"The branch of wild rose on his coffin keep him that he move not
from it, a sacred bullet fired into the coffin kill him so that he
be true dead, and as for the stake through him, we know already of
its peace, or the cut off head that giveth rest. We have seen it
with our eyes.
"Thus when we find the habitation of this man-that-was, we can
confine him to his coffin and destroy him, if we obey what we know.
But he is clever. I have asked my friend Arminius, of Buda-Pesth
University, to make his record, and from all the means that are, he
tell me of what he has been. He must, indeed, have been that
Voivode Dracula who won his name against the Turk, over the great
river on the very frontier of Turkey-land. If it be so, then was he
no common man, for in that time, and for centuries after, he was
spoken of as the cleverest and the most cunning, as well as the
bravest of the sons of the `land beyond the forest.' That mighty
brain and that iron resolution went with him to his grave, and are
even now arrayed against us. The Draculas were, says Arminius, a
great and noble race, though now and again were scions who were
held by their coevals to have had dealings with the Evil One. They
learned his secrets in the Scholomance, amongst the mountains over
Lake Hermanstadt, where the devil claims the tenth scholar as his
due. In the records are such words as `stregoica' witch, `ordog'
and `pokol' Satan and hell, and in one manuscript this very Dracula
is spoken of as `wampyr,'which we all understand too well. There
have been from the loins of this very one great men and good women,
and their graves make sacred the earth where alone this foulness
can dwell. For it is not the least of its terrors that this evil
thing is rooted deep in all good, in soil barren of holy memories
it cannot rest."
Whilst they were talking Mr. Morris was looking steadily at the
window, and he now got up quietly, and went out of the room. There
was a little pause, and then the Professor went on.was a little pause, and then the Professor went on.
"And now we must settle what we do. We have here much data, and
we must proceed to lay out our campaign. We know from the inquiry
of Jonathan that from the castle to Whitby came fifty boxes of
earth, all of which were delivered at Carfax, we also know that at
least some of these boxes have been removed. It seems to me, that
our first step should be to ascertain whether all the rest remain
in the house beyond that wall where we look today, or whether any
more have been removed. If the latter, we must trace … "
Here we were interrupted in a very startling way. Outside the
house came the sound of a pistol shot, the glass of the window was
shattered with a bullet, which ricochetting from the top of the
embrasure, struck the far wall of the room. I am afraid I am at
heart a coward, for I shrieked out. The men all jumped to their
feet, Lord Godalming flew over to the window and threw up the sash.
As he did so we heard Mr. Morris' voice without, "Sorry! I fear I
have alarmed you. I shall come in and tell you about it."
A minute later he came in and said, "It was an idiotic thing of
me to do, and I ask your pardon, Mrs. Harker, most sincerely, I
fear I must have frightened you terribly. But the fact is that
whilst the Professor was talking there came a big bat and sat on
the window sill. I have got such a horror of the damned brutes from
recent events that I cannot stand them, and I went out to have a
shot, as I have been doing of late of evenings, whenever I have
seen one. You used to laugh at me for it then, Art."
"Did you hit it?" asked Dr. Van Helsing.
"I don't know, I fancy not, for it flew away into the wood."
Without saying any more he took his seat, and the Professor began
to resume his statement.
"We must trace each of these boxes, and when we are ready, we
must either capture or kill this monster in his lair, or we must,
so to speak, sterilize the earth, so that no more he can seek
safety in it. Thus in the end we may find him in his form of mansafety in it. Thus in the end we may find him in his form of man
between the hours of noon and sunset, and so engage with him when
he is at his most weak.
"And now for you, Madam Mina,this night is the end until all be
well. You are too precious to us to have such risk. When we part
tonight, you no more must question. We shall tell you all in good
time. We are men and are able to bear, but you must be our star and
our hope, and we shall act all the more free that you are not in
the danger, such as we are."
All the men, even Jonathan, seemed relieved, but it did not seem
to me good that they should brave danger and, perhaps lessen their
safety, strength being the best safety, through care of me, but
their minds were made up, and though it was a bitter pill for me to
swallow, I could say nothing, save to accept their chivalrous care
of me.
Mr. Morris resumed the discussion, "As there is no time to lose,
I vote we have a look at his house right now. Time is everything
with him, and swift action on our part may save another
victim."
I own that my heart began to fail me when the time for action
came so close, but I did not say anything, for I had a greater fear
that if I appeared as a drag or a hindrance to their work, they
might even leave me out of their counsels altogether. They have now
gone off to Carfax, with means to get into the house.
Manlike, they had told me to go to bed and sleep, as if a woman
can sleep when those she loves are in danger!I shall lie down, and
pretend to sleep, lest Jonathan have added anxiety about me when he
returns.
DR. SEWARD'S DIARY
1 October, 4 a. m.—Just as we were about to leave the house, an
urgent message was brought to me from Renfield to know if I would
see him at once, as he had something of the utmost importance to
say to me. I told the messenger to say that I would attend to his
wishes in the morning, I was busy just at the moment.
The attendant added, "He seems very importunate, sir. I have
never seen him so eager. I don't know but what, if you don't see


never seen him so eager. I don't know but what, if you don't see
him soon, he will have one of his violent fits." I knew the man
would not have said this without some cause, so I said, "All right,
I'll go now," and I asked the others to wait a few minutes for me,
as I had to go and see my patient.
"Take me with you, friend John," said the Professor."His case in
your diary interest me much, and it had bearing, too, now and again
on our case. I should much like to see him, and especial when his
mind is disturbed."
"May I come also?" asked Lord Godalming.
"Me too?" said Quincey Morris. "May I come?" said Harker. I
nodded, and we all went down the passage together.
We found him in a state of considerable excitement, but far more
rational in his speech and manner than I had ever seen him. There
was an unusual understanding of himself, which was unlike anything
I had ever met with in a lunatic, and he took it for granted that
his reasons would prevail with others entirely sane. We all five
went into the room, but none of the others at first said anything.
His request was that I would at once release him from the asylum
and send him home. This he backed up with arguments regarding his
complete recovery, and adduced his own existing sanity.
"I appeal to your friends,"he said,"they will, perhaps, not mind
sitting in judgement on my case. By the way, you have not
introduced me."
I was so much astonished, that the oddness of introducing a
madman in an asylum did not strike me at the moment, and besides,
there was a certain dignity in the man's manner, so much of the
habit of equality, that I at once made the introduction, "Lord
Godalming, Professor Van Helsing, Mr. Quincey Morris, of Texas, Mr.
Jonathan Harker, Mr. Renfield."
He shook hands with each of them, saying in turn, "Lord
Godalming, I had the honor of seconding your father at the Windham,
I grieve to know, by your holding the title, that he is no more. He
was a man loved and honored by all who knew him, and in his youthwas a man loved and honored by all who knew him, and in his youth
was, I have heard, the inventor of a burnt rum punch, much
patronized on Derby night. Mr. Morris, you should be proud of your
great state. Its reception into the Union was a precedent which may
have farreaching effects hereafter, when the Pole and the Tropics
may hold alliance to the Stars and Stripes. The power of Treaty may
yet prove a vast engine of enlargement, when the Monroe doctrine
takes its true place as a political fable. What shall any man say
of his pleasure at meeting Van Helsing? Sir, I make no apology for
dropping all forms of conventional prefix. When an individual has
revolutionized therapeutics by his discovery of the continuous
evolution of brain matter, conventional forms are unfitting, since
they would seem to limit him to one of a class. You, gentlemen, who
by nationality, by heredity, or by the possession of natural gifts,
are fitted to hold your respective places in the moving world, I
take to witness that I am as sane as at least the majority of men
who are in full possession of their liberties. And I am sure that
you, Dr. Seward, humanitarian and medico-jurist as well as
scientist, will deem it a moral duty to deal with me as one to be
considered as under exceptional circumstances."He made this last
appeal with a courtly air of conviction which was not without its
own charm.
I think we were all staggered. For my own part, I was under the
conviction, despite my knowledge of the man's character and
history, that his reason had been restored, and I felt under a
strong impulse to tell him that I was satisfied as to his sanity,
and would see about the necessary formalities for his release in
the morning. I thought it better to wait, however, before making so
grave a statement, for of old I knew the sudden changes to which
this particular patient was liable. So I contented myself with
making a general statement that he appeared to be improving very
rapidly, that I would have a longer chat with him in the morning,rapidly, that I would have a longer chat with him in the morning,
and would then see what I could do in the direction of meeting his
wishes.
This did not at all satisfy him, for he said quickly, "But I
fear, Dr. Seward, that you hardly apprehend my wish. I desire to go
at once, here, now, this very hour, this very moment, if I may.
Time presses, and in our implied agreement with the old scytheman
it is of the essence of the contract. I am sure it is only
necessary to put before so admirable a practitioner as Dr. Seward
so simple, yet so momentous a wish, to ensure its fulfilment."
He looked at me keenly, and seeing the negative in my face,
turned to the others, and scrutinized them closely. Not meeting any
sufficient response, he went on, "Is it possible that I have erred
in my supposition?"
"You have," I said frankly, but at the same time, as I felt,
brutally.
There was a considerable pause, and then he said slowly, "Then I
suppose I must only shift my ground of request. Let me ask for this
concession, boon, privilege, what you will. I am content to implore
in such a case, not on personal grounds, but for the sake of
others. I am not at liberty to give you the whole of my reasons,
but you may, I assure you, take it from me that they are good ones,
sound and unselfish, and spring from the highest sense of duty.
"Could you look, sir, into my heart, you would approve to the
full the sentiments which animate me. Nay, more, you would count me
amongst the best and truest of your friends."
Again he looked at us all keenly. I had a growing conviction
that this sudden change of his entire intellectual method was but
yet another phase of his madness, and so determined to let him go
on a little longer, knowing from experience that he would, like all
lunatics, give himself away in the end. Van Helsing was gazing at
him with a look of utmost intensity, his bushy eyebrows almost
meeting with the fixed concentration of his look. He said to
Renfield in a tone which did not surprise me at the time, but only


Renfield in a tone which did not surprise me at the time, but only
when I thought of it afterwards, for it was as of one addressing an
equal, "Can you not tell frankly your real reason for wishing to be
free tonight? I will undertake that if you will satisfy even me, a
stranger, without prejudice, and with the habit of keeping an open
mind, Dr. Seward will give you, at his own risk and on his own
responsibility, the privilege you seek."
He shook his head sadly, and with a look of poignant regret on
his face. The Professor went on, "Come, sir, bethink yourself. You
claim the privilege of reason in the highest degree, since you seek
to impress us with your complete reasonableness. You do this, whose
sanity we have reason to doubt, since you are not yet released from
medical treatment for this very defect. If you will not help us in
our effort to choose the wisest course, how can we perform the duty
which you yourself put upon us? Be wise, and help us, and if we can
we shall aid you to achieve your wish."
He still shook his head as he said, "Dr. Van Helsing, I have
nothing to say. Your argument is complete, and if I were free to
speak I should not hesitate a moment, but I am not my own master in
the matter. I can only ask you to trust me. If I am refused, the
responsibility does not rest with me."
I thought it was now time to end the scene, which was becoming
too comically grave, so I went towards the door, simply saying,
"Come, my friends, we have work to do. Goodnight."
As, however, I got near the door, a new change came over the
patient. He moved towards me so quickly that for the moment I
feared that he was about to make another homicidal attack. My
fears, however, were groundless, for he held up his two hands
imploringly, and made his petition in a moving manner. As he saw
that the very excess of his emotion was militating against him, by
restoring us more to our old relations, he became still more
demonstrative. I glanced at Van Helsing, and saw my convictiondemonstrative. I glanced at Van Helsing, and saw my conviction
reflected in his eyes, so I became a little more fixed in my
manner, if not more stern, and motioned to him that his efforts
were unavailing. I had previously seen something of the same
constantly growing excitement in him when he had to make some
request of which at the time he had thought much, such for
instance, as when he wanted a cat, and I was prepared to see the
collapse into the same sullen acquiescence on this occasion.
My expectation was not realized, for when he found that his
appeal would not be successful, he got into quite a frantic
condition. He threw himself on his knees, and held up his hands,
wringing them in plaintive supplication, and poured forth a torrent
of entreaty, with the tears rolling down his cheeks, and his whole
face and form expressive of the deepest emotion.
"Let me entreat you, Dr. Seward, oh, let me implore you, to let
me out of this house at once. Send me away how you will and where
you will, send keepers with me with whips and chains, let them take
me in a strait waistcoat, manacled and leg-ironed, even to gaol,
but let me go out of this. You don't know what you do by keeping me
here. I am speaking from the depths of my heart, of my very soul.
You don't know whom you wrong, or how, and I may not tell. Woe is
me! I may not tell. By all you hold sacred, by all you hold dear,
by your love that is lost, by your hope that lives, for the sake of
the Almighty, take me out of this and save my soul from guilt!
Can't you hear me, man? Can't you understand? Will you never learn?
Don't you know that I am sane and earnest now, that I am no lunatic
in a mad fit, but a sane man fighting for his soul? Oh, hear me!
Hear me! Let me go, let me go, let me go!"
I thought that the longer this went on the wilder he would get,
and so would bring on a fit, so I took him by the hand and raised
him up.
"Come," I said sternly, "no more of this, we have had quite
enough already. Get to your bed and try to behave more
discreetly."enough already. Get to your bed and try to behave more
discreetly."
He suddenly stopped and looked at me intently for several
moments. Then, without a word, he rose and moving over, sat down on
the side of the bed. The collapse had come, as on former occasions,
just as I had expected.
When I was leaving the room, last of our party, he said to me in
a quiet, well-bred voice, "You will, I trust, Dr. Seward, do me the
justice to bear in mind, later on, that I did what I could to
convince you tonight."1 October, 5 a. m.—I went with the party to the search with an
easy mind, for I think I never saw Mina so absolutely strong and
well. I am so glad that she consented to hold back and let us men
do the work. Somehow, it was a dread to me that she was in this
fearful business at all, but now that her work is done, and that it
is due to her energy and brains and foresight that the whole story
is put together in such a way that every point tells, she may well
feel that her part is finished, and that she can henceforth leave
the rest to us. We were, I think, all a little upset by the scene
with Mr. Renfield. When we came away from his room we were silent
till we got back to the study.
Then Mr. Morris said to Dr. Seward, "Say, Jack, if that man
wasn't attempting a bluff, he is about the sanest lunatic I ever
saw. I'm not sure, but I believe that he had some serious purpose,
and if he had, it was pretty rough on him not to get a chance."
Lord Godalming and I were silent, but Dr. Van Helsing added,
"Friend John, you know more lunatics than I do, and I'm glad of it,
for I fear that if it had been to me to decide I would before that
last hysterical outburst have given him free. But we live and
learn, and in our present task we must take no chance, as my friend
Quincey would say. All is best as they are."
Dr. Seward seemed to answer them both in a dreamy kind of way,
"I don't know but that I agree with you. If that man had been an
ordinary lunatic I would have taken my chance of trusting him, but
he seems so mixed up with the Count in an indexy kind of way that I
am afraid of doing anything wrong by helping his fads. I can't
forget how he prayed with almost equal fervor for a cat, and then
tried to tear my throat out with his teeth. Besides, he called the
Count `lord and master', and he may want to get out to help him in
some diabolical way. That horrid thing has the wolves and the rats
and his own kind to help him, so I suppose he isn't above trying to
use a respectable lunatic. He certainly did seem earnest, though. I


use a respectable lunatic. He certainly did seem earnest, though. I
only hope we have done what is best. These things, in conjunction
with the wild work we have in hand, help to unnerve a man."
The Professor stepped over, and laying his hand on his shoulder,
said in his grave, kindly way, "Friend John, have no fear. We are
trying to do our duty in a very sad and terrible case, we can only
do as we deem best. What else have we to hope for, except the pity
of the good God?"
Lord Godalming had slipped away for a few minutes, but now he
returned. He held up a little silver whistle, as he remarked, "That
old place may be full of rats, and if so, I've got an antidote on
call."
Having passed the wall, we took our way to the house, taking
care to keep in the shadows of the trees on the lawn when the
moonlight shone out. When we got to the porch the Professor opened
his bag and took out a lot of things, which he laid on the step,
sorting them into four little groups, evidently one for each. Then
he spoke.
"My friends, we are going into a terrible danger, and we need
arms of many kinds. Our enemy is not merely spiritual. Remember
that he has the strength of twenty men, and that, though our necks
or our windpipes are of the common kind, and therefore breakable or
crushable, his are not amenable to mere strength. A stronger man,
or a body of men more strong in all than him, can at certain times
hold him, but they cannot hurt him as we can be hurt by him. We
must, therefore, guard ourselves from his touch. Keep this near
your heart." As he spoke he lifted a little silver crucifix and
held it out to me, I being nearest to him, "put these flowers round
your neck," here he handed to me a wreath of withered garlic
blossoms, "for other enemies more mundane, this revolver and this
knife, and for aid in all, these so small electric lamps, which you
can fasten to your breast, and for all, and above all at the last,
this, which we must not desecrate needless."
This was a portion of Sacred Wafer, which he put in an envelopeThis was a portion of Sacred Wafer, which he put in an envelope
and handed to me. Each of the others was similarly equipped.
"Now,"he said,"friend John, where are the skeleton keys? If so
that we can open the door, we need not break house by the window,
as before at Miss Lucy's."
Dr. Seward tried one or two skeleton keys, his mechanical
dexterity as a surgeon standing him in good stead. Presently he got
one to suit, after a little play back and forward the bolt yielded,
and with a rusty clang, shot back. We pressed on the door, the
rusty hinges creaked, and it slowly opened. It was startlingly like
the image conveyed to me in Dr. Seward's diary of the opening of
Miss Westenra's tomb, I fancy that the same idea seemed to strike
the others, for with one accord they shrank back. The Professor was
the first to move forward, and stepped into the open door.
"In manus tuas, Domine!"he said, crossing himself as he passed
over the threshold. We closed the door behind us, lest when we
should have lit our lamps we should possibly attract attention from
the road. The Professor carefully tried the lock, lest we might not
be able to open it from within should we be in a hurry making our
exit. Then we all lit our lamps and proceeded on our search.
The light from the tiny lamps fell in all sorts of odd forms, as
the rays crossed each other, or the opacity of our bodies threw
great shadows. I could not for my life get away from the feeling
that there was someone else amongst us. I suppose it was the
recollection, so powerfully brought home to me by the grim
surroundings, of that terrible experience in Transylvania. I think
the feeling was common to us all, for I noticed that the others
kept looking over their shoulders at every sound and every new
shadow, just as I felt myself doing.
The whole place was thick with dust. The floor was seemingly
inches deep, except where there were recent footsteps, in which on
holding down my lamp I could see marks of hobnails where the dustholding down my lamp I could see marks of hobnails where the dust
was cracked. The walls were fluffy and heavy with dust, and in the
corners were masses of spider's webs, whereon the dust had gathered
till they looked like old tattered rags as the weight had torn them
partly down. On a table in the hall was a great bunch of keys, with
a timeyellowed label on each. They had been used several times, for
on the table were several similar rents in the blanket of dust,
similar to that exposed when the Professor lifted them.
He turned to me and said,"You know this place, Jonathan. You
have copied maps of it, and you know it at least more than we do.
Which is the way to the chapel?"
I had an idea of its direction, though on my former visit I had
not been able to get admission to it, so I led the way, and after a
few wrong turnings found myself opposite a low, arched oaken door,
ribbed with iron bands.
"This is the spot," said the Professor as he turned his lamp on
a small map of the house, copied from the file of my original
correspondence regarding the purchase. With a little trouble we
found the key on the bunch and opened the door. We were prepared
for some unpleasantness, for as we were opening the door a faint,
malodorous air seemed to exhale through the gaps, but none of us
ever expected such an odor as we encountered. None of the others
had met the Count at all at close quarters, and when I had seen him
he was either in the fasting stage of his existence in his rooms
or, when he was bloated with fresh blood, in a ruined building open
to the air, but here the place was small and close, and the long
disuse had made the air stagnant and foul. There was an earthy
smell, as of some dry miasma, which came through the fouler air.
But as to the odor itself, how shall I describe it? It was not
alone that it was composed of all the ills of mortality and with
the pungent, acrid smell of blood, but it seemed as though
corruption had become itself corrupt. Faugh! It sickens me to think


corruption had become itself corrupt. Faugh! It sickens me to think
of it. Every breath exhaled by that monster seemed to have clung to
the place and intensified its loathsomeness.
Under ordinary circumstances such a stench would have brought
our enterprise to an end, but this was no ordinary case, and the
high and terrible purpose in which we were involved gave us a
strength which rose above merely physical considerations. After the
involuntary shrinking consequent on the first nauseous whiff, we
one and all set about our work as though that loathsome place were
a garden of roses.
We made an accurate examination of the place, the Professor
saying as we began, "The first thing is to see how many of the
boxes are left, we must then examine every hole and corner and
cranny and see if we cannot get some clue as to what has become of
the rest."
A glance was sufficient to show how many remained, for the great
earth chests were bulky, and there was no mistaking them.
There were only twenty-nine left out of the fifty! Once I got a
fright, for, seeing Lord Godalming suddenly turn and look out of
the vaulted door into the dark passage beyond, I looked too, and
for an instant my heart stood still. Somewhere, looking out from
the shadow, I seemed to see the high lights of the Count's evil
face, the ridge of the nose, the red eyes, the red lips, the awful
pallor. It was only for a moment, for, as Lord Godalming said,"I
thought I saw a face, but it was only the shadows," and resumed his
inquiry, I turned my lamp in the direction, and stepped into the
passage. There was no sign of anyone, and as there were no corners,
no doors, no aperture of any kind, but only the solid walls of the
passage, there could be no hiding place even for him. I took it
that fear had helped imagination, and said nothing.
A few minutes later I saw Morris step suddenly back from a
corner, which he was examining. We all followed his movements with
our eyes, for undoubtedly some nervousness was growing on us, andour eyes, for undoubtedly some nervousness was growing on us, and
we saw a whole mass of phosphorescence, which twinkled like stars.
We all instinctively drew back. The whole place was becoming alive
with rats.
For a moment or two we stood appalled, all save Lord Godalming,
who was seemingly prepared for such an emergency. Rushing over to
the great iron-bound oaken door, which Dr. Seward had described
from the outside, and which I had seen myself, he turned the key in
the lock, drew the huge bolts, and swung the door open. Then,
taking his little silver whistle from his pocket, he blew a low,
shrill call. It was answered from behind Dr. Seward's house by the
yelping of dogs, and after about a minute three terriers came
dashing round the corner of the house. Unconsciously we had all
moved towards the door, and as we moved I noticed that the dust had
been much disturbed. The boxes which had been taken out had been
brought this way. But even in the minute that had elapsed the
number of the rats had vastly increased. They seemed to swarm over
the place all at once, till the lamplight, shining on their moving
dark bodies and glittering, baleful eyes, made the place look like
a bank of earth set with fireflies. The dogs dashed on, but at the
threshold suddenly stopped and snarled, and then,simultaneously
lifting their noses, began to howl in most lugubrious fashion. The
rats were multiplying in thousands, and we moved out.
Lord Godalming lifted one of the dogs, and carrying him in,
placed him on the floor. The instant his feet touched the ground he
seemed to recover his courage, and rushed at his natural enemies.
They fled before him so fast that before he had shaken the life out
of a score, the other dogs, who had by now been lifted in the same
manner, had but small prey ere the whole mass had vanished.
With their going it seemed as if some evil presence had
departed, for the dogs frisked about and barked merrily as they
made sudden darts at their prostrate foes, and turned them over andmade sudden darts at their prostrate foes, and turned them over and
over and tossed them in the air with vicious shakes. We all seemed
to find our spirits rise. Whether it was the purifying of the
deadly atmosphere by the opening of the chapel door, or the relief
which we experienced by finding ourselves in the open I know not,
but most certainly the shadow of dread seemed to slip from us like
a robe, and the occasion of our coming lost something of its grim
significance, though we did not slacken a whit in our resolution.
We closed the outer door and barred and locked it, and bringing the
dogs with us, began our search of the house. We found nothing
throughout except dust in extraordinary proportions, and all
untouched save for my own footsteps when I had made my first visit.
Never once did the dogs exhibit any symptom of uneasiness, and even
when we returned to the chapel they frisked about as though they
had been rabbit hunting in a summer wood.
The morning was quickening in the east when we emerged from the
front. Dr. Van Helsing had taken the key of the hall door from the
bunch, and locked the door in orthodox fashion, putting the key
into his pocket when he had done.
"So far," he said, "our night has been eminently successful. No
harm has come to us such as I feared might be and yet we have
ascertained how many boxes are missing. More than all do I rejoice
that this, our first, and perhaps our most difficult and dangerous,
step has been accomplished without the bringing thereinto our most
sweet Madam Mina or troubling her waking or sleeping thoughts with
sights and sounds and smells of horror which she might never
forget. One lesson, too, we have learned, if it be allowable to
argue a particulari, that the brute beasts which are to the Count's
command are yet themselves not amenable to his spiritual power, for
look, these rats that would come to his call, just as from his
castle top he summon the wolves to your going and to that poor
mother's cry, though they come to him, they run pell-mell from the


mother's cry, though they come to him, they run pell-mell from the
so little dogs of my friend Arthur. We have other matters before
us, other dangers, other fears, and that monster … He has not
used his power over the brute world for the only or the last time
tonight. So be it that he has gone elsewhere. Good! It has given us
opportunity to cry `check'in some ways in this chess game, which we
play for the stake of human souls. And now let us go home. The dawn
is close at hand, and we have reason to be content with our first
night's work. It may be ordained that we have many nights and days
to follow, if full of peril, but we must go on, and from no danger
shall we shrink."
The house was silent when we got back, save for some poor
creature who was screaming away in one of the distant wards, and a
low, moaning sound from Renfield's room. The poor wretch was
doubtless torturing himself, after the manner of the insane, with
needless thoughts of pain.
I came tiptoe into our own room, and found Mina asleep,
breathing so softly that I had to put my ear down to hear it. She
looks paler than usual. I hope the meeting tonight has not upset
her. I am truly thankful that she is to be left out of our future
work, and even of our deliberations. It is too great a strain for a
woman to bear. I did not think so at first, but I know better now.
Therefore I am glad that it is settled. There may be things which
would frighten her to hear, and yet to conceal them from her might
be worse than to tell her if once she suspected that there was any
concealment. Henceforth our work is to be a sealed book to her,
till at least such time as we can tell her that all is finished,
and the earth free from a monster of the nether world. I daresay it
will be difficult to begin to keep silence after such confidence as
ours, but I must be resolute, and tomorrow I shall keep dark over
tonight's doings, and shall refuse to speak of anything that has
happened. I rest on the sofa, so as not to disturb her.happened. I rest on the sofa, so as not to disturb her.
1 October, later.—I suppose it was natural that we should have
all overslept ourselves, for the day was a busy one, and the night
had no rest at all. Even Mina must have felt its exhaustion, for
though I slept till the sun was high, I was awake before her, and
had to call two or three times before she awoke. Indeed, she was so
sound asleep that for a few seconds she did not recognize me, but
looked at me with a sort of blank terror, as one looks who has been
waked out of a bad dream. She complained a little of being tired,
and I let her rest till later in the day. We now know of twenty-one
boxes having been removed, and if it be that several were taken in
any of these removals we may be able to trace them all. Such will,
of course, immensely simplify our labor, and the sooner the matter
is attended to the better. I shall look up Thomas Snelling
today.
DR. SEWARD'S DIARY
1 October.—It was towards noon when I was awakened by the
Professor walking into my room. He was more jolly and cheerful than
usual, and it is quite evident that last night's work has helped to
take some of the brooding weight off his mind.
After going over the adventure of the night he suddenly said,
"Your patient interests me much. May it be that with you I visit
him this morning? Or if that you are too occupy, I can go alone if
it may be. It is a new experience to me to find a lunatic who talk
philosophy, and reason so sound."
I had some work to do which pressed, so I told him that if he
would go alone I would be glad, as then I should not have to keep
him waiting, so I called an attendant and gave him the necessary
instructions. Before the Professor left the room I cautioned him
against getting any false impression from my patient.
"But," he answered, "I want him to talk of himself and of his
delusion as to consuming live things. He said to Madam Mina, as I
see in your diary of yesterday, that he had once had such a belief.
Why do you smile, friend John?"see in your diary of yesterday, that he had once had such a belief.
Why do you smile, friend John?"
"Excuse me," I said, "but the answer is here." I laid my hand on
the typewritten matter."When our sane and learned lunatic made that
very statement of how he used to consume life, his mouth was
actually nauseous with the flies and spiders which he had eaten
just before Mrs. Harker entered the room."
Van Helsing smiled in turn. "Good!" he said. "Your memory is
true, friend John. I should have remembered. And yet it is this
very obliquity of thought and memory which makes mental disease
such a fascinating study. Perhaps I may gain more knowledge out of
the folly of this madman than I shall from the teaching of the most
wise. Who knows?"
I went on with my work, and before long was through that in
hand. It seemed that the time had been very short indeed, but there
was Van Helsing back in the study.
"Do I interrupt?" he asked politely as he stood at the door.
"Not at all,"I answered. "Come in. My work is finished, and I am
free. I can go with you now, if you like."
"It is needless, I have seen him!"
"Well?"
"I fear that he does not appraise me at much. Our interview was
short. When I entered his room he was sitting on a stool in the
center, with his elbows on his knees, and his face was the picture
of sullen discontent. I spoke to him as cheerfully as I could, and
with such a measure of respect as I could assume. He made no reply
whatever. 'Don't you know me?' I asked. His answer was not
reassuring. "I know you well enough, you are the old fool Van
Helsing. I wish you would take yourself and your idiotic brain
theories somewhere else. Damn all thick-headed Dutchmen!' Not a
word more would he say, but sat in his implacable sullenness as
indifferent to me as though I had not been in the room at all. Thus
departed for this time my chance of much learning from this so
clever lunatic, so I shall go, if I may, and cheer myself with a
few happy words with that sweet soul Madam Mina. Friend John, it


few happy words with that sweet soul Madam Mina. Friend John, it
does rejoice me unspeakable that she is no more to be pained, no
more to be worried with our terrible things. Though we shall much
miss her help, it is better so."
"I agree with you with all my heart," I answered earnestly, for
I did not want him to weaken in this matter. "Mrs. Harker is better
out of it. Things are quite bad enough for us, all men of the
world, and who have been in many tight places in our time, but it
is no place for a woman, and if she had remained in touch with the
affair, it would in time infallibly have wrecked her."
So Van Helsing has gone to confer with Mrs. Harker and Harker,
Quincey and Art are all out following up the clues as to the earth
boxes. I shall finish my round of work and we shall meet
tonight.
MINA HARKER'S JOURNAL
1 October.—It is strange to me to be kept in the dark as I am
today, after Jonathan's full confidence for so many years, to see
him manifestly avoid certain matters, and those the most vital of
all. This morning I slept late after the fatigues of yesterday, and
though Jonathan was late too, he was the earlier. He spoke to me
before he went out, never more sweetly or tenderly, but he never
mentioned a word of what had happened in the visit to the Count's
house. And yet he must have known how terribly anxious I was. Poor
dear fellow! I suppose it must have distressed him even more than
it did me. They all agreed that it was best that I should not be
drawn further into this awful work, and I acquiesced. But to think
that he keeps anything from me! And now I am crying like a silly
fool, when I know it comes from my husband's great love and from
the good, good wishes of those other strong men.
That has done me good. Well, some day Jonathan will tell me all.
And lest it should ever be that he should think for a moment that I
kept anything from him, I still keep my journal as usual. Then if
he has feared of my trust I shall show it to him, with everyhe has feared of my trust I shall show it to him, with every
thought of my heart put down for his dear eyes to read. I feel
strangely sad and low-spirited today. I suppose it is the reaction
from the terrible excitement.
Last night I went to bed when the men had gone, simply because
they told me to. I didn't feel sleepy, and I did feel full of
devouring anxiety. I kept thinking over everything that has been
ever since Jonathan came to see me in London, and it all seems like
a horrible tragedy, with fate pressing on relentlessly to some
destined end. Everything that one does seems, no matter how right
it me be, to bring on the very thing which is most to be deplored.
If I hadn't gone to Whitby, perhaps poor dear Lucy would be with us
now. She hadn't taken to visiting the churchyard till I came, and
if she hadn't come there in the day time with me she wouldn't have
walked in her sleep. And if she hadn't gone there at night and
asleep, that monster couldn't have destroyed her as he did. Oh, why
did I ever go to Whitby? There now, crying again! I wonder what has
come over me today. I must hide it from Jonathan, for if he knew
that I had been crying twice in one morning … I, who never
cried on my own account, and whom he has never caused to shed a
tear, the dear fellow would fret his heart out. I shall put a bold
face on, and if I do feel weepy, he shall never see it. I suppose
it is just one of the lessons that we poor women have to
learn …
I can't quite remember how I fell asleep last night. I remember
hearing the sudden barking of the dogs and a lot of queer sounds,
like praying on a very tumultuous scale, from Mr. Renfield's room,
which is somewhere under this. And then there was silence over
everything, silence so profound that it startled me, and I got up
and looked out of the window. All was dark and silent, the black
shadows thrown by the moonlight seeming full of a silent mystery of
their own. Not a thing seemed to be stirring, but all to be grim
and fixed as death or fate, so that a thin streak of whiteand fixed as death or fate, so that a thin streak of white
mist,that crept with almost imperceptible slowness across the grass
towards the house, seemed to have a sentience and a vitality of its
own. I think that the digression of my thoughts must have done me
good, for when I got back to bed I found a lethargy creeping over
me. I lay a while, but could not quite sleep, so I got out and
looked out of the window again. The mist was spreading, and was now
close up to the house, so that I could see it lying thick against
the wall, as though it were stealing up to the windows. The poor
man was more loud than ever, and though I could not distinguish a
word he said, I could in some way recognize in his tones some
passionate entreaty on his part. Then there was the sound of a
struggle, and I knew that the attendants were dealing with him. I
was so frightened that I crept into bed, and pulled the clothes
over my head, putting my fingers in my ears. I was not then a bit
sleepy, at least so I thought, but I must have fallen asleep, for
except dreams, I do not remember anything until the morning, when
Jonathan woke me. I think that it took me an effort and a little
time to realize where I was, and that it was Jonathan who was
bending over me. My dream was very peculiar, and was almost typical
of the way that waking thoughts become merged in, or continued in,
dreams.
I thought that I was asleep, and waiting for Jonathan to come
back. I was very anxious about him, and I was powerless to act, my
feet, and my hands, and my brain were weighted, so that nothing
could proceed at the usual pace. And so I slept uneasily and
thought. Then it began to dawn upon me that the air was heavy, and
dank, and cold. I put back the clothes from my face, and found, to
my surprise, that all was dim around. The gaslight which I had left
lit for Jonathan, but turned down, came only like a tiny red spark
through the fog, which had evidently grown thicker and poured into
the room. Then it occurred to me that I had shut the window before


the room. Then it occurred to me that I had shut the window before
I had come to bed. I would have got out to make certain on the
point, but some leaden lethargy seemed to chain my limbs and even
my will. I lay still and endured, that was all. I closed my eyes,
but could still see through my eyelids. (It is wonderful what
tricks our dreams play us, and how conveniently we can imagine.)
The mist grew thicker and thicker and I could see now how it came
in, for I could see it like smoke, or with the white energy of
boiling water, pouring in, not through the window, but through the
joinings of the door. It got thicker and thicker, till it seemed as
if it became concentrated into a sort of pillar of cloud in the
room, through the top of which I could see the light of the gas
shining like a red eye. Things began to whirl through my brain just
as the cloudy column was now whirling in the room, and through it
all came the scriptural words "a pillar of cloud by day and of fire
by night." Was it indeed such spiritual guidance that was coming to
me in my sleep? But the pillar was composed of both the day and the
night guiding, for the fire was in the red eye, which at the
thought gat a new fascination for me, till, as I looked, the fire
divided, and seemed to shine on me through the fog like two red
eyes, such as Lucy told me of in her momentary mental wandering
when, on the cliff, the dying sunlight struck the windows of St.
Mary's Church. Suddenly the horror burst upon me that it was thus
that Jonathan had seen those awful women growing into reality
through the whirling mist in the moonlight, and in my dream I must
have fainted, for all became black darkness. The last conscious
effort which imagination made was to show me a livid white face
bending over me out of the mist.
I must be careful of such dreams, for they would unseat one's
reason if there were too much of them. I would get Dr. Van Helsing
or Dr. Seward to prescribe something for me which would make meor Dr. Seward to prescribe something for me which would make me
sleep, only that I fear to alarm them. Such a dream at the present
time would become woven into their fears for me. Tonight I shall
strive hard to sleep naturally. If I do not, I shall tomorrow night
get them to give me a dose of chloral, that cannot hurt me for
once, and it will give me a good night's sleep. Last night tired me
more than if I had not slept at all.
2 October 10 p. m.—Last night I slept, but did not dream. I must
have slept soundly, for I was not waked by Jonathan coming to bed,
but the sleep has not refreshed me, for today I feel terribly weak
and spiritless. I spent all yesterday trying to read, or lying down
dozing. In the afternon, Mr. Renfield asked if he might see me.Poor
man, he was very gentle, and when I came away he kissed my hand and
bade God bless me. Some way it affected me much. I am crying when I
think of him. This is a new weakness, of which I must be careful.
Jonathan would be miserable if he knew I had been crying. He and
the others were out till dinner time, and they all came in tired. I
did what I could to brighten them up, and I suppose that the effort
did me good, for I forgot how tired I was. After dinner they sent
me to bed, and all went off to smoke together, as they said, but I
knew that they wanted to tell each other of what had occurred to
each during the day. I could see from Jonathan's manner that he had
something important to communicate. I was not so sleepy as I should
have been, so before they went I asked Dr. Seward to give me a
little opiate of some kind, as I had not slept well the night
before. He very kindly made me up a sleeping draught, which he gave
to me, telling me that it would do me no harm, as it was very
mild … I have taken it, and am waiting for sleep, which still
keeps aloof. I hope I have not done wrong, for as sleep begins to
flirt with me, a new fear comes, that I may have been foolish in
thus depriving myself of the power of waking. I might want it. Here
comes sleep. Goodnight.1 October, evening.—I found Thomas Snelling in his house at
Bethnal Green, but unhappily he was not in a condition to remember
anything. The very prospect of beer which my expected coming had
opened to him had proved too much, and he had begun too early on
his expected debauch. I learned, however, from his wife, who seemed
a decent, poor soul, that he was only the assistant of Smollet, who
of the two mates was the responsible person. So off I drove to
Walworth, and found Mr. Joseph Smollet at home and in his
shirtsleeves, taking a late tea out of a saucer. He is a decent,
intelligent fellow, distinctly a good, reliable type of workman,
and with a headpiece of his own. He remembered all about the
incident of the boxes, and from a wonderful dog-eared notebook,
which he produced from some mysterious receptacle about the seat of
his trousers, and which had hieroglyphical entries in thick,
half-obliterated pencil, he gave me the destinations of the boxes.
There were, he said, six in the cartload which he took from Carfax
and left at 197 Chicksand Street, Mile End New Town, and another
six which he deposited at Jamaica Lane, Bermondsey. If then the
Count meant to scatter these ghastly refuges of his over London,
these places were chosen as the first of delivery, so that later he
might distribute more fully. The systematic manner in which this
was done made me think that he could not mean to confine himself to
two sides of London. He was now fixed on the far east on the
northern shore, on the east of the southern shore, and on the
south. The north and west were surely never meant to be left out of
his diabolical scheme, let alone the City itself and the very heart
of fashionable London in the south-west and west. I went back to
Smollet, and asked him if he could tell us if any other boxes had
been taken from Carfax.
He replied, "Well guv'nor, you've treated me very 'an'some", I
had given him half a sovereign, "an I'll tell yer all I know. I
heard a man by the name of Bloxam say four nights ago in the 'Are


heard a man by the name of Bloxam say four nights ago in the 'Are
an' 'Ounds, in Pincher's Alley, as 'ow he an' his mate 'ad 'ad a
rare dusty job in a old 'ouse at Purfleet. There ain't a many such
jobs as this 'ere, an' I'm thinkin' that maybe Sam Bloxam could
tell ye summut."
I asked if he could tell me where to find him. I told him that
if he could get me the address it would be worth another half
sovereign to him. So he gulped down the rest of his tea and stood
up, saying that he was going to begin the search then and
there.
At the door he stopped, and said, "Look 'ere, guv'nor, there
ain't no sense in me a keepin' you 'ere. I may find Sam soon, or I
mayn't, but anyhow he ain't like to be in a way to tell ye much
tonight. Sam is a rare one when he starts on the booze. If you can
give me a envelope with a stamp on it, and put yer address on it,
I'll find out where Sam is to be found and post it ye tonight. But
ye'd better be up arter 'im soon in the mornin', never mind the
booze the night afore."
This was all practical, so one of the children went off with a
penny to buy an envelope and a sheet of paper, and to keep the
change. When she came back, I addressed the envelope and stamped
it, and when Smollet had again faithfully promised to post the
address when found, I took my way to home. We're on the track
anyhow. I am tired tonight, and I want to sleep. Mina is fast
asleep, and looks a little too pale. Her eyes look as though she
had been crying. Poor dear, I've no doubt it frets her to be kept
in the dark, and it may make her doubly anxious about me and the
others. But it is best as it is. It is better to be disappointed
and worried in such a way now than to have her nerve broken. The
doctors were quite right to insist on her being kept out of this
dreadful business. I must be firm, for on me this particular burden
of silence must rest. I shall not ever enter on the subject with
her under any circumstances. Indeed, It may not be a hard task,
after all, for she herself has become reticent on the subject, andafter all, for she herself has become reticent on the subject, and
has not spoken of the Count or his doings ever since we told her of
our decision.
2 October, evening—A long and trying and exciting day. By the
first post I got my directed envelope with a dirty scrap of paper
enclosed, on which was written with a carpenter's pencil in a
sprawling hand, "Sam Bloxam, Korkrans, 4 Poters Cort, Bartel
Street, Walworth. Arsk for the depite."
I got the letter in bed, and rose without waking Mina. She
looked heavy and sleepy and pale, and far from well. I determined
not to wake her, but that when I should return from this new
search, I would arrange for her going back to Exeter. I think she
would be happier in our own home, with her daily tasks to interest
her, than in being here amongst us and in ignorance. I only saw Dr.
Seward for a moment, and told him where I was off to, promising to
come back and tell the rest so soon as I should have found out
anything. I drove to Walworth and found, with some difficulty,
Potter's Court. Mr. Smollet's spelling misled me, as I asked for
Poter's Court instead of Potter's Court. However, when I had found
the court, I had no difficulty in discovering Corcoran's lodging
house.
When I asked the man who came to the door for the "depite," he
shook his head, and said, "I dunno 'im. There ain't no such a
person 'ere. I never 'eard of 'im in all my bloomin' days. Don't
believe there ain't nobody of that kind livin' 'ere or
anywheres."
I took out Smollet's letter, and as I read it it seemed to me
that the lesson of the spelling of the name of the court might
guide me. "What are you?" I asked.
"I'm the depity," he answered.
I saw at once that I was on the right track. Phonetic spelling
had again misled me. A half crown tip put the deputy's knowledge at
my disposal, and I learned that Mr. Bloxam, who had slept off the
remains of his beer on the previous night at Corcoran's, had left
for his work at Poplar at five o'clock that morning. He could notfor his work at Poplar at five o'clock that morning. He could not
tell me where the place of work was situated, but he had a vague
idea that it was some kind of a "new-fangled ware'us," and with
this slender clue I had to start for Poplar. It was twelve o'clock
before I got any satisfactory hint of such a building, and this I
got at a coffee shop, where some workmen were having their dinner.
One of them suggested that there was being erected at Cross Angel
Street a new "cold storage" building, and as this suited the
condition of a "new-fangled ware'us," I at once drove to it. An
interview with a surly gatekeeper and a surlier foreman, both of
whom were appeased with the coin of the realm, put me on the track
of Bloxam. He was sent for on my suggestion that I was willing to
pay his days wages to his foreman for the privilege of asking him a
few questions on a private matter. He was a smart enough fellow,
though rough of speech and bearing. When I had promised to pay for
his information and given him an earnest, he told me that he had
made two journeys between Carfax and a house in Piccadilly, and had
taken from this house to the latter nine great boxes, "main heavy
ones," with a horse and cart hired by him for this purpose.
I asked him if he could tell me the number of the house in
Piccadilly, to which he replied, "Well, guv'nor, I forgits the
number, but it was only a few door from a big white church, or
somethink of the kind, not long built. It was a dusty old 'ouse,
too, though nothin' to the dustiness of the 'ouse we tooked the
bloomin' boxes from."
"How did you get in if both houses were empty?"
"There was the old party what engaged me a waitin' in the 'ouse
at Purfleet. He 'elped me to lift the boxes and put them in the
dray. Curse me, but he was the strongest chap I ever struck, an'
him a old feller, with a white moustache, one that thin you would
think he couldn't throw a shadder."
How this phrase thrilled through me!
"Why, 'e took up 'is end o' the boxes like they was pounds of


How this phrase thrilled through me!
"Why, 'e took up 'is end o' the boxes like they was pounds of
tea, and me a puffin' an' a blowin' afore I could upend mine
anyhow, an' I'm no chicken, neither."
"How did you get into the house in Piccadilly?" I asked.
"He was there too. He must 'a started off and got there afore
me, for when I rung of the bell he kem an' opened the door 'isself
an' 'elped me carry the boxes into the 'all."
"The whole nine?" I asked.
"Yus, there was five in the first load an' four in the second.
It was main dry work, an' I don't so well remember 'ow I got
'ome."
I interrupted him, "Were the boxes left in the hall?"
"Yus, it was a big 'all, an' there was nothin' else in it."
I made one more attempt to further matters. "You didn't have any
key?"
"Never used no key nor nothink. The old gent, he opened the door
'isself an' shut it again when I druv off. I don't remember the
last time, but that was the beer."
"And you can't remember the number of the house?"
"No, sir. But ye needn't have no difficulty about that. It's a
'igh 'un with a stone front with a bow on it, an' 'igh steps up to
the door. I know them steps, 'avin' 'ad to carry the boxes up with
three loafers what come round to earn a copper. The old gent give
them shillin's, an' they seein' they got so much, they wanted more.
But 'e took one of them by the shoulder and was like to throw 'im
down the steps, till the lot of them went away cussin'."
I thought that with this description I could find the house, so
having paid my friend for his information, I started off for
Piccadilly. I had gained a new painful experience. The Count could,
it was evident, handle the earth boxes himself. If so, time was
precious, for now that he had achieved a certain amount of
distribution, he could, by choosing his own time, complete the task
unobserved. At Piccadilly Circus I discharged my cab, and walked
westward. Beyond the Junior Constitutional I came across the house
described and was satisfied that this was the next of the lairsdescribed and was satisfied that this was the next of the lairs
arranged by Dracula. The house looked as though it had been long
untenanted. The windows were encrusted with dust, and the shutters
were up. All the framework was black with time, and from the iron
the paint had mostly scaled away. It was evident that up to lately
there had been a large notice board in front of the balcony. It
had, however, been roughly torn away, the uprights which had
supported it still remaining. Behind the rails of the balcony I saw
there were some loose boards, whose raw edges looked white. I would
have given a good deal to have been able to see the notice board
intact, as it would, perhaps, have given some clue to the ownership
of the house. I remembered my experience of the investigation and
purchase of Carfax, and I could not but feel that I could find the
former owner there might be some means discovered of gaining access
to the house.
There was at present nothing to be learned from the Piccadilly
side, and nothing could be done, so I went around to the back to
see if anything could be gathered from this quarter. The mews were
active, the Piccadilly houses being mostly in occupation. I asked
one or two of the grooms and helpers whom I saw around if they
could tell me anything about the empty house. One of them said that
he heard it had lately been taken, but he couldn't say from whom.
He told me, however, that up to very lately there had been a notice
board of "For Sale" up, and that perhaps Mitchell, Sons, &
Candy the house agents could tell me something, as he thought he
remembered seeing the name of that firm on the board. I did not
wish to seem too eager, or to let my informant know or guess too
much, so thanking him in the usual manner,I strolled away. It was
now growing dusk, and the autumn night was closing in, so I did not
lose any time. Having learned the address of Mitchell, Sons, &
Candy from a directory at the Berkeley, I was soon at their office
in Sackville Street.Candy from a directory at the Berkeley, I was soon at their office
in Sackville Street.
The gentleman who saw me was particularly suave in manner, but
uncommunicative in equal proportion. Having once told me that the
Piccadilly house, which throughout our interview he called a
"mansion," was sold, he considered my business as concluded. When I
asked who had purchased it, he opened his eyes a thought wider, and
paused a few seconds before replying, "It is sold, sir."
"Pardon me," I said, with equal politeness, "but I have a
special reason for wishing to know who purchased it."
Again he paused longer, and raised his eyebrows still more. "It
is sold, sir," was again his laconic reply.
"Surely," I said, "you do not mind letting me know so much."
"But I do mind," he answered. "The affairs of their clients are
absolutely safe in the hands of Mitchell, Sons, & Candy."
This was manifestly a prig of the first water, and there was no
use arguing with him. I thought I had best meet him on his own
ground, so I said, "Your clients, sir, are happy in having so
resolute a guardian of their confidence. I am myself a professional
man."
Here I handed him my card. "In this instance I am not prompted
by curiosity, I act on the part of Lord Godalming, who wishes to
know something of the property which was, he understood, lately for
sale."
These words put a different complexion on affairs. He said, "I
would like to oblige you if I could, Mr. Harker, and especially
would I like to oblige his lordship. We once carried out a small
matter of renting some chambers for him when he was the Honorable
Arthur Holmwood. If you will let me have his lordship's address I
will consult the House on the subject, and will, in any case,
communicate with his lordship by tonight's post. It will be a
pleasure if we can so far deviate from our rules as to give the
required information to his lordship."
I wanted to secure a friend, and not to make an enemy, so I
thanked him, gave the address at Dr. Seward's and came away. It was


thanked him, gave the address at Dr. Seward's and came away. It was
now dark, and I was tired and hungry. I got a cup of tea at the
Aerated Bread Company and came down to Purfleet by the next
train.
I found all the others at home. Mina was looking tired and pale,
but she made a gallant effort to be bright and cheerful. It wrung
my heart to think that I had had to keep anything from her and so
caused her inquietude. Thank God, this will be the last night of
her looking on at our conferences, and feeling the sting of our not
showing our confidence. It took all my courage to hold to the wise
resolution of keeping her out of our grim task. She seems somehow
more reconciled, or else the very subject seems to have become
repugnant to her, for when any accidental allusion is made she
actually shudders. I am glad we made our resolution in time, as
with such a feeling as this,our growing knowledge would be torture
to her.
I could not tell the others of the day's discovery till we were
alone, so after dinner, followed by a little music to save
appearances even amongst ourselves, I took Mina to her room and
left her to go to bed. The dear girl was more affectionate with me
than ever, and clung to me as though she would detain me, but there
was much to be talked of and I came away. Thank God, the ceasing of
telling things has made no difference between us.
When I came down again I found the others all gathered round the
fire in the study. In the train I had written my diary so far, and
simply read it off to them as the best means of letting them get
abreast of my own information.
When I had finished Van Helsing said, "This has been a great
day's work, friend Jonathan. Doubtless we are on the track of the
missing boxes. If we find them all in that house, then our work is
near the end. But if there be some missing, we must search until we
find them. Then shall we make our final coup, and hunt the wretch
to his real death."
We all sat silent awhile and all at once Mr. Morris spoke, "Say!to his real death."
We all sat silent awhile and all at once Mr. Morris spoke, "Say!
How are we going to get into that house?"
"We got into the other,"answered Lord Godalming quickly.
"But, Art, this is different. We broke house at Carfax, but we
had night and a walled park to protect us. It will be a mighty
different thing to commit burglary in Piccadilly, either by day or
night. I confess I don't see how we are going to get in unless that
agency duck can find us a key of some sort."
Lord Godalming's brows contracted, and he stood up and walked
about the room. By-and-by he stopped and said, turning from one to
another of us, "Quincey's head is level. This burglary business is
getting serious. We got off once all right, but we have now a rare
job on hand. Unless we can find the Count's key basket."
As nothing could well be done before morning, and as it would be
at least advisable to wait till Lord Godalming should hear from
Mitchell's, we decided not to take any active step before breakfast
time. For a good while we sat and smoked, discussing the matter in
its various lights and bearings. I took the opportunity of bringing
this diary right up to the moment. I am very sleepy and shall go to
bed …
Just a line. Mina sleeps soundly and her breathing is regular.
Her forehead is puckered up into little wrinkles, as though she
thinks even in her sleep. She is still too pale, but does not look
so haggard as she did this morning. Tomorrow will, I hope, mend all
this. She will be herself at home in Exeter. Oh, but I am
sleepy!
DR. SEWARD'S DIARY
1 October.—I am puzzled afresh about Renfield. His moods change
so rapidly that I find it difficult to keep touch of them, and as
they always mean something more than his own well-being, they form
a more than interesting study. This morning, when I went to see him
after his repulse of Van Helsing, his manner was that of a man
commanding destiny. He was, in fact, commanding destiny,
subjectively. He did not really care for any of the things of meresubjectively. He did not really care for any of the things of mere
earth, he was in the clouds and looked down on all the weaknesses
and wants of us poor mortals.
I thought I would improve the occasion and learn something, so I
asked him, "What about the flies these times?"
He smiled on me in quite a superior sort of way, such a smile as
would have become the face of Malvolio, as he answered me, "The
fly, my dear sir, has one striking feature. It's wings are typical
of the aerial powers of the psychic faculties. The ancients did
well when they typified the soul as a butterfly!"
I thought I would push his analogy to its utmost logically, so I
said quickly, "Oh, it is a soul you are after now, is it?"
His madness foiled his reason, and a puzzled look spread over
his face as, shaking his head with a decision which I had but
seldom seen in him.
He said, "Oh, no, oh no! I want no souls. Life is all I want."
Here he brightened up. "I am pretty indifferent about it at
present. Life is all right. I have all I want. You must get a new
patient, doctor, if you wish to study zoophagy!"
This puzzled me a little, so I drew him on. "Then you command
life. You are a god, I suppose?"
He smiled with an ineffably benign superiority. "Oh no! Far be
it from me to arrogate to myself the attributes of the Deity. I am
not even concerned in His especially spiritual doings. If I may
state my intellectual position I am, so far as concerns things
purely terrestrial, somewhat in the position which Enoch occupied
spiritually!"
This was a poser to me. I could not at the moment recall Enoch's
appositeness, so I had to ask a simple question, though I felt that
by so doing I was lowering myself in the eyes of the lunatic. "And
why with Enoch?"
"Because he walked with God."
I could not see the analogy, but did not like to admit it, so I
harked back to what he had denied. "So you don't care about life
and you don't want souls. Why not?" I put my question quickly and
somewhat sternly, on purpose to disconcert him.


somewhat sternly, on purpose to disconcert him.
The effort succeeded, for an instant he unconsciously relapsed
into his old servile manner, bent low before me, and actually
fawned upon me as he replied. "I don't want any souls, indeed,
indeed! I don't. I couldn't use them if I had them. They would be
no manner of use to me. I couldn't eat them or … "
He suddenly stopped and the old cunning look spread over his
face, like a wind sweep on the surface of the water.
"And doctor, as to life, what is it after all? When you've got
all you require, and you know that you will never want, that is
all. I have friends, good friends, like you, Dr. Seward."This was
said with a leer of inexpressible cunning. "I know that I shall
never lack the means of life!"
I think that through the cloudiness of his insanity he saw some
antagonism in me, for he at once fell back on the last refuge of
such as he, a dogged silence. After a short time I saw that for the
present it was useless to speak to him. He was sulky, and so I came
away.
Later in the day he sent for me. Ordinarily I would not have
come without special reason, but just at present I am so interested
in him that I would gladly make an effort. Besides, I am glad to
have anything to help pass the time. Harker is out, following up
clues, and so are Lord Godalming and Quincey. Van Helsing sits in
my study poring over the record prepared by the Harkers. He seems
to think that by accurate knowledge of all details he will light up
on some clue. He does not wish to be disturbed in the work, without
cause. I would have taken him with me to see the patient, only I
thought that after his last repulse he might not care to go again.
There was also another reason. Renfield might not speak so freely
before a third person as when he and I were alone.
I found him sitting in the middle of the floor on his stool, a
pose which is generally indicative of some mental energy on his
part. When I came in, he said at once, as though the question had
been waiting on his lips. "What about souls?"been waiting on his lips. "What about souls?"
It was evident then that my surmise had been correct.
Unconscious cerebration was doing its work, even with the lunatic.
I determined to have the matter out.
"What about them yourself?" I asked.
He did not reply for a moment but looked all around him, and up
and down, as though he expected to find some inspiration for an
answer.
"I don't want any souls!" He said in a feeble, apologetic way.
The matter seemed preying on his mind, and so I determined to use
it, to "be cruel only to be kind." So I said, "You like life, and
you want life?"
"Oh yes! But that is all right. You needn't worry about
that!"
"But," I asked,"how are we to get the life without getting the
soul also?"
This seemed to puzzle him, so I followed it up, "A nice time
you'll have some time when you're flying out here, with the souls
of thousands of flies and spiders and birds and cats buzzing and
twittering and moaning all around you. You've got their lives, you
know, and you must put up with their souls!"
Something seemed to affect his imagination, for he put his
fingers to his ears and shut his eyes, screwing them up tightly
just as a small boy does when his face is being soaped. There was
something pathetic in it that touched me. It also gave me a lesson,
for it seemed that before me was a child, only a child, though the
features were worn, and the stubble on the jaws was white. It was
evident that he was undergoing some process of mental disturbance,
and knowing how his past moods had interpreted things seemingly
foreign to himself, I thought I would enter into his mind as well
as I could and go with him
The first step was to restore confidence, so I asked him,
speaking pretty loud so that he would hear me through his closed
ears,"Would you like some sugar to get your flies around
again?"
He seemed to wake up all at once, and shook his head. With a
laugh he replied, "Not much! Flies are poor things, after all!"
After a pause he added, "But I don't want their souls buzzing round
me, all the same."After a pause he added, "But I don't want their souls buzzing round
me, all the same."
"Or spiders?" I went on.
"Blow spiders! What's the use of spiders? There isn't anything
in them to eat or … " He stopped suddenly as though reminded
of a forbidden topic.
"So, so!" I thought to myself, "this is the second time he has
suddenly stopped at the word `drink'. What does it mean?"
Renfield seemed himself aware of having made a lapse, for he
hurried on, as though to distract my attention from it, "I don't
take any stock at all in such matters. `Rats and mice and such
small deer,' as Shakespeare has it, `chicken feed of the larder'
they might be called. I'm past all that sort of nonsense. You might
as well ask a man to eat molecules with a pair of chopsticks, as to
try to interest me about the less carnivora, when I know of what is
before me."
"I see," I said."You want big things that you can make your
teeth meet in? How would you like to breakfast on an elephant?"
"What ridiculous nonsense you are talking?" He was getting too
wide awake, so I thought I would press him hard.
"I wonder," I said reflectively, "what an elephant's soul is
like!"
The effect I desired was obtained, for he at once fell from his
high-horse and became a child again.
"I don't want an elephant's soul, or any soul at all!" he said.
For a few moments he sat despondently. Suddenly he jumped to his
feet, with his eyes blazing and all the signs of intense cerebral
excitement. "To hell with you and your souls!" he shouted. "Why do
you plague me about souls? Haven't I got enough to worry, and pain,
to distract me already, without thinking of souls?"
He looked so hostile that I thought he was in for another
homicidal fit, so I blew my whistle.
The instant, however, that I did so he became calm, and said
apologetically, "Forgive me, Doctor. I forgot myself. You do not
need any help. I am so worried in my mind that I am apt to be
irritable. If you only knew the problem I have to face, and that I


irritable. If you only knew the problem I have to face, and that I
am working out, you would pity, and tolerate, and pardon me. Pray
do not put me in a strait waistcoat. I want to think and I cannot
think freely when my body is confined. I am sure you will
understand!"
He had evidently self-control, so when the attendants came I
told them not to mind, and they withdrew. Renfield watched them go.
When the door was closed he said with considerable dignity and
sweetness, "Dr. Seward, you have been very considerate towards me.
Believe me that I am very, very grateful to you!"
I thought it well to leave him in this mood, and so I came away.
There is certainly something to ponder over in this man's state.
Several points seem to make what the American interviewer calls "a
story," if one could only get them in proper order. Here they
are:
Will not mention "drinking."
Fears the thought of being burdened with the "soul" of
anything.
Has no dread of wanting "life" in the future.
Despises the meaner forms of life altogether, though he dreads
being haunted by their souls.
Logically all these things point one way! He has assurance of
some kind that he will acquire some higher life.
He dreads the consequence, the burden of a soul. Then it is a
human life he looks to!
And the assurance …  ?
Merciful God! The Count has been to him, and there is some new
scheme of terror afoot!
Later.—I went after my round to Van Helsing and told him my
suspicion. He grew very grave, and after thinking the matter over
for a while asked me to take him to Renfield. I did so. As we came
to the door we heard the lunatic within singing gaily, as he used
to do in the time which now seems so long ago.
When we entered we saw with amazement that he had spread out his
sugar as of old. The flies, lethargic with the autumn, were
beginning to buzz into the room. We tried to make him talk of the
subject of our previous conversation, but he would not attend. He
went on with his singing, just as though we had not been present.went on with his singing, just as though we had not been present.
He had got a scrap of paper and was folding it into a notebook. We
had to come away as ignorant as we went in.
His is a curious case indeed. We must watch him tonight.
LETTER, MITCHELL, SONS & CANDY TO LORD GODALMING.
"1 October. "My Lord,
"We are at all times only too happy to meet your wishes. We beg,
with regard to the desire of your Lordship, expressed by Mr. Harker
on your behalf, to supply the following information concerning the
sale and purchase of No.347,Piccadilly. The original vendors are
the executors of the late Mr. Archibald Winter-Suffield. The
purchaser is a foreign nobleman, Count de Ville, who effected the
purchase himself paying the purchase money in notes `over the
counter,' if your Lordship will pardon us using so vulgar an
expression. Beyond this we know nothing whatever of him.
"We are, my Lord,
"Your Lordship's humble servants,
"MITCHELL, SONS & CANDY."
DR. SEWARD'S DIARY
2 October.—I placed a man in the corridor last night, and told
him to make an accurate note of any sound he might hear from
Renfield's room, and gave him instructions that if there should be
anything strange he was to call me. After dinner, when we had all
gathered round the fire in the study, Mrs. Harker having gone to
bed, we discussed the attempts and discoveries of the day. Harker
was the only one who had any result, and we are in great hopes that
his clue may be an important one.
Before going to bed I went round to the patient's room and
looked in through the observation trap. He was sleeping soundly,
his heart rose and fell with regular respiration.
This morning the man on duty reported to me that a little after
midnight he was restless and kept saying his prayers somewhat
loudly. I asked him if that was all. He replied that it was all he
heard. There was something about his manner, so suspicious that I
asked him point blank if he had been asleep. He denied sleep, but
admitted to having "dozed" for a while. It is too bad that menadmitted to having "dozed" for a while. It is too bad that men
cannot be trusted unless they are watched.
Today Harker is out following up his clue, and Art and Quincey
are looking after horses. Godalming thinks that it will be well to
have horses always in readiness, for when we get the information
which we seek there will be no time to lose. We must sterilize all
the imported earth between sunrise and sunset. We shall thus catch
the Count at his weakest, and without a refuge to fly to. Van
Helsing is off to the British Museum looking up some authorities on
ancient medicine. The old physicians took account of things which
their followers do not accept, and the Professor is searching for
witch and demon cures which may be useful to us later.
I sometimes think we must be all mad and that we shall wake to
sanity in strait waistcoats.
Later.—We have met again. We seem at last to be on the track,
and our work of tomorrow may be the beginning of the end. I wonder
if Renfield's quiet has anything to do with this. His moods have so
followed the doings of the Count, that the coming destruction of
the monster may be carried to him some subtle way. If we could only
get some hint as to what passed in his mind, between the time of my
argument with him today and his resumption of fly-catching, it
might afford us a valuable clue. He is now seemingly quiet for a
spell … Is he? That wild yell seemed to come from his
room …
The attendant came bursting into my room and told me that
Renfield had somehow met with some accident. He had heard him yell,
and when he went to him found him lying on his face on the floor,
all covered with blood. I must go at once …


3 October.—Let me put down with exactness all that happened, as
well as I can remember, since last I made an entry. Not a detail
that I can recall must be forgotten. In all calmness I must
proceed.
When I came to Renfield's room I found him lying on the floor on
his left side in a glittering pool of blood. When I went to move
him, it became at once apparent that he had received some terrible
injuries. There seemed none of the unity of purpose between the
parts of the body which marks even lethargic sanity. As the face
was exposed I could see that it was horribly bruised, as though it
had been beaten against the floor. Indeed it was from the face
wounds that the pool of blood originated.
The attendant who was kneeling beside the body said to me as we
turned him over, "I think, sir, his back is broken. See, both his
right arm and leg and the whole side of his face are paralysed."
How such a thing could have happened puzzled the attendant beyond
measure. He seemed quite bewildered, and his brows were gathered in
as he said, "I can't understand the two things. He could mark his
face like that by beating his own head on the floor. I saw a young
woman do it once at the Eversfield Asylum before anyone could lay
hands on her. And I suppose he might have broken his neck by
falling out of bed, if he got in an awkward kink. But for the life
of me I can't imagine how the two things occurred. If his back was
broke, he couldn't beat his head, and if his face was like that
before the fall out of bed, there would be marks of it."
I said to him, "Go to Dr. Van Helsing, and ask him to kindly
come here at once. I want him without an instant's delay."
The man ran off, and within a few minutes the Professor, in his
dressing gown and slippers, appeared. When he saw Renfield on the
ground, he looked keenly at him a moment, and then turned to me. I
think he recognized my thought in my eyes, for he said very
quietly, manifestly for the ears of the attendant, "Ah, a sad
accident! He will need very careful watching, and much attention. Iaccident! He will need very careful watching, and much attention. I
shall stay with you myself, but I shall first dress myself. If you
will remain I shall in a few minutes join you."
The patient was now breathing stertorously and it was easy to
see that he had suffered some terrible injury.
Van Helsing returned with extraordinary celerity, bearing with
him a surgical case. He had evidently been thinking and had his
mind made up, for almost before he looked at the patient, he
whispered to me, "Send the attendant away. We must be alone with
him when he becomes conscious, after the operation."
I said, "I think that will do now, Simmons. We have done all
that we can at present. You had better go your round, and Dr. Van
Helsing will operate. Let me know instantly if there be anything
unusual anywhere."
The man withdrew, and we went into a strict examination of the
patient. The wounds of the face were superficial. The real injury
was a depressed fracture of the skull, extending right up through
the motor area.
The Professor thought a moment and said,"We must reduce the
pressure and get back to normal conditions, as far as can be. The
rapidity of the suffusion shows the terrible nature of his injury.
The whole motor area seems affected. The suffusion of the brain
will increase quickly, so we must trephine at once or it may be too
late."
As he was speaking there was a soft tapping at the door. I went
over and opened it and found in the corridor without, Arthur and
Quincey in pajamas and slippers, the former spoke, "I heard your
man call up Dr. Van Helsing and tell him of an accident. So I woke
Quincey or rather called for him as he was not asleep. Things are
moving too quickly and too strangely for sound sleep for any of us
these times. I've been thinking that tomorrow night will not see
things as they have been. We'll have to look back, and forward a
little more than we have done. May we come in?"
I nodded, and held the door open till they had entered, then II nodded, and held the door open till they had entered, then I
closed it again. When Quincey saw the attitude and state of the
patient, and noted the horrible pool on the floor, he said softly,
"My God! What has happened to him? Poor, poor devil!"
I told him briefly, and added that we expected he would recover
consciousness after the operation, for a short time, at all events.
He went at once and sat down on the edge of the bed, with Godalming
beside him. We all watched in patience.
"We shall wait," said Van Helsing, "just long enough to fix the
best spot for trephining, so that we may most quickly and perfectly
remove the blood clot, for it is evident that the haemorrhage is
increasing."
The minutes during which we waited passed with fearful slowness.
I had a horrible sinking in my heart, and from Van Helsing's face I
gathered that he felt some fear or apprehension as to what was to
come. I dreaded the words Renfield might speak. I was positively
afraid to think. But the conviction of what was coming was on me,
as I have read of men who have heard the death watch. The poor
man's breathing came in uncertain gasps.Each instant he seemed as
though he would open his eyes and speak, but then would follow a
prolonged stertorous breath, and he would relapse into a more fixed
insensibility. Inured as I was to sick beds and death, this
suspense grew and grew upon me. I could almost hear the beating of
my own heart, and the blood surging through my temples sounded like
blows from a hammer. The silence finally became agonizing. I looked
at my companions, one after another, and saw from their flushed
faces and damp brows that they were enduring equal torture. There
was a nervous suspense over us all, as though overhead some dread
bell would peal out powerfully when we should least expect it.
At last there came a time when it was evident that the patient
was sinking fast. He might die at any moment. I looked up at the
Professor and caught his eyes fixed on mine. His face was sternly


Professor and caught his eyes fixed on mine. His face was sternly
set as he spoke, "There is no time to lose. His words may be worth
many lives. I have been thinking so, as I stood here. It may be
there is a soul at stake! We shall operate just above the ear."
Without another word he made the operation. For a few moments
the breathing continued to be stertorous. Then there came a breath
so prolonged that it seemed as though it would tear open his chest.
Suddenly his eyes opened, and became fixed in a wild, helpless
stare. This was continued for a few moments, then it was softened
into a glad surprise, and from his lips came a sigh of relief. He
moved convulsively, and as he did so, said, "I'll be quiet, Doctor.
Tell them to take off the strait waistcoat. I have had a terrible
dream, and it has left me so weak that I cannot move. What's wrong
with my face? It feels all swollen, and it smarts dreadfully."
He tried to turn his head, but even with the effort his eyes
seemed to grow glassy again so I gently put it back. Then Van
Helsing said in a quiet grave tone, "Tell us your dream, Mr.
Renfield."
As he heard the voice his face brightened, through its
mutilation, and he said, "That is Dr. Van Helsing. How good it is
of you to be here. Give me some water, my lips are dry, and I shall
try to tell you. I dreamed" …
He stopped and seemed fainting. I called quietly to Quincey,
"The brandy, it is in my study, quick!" He flew and returned with a
glass, the decanter of brandy and a carafe of water. We moistened
the parched lips, and the patient quickly revived.
It seemed, however, that his poor injured brain had been working
in the interval, for when he was quite conscious, he looked at me
piercingly with an agonized confusion which I shall never forget,
and said, "I must not deceive myself. It was no dream, but all a
grim reality." Then his eyes roved round the room. As they caught
sight of the two figures sitting patiently on the edge of the bed
he went on, "If I were not sure already, I would know from
them."he went on, "If I were not sure already, I would know from
them."
For an instant his eyes closed, not with pain or sleep but
voluntarily, as though he were bringing all his faculties to bear.
When he opened them he said, hurriedly, and with more energy than
he had yet displayed, "Quick, Doctor, quick, I am dying! I feel
that I have but a few minutes, and then I must go back to death, or
worse! Wet my lips with brandy again. I have something that I must
say before I die. Or before my poor crushed brain dies anyhow.
Thank you! It was that night after you left me, when I implored you
to let me go away. I couldn't speak then, for I felt my tongue was
tied. But I was as sane then, except in that way, as I am now. I
was in an agony of despair for a long time after you left me, it
seemed hours. Then there came a sudden peace to me. My brain seemed
to become cool again, and I realized where I was. I heard the dogs
bark behind our house, but not where He was!"
As he spoke, Van Helsing's eyes never blinked, but his hand came
out and met mine and gripped it hard. He did not, however, betray
himself. He nodded slightly and said, "Go on," in a low voice.
Renfield proceeded. "He came up to the window in the mist, as I
had seen him often before, but he was solid then, not a ghost, and
his eyes were fierce like a man's when angry. He was laughing with
his red mouth, the sharp white teeth glinted in the moonlight when
he turned to look back over the belt of trees, to where the dogs
were barking. I wouldn't ask him to come in at first, though I knew
he wanted to, just as he had wanted all along. Then he began
promising me things, not in words but by doing them."
He was interrupted by a word from the Professor, "How?"
"By making them happen. Just as he used to send in the flies
when the sun was shining. Great big fat ones with steel and
sapphire on their wings. And big moths, in the night, with skull
and cross-bones on their backs."
Van Helsing nodded to him as he whispered to me unconsciously,and cross-bones on their backs."
Van Helsing nodded to him as he whispered to me unconsciously,
"The Acherontia Atropos of the Sphinges, what you call the
`Death's-head Moth'?"
The patient went on without stopping, "Then he began to
whisper.`Rats, rats, rats! Hundreds, thousands, millions of them,
and every one a life. And dogs to eat them, and cats too. All
lives! All red blood, with years of life in it, and not merely
buzzing flies!' I laughed at him, for I wanted to see what he could
do. Then the dogs howled, away beyond the dark trees in His house.
He beckoned me to the window. I got up and looked out, and He
raised his hands,and seemed to call out without using any words. A
dark mass spread over the grass, coming on like the shape of a
flame of fire. And then He moved the mist to the right and left,
and I could see that there were thousands of rats with their eyes
blazing red, like His only smaller. He held up his hand, and they
all stopped, and I thought he seemed to be saying, `All these lives
will I give you, ay, and many more and greater, through countless
ages, if you will fall down and worship me!' And then a red cloud,
like the color of blood, seemed to close over my eyes, and before I
knew what I was doing, I found myself opening the sash and saying
to Him, `Come in, Lord and Master!' The rats were all gone, but He
slid into the room through the sash, though it was only open an
inch wide, just as the Moon herself has often come in through the
tiniest crack and has stood before me in all her size and
splendor."
His voice was weaker, so I moistened his lips with the brandy
again, and he continued, but it seemed as though his memory had
gone on working in the interval for his story was further advanced.
I was about to call him back to the point, but Van Helsing
whispered to me, "Let him go on. Do not interrupt him. He cannot go
back, and maybe could not proceed at all if once he lost the thread
of his thought."
He proceeded, "All day I waited to hear from him, but he did not


of his thought."
He proceeded, "All day I waited to hear from him, but he did not
send me anything, not even a blowfly, and when the moon got up I
was pretty angry with him. When he did slide in through the window,
though it was shut, and did not even knock, I got mad with him. He
sneered at me, and his white face looked out of the mist with his
red eyes gleaming, and he went on as though he owned the whole
place, and I was no one. He didn't even smell the same as he went
by me. I couldn't hold him. I thought that, somehow, Mrs. Harker
had come into the room."
The two men sitting on the bed stood up and came over, standing
behind him so that he could not see them, but where they could hear
better. They were both silent, but the Professor started and
quivered. His face, however, grew grimmer and sterner still.
Renfield went on without noticing, "When Mrs. Harker came in to see
me this afternoon she wasn't the same. It was like tea after the
teapot has been watered." Here we all moved, but no one said a
word.
He went on, "I didn't know that she was here till she spoke, and
she didn't look the same. I don't care for the pale people. I like
them with lots of blood in them, and hers all seemed to have run
out. I didn't think of it at the time, but when she went away I
began to think, and it made me mad to know that He had been taking
the life out of her." I could feel that the rest quivered, as I
did. But we remained otherwise still. "So when He came tonight I
was ready for Him. I saw the mist stealing in, and I grabbed it
tight. I had heard that madmen have unnatural strength. And as I
knew I was a madman, at times anyhow, I resolved to use my power.
Ay, and He felt it too, for He had to come out of the mist to
struggle with me. I held tight, and I thought I was going to win,
for I didn't mean Him to take any more of her life, till I saw His
eyes. They burned into me, and my strength became like water. He
slipped through it, and when I tried to cling to Him, He raised meslipped through it, and when I tried to cling to Him, He raised me
up and flung me down. There was a red cloud before me, and a noise
like thunder,and the mist seemed to steal away under the door."
His voice was becoming fainter and his breath more stertorous.
Van Helsing stood up instinctively.
"We know the worst now," he said. "He is here, and we know his
purpose. It may not be too late. Let us be armed, the same as we
were the other night, but lose no time, there is not an instant to
spare."
There was no need to put our fear, nay our conviction, into
words, we shared them in common. We all hurried and took from our
rooms the same things that we had when we entered the Count's
house. The Professor had his ready, and as we met in the corridor
he pointed to them significantly as he said, "They never leave me,
and they shall not till this unhappy business is over. Be wise
also, my friends. It is no common enemy that we deal with Alas!
Alas! That dear Madam Mina should suffer!" He stopped, his voice
was breaking, and I do not know if rage or terror predominated in
my own heart.
Outside the Harkers' door we paused. Art and Quincey held back,
and the latter said, "Should we disturb her?"
"We must," said Van Helsing grimly. "If the door be locked, I
shall break it in."
"May it not frighten her terribly? It is unusual to break into a
lady's room!"
Van Helsing said solemnly, "You are always right. But this is
life and death. All chambers are alike to the doctor. And even were
they not they are all as one to me tonight. Friend John, when I
turn the handle, if the door does not open, do you put your
shoulder down and shove. And you too, my friends. Now!"
He turned the handle as he spoke, but the door did not yield. We
threw ourselves against it. With a crash it burst open, and we
almost fell headlong into the room. The Professor did actually
fall, and I saw across him as he gathered himself up from hands and
knees. What I saw appalled me. I felt my hair rise like bristles onknees. What I saw appalled me. I felt my hair rise like bristles on
the back of my neck, and my heart seemed to stand still.
The moonlight was so bright that through the thick yellow blind
the room was light enough to see. On the bed beside the window lay
Jonathan Harker, his face flushed and breathing heavily as though
in a stupor. Kneeling on the near edge of the bed facing outwards
was the white-clad figure of his wife. By her side stood a tall,
thin man, clad in black. His face was turned from us, but the
instant we saw we all recognized the Count, in every way, even to
the scar on his forehead. With his left hand he held both Mrs.
Harker's hands, keeping them away with her arms at full tension.
His right hand gripped her by the back of the neck, forcing her
face down on his bosom. Her white night-dress was smeared with
blood, and a thin stream trickled down the man's bare chest which
was shown by his torn-open dress. The attitude of the two had a
terrible resemblance to a child forcing a kitten's nose into a
saucer of milk to compel it to drink. As we burst into the room,
the Count turned his face, and the hellish look that I had heard
described seemed to leap into it. His eyes flamed red with devilish
passion. The great nostrils of the white aquiline nose opened wide
and quivered at the edge, and the white sharp teeth, behind the
full lips of the blood dripping mouth, clamped together like those
of a wild beast. With a wrench, which threw his victim back upon
the bed as though hurled from a height, he turned and sprang at us.
But by this time the Professor had gained his feet, and was holding
towards him the envelope which contained the Sacred Wafer. The
Count suddenly stopped, just as poor Lucy had done outside the
tomb, and cowered back. Further and further back he cowered, as we,
lifting our crucifixes, advanced. The moonlight suddenly failed, as
a great black cloud sailed across the sky. And when the gaslight
sprang up under Quincey's match, we saw nothing but a faint vapor.