passed  and
found Madam Mina still sleeping  and the sun low down   But
all was indeed changed   The frowning mountains seemed further
away  and we were near the top of a steep rising hill  on summit
of which was such a castle as Jonathan tell of in his diary   At
once I exulted and feared   For now  for good or ill  the end was
near 

I woke Madam Mina  and again tried to hypnotize her  but
alas   unavailing till too late   Then  ere the great dark
came upon us  for even after down sun the heavens reflected
the gone sun on the snow  and all was for a time in a great
twilight   I took out the horses and fed them in what shelter I
could   Then I make a fire  and near it I make Madam Mina  now
awake and more charming than ever  sit comfortable amid her rugs 
I got ready food  but she would not eat  simply saying that she
had not hunger   I did not press her  knowing her unavailingness 
But I myself eat  for I must needs now be strong for all   Then 
with the fear on me of what might be  I drew a ring so big for
her comfort  round where Madam Mina sat   And over the ring I
passed some of the wafer  and I broke it fine so that all was
well guarded   She sat still all the time  so still as one dead 
And she grew whiter and even whiter till the snow was not more
pale  and no word she said   But when I drew near  she clung to
me  and I could know that the poor soul shook her from head to
feet with a tremor that was pain to feel 

I said to her presently  when she had grown more quiet 
 Will you not come over to the fire   for I wished to make
a test of what she could   She rose obedient  but when she
have made a step she stopped  and stood as one stricken 

 Why not go on   I asked   She shook her head  and coming
back  sat down in her place   Then  looking at me with open
eyes  as of one waked from sleep  she said simply   I cannot  
and remained silent   I rejoiced  for I knew that what she could
not  none of those that we dreaded could   Though there might be
danger to her body  yet her soul was safe 

Presently the horses began to scream  and tore at their
tethers till I came to them and quieted them   When they
did feel my hands on them  they whinnied low as in joy  and
licked at my hands and were quiet for a time   Many times
through the night did I come to them  till it arrive to the
cold hour when all nature is at lowest  and every time my
coming was with quiet of them   In the cold hour the fire
began to die  and I was about stepping forth to replenish
it  for now the snow came in flying sweeps and with it a
chill mist   Even in the dark there was a light of some
kind  as there ever is over snow  and it seemed as though
the snow flurries and the wreaths of mist took shape as of
women with trailing garments   All was in dead  grim silence only
that the horses whinnied and cowered  as if in terror of the
worst   I began to fear  horrible fears   But then came to me the
sense of safety in that ring wherein I stood   I began too  to
think that my imaginings were of the night  and the gloom  and
the unrest that I have gone through  and all the terrible
anxiety   It was as though my memories of all Jonathan s horrid
experience were befooling me   For the snow flakes and the mist
began to wheel and circle round  till I could get as though a
shadowy glimpse of those women that would have kissed him   And
then the horses cowered lower and lower  and moaned in terror as
men do in pain   Even the madness of fright was not to them  so
that they could break away   I feared for my dear Madam Mina when
these weird figures drew near and circled round   I looked at her 
but she sat calm  and smiled at me   When I would have stepped to
the fire to replenish it  she caught me and held me back  and
whispered  like a voice that one hears in a dream  so low it was 

 No   No   Do not go without   Here you are safe  

I turned to her  and looking in her eyes said   But you 
It is for you that I fear  

Whereat she laughed  a laugh low and unreal  and said   Fear
for me   Why fear for me   None safer in all the world from
them than I am   and as I wondered at the meaning of her
words  a puff of wind made the flame leap up  and I see the
red scar on her forehead   Then  alas   I knew   Did I not 
I would soon have learned  for the wheeling figures of mist
and snow came closer  but keeping ever without the Holy
circle   Then they began to materialize till  if God have
not taken away my reason  for I saw it through my eyes 
There were before me in actual flesh the same three women
that Jonathan saw in the room  when they would have kissed
his throat   I knew the swaying round forms  the bright
hard eyes  the white teeth  the ruddy colour  the voluptuous
lips   They smiled ever at poor dear Madam Mina   And as
their laugh came through the silence of the night  they
twined their arms and pointed to her  and said in those so
sweet tingling tones that Jonathan said were of the intolerable
sweetness of the water glasses   Come  sister   Come to us 
Come  

In fear I turned to my poor Madam Mina  and my heart with
gladness leapt like flame   For oh  the terror in her sweet
eyes  the repulsion  the horror  told a story to my heart
that was all of hope   God be thanked she was not  yet  of
them   I seized some of the firewood which was by me  and
holding out some of the Wafer  advanced on them towards the
fire   They drew back before me  and laughed their low horrid
laugh   I fed the fire  and feared them not   For I knew that we
were safe within the ring  which she could not leave no more than
they could enter   The horses had ceased to moan  and lay still
on the ground   The snow fell on them softly  and they grew
whiter   I knew that there was for the poor beasts no more of
terror 

And so we remained till the red of the dawn began to fall
through the snow gloom   I was desolate and afraid  and
full of woe and terror   But when that beautiful sun began
to climb the horizon life was to me again   At the first
coming of the dawn the horrid figures melted in the whirling
mist and snow   The wreaths of transparent gloom moved away
towards the castle  and were lost 

Instinctively  with the dawn coming  I turned to Madam Mina 
intending to hypnotize her   But she lay in a deep and sudden
sleep  from which I could not wake her   I tried to hypnotize
through her sleep  but she made no response  none at all  and the
day broke   I fear yet to stir   I have made my fire and have
seen the horses  they are all dead   Today I have much to do here 
and I keep waiting till the sun is up high   For there may be
places where I must go  where that sunlight  though snow and mist
obscure it  will be to me a safety 

I will strengthen me with breakfast  and then I will do my
terrible work   Madam Mina still sleeps  and God be thanked   She
is calm in her sleep      



JONATHAN HARKER S JOURNAL

4 November  evening   The accident to the launch has been a terrible
thing for us   Only for it we should have overtaken the boat long ago 
and by now my dear Mina would have been free   I fear to think of her 
off on the wolds near that horrid place   We have got horses  and we
follow on the track   I note this whilst Godalming is getting ready 
We have our arms   The Szgany must look out if they mean to fight   Oh 
if only Morris and Seward were with us   We must only hope   If I
write no more Goodby Mina   God bless and keep you 



DR  SEWARD S DIARY

5 November   With the dawn we saw the body of Szgany before us dashing
away from the river with their leiter wagon   They surrounded it in a
cluster  and hurried along as though beset   The snow is falling
lightly and there is a strange excitement in the air   It may be our
own feelings  but the depression is strange   Far off I hear the
howling of wolves   The snow brings them down from the mountains  and
there are dangers to all of us  and from all sides   The horses are
nearly ready  and we are soon off   We ride to death of some one   God
alone knows who  or where  or what  or when  or how it may be      





DR  VAN HELSING S MEMORANDUM

5 November  afternoon   I am at least sane   Thank God for
that mercy at all events  though the proving it has been
dreadful   When I left Madam Mina sleeping within the Holy
circle  I took my way to the castle   The blacksmith hammer
which I took in the carriage from Veresti was useful  though the
doors were all open I broke them off the rusty hinges  lest some
ill intent or ill chance should close them  so that being entered
I might not get out   Jonathan s bitter experience served me
here   By memory of his diary I found my way to the old chapel 
for I knew that here my work lay   The air was oppressive   It
seemed as if there was some sulphurous fume  which at times made
me dizzy   Either there was a roaring in my ears or I heard afar
off the howl of wolves   Then I bethought me of my dear Madam
Mina  and I was in terrible plight   The dilemma had me between
his horns 

Her  I had not dare to take into this place  but left safe
from the Vampire in that Holy circle   And yet even there
would be the wolf   I resolve me that my work lay here  and
that as to the wolves we must submit  if it were God s will   At
any rate it was only death and freedom beyond   So did I choose
for her   Had it but been for myself the choice had been easy 
the maw of the wolf were better to rest in than the grave of the
Vampire   So I make my choice to go on with my work 

I knew that there were at least three graves to find  graves
that are inhabit   So I search  and search  and I find one
of them   She lay in her Vampire sleep  so full of life and
voluptuous beauty that I shudder as though I have come to
do murder   Ah  I doubt not that in the old time  when such
things were  many a man who set forth to do such a task as
mine  found at the last his heart fail him  and then his
nerve   So he delay  and delay  and delay  till the mere
beauty and the fascination of the wanton Undead have hypnotize
him   And he remain on and on  till sunset come  and the Vampire
sleep be over   Then the beautiful eyes of the fair woman open
and look love  and the voluptuous mouth present to a kiss  and
the man is weak   And there remain one more victim in the
Vampire fold   One more to swell the grim and grisly ranks
of the Undead       

There is some fascination  surely  when I am moved by the
mere presence of such an one  even lying as she lay in a
tomb fretted with age and heavy with the dust of centuries 
though there be that horrid odour such as the lairs of the
Count have had   Yes  I was moved   I  Van Helsing  with
all my purpose and with my motive for hate   I was moved to
a yearning for delay which seemed to paralyze my faculties
and to clog my very soul   It may have been that the need
of natural sleep  and the strange oppression of the air
were beginning to overcome me   Certain it was that I was
lapsing into sleep  the open eyed sleep of one who yields
to a sweet fascination  when there came through the snow stilled
air a long  low wail  so full of woe and pity that it woke me
like the sound of a clarion   For it was the voice of my dear
Madam Mina that I heard 

Then I braced myself again to my horrid task  and found by
wrenching away tomb tops one other of the sisters  the other dark
one   I dared not pause to look on her as I had on her sister 
lest once more I should begin to be enthrall   But I go on
searching until  presently  I find in a high great tomb as if
made to one much beloved that other fair sister which  like
Jonathan I had seen to gather herself out of the atoms of the
mist   She was so fair to look on  so radiantly beautiful  so
exquisitely voluptuous  that the very instinct of man in me 
which calls some of my sex to love and to protect one of hers 
made my head whirl with new emotion   But God be thanked  that
soul wail of my dear Madam Mina had not died out of my ears 
And  before the spell could be wrought further upon me  I had
nerved myself to my wild work   By this time I had searched all
the tombs in the chapel  so far as I could tell   And as there
had been only three of these Undead phantoms around us in the
night  I took it that there were no more of active Undead
existent   There was one great tomb more lordly than all the
rest   Huge it was  and nobly proportioned   On it was but one
word 


            DRACULA


This then was the Undead home of the King Vampire  to whom
so many more were due   Its emptiness spoke eloquent to
make certain what I knew   Before I began to restore these
women to their dead selves through my awful work  I laid in
Dracula s tomb some of the Wafer  and so banished him from
it  Undead  for ever 

Then began my terrible task  and I dreaded it   Had it been
but one  it had been easy  comparative   But three   To
begin twice more after I had been through a deed of horror 
For it was terrible with the sweet Miss Lucy  what would it
not be with these strange ones who had survived through
centuries  and who had been strengthened by the passing of
the years   Who would  if they could  have fought for their
foul lives      

Oh  my friend John  but it was butcher work   Had I not
been nerved by thoughts of other dead  and of the living
over whom hung such a pall of fear  I could not have gone
on   I tremble and tremble even yet  though till all was
over  God be thanked  my nerve did stand   Had I not seen
the repose in the first place  and the gladness that stole
over it just ere the final dissolution came  as realization
that the soul had been won  I could not have gone further
with my butchery   I could not have endured the horrid screeching
as the stake drove home  the plunging of writhing form  and lips
of bloody foam   I should have fled in terror and left my work
undone   But it is over   And the poor souls  I can pity them now
and weep  as I think of them placid each in her full sleep of
death for a short moment ere fading   For  friend John  hardly
had my knife severed the head of each  before the whole body
began to melt away and crumble into its native dust  as though
the death that should have come centuries ago had at last assert
himself and say at once and loud   I am here  

Before I left the castle I so fixed its entrances that never
more can the Count enter there Undead 

When I stepped into the circle where Madam Mina slept  she
woke from her sleep and  seeing me  cried out in pain that
I had endured too much 

 Come   she said   come away from this awful place   Let us
go to meet my husband who is  I know  coming towards us  
She was looking thin and pale and weak   But her eyes were
pure and glowed with fervour   I was glad to see her paleness and
her illness  for my mind was full of the fresh horror of that
ruddy vampire sleep 

And so with trust and hope  and yet full of fear  we go
eastward to meet our friends  and him  whom Madam Mina tell
me that she know are coming to meet us 





MINA HARKER S JOURNAL

6 November   It was late in the afternoon when the Professor and I
took our way towards the east whence I knew Jonathan was coming   We
did not go fast  though the way was steeply downhill  for we had to
take heavy rugs and wraps with us   We dared not face the possibility
of being left without warmth in the cold and the snow   We had to take
some of our provisions too  for we were in a perfect desolation  and
so far as we could see through the snowfall  there was not even the
sign of habitation   When we had gone about a mile  I was tired with
the heavy walking and sat down to rest   Then we looked back and saw
where the clear line of Dracula s castle cut the sky   For we were so
deep under the hill whereon it was set that the angle of perspective
of the Carpathian mountains was far below it   We saw it in all its
grandeur  perched a thousand feet on the summit of a sheer precipice 
and with seemingly a great gap between it and the steep of the
adjacent mountain on any side   There was something wild and uncanny
about the place   We could hear the distant howling of wolves   They
were far off  but the sound  even though coming muffled through the
deadening snowfall  was full of terror   I knew from the way Dr  Van
Helsing was searching about that he was trying to seek some strategic
point  where we would be less exposed in case of attack   The rough
roadway still led downwards   We could trace it through the drifted
snow 

In a little while the Professor signalled to me  so I got up and
joined him   He had found a wonderful spot  a sort of natural hollow
in a rock  with an entrance like a doorway between two boulders   He
took me by the hand and drew me in 

 See   he said   here you will be in shelter   And if the wolves do
come I can meet them one by one  

He brought in our furs  and made a snug nest for me  and got out some
provisions and forced them upon me   But I could not eat  to even try
to do so was repulsive to me  and much as I would have liked to please
him  I could not bring myself to the attempt   He looked very sad  but
did not reproach me   Taking his field glasses from the case  he stood
on the top of the rock  and began to search the horizon 

Suddenly he called out   Look   Madam Mina  look   Look  

I sprang up and stood beside him on the rock   He handed me his
glasses and pointed   The snow was now falling more heavily  and
swirled about fiercely  for a high wind was beginning to blow 
However  there were times when there were pauses between the snow
flurries and I could see a long way round   From the height where we
were it was possible to see a great distance   And far off  beyond the
white waste of snow  I could see the river lying like a black ribbon
in kinks and curls as it wound its way   Straight in front of us and
not far off  in fact so near that I wondered we had not noticed
before  came a group of mounted men hurrying along   In the midst of
them was a cart  a long leiter wagon which swept from side to side 
like a dog s tail wagging  with each stern inequality of the road 
Outlined against the snow as they were  I could see from the men s
clothes that they were peasants or gypsies of some kind 

On the cart was a great square chest   My heart leaped as I saw it  for
I felt that the end was coming   The evening was now drawing close 
and well I knew that at sunset the Thing  which was till then
imprisoned there  would take new freedom and could in any of many
forms elude pursuit   In fear I turned to the Professor   To my
consternation  however  he was not there   An instant later  I saw him
below me   Round the rock he had drawn a circle  such as we had found
shelter in last night 

When he had completed it he stood beside me again saying   At least
you shall be safe here from him    He took the glasses from me  and at
the next lull of the snow swept the whole space below us    See   he
said   they come quickly   They are flogging the horses  and galloping
as hard as they can  

He paused and went on in a hollow voice   They are racing for the
sunset   We may be too late   God s will be done    Down came another
blinding rush of driving snow  and the whole landscape was blotted
out   It soon passed  however  and once more his glasses were fixed on
the plain 

Then came a sudden cry   Look   Look   Look   See  two horsemen follow
fast  coming up from the south   It must be Quincey and John   Take
the glass   Look before the snow blots it all out    I took it and
looked   The two men might be Dr  Seward and Mr  Morris   I knew at
all events that neither of them was Jonathan   At the same time I knew
that Jonathan was not far off   Looking around I saw on the north side
of the coming party two other men  riding at breakneck speed   One of
them I knew was Jonathan  and the other I took  of course  to be Lord
Godalming   They too  were pursuing the party with the cart   When I
told the Professor he shouted in glee like a schoolboy  and after
looking intently till a snow fall made sight impossible  he laid his
Winchester rifle ready for use against the boulder at the opening of
our shelter 

 They are all converging   he said    When the time comes we shall have
gypsies on all sides    I got out my revolver ready to hand  for
whilst we were speaking the howling of wolves came louder and closer 
When the snow storm abated a moment we looked again   It was strange
to see the snow falling in such heavy flakes close to us  and beyond 
the sun shining more and more brightly as it sank down towards the far
mountain tops   Sweeping the glass all around us I could see here and
there dots moving singly and in twos and threes and larger numbers 
The wolves were gathering for their prey 

Every instant seemed an age whilst we waited   The wind came now in
fierce bursts  and the snow was driven with fury as it swept upon us
in circling eddies   At times we could not see an arm s length before
us   But at others  as the hollow sounding wind swept by us  it seemed
to clear the air space around us so that we could see afar off   We
had of late been so accustomed to watch for sunrise and sunset  that
we knew with fair accuracy when it would be   And we knew that before
long the sun would set   It was hard to believe that by our watches it
was less than an hour that we waited in that rocky shelter before the
various bodies began to converge close upon us   The wind came now
with fiercer and more bitter sweeps  and more steadily from the
north   It seemingly had driven the snow clouds from us  for with only
occasional bursts  the snow fell   We could distinguish clearly the
individuals of each party  the pursued and the pursuers   Strangely
enough those pursued did not seem to realize  or at least to care 
that they were pursued   They seemed  however  to hasten with
redoubled speed as the sun dropped lower and lower on the mountain
tops 

Closer and closer they drew   The Professor and I crouched down behind
our rock  and held our weapons ready   I could see that he was
determined that they should not pass   One and all were quite unaware
of our presence 

All at once two voices shouted out to  Halt    One was my Jonathan s 
raised in a high key of passion   The other Mr  Morris  strong
resolute tone of quiet command   The gypsies may not have known the
language  but there was no mistaking the tone  in whatever tongue the
words were spoken   Instinctively they reined in  and at the instant
Lord Godalming and Jonathan dashed up at one side and Dr  Seward and
Mr  Morris on the other   The leader of the gypsies  a splendid
looking fellow who sat his horse like a centaur  waved them back  and
in a fierce voice gave to his companions some word to proceed   They
lashed the horses which sprang forward   But the four men raised their
Winchester rifles  and in an unmistakable way commanded them to stop 
At the same moment Dr  Van Helsing and I rose behind the rock and
pointed our weapons at them   Seeing that they were surrounded the men
tightened their reins and drew up   The leader turned to them and gave
a word at which every man of the gypsy party drew what weapon he
carried  knife or pistol  and held himself in readiness to attack 
Issue was joined in an instant 

The leader  with a quick movement of his rein  threw his horse out in
front  and pointed first to the sun  now close down on the hill tops 
and then to the castle  said something which I did not understand 
For answer  all four men of our party threw themselves from their
horses and dashed towards the cart   I should have felt terrible fear
at seeing Jonathan in such danger  but that the ardor of battle must
have been upon me as well as the rest of them   I felt no fear  but
only a wild  surging desire to do something   Seeing the quick
movement of our parties  the leader of the gypsies gave a command   His
men instantly formed round the cart in a sort of undisciplined
endeavour  each one shouldering and pushing the other in his eagerness
to carry out the order 

In the midst of this I could see that Jonathan on one side of the ring
of men  and Quincey on the other  were forcing a way to the cart   It
was evident that they were bent on finishing their task before the sun
should set   Nothing seemed to stop or even to hinder them   Neither
the levelled weapons nor the flashing knives of the gypsies in front 
nor the howling of the wolves behind  appeared to even attract their
attention   Jonathan s impetuosity  and the manifest singleness of his
purpose  seemed to overawe those in front of him   Instinctively they
cowered aside and let him pass   In an instant he had jumped upon the
cart  and with a strength which seemed incredible  raised the great
box  and flung it over the wheel to the ground   In the meantime  Mr 
Morris had had to use force to pass through his side of the ring of
Szgany   All the time I had been breathlessly watching Jonathan I had 
with the tail of my eye  seen him pressing desperately forward  and
had seen the knives of the gypsies flash as he won a way through them 
and they cut at him   He had parried with his great bowie knife  and
at first I thought that he too had come through in safety   But as he
sprang beside Jonathan  who had by now jumped from the cart  I could
see that with his left hand he was clutching at his side  and that the
blood was spurting through his fingers   He did not delay
notwithstanding this  for as Jonathan  with desperate energy  attacked
one end of the chest  attempting to prize off the lid with his great
Kukri knife  he attacked the other frantically with his bowie   Under
the efforts of both men the lid began to yield   The nails drew with a
screeching sound  and the top of the box was thrown back 

By this time the gypsies  seeing themselves covered by the
Winchesters  and at the mercy of Lord Godalming and Dr  Seward  had
given in and made no further resistance   The sun was almost down on
the mountain tops  and the shadows of the whole group fell upon the
snow   I saw the Count lying within the box upon the earth  some of
which the rude falling from the cart had scattered over him   He was
deathly pale  just like a waxen image  and the red eyes glared with
the horrible vindictive look which I knew so well 

As I looked  the eyes saw the sinking sun  and the look of hate in
them turned to triumph 

But  on the instant  came the sweep and flash of Jonathan s great
knife   I shrieked as I saw it shear through the throat   Whilst at
the same moment Mr  Morris s bowie knife plunged into the heart 

It was like a miracle  but before our very eyes  and almost in the
drawing of a breath  the whole body crumbled into dust and passed from
our sight 

I shall be glad as long as I live that even in that moment of final
dissolution  there was in the face a look of peace  such as I never
could have imagined might have rested there 

The Castle of Dracula now stood out against the red sky  and every
stone of its broken battlements was articulated against the light of
the setting sun 

The gypsies  taking us as in some way the cause of the extraordinary
disappearance of the dead man  turned  without a word  and rode away
as if for their lives   Those who were unmounted jumped upon the
leiter wagon and shouted to the horsemen not to desert them   The
wolves  which had withdrawn to a safe distance  followed in their
wake  leaving us alone 

Mr  Morris  who had sunk to the ground  leaned on his elbow  holding
his hand pressed to his side   The blood still gushed through his
fingers   I flew to him  for the Holy circle did not now keep me back 
so did the two doctors   Jonathan knelt behind him and the wounded man
laid back his head on his shoulder   With a sigh he took  with a
feeble effort  my hand in that of his own which was unstained 

He must have seen the anguish of my heart in my face  for he smiled at
me and said   I am only too happy to have been of service   Oh  God  
he cried suddenly  struggling to a sitting posture and pointing to me 
 It was worth for this to die   Look   Look  

The sun was now right down upon the mountain top  and the red gleams
fell upon my face  so that it was bathed in rosy light   With one
impulse the men sank on their knees and a deep and earnest  Amen 
broke from all as their eyes followed the pointing of his finger 

The dying man spoke   Now God be thanked that all has not been in
vain   See   The snow is not more stainless than her forehead   The
curse has passed away  

And  to our bitter grief  with a smile and in silence  he died  a
gallant gentleman 





NOTE


Seven years ago we all went through the flames   And the happiness of
some of us since then is  we think  well worth the pain we endured 
It is an added joy to Mina and to me that our boy s birthday is the
same day as that on which Quincey Morris died   His mother holds  I
know  the secret belief that some of our brave friend s spirit has
passed into him   His bundle of names links all our little band of men
together   But we call him Quincey 

In the summer of this year we made a journey to Transylvania  and went
over the old ground which was  and is  to us so full of vivid and
terrible memories   It was almost impossible to believe that the
things which we had seen with our own eyes and heard with our own ears
were living truths   Every trace of all that had been was blotted
out   The castle stood as before  reared high above a waste of
desolation 

When we got home we were talking of the old time  which we could all
look back on without despair  for Godalming and Seward are both
happily married   I took the papers from the safe where they had been
ever since our return so long ago   We were struck with the fact  that
in all the mass of material of which the record is composed  there is
hardly one authentic document   Nothing but a mass of typewriting 
except the later notebooks of Mina and Seward and myself  and Van
Helsing s memorandum   We could hardly ask any one  even did we wish
to  to accept these as proofs of so wild a story   Van Helsing summed
it all up as he said  with our boy on his knee 

 We want no proofs   We ask none to believe us   This boy will some
day know what a brave and gallant woman his mother is   Already he
knows her sweetness and loving care   Later on he will understand how
some men so loved her  that they did dare much for her sake  

JONATHAN HARKER









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