Abraham Van Helsing

* 1931
* 1958
* 1979
* 1992
* 2006

Dracula (NBC, 2006)

David Suchet (2006)

The Dutchman

Lucy Westenra (patient, deceased)

### Personalities

Eccentric, wise, old, kind, faithful, pious, scientific, eloquent, brave, trustworthy, strong, pompous, faithful, passionate, paternal, determined, moral, intellectual, protective, influential, active, witty

### Allies

Dr. Seward
Mina Harker
Arthur Holmwood
Quincey Morris
Jonathan Harker

Lucy Westenra

### Goal

To treat Lucy's unexplained illness (temporarily succeeded)
To have the Undead Lucy destroyed for her soul to be free

To hunt Dracula and destroy him (all succeeded)

### Fate

Recalls their story of hunting the Count seven years after destroying him

### Famous quotes

We learn from failure, not from success!There are darknesses in life and there are lights; you are one of those lights.

> "*A brave man's blood is the best thing on this earth when a woman is in trouble.*"
> ― Chapter 12
>
>

Abraham Van Helsing is one of the main protagonists in Bram Stoker's *Dracula*.

An influential Dutch scientist and philosopher, Van Helsing helps the Harkers and their friends learn and track down Count Dracula and his 50 boxes of earth with his eloquence and knowledge of vampirism, mythology and lore.

## Description

Van Helsing is a doctor, philosopher and scientist whose knowledge in Western medicine, superstition and vampire lore makes him essential in confronting Count Dracula. As such, he serves as a contrast to the young, English adults who don’t know much about superstitions or folklore.

## Storyline

### Treating Lucy’s Unexpected Illness

On September 2nd in Amsterdam, Abraham Ven Helsing receives a letter from his former student, Dr. John Seward from London, asking him to come over and examine his ex-fiancée Lucy Westenra, who has fallen ill unexpectedly during her visit to Whitby, such as losing blood and turning pale. Seward also mentions Lucy’s fiancé, Arthur Holmwood, and he even wrote to Arthur that his old mentor is a respected philosopher, doctor and scientist who is an expert in strange diseases.

Van Helsing later writes back to Seward, telling him he is already on his way to England when he received his letter and hopes he will arrive soon. He even recalls the time Seward saved his life by sucking poison from his wound and wants him to tell Arthur about it. He is looking forward to seeing Lucy and wants to meet her tomorrow night as he will have to return to Amsterdam later that evening. He hopes to return to England in three days and stay longer than possible.

The next day, Van Helsing meets Seward, and they meet Lucy, whose mother, Mrs. Westenra, is out for the day, and the men are alone with Lucy.

During the visit, Lucy is cheerful as usual and is slightly better. Her breathing is normal, and she is delighted to see Van Helsing. He converses with her to lift her spirits before telling her he has been informed about her pale appearance. He points out to Seward that he knows nothing about young women and will send him outside so they can be alone together. While Seward is out in the garden, Van Helsing examines Lucy and calls Seward in from the window. He tells Seward that he couldn’t make an immediate diagnosis but agrees that she has lost much blood but is certain there is a cause. He interviews some questions to Lucy’s maid and says he will return home to think. In the meantime, Seward will still send him telegrams daily, and when he figures out a cause, he will return to England.

Van Helsing wants Seward to inform Holmwood about the examination. However, he doesn’t give Seward further information and returns to Amsterdam while Seward closely monitors Lucy. Seward writes telegrams to Van Helsing for the next two days, saying Lucy is slightly improving. But on the third day, Seward writes to Van Helsing that Lucy’s condition has worsened and begs Van Helsing to come over immediately.

On September 7th, Van Helsing returns to London and meets Seward at the Liverpool Street train station. Van Helsing asks Seward if he has told Holmwood about Lucy’s condition and has delayed sending him another telegram until he returns. Seward says he wrote a simple letter to Holmwood that Van Helsing was returning.

Van Helsing hopes Holmwood won’t know about this until later. He warns Seward not to bring this up with his asylum patients; this must be kept between them. Van Helsing says he has figured out the cause but will tell him later. Seward asks why he can tell him now, and Van Helsing recites that when the corn has fully grown, he will know the truth and playfully pulls Seward’s ear, just like he always did during their lectures. He then explains the importance of knowledge and how they learn from their mistakes.

After Seward describes Lucy’s symptoms, Van Helsing reacts gravely but says nothing. He brought his bag containing many instruments and drugs that he once called “ghastly paraphernalia of our beneficial trade” from one of his lectures.

Mrs. Westenra greets the men and lets them inside, with Seward telling her she shouldn't be with Lucy or think about her illness since she has a weak heart. Mrs. Westenra agrees and shows them to Lucy's room. The men are horrified to see Lucy ghastly and pale and she is struggling to breathe while trying to speak. The men are silent until Van Helsing beckons Seward out of the room. When he closes the door, Van Helsing tells Seward Lucy that she must have a blood transfusion to live, and one must transfuse their blood to her body. Seward decides to do it, and Van Helsing urges him to get ready. When they go downstairs, there is a knock on the door. A maid opens it, and Holmwood rushes inside. He tells Seward he has been worried about Lucy from reading his letter, but since his father is better, he has come to see her.

Van Helsing is initially annoyed by Holmwood's interruption, but seeing how young he is, he persuades him that he must help her immediately. He has become so pale that he nearly faints when he sits in a chair. Holmwood asks what he can do, and Van Helsing replies that Lucy needs blood or she will die. He and Holmwood had volunteered to give her a transfusion, but he tells Holmwood he must give one to her now that he is here. Holmwood meekly obeys to provide Lucy with his blood, and Van Helsing praises him. He instructs Holmwood to quietly give the transfusion and leave immediately without informing Mrs. Westenra.

The men arrive in Lucy's room, where she is too weak to sleep or speak. Van Helsing takes some things out of his bag out of her sight. He mixes a narcotic and asks her to drink it. She lifts her head to drink the narcotic and then falls into a deep sleep. Then, Van Helsing calls Holmwood into the room and has him remove his coat. After Holmwood kisses Lucy, Van Helsing performs the transfusion, and colour starts showing on Lucy's cheeks. However, Holmwood becomes pale, and Van Helsing orders him to stop. Seward tends to Holmwood's wounds, and Van Helsing adjusts Lucy's head onto the pillow, where they notice the bite marks on her neck that a velvet band had covered.

Van Helsing tells Seward to take Holmwood downstairs, give him some wine, and let him rest for a while. He thanks Holmwood for saving Lucy's life and tells him he will go home and get some rest to recover from the transfusion. After Holmwood leaves, Van Helsing and Seward notice Lucy is sleeping gently, and her breathing is normal again. Van Helsing asks Seward about the marks on her neck, and Seward replies that he hasn't examined it yet. Seward removes the band, and they see the tiny puncture marks. Seward says he doesn't know what to make of it, and Van Helsing thinks he will return to Amsterdam tonight for more research. He instructs Seward to stay with Lucy all night and not let her out of his sight. He also tells Seward he must not sleep throughout the entire night, as he and Van Helsing will get some sleep later.

During Van Helsing's absence, Seward sits up with Lucy for two nights in a row and is already exhausted. Meanwhile, Lucy is doing better since Seward is close by with her. The next day, Van Helsing wakes him up and asks about Lucy before they go into her room. Seward opens the blinds, and Van Helsing is horrified to see Lucy pale and thin again. He is about to lose his temper but ushers Seward to bring her some brandy. Seward brings it back, and Van Helsing uses it to wet Lucy’s lips and rub her palm, wrist, and chest. He sees that her heart is still faintly beating. She will need another transfusion, and he calls Seward to do it. Van Helsing pulls out his instruments for the transfusion. He warns Seward not to stir and will give her some morphine.

Van Helsing performs the second transfusion and notices Seward gave more blood than Holmwood. After Seward lies down to rest, Van Helsing tends to Lucy before bandaging Seward’s wound and telling him to have some wine. He also warns him not to inform Holmwood about the transfusion. Seward has some wine, and Van Helsing tells him to rest in his room, have some breakfast and then he will come to see him.

Seward falls asleep on the sofa, and Lucy sleeps throughout the day and wakes up healthy and strong. Again, Van Helsing orders Seward to watch Lucy while he finds a telegraph office. A couple of hours later, he returns and instructs Seward to go home to rest, and he will stay up late with Lucy, reminding him that nobody else must know about their case.

The next day, Van Helsing arrives at Hillingham with a package from abroad. He unwraps it and shows off a bunch of white flowers for Lucy, which delights her. He reminds her that the flowers are not something to play with, as they are medicinal flowers, but he doesn’t explain why. He also tells her not to mind the flowers’ strange smell, and he will place the flowers around the window, and Lucy will wear a garland of them around her neck so that she will sleep well. While he is talking, Lucy examines and smells the flowers but throws them to the floor in disgust, saying they are common garlic. He sternly reprimands her until she gets scared and then says in a gentle tone not to be afraid of him. He reminds her about the importance of the flowers and asks Seward to help him place the flowers in his room. He reveals that he got the flowers from a friend back home who grew herbs and telegraphed him to send them to him.

They go into Van Helsing’s room, where Van Helsing fastens and latches the windows, then rubs the garlic flowers around the window sashes, door and fireplace and makes the flower wreath for Lucy. Seward is confused about why the garlic flowers are important. After he finishes the wreath and places it around Lucy’s neck, he instructs her not to take them off and that she must not keep her door and window open tonight. She promises and thanks Van Helsing for his kindness. As Seward and Van Helsing leave the house, Van Helsing is relieved he can finally rest after two days of travelling and research. He asks Seward to accompany him tomorrow to see how Lucy is doing with the flowers. Seward is again confused, but Van Helsing doesn’t give him an explanation.

On September 13th, Van Helsing and Seward meet at the Berkeley Hotel at 8 o’clock in the morning, and they take a coach to Hillingham. Van Helsing now always brings his bag with him. Mrs. Westenra greets them as usual and says Lucy is well but still asleep. Van Helsing smiles and thinks his treatment has worked. However, Mrs. Westernra says that when she went into Lucy's room last night, she found Lucy sound asleep but found the room too stuffy and smelly from the garlic flowers. She thought the odour would be too much for Lucy, so she removed the flowers and opened the window.

As soon as Mrs. Westenra leaves, Van Helsing is shocked and then breaks down sobbing. He then says they must not warn Mrs. Westenra about Lucy's condition, even though she had removed the flowers and made Lucy more vulnerable. He grabs his bag, and the men rush upstairs to her room. Seward draws the blind, and Van Helsing sees Lucy pale and haggard again. He locks the door and takes out the instruments for another transfusion. Seward takes off his coat, but Van Helsing tells him he is still weak and will perform the operation as Van Helsing provides his blood. After the operation, Lucy is relieved as Seward tends to her, and Van Helsing rests. He informs Mrs. Westenra not to remove anything from Lucy's room without his consent, and the garlic flowers are used for medicinal value and to keep Lucy safe. He decides to sit up with Lucy throughout the night and will send Seward any news about her the next day. Lucy wakes up an hour later, refreshed and healthy. She sleeps well for the next four days with the garlic flowers, and Van Helsing returns to Amsterdam for a day. Later, he telegrams Seward, reminding him to stay up all night with Lucy and to check if the flowers are still in place. The telegram was delayed, and Seward received it within 22 hours after Van Helsing sent it.

On September 18th, the Pall Mall Gazette published an article about an escaped wolf. The journalist interviewed the Zoological Garden's keeper, Thomas Bilder, who has a thick Cockney accent and lives in a cottage behind the elephant enclosure. Bilder explains that the escaped wolf is named Berserker, and he bought him from another zoo a few years ago. Berserker was a sweet, well-behaved wolf who didn't cause any trouble. After Bilder fed the animals yesterday, he heard a strange noise. He heard howling and yelping while cleaning up the monkey enclosure and tending to a sick puma. He found Berserker trying to break open his cage. Nobody was at the zoo that day except for a strange, tall man with a crooked nose, red eyes, and a pointed beard. The man told Bilder something was wrong with the animals, and Bilder warned him not to mess with the wolf. The man said he was used to dealing with animals and scratched the wolf's ears. That night, Bilder was awakened by the wolves howling. While investigating the noise, he found Berserker's empty cage, with the rails broken and twisted. One of the gardeners reported seeing a large grey dog running through the garden's hedges, and they spent the entire night searching for it. During the interview, Berserker returns to his owner.

On the night of September 17th, Lucy felt weak and couldn't sleep. Mrs. Westena came in to check on her, and Lucy invited her to sleep with her for a while. They heard howling, and strange flapping sounds at the window. The window then crashes, and a large grey wolf pokes its head inside. Mrs. Westenra screamed and tore the garlic flower wreath off Lucy's neck before dying of a heart attack. The sounds woke the maids, and they rushed into Lucy's bedroom, where they found Mrs. Westenra's body and placed it on Lucy's bed. The maids were terrified, so Lucy told them to have some wine to calm their nerves. But the maids fell unconscious when the wine they drank was filled with laudanum, so Lucy was alone in the house with her dead mother and four unconscious maids.

The next morning, Van Helsing returns to London and finds Seward trying to get inside Hillingham.Seward tells him he didn't get his telegram until a day later, and Van Helsing fears they may be too late, and they must figure out how to get into the locked house. They go to the back of the house, where they find a kitchen window. Van Helsing takes a small surgical saw and gives it to Seward, instructing him to cut the iron bars. After Seward saws off three bars, they open the window and go inside. Nobody is in the kitchen or the servants' rooms. They searched everywhere until they found the maids passed out in the dining room, filled with the scent of the laudanum. Van Helsing says they will tend to them later and ascend to Lucy's room. They pause outside her bedroom door, but they go inside when they don't hear anything. They find Mrs. Westenra's body on Lucy's bed, covered in a white sheet. Lucy sits by the body, her face pale again, and the bite marks are visible on her neck, but they are more mangled and white. Her garlic flower garland lay on Mrs. Westenra's chest.

Van Helsing knows it's not too late and orders Seward to fetch the brandy. Seward quickly returns with some brandy, and Van Helsing rubs it on Lucy’s face and hands. Then, he instructs Seward to revive the maids and prepare a warm bath for Lucy. After three maids were revived and Seward gave them orders to save Lucy’s life, they made a hot bath. Lucy is carried and placed into the bathtub when there is a knock on the door. One of the maids answers it, and then she says a gentleman has come with a message from Holmwood. Seward tells her that he is too busy attending to Lucy and has to wait, so the maid passes the message to the guest at the door. Van Helsing works desperately hard to save Lucy’s life, and at one point, he mentions to Seward that they should let Lucy die peacefully if she shows no signs of life. However, he is relieved when he hears Lucy’s heartbeat with his stethoscope, and the men carry her into another room. They place her in a bed, and Seward pours brandy down her throat while Van Helsing ties a silk handkerchief around her neck. She is still unconscious but worse than before. Van Helsing calls in a maid and orders her to watch over Lucy until he returns, and he beckons Seward out of the room.

The men descend the stairs, and Van Helsing decides something must be done. They enter the dining room, which is dimly lit with the blinds drawn down, and Van Helsing shuts the door behind him. He decides that Lucy needs another transfusion, but he and Seward are already exhausted, and the maids are too scared to do it. As he wonders who will carry out a transfusion, Quincey arrives and gives a telegram from Holmwood to Seward. In the telegram, Holmwood wrote that he hadn’t heard from Seward in three days but couldn’t leave his ailing father. He also hopes Lucy is alright. Quincey also overhears everything Van Helsing says, and Van Helsing urges him to perform a blood transfusion on Lucy.

Quincey transfuses his blood into Lucy, but her condition doesn’t improve. Her breathing and heartbeat are normal, and Van Helsing injects her with some morphine that puts her to sleep. While Quincey goes downstairs with Seward to have some wine and rest, Van Helsing finds a piece of paper that had fallen from Lucy’s breast when she was carried to the bath, and he shows it to Seward when he returns. Seward reads it and is puzzled, but Van Helsing says they will worry about it later, and they decide to write Mrs. Westenra’s death certificate, certifying that she died of heart disease and avoid an inquest that could hurt Lucy. While Seward goes out, Van Helsing stays by Lucy’s side while she sleeps. Later, when she wakes up in the afternoon, she finds the piece of paper on her breast that Van Helsing and Seward read earlier and starts crying over her mother’s death while the men try to comfort her.

Lucy falls asleep at dusk, and in her sleep, she tears the piece of paper in half. Van Helsing and Seward take turns watching over her throughout the night and don’t leave her out of sight while Quincey anxiously paces around the house. Lucy has become so weak in the morning that she cannot move her head. When she sleeps, Van Helsing and Seward notice her haggard appearance and shallow breathing, and her open mouth reveals long, sharp teeth. But when she’s awake, she is her normal self but close to death. She begs for Holmwood, and Quincey goes to the train station to pick him up.

It is dusk when Holmwood arrives and is overcome with emotion when he sees Lucy but is also relieved when she talks to him. The men start a 24-hour watch schedule, with Van Helsing and Seward sitting up with her at 1 o’clock in the morning, but Seward fears their watch won’t last until tomorrow.

On September 20th, Seward is exhausted from watching over Lucy. Van Helsing takes his place and urges Holmwood to get some rest. At six o’clock, Holmwood has fallen asleep, and Van Helsing returns to Lucy’s room and notices something isn’t right and orders Seward to open the blinds so he’ll have light. He examines her by removing the garlic flowers and handkerchief covering her neck and is shocked to see that the puncture wounds on her neck have completely disappeared. He tells Seward she’s dying and urges him to bring Holmwood in to be with her one last time.

When Seward and Holmwood return, Van Helsing makes Lucy comfortable in her final moments by brushing her hair and laying her on her pillow. Holmwood prepares to kiss her, but Van Helsing motions him to hold her hand before kissing her. She sleeps, and her breathing becomes shallow, but the men notice her long, sharp teeth when her mouth opens. She suddenly wakes up and begs Holmwood seductively to kiss her. Holmwood is about to kiss her, but Van Helsing, shocked at the sudden tone in her voice, quickly grabs Holmwood and drags him away from her, demanding that he must not kiss her now. Lucy closes her eyes again but wakes up briefly to kiss Van Helsing’s hand, begging him to guard Holmwood and give her peace. Van Helsing swears he will, and soon afterwards, Lucy dies.

Seward leads a grieving Holmwood out to the dining room, and Van Helsing watches over Lucy’s body, which looks beautiful and peaceful in death, but he is concerned. Seward returns and hopes Lucy is finally at peace, but Van Helsing warns him that Lucy’s death is only just the beginning, and they must wait and see what happens next.

### The Undead Lucy/Meeting the Harkers

The next day, the funeral preparations are made so Lucy and her mother will be buried together.Seward makes the arrangements while Holmwood goes home to arrange his father’s funeral, and no relatives are present at Lucy’s funeral. However, Van Helsing insists on reviewing Lucy’s diary entries and letters. He also asks Seward to write to Mrs. Westenra’s solicitor and keep her documents sealed while he searches Lucy’s room for any clues leading to her death. Later, he tells Seward he hasn’t found anything but some old letters, Lucy’s memoranda and journal.

Towards the end of the day, Van Helsing says they should retire for the night. Before leaving, they view Lucy’s corpse in her room where it’s made into a makeshift chapel by the undertaker. White flowers and wax candles surround her body, and she still looks beautiful. Van Helsing leaves briefly, returns with a handful of garlic flowers he spreads around Lucy’s body, and then places a golden crucifix over Lucy’s mouth. When Seward is undressing in his room, Van Helsing asks him to bring him some post-mortem tools the next day, as he wants to operate on Lucy’s body by cutting off her head and taking out her heart. He wants to do it tonight but decides when Holmwood is free after his father’s funeral tomorrow and wants him present at the operation. On that day, after Lucy’s coffin has been shut, he and Seward will unscrew the coffin lid and perform the operation. Seward is shocked, and Van Helsing convinces him to trust him. Seward promises him he will still help him.

But the next day, Van Helsing comes into Seward’s room and says someone has stolen Lucy’s crucifix at night, and it’s too early or too late to perform the operation. As such, they have no choice but to wait. That afternoon, Mrs. Westenra’s solicitor, Mr. Marquand, arrives and praises the men for looking after Lucy in her final days. At lunch, he tells the men that Mrs. Westenra knows her weak heart will eventually give out, and he will arrange her affairs. Aside from some money left by Lucy’s father, Holmwood will inherit his fiancée’s estate. Mrs. Westenra wanted her daughter to be married off to a wealthy gentleman so she wouldn’t be impoverished, and the solicitors assured her they would help carry out her wish. Since she died before her daughter, Lucy would have inherited the estate. But since Lucy outlived her mother by five minutes, they would investigate if her death was considered intestacy in case she didn’t leave a will.

Holmwood is coming over at 5 o'clock, and Van Helsing orders the bedroom where Lucy and Mrs. Westenra lay to be arranged for his arrival. When Holmwood arrives, he is still distraught from losing Lucy, and Seward brings him to show him Lucy's body. Afterwards, Seward informs Van Helsing that Holmwood has paid his final respects to Lucy, and then he orders the undertakers to screw Lucy's coffin and prepare for the burial. At dinner, Holmwood is still devastated, and Van Helsing is silent. Holmwood begs him not to call him Lord Goldaming and just refer to him by his first name, Arthur. Van Helsing consoles him like a son and then encourages him to trust in him before informing him he has inherited Mrs. Westenra's property and asks if he could look over Lucy's papers and letters. He promises to give them to him when he's finished with them, and Holmwood is delighted. But that night, Van Helsing doesn't sleep and spends all night monitoring the room where Lucy's coffin lies with the garlic flowers strewn inside.

On September 22nd, Lucy and Mrs. Westenra are laid to rest. Van Helsing gets some rest before preparing for the journey back to Amsterdam but will return to London tomorrow to deal with some personal business. After the funeral, Van Helsing had a fit of hysterical half-laughter and half-tears. He confessed that he was laughing from seeing Lucy's beauty-in-death and from Holmwood's statement that he felt married to her because he donated his blood to her. He then asks Dr. Seward to forgive his sudden laughing outburst.

The Westminster Gazette published an article on September 25th. In Hampstead, there have been reports that young children had disappeared last night but were found the next morning at Shooter's Hill with tiny puncture wounds on their necks. The children claimed they had been lured away from their homes by a mysterious woman they call the "bloofer lady."

On September 24th, Van Helsing writes to Lucy's best friend, Mina Harker. He says that Holmwood permitted him to read Lucy's letters, concerned about its contents. Most of the letters were from Mina, and Van Helsing asked Mina to help him look over the letters. He encourages her to trust him as he is a friend of Dr. Seward and Holmwood. He will meet her at Exeter if she accepts his request to see her. The next day, she sends him a telegram, asking him to come today and take the 10 o'clock train if he can catch it, and she'll see him anytime. At half past two, he meets Mina and accidentally addressed her by her maiden name, Mina Murray. Afterwards, he explains to her that he has read her letters to Lucy and knows that they have been to Whitby. Lucy also kept a diary, that included details about her sleepwalking. Mina offers to show him more details and jokingly gives him her shorthand journal. But since Van Helsing can't read shorthand, she gives him a typewritten copy and allows him to read it while she orders lunch and they'll discuss it while they eat.

With Mina out, Van Helsing reads the entries. He is so overjoyed that when she returns, he praises her for her journal entry and thinks Jonathan has blessed their marriage, even referring to her as "full of light". Mina thinks that he's complimenting her too much as he doesn't know her, but he assures that he has studied all his life about men and women, and considers both her and her husband, Jonathan Harker, to be noble. He asks about Jonathan, who had fallen ill with brain fever, and she replies that he's almost fully recovered, but is heartbroken from his employer's Mr. Hawkins's death. He interrupts that he has already known about it from reading her notes, and she claims that he suffered from shock when he saw someone that led to his brain fever. She becomes hysterical and falls to Van Helsing's knees, begging him to help her husband. He places her on the sofa and promises he will do everything he can to help her and Jonathan. He then urges her to eat and be strong for Jonathan. He will stay in Exeter tonight to think over everything she has told him, and then he will interview her more details about it. He also wants her to tell her about Jonathan's troubles when he was in Transylvania in May.

After lunch, they go into the drawing room, where Mina will explain Jonathan’s journey in Transylvania to Van Helsing. She begs him to be kind and not mock Jonathan’s story. Van Helsing assures her he has always kept an open mind when listening to anything unusual and unreal. She thanks him and gives him a typewritten copy of Jonathan’s journal entries from Transylvania. He promises her that as soon as he reads the entries, he will meet her and Jonathan in the morning. Mina says Jonathan will be here at half past 11, and Van Helsing can meet him at lunch after taking the Paddington train.

The next day, he writes a telegram to Mina. He has read Jonathan’s journal entries and knows that what he has read is true. He finds Jonathan brave for managing to escape Dracula’s Castle, and he will recover from this. He is blessed and overjoyed he will get to meet him today. Mina quickly writes back, thanking him for the telegram and dreads the idea of Count Dracula’s presence in London. Instead of meeting at lunch, she asks him to meet her and Jonathan at breakfast as early as 8 o’clock. The next day, Van Helsing arrives and meets Jonathan, who thought he was still suffering from brain fever, but Jonathan says he is now cured thanks to his letter to Mina last night, knowing that he now has someone who believes in him. Van Helsing praises Mina for being a woman of God, and after the men agree to become friends by shaking hands, Van Helsing then asks Jonathan what he was doing before he left for Transylvania. Jonathan gives him his papers to read when he’s on the train.

At the train station, Van Helsing asks Jonathan if he’ll visit him and bring Mina with him. Jonathan promises he will and buys him some newspapers, and while they are talking at the carriage window, waiting for the train to move, Van Helsing reads something in the Westminster Gazette that makes him shocked. The train then leaves before Jonathan can answer him. But he composes himself and calls to Jonathan that he’ll write as soon as possible. He spends the night in Exeter and then visits Seward, showing him the Westminster Gazette newspaper from last night. Seward is confused until Van Helsing points to a paragraph that reads that young children have been lured away in Hampstead and were later found with small, puncture wounds on their necks. The men suggest it could be Lucy, as the puncture wounds were the same as on her neck.

Seward is shocked by Van Helsing’s statement about Lucy and thinks he has gone mad. Van Helsing says he hopes to spare Seward from pain by telling the truth and wants to prove his claims. He asks Seward to come with him and examine the child who was preyed on by Lucy and is at the North Hospital, where a doctor named Dr. Vincent is his friend from Amsterdam. He takes out a key from his pocket and says they will spend the night in the churchyard where Lucy is laid to rest, and the key opens her tomb.

At the hospital, the child is awake and well and has eaten and slept. Dr. Vincent removes the bandage from the child’s throat and shows the men the puncture wounds that are small and fresh, similar to Lucy’s fangs. Van Helsing and Seward ask Dr. Vincent where the marks came from, and the doctor assumes the child was bitten by a rat or some bats seen in northern London. He even assumes a bat may have escaped from a zoo and recalls that a wolf broke out of its cage ten days ago and went in that direction. For a week afterwards, the local children were playing in Hampstead Heath until the “bloofer lady” appeared and started luring them away. When the child woke up, he asked the doctor if he could leave and play with the “bloofer lady.” Van Helsing tells Dr. Vincent that when he sends the child home, he should inform his parents to keep a close eye on him and not let him wander out alone at night again, as the second time could be fatal. Dr. Vincent says he will keep the child in a hospital for another week and maybe longer if the wound hasn’t healed.

When the men leave the hospital, the sun has set. Van Helsing says they aren’t in a hurry and should eat before carrying out their plan. They dine at the Jack’s Straw Castle inn, and at ten o’clock, they walk to the churchyard. It is now dark, and they see fewer people, including some policemen, patrolling the streets on horseback. They arrive at the wall of the churchyard, where they climb over it and find the Westenra tomb. Van Helsing unlocks the tomb and motions Seward to go inside first. After they enter, Van Helsing slightly closes the door, takes out a matchbox and candle from his bag, and lights the candle. He finds Lucy’s coffin, where he takes out a screwdriver to open the coffin lid. Inside is a lead casing, and Seward grabs him to make him stop. But Van Helsing takes out a turnscrew and small saw, making a small hole in the lead. Seward walks towards the tomb door, but Van Helsing keeps sawing the lead casing until he opens it and motions Seward to look.

The coffin is empty, and Van Helsing asks Seward if he’s satisfied. Seward admits he’s relieved that Lucy’s body isn’t in her coffin and assumes a bodysnatcher stole it. Van Helsing decides they need more proof, so he closes the coffin lid, puts his things in his bag and blows out the candle. They leave the tomb, where Van Helsing locks it and gives the key to Seward, who is anxious but puts it away in his pocket. Van Helsing asks him to look out from one side of the churchyard, and he will be on the other. They stay in their positions for a few hours after midnight, and when Seward gets tired and infuriated of staying in his post, he sees a white, flowing figure heading towards the tomb.

Van Helsing then approaches him, holding a small, sleeping child. Seward asks who brought the child here and if it’s wounded. Van Helsing replies they will see, and they go to a clump of trees, where they strike a match to examine the child’s throat. There are no puncture wounds or scratches to be seen. Van Helsing is relieved they have saved the child just in time, and he and Seward debate what they should do with it. If they go to the police station, they will have to give a statement of what they were doing tonight, but at least they’ll make a statement of how they found the child. They decide to take the child back to Hampstead Heath, and when they get there, they hear a policeman approaching, so they place the child on a pathway and wait until the policeman finds it. Afterwards, they leave quietly and take a cab back to town.

The next day, Van Helsing invites Seward to join him on another expedition at noon. After a noon funeral service finishes at the churchyard, the men hide behind some trees and wait until all the mourners leave and the sexton locks the gate. Seward isn’t keen on returning to Lucy’s tomb and opening her coffin again, but Van Helsing doesn’t want to wait another hour. They sneak into the churchyard, where Van Helsing unlocks the tomb, making Seward go in first. But when they open the coffin, they find Lucy lying peacefully inside, her lips red and cheeks blooming. However, Seward shudders as Van Helsing pulls back Lucy’s lips, showing Seward her white, pointed teeth, and says that her fangs are getting sharper as the young children are getting bitten by her. Seward argues that Lucy was placed into her coffin last night and becomes quiet.

After examining her eyes and teeth, Van Helsing explains to Seward that Lucy has been bitten by a vampire while sleepwalking, and she has become the undead or a vampire, and he must kill her in her sleep. Seward shudders when he hears this and asks how he will do it. Van Helsing says he will cut off her head, fill her mouth with garlic, and drive a stake through her heart. He also wants to let Holmwood in on the secret, as he tried to kiss Lucy before she died, but Van Helsing pulled him back from doing so. He may also believe that Van Helsing and Seward have buried Lucy alive, and would cause him more distress, despite Van Helsing assuring him this isn’t the case, and there is only one way he can finally have peace from losing Lucy. He tells Seward to go home, and he will stay behind in the churchyard. He asks Seward to meet him at the Berkeley Hotel at ten o’clock tomorrow night and wants Holmwood and Quincey to come, too.

Later, Van Helsing leaves a note inside Seward’s luggage at the Berkeley Hotel. He says he will spend the night in the churchyard to watch over Lucy and ensure she doesn’t leave her tomb by sealing the door with garlic and a crucifix. He knows everything he has read from Jonathan’s journal entries in Transylvania, and he suspects Count Dracula will be hunting him. If Dracula does get to him first, he begs Seward to keep his letters and papers, find Dracula and destroy him.

On the night of September 29th, just before ten o’clock, Holmwood and Quincey arrive in Van Helsing’s room. Van Helsing informs the men they have an important task to perform tonight. Holmwood says he has read his letter, which upsets him, but is curious about the task. Van Helsing urges the men to trust him, even if they might blame him later. Quincey believes in his honesty, but Holmwood isn’t convinced. Van Helsing asks Holmwood to accompany him to the churchyard, where they will unlock Lucy’s tomb and open her coffin. Holmwood gets angry that they are going to desecrate her grave. Van Helsing pleads for him to listen and says that Lucy has become the Undead. Holmwood thinks she has been buried alive, but Van Helsing assures him that he doesn’t know yet and then asks if he could cut off Lucy’s head. Holmwood is outraged and thinks he has gone mad. Van Helsing tells him sternly that he has a duty to accomplish by destroying the undead Lucy so her soul will be free, and he wants Holmwood to witness it. Holmwood finally relents and agrees to accompany him to the churchyard to see the undead Lucy for himself.

Just before midnight, Van Helsing and the men arrive at the churchyard on a dark night. Van Helsing unlocks the tomb and goes in first. Seward, Holmwood and Quincey are initially hesitant but follow him inside and shut the door. Van Helsing lights a lantern and points to Lucy’s coffin, telling Seward that he was with him yesterday when they opened it and found her body inside. He takes a screwdriver and unscrews the coffin lid while Seward looks on anxiously. When the coffin lid is opened, it is empty, and everyone, including Holmwood, recoils in shock and horror. After a few minutes of silence, Quincey asks Van Helsing if he is responsible for Lucy’s missing body. Van Helsing insists he has nothing to do with it and claims that two nights ago, he and Seward came here, where they found the coffin empty but spotted something white wandering the churchyard. The next day, they found her resting in her coffin. They were also lucky as they rescued a child from further harm. Van Helsing explains that he returned to the churchyard at sunset and stayed there all night but didn’t see anything. He even covered the tomb door with cloves of garlic, which is the Undead’s weakness, but again, nothing happened. He urges Quincey to trust him as the men exit the tomb and lock the door.

Outside the tomb, Van Helsing takes out a Communion wafer and attaches it to the door with some putty. The men are curious, and Van Helsing says he’s placing the wafer on the tomb door so Lucy won’t enter. After a long silence, Van Helsing points towards the trees, where they see a white figure carrying something. When the moonlight shines on the figure, they can see a dark-haired woman but can’t see her face as she bends over a child, and it lets out a sharp cry. The men move forward, but Van Helsing motions them to stay as the figure approaches them. The men are shocked to see that it’s Lucy, except she has become cruel, seductive and vicious. Van Helsing motions to the men to surround the tomb door, and he raises his lantern where Lucy’s lips are red with fresh blood that trickled over her chin and on her white burial gown. The men shudder in horror as Lucy draws back, snarling angrily. She then smiles and flings the child to the ground, who lies there moaning in pain. Lucy then approaches Holmwood with her arms outstretched, beckoning him to her. Holmwood is about to raise his arms to her when Van Helsing leaps before him, holding a small, golden crucifix. Lucy recoils and runs past him to the tomb but stops when she sees the wafer on the door.

Van Helsing asks Holmwood for his permission, and Holmwood replies yes. Van Helsing removes the wafer, and Lucy goes into her tomb before he seals the door with the wafers again. Afterwards, he picks up the child and says they should go, as there is nothing they can do until tomorrow. There will be a funeral tomorrow at noon, and he expects them to arrive in the churchyard as soon as the service is over and the sexton locks the gate. He says the child will recover tomorrow and will leave him in a spot where the police will fine him. He assures Holmwood that while this incident will leave him shaken, it will still be necessary afterwards before the men head home.

The next evening, at half past one, the men return to the churchyard dressed in black. Instead of his little black bag, Van Helsing brings a long, leather bag. When everything is quiet, Van Helsing leads the men to the tomb, where he unlocks the door, and they enter, closing it behind them. Van Helsing takes out two wax candles from his bag and lights them. He places them on the other coffins to provide light and removes the lid from Lucy’s coffin. Holmwood trembles when he sees the vicious, undead Lucy lying in her coffin, to the point when he asks Van Helsing if it is really her body or a demon.

Van Helsing removes some contents from his bag, such as a soldering iron, plumbing solder, and a small oil lamp that he lights in the tomb. Then he takes out his operating knives, a round, sharp wooden stake and a heavy hammer. Quincey and Holmwood are anxious but remain silent when they see the tools. Van Helsing then explains that according to lore and legend, the undead cannot die and will continue to prey on more victims and add more undead. He tells Holmwood that if he kissed Lucy or embraced her, he would have become undead, or “nosferatu” as they are called in Eastern Europe. The children she has been preying on would soon become undead the longer Lucy lives. But if the undead Lucy dies, the children will be free, and their puncture wounds will disappear. Additionally, Lucy will be freed from being the undead and at peace in Heaven, and Van Helsing asks who will strike her with the stake to destroy her.

Everyone stares at Holmwood, and he decides he will do it. He asks Van Helsing what he should do, and he consoles him by assuring him that driving the stake through her will be quick, and he must not stop once he has begun. He then instructs him to take the stake in his left hand, place it over Lucy’s heart, and then he’ll hammer it down with his right hand while everyone recites a prayer. Trembling, Holmwood takes the stake and hammer, and Van Helsing starts saying a prayer from a prayer book, with Quincey and Seward joining him. Holmwood places the stake over the heart and starts pounding hard with the hammer. Lucy then lets out a blood-curdling scream and starts writhing and twisting, but Holmwood keeps on going until she finally lies still.

Holmwood drops the hammer and almost collapses, but one of the men catches him. Nobody looks in the coffin for a few minutes, and when they do, they are surprised to see that Lucy has become beautiful and pure again. Van Helsing places a hand on Holmwood’s shoulder and asks if he has forgiven him. Holmwood kisses his hand, thanking him for giving him and Lucy peace, and cries for a while. Van Helsing then tells him that he can kiss her now. After Holmwood kisses Lucy, Quincey leads him out of the tomb. Seward and Van Helsing saw off the top of the stake, leaving the sharp point in the body. They cut off her head, filled her mouth with garlic, and soldered up the leaden coffin, screwing the lid on top. They gathered their belongings and left the tomb, with Van Helsing locking the door and giving the key to Holmwood.

Outside, the air is sweet, and the sun is shining. Before they leave, Van Helsing informs them that their first task is done, but now they must find the culprit responsible for this and destroy him. He knows the task will be long and difficult and asks them if they will still help him. Each of them shakes his hand and makes their promise. As they leave, he asks them to meet him and Seward in two days at 7 o’clock, where he will unfold more of their plans. He asks Seward for help, as he will leave for Amsterdam but will return tomorrow night. He also warns him of the dangerous, perilous task that lies ahead.

### Destroying the 50 boxes of Earth

When Van Helsing and Seward arrive at the Berkeley Hotel, Van Helsing finds a telegram from Mina, informing him she is on her way to meet him, and Jonathan is in Whitby. Van Helsing is delighted and asks Seward to meet her at the train station and she will go to his house. While having some tea, Van Helsing tells Seward about Jonathan’s journal entry while he was in Transylvania and gives him a typewritten copy, asking him to study them closely so they will be fully prepared for their next task, and he must also keep them safe. While laying his hand on the papers, he says that this may be the beginning of the end for them or the undead, but they will look through the papers together the next time they meet. Afterwards, he drives off to Liverpool Street, leaving Seward to meet Mina at Paddington. Throughout that day, Mina copies Seward’s entries on the typewriter, Seward reads the Harkers’ entries, and Jonathan tracks down where Count Dracula’s 50 boxes of earth came from.

On September 30th, Van Helsing returns and meets Seward. He asks about how everyone is doing before they head to Seward’s house. Two hours after dinner, Van Helsing gathers everyone in the study, with Seward being assigned as his secretary. Van Helsing then discusses how there are vampires and evidence that they exist. He admits that he was initially sceptic about vampires’ existence, and he wouldn’t have known about them if it hadn’t been for his many years of studying them. He discusses the legend of nosferatu, a powerful, strong and immortal creature who has the strength of 20 men. He also has the power to command the dead, as well as animals such as bats and wolves, and the ability to vanish and control the weather. Van Helsing warns the group that they have a terrible task awaiting for them and if they fail, the nosferatu will win and they will also become undead. He asks them if they are willing to particular in this dangerous task and admits that he may be old and his glory days are behind him, but everyone in the group are still young and have full lived ahead of them.

Mina becomes worried and afraid for Jonathan’s life, and Jonathan says he and Mina will join in the task. Quincey, Dr. Seward and Godalming agree, too. Van Helsing places a golden crucifix on the table, and everyone gathers around the table holding hands. Afterwards, they resume their places and Van Helsing explains that they have powers that vampires don’t have, such as sources to science, the ability to act and think, and to live in daylight and evening. Then he discusses the facts and history of the vampire, such as existing for centuries and lived alongside warriors such as huns, Slavs and Magyars. He explains that vampires cannot survive without blood, and consuming blood makes them younger, and points out that Jonathan has never witnessed Count Dracula eat. Dracula has no shadow, can’t see his reflection in mirrors, and has the ability to shape-shift into animals, such as a wolf when he arrives in Whitby or a bat, when Mina, Dr. Seward and Quincey saw a bat fly outside Lucy’s window. Additionally, Dracula can transform into mist, as proven by the Demeter’s captain, and into elemental dust to fit through small, tight spaces, as well as the ability to see in the dark. Despite these powers, Dracula has weaknesses, and can’t enter any household without being invited inside. His powers weaken at daybreak, and must seek shelter inside a coffin or a box of earth. He can only cross water when it’s quiet or when there is a tide.

Van Helsing explains that Dracula is powerless to garlic, holy objects such as his golden crucifix, and the only way Dracula can die is when a sacred bullet is shot into his coffin, has a stake driven through his body and his head cut off. Van Helsing says that he has asked his friend, Arminius from a university in Budapest, for research of Dracula’s history. He learns that Dracula is a “voivode” or war leader who battled against the Turks, and for many centuries afterward, he was considered to be the most cunning, cleverest and bravest of the “sons of the land beyond the forest.” He is descended from a powerful, noble race who had studied with Satan in the Scholomance deep in the mountains over Lake Hermanstadt. His descendants are good men and women whose bodies sanctify the earth where “alone this foulness can dwell.”

During the conversation, Quincey looks at the window, then quietly gets up and leaves. After a pause, Van Helsing explains that Jonathan’s inquiry shows that the 50 boxes of earth were delivered from Transylvania to Whitby by ship before being taken to Carfax. He says some of the boxes have been removed from Carfax, and they must investigate the house to see if there are still some boxes left. Everyone is interrupted by a gunshot, following by a window shattering and the bullet lodging in the far wall. Mina screams while the men jump to their feet and Godalming opens the window, and Quincey apologizes for alarming them. He returns and says that he saw a large bat sitting on the window sill and shot at it. Van Helsing asks if he hit the bat, but Quincey doesn’t know as the bat flies away. Van Helsing explains further that they must track down the boxes of earth, and they will either kill Dracula in his lair or sterilize the soil in each of the boxes, making them uninhabitable. He suggests they do their task between noon and sunset, when Dracula is in his vulnerable state. He then tells Mina that she should retire for the night, as this is a men’s only job, and they will tell her later about everything. Quincey suggests they search Carfax immediately, and the men go there while Mina heads to bed.

## References

1. ↑ Chapter 9
2. ↑ Chapter 10
3. ↑ Chapter 11
4. ↑ Chapter 12
5. ↑ Chapter 13
6. ↑ Chapter 14
7. ↑ Chapter 15
8. ↑ Chapter 16
9. ↑ Chapter 17
10. ↑ Chapter 18