 |
|
Reply
| | From:  Badamgrl (Original Message) | Sent: 6/13/2007 5:47 AM |
JONATHAN HARKER'S JOURNAL.
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.
|
|
|
Reply
| |
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 to-morrow 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. |
|
Reply
| |
JONATHAN HARKER'S JOURNAL.
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 hypnotise 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.
In 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 to-day!" 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 nothings."
"I want you to hypnotise 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 tip-toe, 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.
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 to-day. 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 earthwork 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.
|
|
Reply
| |
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.
[NOTE: Stoker's editing is really getting sloppy. If you've
been following the real-time posting of _Dracula_, you must
know that it was this morning (4 October) that Mina reported
under hypnosis that Dracula appeared to be on some sort of
ship and that Van Helsing has gone today in search of ships
that sailed last night for Varna. This entry in Mina's journal
could only make sense if it were written on the evening of
4 October, not tomorrow as the date implies.]
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.
"`Soh!' 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 gang-plank, 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 Un-dead, 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, Un-dead 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 ways; 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 man-eater, 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 man-eater, 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 armour, 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
to-night nothing be definitely settled; that we should all sleep
on the facts, and try to think out the proper conclusions.
To-morrow, 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 to-night. 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. |
|
Reply
| |
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 realise 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!
Van Helsing is coming to my study a little before the
others. I shall try to open the subject with him.
DR. SEWARD'S DIARY. (5 October, continued)
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
suddenly:--
"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 hypnotise 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 heart-break
me to think of; but it must be. When to-day 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.
DR. SEWARD'S DIARY. (5 October, continued)
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 realised 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. To-night and
to-morrow 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 plans 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.
JONATHAN HARKER'S JOURNAL. (5 October, continued)
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. |
|
Reply
| |
JONATHAN HARKER'S JOURNAL. (5 October, continued)
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.
JONATHAN HARKER'S JOURNAL.
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 occassion 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 hypnotise 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
to-day 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....
JONATHAN HARKER'S JOURNAL. (6 October, continued)
Later.--It is all 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. |
|
Reply
| |
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, preceeded only
by a spell of warning silence.
To-night, 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, dear: 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?" 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 questionly, 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 for ever--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 any one--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--I cannot go on--words--and v-voice--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. |
|
Reply
| |
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 hypnotise 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. To-morrow 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!
JONATHAN HARKER'S JOURNAL.
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.
JONATHAN HARKER'S JOURNAL.
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
authorisation 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.
JONATHAN HARKER'S JOURNAL.
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, RUFUS SMITH, LLOYD'S, LONDON, TO LORD GODALMING,
CARE OF H. B. M. VICE CONSUL, VARNA. "24 October.--Czarina
Catherine reported this morning from Dardanelles." |
|
Reply
| |
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.
DR. SEWARD'S DIARY.
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
to-day. 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.
DR. SEWARD'S DIARY. (25 October-continued)
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!
DR. SEWARD'S DIARY.
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.
DR. SEWARD'S DIARY.
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 to-night at sunset to make her speak
more fully when in her hypnotic state.
TELEGRAM, RUFUS SMITH, LLOYD'S, LONDON, TO LORD GODALMING,
CARE OF H.B.M. VICE-CONSUL, VARNA. "28 October.--Czarina
Catherine reported entering Galatz at one o'clock today." |
|
Reply
| |
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 to-morrow 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 to-morrow 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 organise. 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. Morris Quincey, 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 realise 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!"
"There 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 and 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--then
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 pre-destinate 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 pon 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. |
|
Reply
| |
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 acqueisced. 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 to-night, 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 to-night.
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 sun-up. Thus
we shall have two more hypnotic messages from Mrs. Harker!
Either or both may possibly throw more light on what is
happening.
DR. SEWARD'S DIARY. [29 October - continued]
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 on; 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.
DR. SEWARD'S DIARY.
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
agonised 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.
MINA HARKER'S JOURNAL. [30 October - continued]
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. |
|
Reply
| |
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 harbour. 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 expeckit 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 agin 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 sun-up, 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 parterage. That was all he knew.
We then sought for Skinsky, but were unable to find him. One
of his neighbours, 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 realise 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 ot 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. |
|
Reply
| |
MINA HARKER'S JOURNAL--continued. (30 October)
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 ever 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!"
MINA HARKER'S JOURNAL. (30 October)
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 when it
is properly applied; and what might it 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 to-night for
Veresti, where we are to get a carriage to drive to the Borgo
MINA HARKER'S JOURNAL--continued 30 October.
Later.--It took all my courage to say good-bye 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.... |
|
Reply
| |
MEMORANDUM BY ABRAHAM VAN HELSING
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 hypnotise 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 materialise 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! 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 hypnotise her; but she lay in a deep and sudden
sleep, from which I could not wake her. I tried to hypnotise
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. To-day 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....
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 be-thought
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 Un-dead have hypnotise 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 Un-dead!...
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 odor 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 paralyse 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 tim e I had searched all
the tombs in the chapel, so far as I could tell; and as there
had been only three of these Un-dead phantoms around us in the
night, I took it that there were no more of active Un-dead
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 Un-dead 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, Un-dead,
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 strenghtened 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 realisation 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 agone 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 Un-dead.
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. |
|
Reply
| |
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
break-neck 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
realise, 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 ardour 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. |
|
Reply
| |
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 |
|
|
Free Forum Hosting
Important Announcement
Recommend
Return to General