bilderbuch badewanne

chapter 9.letter, mina harker to lucy westenra buda-pesth, 24 august."my dearest lucy, "i know you will be anxious to hear allthat has happened since we parted at the railway station at whitby. "well, my dear, i got to hull all right,and caught the boat to hamburg, and then the train on here. i feel that i can hardly recall anything ofthe journey, except that i knew i was coming to jonathan, and that as i shouldhave to do some nursing, i had better get all the sleep i could.

i found my dear one, oh, so thin and paleand weak-looking. all the resolution has gone out of his deareyes, and that quiet dignity which i told you was in his face has vanished. he is only a wreck of himself, and he doesnot remember anything that has happened to him for a long time past.at least, he wants me to believe so, and i shall never ask. "he has had some terrible shock, and i fearit might tax his poor brain if he were to try to recall it. sister agatha, who is a good creature and aborn nurse, tells me that he wanted her to

tell me what they were, but she would onlycross herself, and say she would never tell. that the ravings of the sick were thesecrets of god, and that if a nurse through her vocation should hear them, she shouldrespect her trust. "she is a sweet, good soul, and the nextday, when she saw i was troubled, she opened up the subject my poor dear ravedabout, added, 'i can tell you this much, my dear. that it was not about anything which he hasdone wrong himself, and you, as his wife to be, have no cause to be concerned.he has not forgotten you or what he owes to

you. his fear was of great and terrible things,which no mortal can treat of.' "i do believe the dear soul thought i mightbe jealous lest my poor dear should have fallen in love with any other girl. the idea of my being jealous aboutjonathan! and yet, my dear, let me whisper, i felt athrill of joy through me when i knew that no other woman was a cause for trouble. i am now sitting by his bedside, where ican see his face while he sleeps. he is waking!"when he woke he asked me for his coat, as

he wanted to get something from the pocket. i asked sister agatha, and she brought allhis things. i saw amongst them was his notebook, andwas going to ask him to let me look at it, for i knew that i might find some clue tohis trouble, but i suppose he must have seen my wish in my eyes, for he sent me over to the window, saying he wanted to bequite alone for a moment. "then he called me back, and he said to mevery solemnly, 'wilhelmina', i knew then that he was in deadly earnest, for he hasnever called me by that name since he asked me to marry him, 'you know, dear, my ideasof the trust between husband and wife.

there should be no secret, no concealment. i have had a great shock, and when i try tothink of what it is i feel my head spin round, and i do not know if it was real ofthe dreaming of a madman. you know i had brain fever, and that is tobe mad. the secret is here, and i do not want toknow it. i want to take up my life here, with ourmarriage.' for, my dear, we had decided to be marriedas soon as the formalities are complete. 'are you willing, wilhelmina, to share myignorance? here is the book.

take it and keep it, read it if you will,but never let me know unless, indeed, some solemn duty should come upon me to go backto the bitter hours, asleep or awake, sane or mad, recorded here.' he fell back exhausted, and i put the bookunder his pillow, and kissed him. i have asked sister agatha to beg thesuperior to let our wedding be this afternoon, and am waiting her reply..." "she has come and told me that the chaplainof the english mission church has been sent for.we are to be married in an hour, or as soon after as jonathan awakes."

"lucy, the time has come and gone.i feel very solemn, but very, very happy. jonathan woke a little after the hour, andall was ready, and he sat up in bed, propped up with pillows. he answered his 'i will' firmly and strong.i could hardly speak. my heart was so full that even those wordsseemed to choke me. "the dear sisters were so kind. please, god, i shall never, never forgetthem, nor the grave and sweet responsibilities i have taken upon me.i must tell you of my wedding present. when the chaplain and the sisters had leftme alone with my husband--oh, lucy, it is

the first time i have written the words 'myhusband'--left me alone with my husband, i took the book from under his pillow, and wrapped it up in white paper, and tied itwith a little bit of pale blue ribbon which was round my neck, and sealed it over theknot with sealing wax, and for my seal i used my wedding ring. then i kissed it and showed it to myhusband, and told him that i would keep it so, and then it would be an outward andvisible sign for us all our lives that we trusted each other, that i would never open it unless it were for his own dear sake orfor the sake of some stern duty.

then he took my hand in his, and oh, lucy,it was the first time he took his wife's hand, and said that it was the dearestthing in all the wide world, and that he would go through all the past again to winit, if need be. the poor dear meant to have said a part ofthe past, but he cannot think of time yet, and i shall not wonder if at first he mixesup not only the month, but the year. "well, my dear, what could i say? i could only tell him that i was thehappiest woman in all the wide world, and that i had nothing to give him exceptmyself, my life, and my trust, and that with these went my love and duty for allthe days of my life.

and, my dear, when he kissed me, and drewme to him with his poor weak hands, it was like a solemn pledge between us. "lucy dear, do you know why i tell you allthis? it is not only because it is all sweet tome, but because you have been, and are, very dear to me. it was my privilege to be your friend andguide when you came from the schoolroom to prepare for the world of life. i want you to see now, and with the eyes ofa very happy wife, whither duty has led me, so that in your own married life you toomay be all happy, as i am.

my dear, please almighty god, your life maybe all it promises, a long day of sunshine, with no harsh wind, no forgetting duty, nodistrust. i must not wish you no pain, for that cannever be, but i do hope you will be always as happy as i am now.goodbye, my dear. i shall post this at once, and perhaps,write you very soon again. i must stop, for jonathan is waking.i must attend my husband! "your ever-loving mina harker." letter, lucy westenra to mina harker.whitby, 30 august.

"my dearest mina, "oceans of love and millions of kisses, andmay you soon be in your own home with your husband.i wish you were coming home soon enough to stay with us here. the strong air would soon restore jonathan.it has quite restored me. i have an appetite like a cormorant, amfull of life, and sleep well. you will be glad to know that i have quitegiven up walking in my sleep. i think i have not stirred out of my bedfor a week, that is when i once got into it at night.

arthur says i am getting fat.by the way, i forgot to tell you that arthur is here. we have such walks and drives, and rides,and rowing, and tennis, and fishing together, and i love him more than ever. he tells me that he loves me more, but idoubt that, for at first he told me that he couldn't love me more than he did then.but this is nonsense. there he is, calling to me. so no more just at present from yourloving, "lucy."p.s.--mother sends her love.

she seems better, poor dear. "p.p.s.--we are to be married on 28september." dr. sewards diary20 august.--the case of renfield grows even more interesting.he has now so far quieted that there are spells of cessation from his passion. for the first week after his attack he wasperpetually violent. then one night, just as the moon rose, hegrew quiet, and kept murmuring to himself. "now i can wait. now i can wait."the attendant came to tell me, so i ran

down at once to have a look at him. he was still in the strait waistcoat and inthe padded room, but the suffused look had gone from his face, and his eyes hadsomething of their old pleading. i might almost say, cringing, softness. i was satisfied with his present condition,and directed him to be relieved. the attendants hesitated, but finallycarried out my wishes without protest. it was a strange thing that the patient hadhumour enough to see their distrust, for, coming close to me, he said in a whisper,all the while looking furtively at them, "they think i could hurt you!

fancy me hurting you!the fools!" it was soothing, somehow, to the feelingsto find myself disassociated even in the mind of this poor madman from the others,but all the same i do not follow his thought. am i to take it that i have anything incommon with him, so that we are, as it were, to stand together. or has he to gain from me some good sostupendous that my well being is needful to him?i must find out later on. tonight he will not speak.

even the offer of a kitten or even a full-grown cat will not tempt him. he will only say, "i don't take any stockin cats. i have more to think of now, and i canwait. i can wait."after a while i left him. the attendant tells me that he was quietuntil just before dawn, and that then he began to get uneasy, and at length violent,until at last he fell into a paroxysm which exhausted him so that he swooned into asort of coma.... three nights has the same thing happened,violent all day then quiet from moonrise to sunrise.

i wish i could get some clue to the cause.it would almost seem as if there was some influence which came and went.happy thought! we shall tonight play sane wits against madones. he escaped before without our help.tonight he shall escape with it. we shall give him a chance, and have themen ready to follow in case they are required.23 august.--"the expected always happens." how well disraeli knew life. our bird when he found the cage open wouldnot fly, so all our subtle arrangements were for nought.

at any rate, we have proved one thing, thatthe spells of quietness last a reasonable time.we shall in future be able to ease his bonds for a few hours each day. i have given orders to the night attendantmerely to shut him in the padded room, when once he is quiet, until the hour beforesunrise. the poor soul's body will enjoy the reliefeven if his mind cannot appreciate it. hark!the unexpected again! i am called. the patient has once more escaped.later.--another night adventure.

renfield artfully waited until theattendant was entering the room to inspect. then he dashed out past him and flew downthe passage. i sent word for the attendants to follow. again he went into the grounds of thedeserted house, and we found him in the same place, pressed against the old chapeldoor. when he saw me he became furious, and hadnot the attendants seized him in time, he would have tried to kill me.as we were holding him a strange thing happened. he suddenly redoubled his efforts, and thenas suddenly grew calm.

i looked round instinctively, but could seenothing. then i caught the patient's eye andfollowed it, but could trace nothing as it looked into the moonlight sky, except a bigbat, which was flapping its silent and ghostly way to the west. bats usually wheel about, but this oneseemed to go straight on, as if it knew where it was bound for or had someintention of its own. the patient grew calmer every instant, andpresently said, "you needn't tie me. i shall go quietly!"without trouble, we came back to the house. i feel there is something ominous in hiscalm, and shall not forget this night.

lucy westenra's diaryhillingham, 24 august.--i must imitate mina, and keep writing things down.then we can have long talks when we do meet. i wonder when it will be.i wish she were with me again, for i feel so unhappy.last night i seemed to be dreaming again just as i was at whitby. perhaps it is the change of air, or gettinghome again. it is all dark and horrid to me, for i canremember nothing. but i am full of vague fear, and i feel soweak and worn out.

when arthur came to lunch he looked quitegrieved when he saw me, and i hadn't the spirit to try to be cheerful. i wonder if i could sleep in mother's roomtonight. i shall make an excuse to try.25 august.--another bad night. mother did not seem to take to my proposal. she seems not too well herself, anddoubtless she fears to worry me. i tried to keep awake, and succeeded for awhile, but when the clock struck twelve it waked me from a doze, so i must have beenfalling asleep. there was a sort of scratching or flappingat the window, but i did not mind it, and

as i remember no more, i suppose i musthave fallen asleep. more bad dreams. i wish i could remember them.this morning i am horribly weak. my face is ghastly pale, and my throatpains me. it must be something wrong with my lungs,for i don't seem to be getting air enough. i shall try to cheer up when arthur comes,or else i know he will be miserable to see me so. letter, arthur to dr. seward"albemarle hotel, 31 august "my dear jack,"i want you to do me a favour.

lucy is ill, that is she has no specialdisease, but she looks awful, and is getting worse every day. i have asked her if there is any cause, inot dare to ask her mother, for to disturb the poor lady's mind about her daughter inher present state of health would be fatal. mrs. westenra has confided to me that herdoom is spoken, disease of the heart, though poor lucy does not know it yet.i am sure that there is something preying on my dear girl's mind. i am almost distracted when i think of her.to look at her gives me a pang. i told her i should ask you to see her, andthough she demurred at first, i know why,

old fellow, she finally consented. it will be a painful task for you, i know,old friend, but it is for her sake, and i must not hesitate to ask, or you to act. you are to come to lunch at hillinghamtomorrow, two o'clock, so as not to arouse any suspicion in mrs. westenra, and afterlunch lucy will take an opportunity of being alone with you. i am filled with anxiety, and want toconsult with you alone as soon as i can after you have seen her.do not fail! "arthur."

telegram, arthur holmwood to seward1 september "am summoned to see my father, who isworse. am writing. write me fully by tonight's post to ring.wire me if necessary." letter from dr. seward to arthur holmwood2 september "my dear old fellow, "with regard to miss westenra's health ihasten to let you know at once that in my opinion there is not any functionaldisturbance or any malady that i know of. at the same time, i am not by any meanssatisfied with her appearance.

she is woefully different from what she waswhen i saw her last. of course you must bear in mind that i didnot have full opportunity of examination such as i should wish. our very friendship makes a littledifficulty which not even medical science or custom can bridge over. i had better tell you exactly whathappened, leaving you to draw, in a measure, your own conclusions.i shall then say what i have done and propose doing. "i found miss westenra in seemingly gayspirits.

her mother was present, and in a fewseconds i made up my mind that she was trying all she knew to mislead her motherand prevent her from being anxious. i have no doubt she guesses, if she doesnot know, what need of caution there is. "we lunched alone, and as we all exertedourselves to be cheerful, we got, as some kind of reward for our labours, some realcheerfulness amongst us. then mrs. westenra went to lie down, andlucy was left with me. we went into her boudoir, and till we gotthere her gaiety remained, for the servants were coming and going. "as soon as the door was closed, however,the mask fell from her face, and she sank

down into a chair with a great sigh, andhid her eyes with her hand. when i saw that her high spirits hadfailed, i at once took advantage of her reaction to make a diagnosis. "she said to me very sweetly, 'i cannottell you how i loathe talking about myself.' i reminded her that a doctor's confidencewas sacred, but that you were grievously anxious about her.she caught on to my meaning at once, and settled that matter in a word. 'tell arthur everything you choose.i do not care for myself, but for him!'

so i am quite free. "i could easily see that she was somewhatbloodless, but i could not see the usual anemic signs, and by the chance, i was ableto test the actual quality of her blood, for in opening a window which was stiff a cord gave way, and she cut her handslightly with broken glass. it was a slight matter in itself, but itgave me an evident chance, and i secured a few drops of the blood and have analysedthem. "the qualitative analysis give a quitenormal condition, and shows, i should infer, in itself a vigorous state ofhealth.

in other physical matters i was quitesatisfied that there is no need for anxiety, but as there must be a causesomewhere, i have come to the conclusion that it must be something mental. "she complains of difficulty breathingsatisfactorily at times, and of heavy, lethargic sleep, with dreams that frightenher, but regarding which she can remember nothing. she says that as a child, she used to walkin her sleep, and that when in whitby the habit came back, and that once she walkedout in the night and went to east cliff, where miss murray found her.

but she assures me that of late the habithas not returned. "i am in doubt, and so have done the bestthing i know of. i have written to my old friend and master,professor van helsing, of amsterdam, who knows as much about obscure diseases as anyone in the world. i have asked him to come over, and as youtold me that all things were to be at your charge, i have mentioned to him who you areand your relations to miss westenra. this, my dear fellow, is in obedience toyour wishes, for i am only too proud and happy to do anything i can for her. "van helsing would, i know, do anything forme for a personal reason, so no matter on

what ground he comes, we must accept hiswishes. he is a seemingly arbitrary man, this isbecause he knows what he is talking about better than any one else. he is a philosopher and a metaphysician,and one of the most advanced scientists of his day, and he has, i believe, anabsolutely open mind. this, with an iron nerve, a temper of theice-brook, and indomitable resolution, self-command, and toleration exalted fromvirtues to blessings, and the kindliest and truest heart that beats, these form his equipment for the noble work that he isdoing for mankind, work both in theory and

practice, for his views are as wide as hisall-embracing sympathy. i tell you these facts that you may knowwhy i have such confidence in him. i have asked him to come at once.i shall see miss westenra tomorrow again. she is to meet me at the stores, so that imay not alarm her mother by too early a repetition of my call."yours always." john seward letter, abraham van helsing, md, dph,d.lit, etc, etc, to dr. seward 2 september."my good friend, "when i received your letter i am alreadycoming to you.

by good fortune i can leave just at once,without wrong to any of those who have trusted me. were fortune other, then it were bad forthose who have trusted, for i come to my friend when he call me to aid those heholds dear. tell your friend that when that time yousuck from my wound so swiftly the poison of the gangrene from that knife that our otherfriend, too nervous, let slip, you did more for him when he wants my aids and you call for them than all his great fortune coulddo. but it is pleasure added to do for him,your friend, it is to you that i come.

have near at hand, and please it so arrangethat we may see the young lady not too late on tomorrow, for it is likely that i mayhave to return here that night. but if need be i shall come again in threedays, and stay longer if it must. till then goodbye, my friend john."van helsing." letter, dr. seward to hon.arthur holmwood 3 september"my dear art, "van helsing has come and gone. he came on with me to hillingham, and foundthat, by lucy's discretion, her mother was lunching out, so that we were alone withher.

"van helsing made a very carefulexamination of the patient. he is to report to me, and i shall adviseyou, for of course i was not present all the time. he is, i fear, much concerned, but says hemust think. when i told him of our friendship and howyou trust to me in the matter, he said, 'you must tell him all you think. tell him what i think, if you can guess it,if you will. nay, i am not jesting.this is no jest, but life and death, perhaps more.'

i asked what he meant by that, for he wasvery serious. this was when we had come back to town, andhe was having a cup of tea before starting on his return to amsterdam. he would not give me any further clue.you must not be angry with me, art, because his very reticence means that all hisbrains are working for her good. he will speak plainly enough when the timecomes, be sure. so i told him i would simply write anaccount of our visit, just as if i were doing a descriptive special article for thedaily telegraph. he seemed not to notice, but remarked thatthe smuts of london were not quite so bad

as they used to be when he was a studenthere. i am to get his report tomorrow if he canpossibly make it. in any case i am to have a letter. "well, as to the visit, lucy was morecheerful than on the day i first saw her, and certainly looked better. she had lost something of the ghastly lookthat so upset you, and her breathing was normal. she was very sweet to the professor (as shealways is), and tried to make him feel at ease, though i could see the poor girl wasmaking a hard struggle for it.

"i believe van helsing saw it, too, for isaw the quick look under his bushy brows that i knew of old. then he began to chat of all things exceptourselves and diseases and with such an infinite geniality that i could see poorlucy's pretense of animation merge into reality. then, without any seeming change, hebrought the conversation gently round to his visit, and suavely said,"'my dear young miss, i have the so great pleasure because you are so much beloved. that is much, my dear, even were there thatwhich i do not see.

they told me you were down in the spirit,and that you were of a ghastly pale. to them i say "pouf!"' and he snapped his fingers at me and wenton. 'but you and i shall show them how wrongthey are. how can he,' and he pointed at me with thesame look and gesture as that with which he pointed me out in his class, on, or ratherafter, a particular occasion which he never fails to remind me of, 'know anything of ayoung ladies? he has his madmen to play with, and tobring them back to happiness, and to those that love them.

it is much to do, and, oh, but there arerewards in that we can bestow such happiness.but the young ladies! he has no wife nor daughter, and the youngdo not tell themselves to the young, but to the old, like me, who have known so manysorrows and the causes of them. so, my dear, we will send him away to smokethe cigarette in the garden, whiles you and i have little talk all to ourselves.' i took the hint, and strolled about, andpresently the professor came to the window and called me in. he looked grave, but said, 'i have madecareful examination, but there is no

functional cause.with you i agree that there has been much blood lost, it has been but is not. but the conditions of her are in no wayanemic. i have asked her to send me her maid, thati may ask just one or two questions, that so i may not chance to miss nothing. i know well what she will say.and yet there is cause. there is always cause for everything.i must go back home and think. you must send me the telegram every day,and if there be cause i shall come again. the disease, for not to be well is adisease, interest me, and the sweet, young

dear, she interest me too. she charm me, and for her, if not for youor disease, i come.' "as i tell you, he would not say a wordmore, even when we were alone. and so now, art, you know all i know. i shall keep stern watch.i trust your poor father is rallying. it must be a terrible thing to you, my dearold fellow, to be placed in such a position between two people who are both so dear toyou. i know your idea of duty to your father,and you are right to stick to it. but if need be, i shall send you word tocome at once to lucy, so do not be over-

anxious unless you hear from me." dr. seward's diary4 september.--zoophagous patient still keeps up our interest in him.he had only one outburst and that was yesterday at an unusual time. just before the stroke of noon he began togrow restless. the attendant knew the symptoms, and atonce summoned aid. fortunately the men came at a run, and werejust in time, for at the stroke of noon he became so violent that it took all theirstrength to hold him. in about five minutes, however, he began toget more quiet, and finally sank into a

sort of melancholy, in which state he hasremained up to now. the attendant tells me that his screamswhilst in the paroxysm were really appalling. i found my hands full when i got in,attending to some of the other patients who were frightened by him. indeed, i can quite understand the effect,for the sounds disturbed even me, though i was some distance away. it is now after the dinner hour of theasylum, and as yet my patient sits in a corner brooding, with a dull, sullen, woe-begone look in his face, which seems rather

to indicate than to show somethingdirectly. i cannot quite understand it.later.--another change in my patient. at five o'clock i looked in on him, andfound him seemingly as happy and contented as he used to be. he was catching flies and eating them, andwas keeping note of his capture by making nailmarks on the edge of the door betweenthe ridges of padding. when he saw me, he came over and apologizedfor his bad conduct, and asked me in a very humble, cringing way to be led back to hisown room, and to have his notebook again. i thought it well to humour him, so he isback in his room with the window open.

he has the sugar of his tea spread out onthe window sill, and is reaping quite a harvest of flies. he is not now eating them, but putting theminto a box, as of old, and is already examining the corners of his room to find aspider. i tried to get him to talk about the pastfew days, for any clue to his thoughts would be of immense help to me, but hewould not rise. for a moment or two he looked very sad, andsaid in a sort of far away voice, as though saying it rather to himself than to me."all over! all over!

he has deserted me.no hope for me now unless i do it myself!" then suddenly turning to me in a resoluteway, he said, "doctor, won't you be very good to me and let me have a little moresugar? i think it would be very good for me." "and the flies?"i said. "yes! the flies like it, too, and i likethe flies, therefore i like it." and there are people who know so little asto think that madmen do not argue. i procured him a double supply, and lefthim as happy a man as, i suppose, any in the world.

i wish i could fathom his mind.midnight.--another change in him. i had been to see miss westenra, whom ifound much better, and had just returned, and was standing at our own gate looking atthe sunset, when once more i heard him yelling. as his room is on this side of the house,i could hear it better than in the morning. it was a shock to me to turn from thewonderful smoky beauty of a sunset over london, with its lurid lights and inkyshadows and all the marvellous tints that come on foul clouds even as on foul water, and to realize all the grim sternness of myown cold stone building, with its wealth of

breathing misery, and my own desolate heartto endure it all. i reached him just as the sun was goingdown, and from his window saw the red disc sink. as it sank he became less and lessfrenzied, and just as it dipped he slid from the hands that held him, an inertmass, on the floor. it is wonderful, however, what intellectualrecuperative power lunatics have, for within a few minutes he stood up quitecalmly and looked around him. i signalled to the attendants not to holdhim, for i was anxious to see what he would do.he went straight over to the window and

brushed out the crumbs of sugar. then he took his fly box, and emptied itoutside, and threw away the box. then he shut the window, and crossing over,sat down on his bed. all this surprised me, so i asked him, "areyou going to keep flies any more?" "no," said he."i am sick of all that rubbish!" he certainly is a wonderfully interestingstudy. i wish i could get some glimpse of his mindor of the cause of his sudden passion. stop. there may be a clue after all, if we canfind why today his paroxysms came on at

high noon and at sunset. can it be that there is a malign influenceof the sun at periods which affects certain natures, as at times the moon does others?we shall see. telegram.seward, london, to van helsing, amsterdam "4 september.--patient still better today." telegram, seward, london, to van helsing,amsterdam "5 september.--patient greatly improved.good appetite, sleeps naturally, good spirits, colour coming back." "6 september.--terrible change for theworse.

come at once. do not lose an hour.i hold over telegram to holmwood till have seen you." > chapter 10.letter, dr. seward to hon. arthur holmwood 6 september"my dear art, "my news today is not so good.lucy this morning had gone back a bit. there is, however, one good thing which hasarisen from it.

mrs. westenra was naturally anxiousconcerning lucy, and has consulted me professionally about her. i took advantage of the opportunity, andtold her that my old master, van helsing, the great specialist, was coming to staywith me, and that i would put her in his charge conjointly with myself. so now we can come and go without alarmingher unduly, for a shock to her would mean sudden death, and this, in lucy's weakcondition, might be disastrous to her. we are hedged in with difficulties, all ofus, my poor fellow, but, please god, we shall come through them all right.

if any need i shall write, so that, if youdo not hear from me, take it for granted that i am simply waiting for news, inhaste, "yours ever," dr. seward's diary7 september.--the first thing van helsing said to me when we met at liverpool streetwas, "have you said anything to our young friend, to lover of her?" "no," i said."i waited till i had seen you, as i said in my telegram. i wrote him a letter simply telling himthat you were coming, as miss westenra was

not so well, and that i should let him knowif need be." "right, my friend," he said. "quite right!better he not know as yet. perhaps he will never know.i pray so, but if it be needed, then he shall know all. and, my good friend john, let me cautionyou. you deal with the madmen. all men are mad in some way or the other,and inasmuch as you deal discreetly with your madmen, so deal with god's madmen too,the rest of the world.

you tell not your madmen what you do norwhy you do it. you tell them not what you think. so you shall keep knowledge in its place,where it may rest, where it may gather its kind around it and breed.you and i shall keep as yet what we know here, and here." he touched me on the heart and on theforehead, and then touched himself the same way."i have for myself thoughts at the present. later i shall unfold to you." "why not now?"i asked.

"it may do some good.we may arrive at some decision." he looked at me and said, "my friend john,when the corn is grown, even before it has ripened, while the milk of its mother earthis in him, and the sunshine has not yet begun to paint him with his gold, the husbandman he pull the ear and rub himbetween his rough hands, and blow away the green chaff, and say to you, 'look!he's good corn, he will make a good crop when the time comes.'" i did not see the application and told himso. for reply he reached over and took my earin his hand and pulled it playfully, as he

used long ago to do at lectures, and said,"the good husbandman tell you so then because he knows, but not till then. but you do not find the good husbandman digup his planted corn to see if he grow. that is for the children who play athusbandry, and not for those who take it as of the work of their life. see you now, friend john?i have sown my corn, and nature has her work to do in making it sprout, if hesprout at all, there's some promise, and i wait till the ear begins to swell." he broke off, for he evidently saw that iunderstood.

then he went on gravely, "you were always acareful student, and your case book was ever more full than the rest. and i trust that good habit have not fail.remember, my friend, that knowledge is stronger than memory, and we should nottrust the weaker. even if you have not kept the goodpractice, let me tell you that this case of our dear miss is one that may be, mind, isay may be, of such interest to us and others that all the rest may not make himkick the beam, as your people say. take then good note of it.nothing is too small. i counsel you, put down in record even yourdoubts and surmises.

hereafter it may be of interest to you tosee how true you guess. we learn from failure, not from success!" when i described lucy's symptoms, the sameas before, but infinitely more marked, he looked very grave, but said nothing. he took with him a bag in which were manyinstruments and drugs, "the ghastly paraphernalia of our beneficial trade," ashe once called, in one of his lectures, the equipment of a professor of the healingcraft. when we were shown in, mrs. westenra metus. she was alarmed, but not nearly so much asi expected to find her.

nature in one of her beneficient moods hasordained that even death has some antidote to its own terrors. here, in a case where any shock may provefatal, matters are so ordered that, from some cause or other, the things notpersonal, even the terrible change in her daughter to whom she is so attached, do notseem to reach her. it is something like the way dame naturegathers round a foreign body an envelope of some insensitive tissue which can protectfrom evil that which it would otherwise harm by contact. if this be an ordered selfishness, then weshould pause before we condemn any one for

the vice of egoism, for there may be deeperroot for its causes than we have knowledge of. i used my knowledge of this phase ofspiritual pathology, and set down a rule that she should not be present with lucy,or think of her illness more than was absolutely required. she assented readily, so readily that i sawagain the hand of nature fighting for life. van helsing and i were shown up to lucy'sroom. if i was shocked when i saw her yesterday,i was horrified when i saw her today. she was ghastly, chalkily pale.

the red seemed to have gone even from herlips and gums, and the bones of her face stood out prominently.her breathing was painful to see or hear. van helsing's face grew set as marble, andhis eyebrows converged till they almost touched over his nose. lucy lay motionless, and did not seem tohave strength to speak, so for a while we were all silent.then van helsing beckoned to me, and we went gently out of the room. the instant we had closed the door hestepped quickly along the passage to the next door, which was open.then he pulled me quickly in with him and

closed the door. "my god!" he said."this is dreadful. there is not time to be lost.she will die for sheer want of blood to keep the heart's action as it should be. there must be a transfusion of blood atonce. is it you or me?""i am younger and stronger, professor. it must be me." "then get ready at once.i will bring up my bag. i am prepared."i went downstairs with him, and as we were

going there was a knock at the hall door. when we reached the hall, the maid had justopened the door, and arthur was stepping quickly in.he rushed up to me, saying in an eager whisper, "jack, i was so anxious.i read between the lines of your letter, and have been in an agony.the dad was better, so i ran down here to see for myself. is not that gentleman dr. van helsing?i am so thankful to you, sir, for coming." when first the professor's eye had lit uponhim, he had been angry at his interruption

at such a time, but now, as he took in hisstalwart proportions and recognized the strong young manhood which seemed toemanate from him, his eyes gleamed. without a pause he said to him as he heldout his hand, "sir, you have come in time. you are the lover of our dear miss.she is bad, very, very bad. nay, my child, do not go like that."for he suddenly grew pale and sat down in a chair almost fainting. "you are to help her.you can do more than any that live, and your courage is your best help.""what can i do?" asked arthur hoarsely.

"tell me, and i shall do it. my life is hers, and i would give the lastdrop of blood in my body for her." the professor has a strongly humorous side,and i could from old knowledge detect a trace of its origin in his answer. "my young sir, i do not ask so much asthat, not the last!" "what shall i do?"there was fire in his eyes, and his open nostrils quivered with intent. van helsing slapped him on the shoulder."come!" he said. "you are a man, and it is a man we want.you are better than me, better than my

friend john." arthur looked bewildered, and the professorwent on by explaining in a kindly way. "young miss is bad, very bad.she wants blood, and blood she must have or die. my friend john and i have consulted, and weare about to perform what we call transfusion of blood, to transfer from fullveins of one to the empty veins which pine for him. john was to give his blood, as he is themore young and strong than me."--here arthur took my hand and wrung it hard insilence.--"but now you are here, you are

more good than us, old or young, who toilmuch in the world of thought. our nerves are not so calm and our blood sobright than yours!" arthur turned to him and said, "if you onlyknew how gladly i would die for her you would understand..."he stopped with a sort of choke in his voice. "good boy!" said van helsing."in the not-so-far-off you will be happy that you have done all for her you love.come now and be silent. you shall kiss her once before it is done,but then you must go, and you must leave at my sign.say no word to madame.

you know how it is with her. there must be no shock, any knowledge ofthis would be one. come!"we all went up to lucy's room. arthur by direction remained outside. lucy turned her head and looked at us, butsaid nothing. she was not asleep, but she was simply tooweak to make the effort. her eyes spoke to us, that was all. van helsing took some things from his bagand laid them on a little table out of sight.

then he mixed a narcotic, and coming overto the bed, said cheerily, "now, little miss, here is your medicine.drink it off, like a good child. see, i lift you so that to swallow is easy. yes."she had made the effort with success. it astonished me how long the drug took toact. this, in fact, marked the extent of herweakness. the time seemed endless until sleep beganto flicker in her eyelids. at last, however, the narcotic began tomanifest its potency, and she fell into a deep sleep.

when the professor was satisfied, he calledarthur into the room, and bade him strip off his coat.then he added, "you may take that one little kiss whiles i bring over the table. friend john, help to me!"so neither of us looked whilst he bent over her. van helsing, turning to me, said, "he is soyoung and strong, and of blood so pure that we need not defibrinate it." then with swiftness, but with absolutemethod, van helsing performed the operation.

as the transfusion went on, something likelife seemed to come back to poor lucy's cheeks, and through arthur's growing pallorthe joy of his face seemed absolutely to shine. after a bit i began to grow anxious, forthe loss of blood was telling on arthur, strong man as he was. it gave me an idea of what a terriblestrain lucy's system must have undergone that what weakened arthur only partiallyrestored her. but the professor's face was set, and hestood watch in hand, and with his eyes fixed now on the patient and now on arthur.i could hear my own heart beat.

presently, he said in a soft voice, "do notstir an instant. it is enough.you attend him. i will look to her." when all was over, i could see how mucharthur was weakened. i dressed the wound and took his arm tobring him away, when van helsing spoke without turning round, the man seems tohave eyes in the back of his head, "the brave lover, i think, deserve another kiss,which he shall have presently." and as he had now finished his operation,he adjusted the pillow to the patient's head.

as he did so the narrow black velvet bandwhich she seems always to wear round her throat, buckled with an old diamond bucklewhich her lover had given her, was dragged a little up, and showed a red mark on herthroat. arthur did not notice it, but i could hearthe deep hiss of indrawn breath which is one of van helsing's ways of betrayingemotion. he said nothing at the moment, but turnedto me, saying, "now take down our brave young lover, give him of the port wine, andlet him lie down a while. he must then go home and rest, sleep muchand eat much, that he may be recruited of what he has so given to his love.he must not stay here.

hold a moment! i may take it, sir, that you are anxious ofresult. then bring it with you, that in all waysthe operation is successful. you have saved her life this time, and youcan go home and rest easy in mind that all that can be is.i shall tell her all when she is well. she shall love you none the less for whatyou have done. goodbye."when arthur had gone i went back to the room. lucy was sleeping gently, but her breathingwas stronger.

i could see the counterpane move as herbreast heaved. by the bedside sat van helsing, looking ather intently. the velvet band again covered the red mark.i asked the professor in a whisper, "what do you make of that mark on her throat?" "what do you make of it?""i have not examined it yet," i answered, and then and there proceeded to loose theband. just over the external jugular vein therewere two punctures, not large, but not wholesome looking. there was no sign of disease, but the edgeswere white and worn looking, as if by some

trituration. it at once occurred to me that that thiswound, or whatever it was, might be the means of that manifest loss of blood.but i abandoned the idea as soon as it formed, for such a thing could not be. the whole bed would have been drenched to ascarlet with the blood which the girl must have lost to leave such a pallor as she hadbefore the transfusion. "well?" said van helsing. "well," said i."i can make nothing of it." the professor stood up.

"i must go back to amsterdam tonight," hesaid "there are books and things there which i want.you must remain here all night, and you must not let your sight pass from her." "shall i have a nurse?"i asked. "we are the best nurses, you and i.you keep watch all night. see that she is well fed, and that nothingdisturbs her. you must not sleep all the night.later on we can sleep, you and i. i shall be back as soon as possible. and then we may begin.""may begin?"

i said."what on earth do you mean?" "we shall see!" he answered, as he hurriedout. he came back a moment later and put hishead inside the door and said with a warning finger held up, "remember, she isyour charge. if you leave her, and harm befall, youshall not sleep easy hereafter!" dr. seward's diary--continued8 september.--i sat up all night with lucy. the opiate worked itself off towards dusk,and she waked naturally. she looked a different being from what shehad been before the operation. her spirits even were good, and she wasfull of a happy vivacity, but i could see

evidences of the absolute prostration whichshe had undergone. when i told mrs. westenra that dr. vanhelsing had directed that i should sit up with her, she almost pooh-poohed the idea,pointing out her daughter's renewed strength and excellent spirits. i was firm, however, and made preparationsfor my long vigil. when her maid had prepared her for thenight i came in, having in the meantime had supper, and took a seat by the bedside. she did not in any way make objection, butlooked at me gratefully whenever i caught her eye.

after a long spell she seemed sinking offto sleep, but with an effort seemed to pull herself together and shook it off.it was apparent that she did not want to sleep, so i tackled the subject at once. "you do not want to sleep?""no. i am afraid." "afraid to go to sleep!why so? it is the boon we all crave for." "ah, not if you were like me, if sleep wasto you a presage of horror!" "a presage of horror!what on earth do you mean?" "i don't know.

oh, i don't know.and that is what is so terrible. all this weakness comes to me in sleep,until i dread the very thought." "but, my dear girl, you may sleep tonight. i am here watching you, and i can promisethat nothing will happen." "ah, i can trust you!" she said. i seized the opportunity, and said, "ipromise that if i see any evidence of bad dreams i will wake you at once.""you will? oh, will you really? how good you are to me.then i will sleep!"

and almost at the word she gave a deep sighof relief, and sank back, asleep. all night long i watched by her. she never stirred, but slept on and on in adeep, tranquil, life-giving, health-giving sleep. her lips were slightly parted, and herbreast rose and fell with the regularity of a pendulum. there was a smile on her face, and it wasevident that no bad dreams had come to disturb her peace of mind. in the early morning her maid came, and ileft her in her care and took myself back

home, for i was anxious about many things. i sent a short wire to van helsing and toarthur, telling them of the excellent result of the operation.my own work, with its manifold arrears, took me all day to clear off. it was dark when i was able to inquireabout my zoophagous patient. the report was good.he had been quite quiet for the past day and night. a telegram came from van helsing atamsterdam whilst i was at dinner, suggesting that i should be at hillinghamtonight, as it might be well to be at hand,

and stating that he was leaving by the night mail and would join me early in themorning. 9 september.--i was pretty tired and wornout when i got to hillingham. for two nights i had hardly had a wink ofsleep, and my brain was beginning to feel that numbness which marks cerebralexhaustion. lucy was up and in cheerful spirits. when she shook hands with me she lookedsharply in my face and said, "no sitting up tonight for you.you are worn out. i am quite well again.

indeed, i am, and if there is to be anysitting up, it is i who will sit up with you."i would not argue the point, but went and had my supper. lucy came with me, and, enlivened by hercharming presence, i made an excellent meal, and had a couple of glasses of themore than excellent port. then lucy took me upstairs, and showed me aroom next her own, where a cozy fire was burning."now," she said. "you must stay here. i shall leave this door open and my doortoo.

you can lie on the sofa for i know thatnothing would induce any of you doctors to go to bed whilst there is a patient abovethe horizon. if i want anything i shall call out, andyou can come to me at once." i could not but acquiesce, for i was dogtired, and could not have sat up had i tried. so, on her renewing her promise to call meif she should want anything, i lay on the sofa, and forgot all about everything. lucy westenra's diary9 september.--i feel so happy tonight. i have been so miserably weak, that to beable to think and move about is like

feeling sunshine after a long spell of eastwind out of a steel sky. somehow arthur feels very, very close tome. i seem to feel his presence warm about me. i suppose it is that sickness and weaknessare selfish things and turn our inner eyes and sympathy on ourselves, whilst healthand strength give love rein, and in thought and feeling he can wander where he wills. i know where my thoughts are.if only arthur knew! my dear, my dear, your ears must tingle asyou sleep, as mine do waking. oh, the blissful rest of last night!

how i slept, with that dear, good dr.seward watching me. and tonight i shall not fear to sleep,since he is close at hand and within call. thank everybody for being so good to me. thank god!goodnight arthur. dr. seward's diary10 september.--i was conscious of the professor's hand on my head, and startedawake all in a second. that is one of the things that we learn inan asylum, at any rate. "and how is our patient?""well, when i left her, or rather when she left me," i answered.

"come, let us see," he said.and together we went into the room. the blind was down, and i went over toraise it gently, whilst van helsing stepped, with his soft, cat-like tread,over to the bed. as i raised the blind, and the morningsunlight flooded the room, i heard the professor's low hiss of inspiration, andknowing its rarity, a deadly fear shot through my heart. as i passed over he moved back, and hisexclamation of horror, "gott in himmel!" needed no enforcement from his agonizedface. he raised his hand and pointed to the bed,and his iron face was drawn and ashen

white.i felt my knees begin to tremble. there on the bed, seemingly in a swoon, laypoor lucy, more horribly white and wan- looking than ever. even the lips were white, and the gumsseemed to have shrunken back from the teeth, as we sometimes see in a corpseafter a prolonged illness. van helsing raised his foot to stamp inanger, but the instinct of his life and all the long years of habit stood to him, andhe put it down again softly. "quick!" he said. "bring the brandy."i flew to the dining room, and returned

with the decanter. he wetted the poor white lips with it, andtogether we rubbed palm and wrist and heart.he felt her heart, and after a few moments of agonizing suspense said, "it is not too late.it beats, though but feebly. all our work is undone.we must begin again. there is no young arthur here now. i have to call on you yourself this time,friend john." as he spoke, he was dipping into his bag,and producing the instruments of

transfusion. i had taken off my coat and rolled up myshirt sleeve. there was no possibility of an opiate justat present, and no need of one; and so, without a moment's delay, we began theoperation. after a time, it did not seem a short timeeither, for the draining away of one's blood, no matter how willingly it be given,is a terrible feeling, van helsing held up a warning finger. "do not stir," he said."but i fear that with growing strength she may wake, and that would make danger, oh,so much danger.

but i shall precaution take. i shall give hypodermic injection ofmorphia." he proceeded then, swiftly and deftly, tocarry out his intent. the effect on lucy was not bad, for thefaint seemed to merge subtly into the narcotic sleep. it was with a feeling of personal pridethat i could see a faint tinge of colour steal back into the pallid cheeks and lips. no man knows, till he experiences it, whatit is to feel his own lifeblood drawn away into the veins of the woman he loves.the professor watched me critically.

"that will do," he said. "already?"i remonstrated. "you took a great deal more from art."to which he smiled a sad sort of smile as he replied, "he is her lover, her fiance.you have work, much work to do for her and for others, and the present will suffice." when we stopped the operation, he attendedto lucy, whilst i applied digital pressure to my own incision. i laid down, while i waited his leisure toattend to me, for i felt faint and a little

sick. by and by he bound up my wound, and sent medownstairs to get a glass of wine for myself.as i was leaving the room, he came after me, and half whispered. "mind, nothing must be said of this.if our young lover should turn up unexpected, as before, no word to him.it would at once frighten him and enjealous him, too. there must be none.so!" when i came back he looked at me carefully,and then said, "you are not much the worse.

go into the room, and lie on your sofa, andrest awhile, then have much breakfast and come here to me."i followed out his orders, for i knew how right and wise they were. i had done my part, and now my next dutywas to keep up my strength. i felt very weak, and in the weakness lostsomething of the amazement at what had occurred. i fell asleep on the sofa, however,wondering over and over again how lucy had made such a retrograde movement, and howshe could have been drained of so much blood with no sign any where to show forit.

i think i must have continued my wonder inmy dreams, for, sleeping and waking my thoughts always came back to the littlepunctures in her throat and the ragged, exhausted appearance of their edges, tinythough they were. lucy slept well into the day, and when shewoke she was fairly well and strong, though not nearly so much so as the day before. when van helsing had seen her, he went outfor a walk, leaving me in charge, with strict injunctions that i was not to leaveher for a moment. i could hear his voice in the hall, askingthe way to the nearest telegraph office. lucy chatted with me freely, and seemedquite unconscious that anything had

i tried to keep her amused and interested.when her mother came up to see her, she did not seem to notice any change whatever, butsaid to me gratefully, "we owe you so much, dr. seward, for allyou have done, but you really must now take care not to overwork yourself.you are looking pale yourself. you want a wife to nurse and look after youa bit, that you do!" as she spoke, lucy turned crimson, thoughit was only momentarily, for her poor wasted veins could not stand for long anunwonted drain to the head. the reaction came in excessive pallor asshe turned imploring eyes on me. i smiled and nodded, and laid my finger onmy lips.

with a sigh, she sank back amid herpillows. van helsing returned in a couple of hours,and presently said to me: "now you go home, and eat much and drink enough. make yourself strong.i stay here tonight, and i shall sit up with little miss myself.you and i must watch the case, and we must have none other to know. i have grave reasons.no, do not ask me. think what you will.do not fear to think even the most not- improbable.

goodnight."in the hall two of the maids came to me, and asked if they or either of them mightnot sit up with miss lucy. they implored me to let them, and when isaid it was dr. van helsing's wish that either he or i should sit up, they asked mequite piteously to intercede with the 'foreign gentleman'. i was much touched by their kindness.perhaps it is because i am weak at present, and perhaps because it was on lucy'saccount, that their devotion was manifested. for over and over again have i seen similarinstances of woman's kindness.

i got back here in time for a late dinner,went my rounds, all well, and set this down whilst waiting for sleep. it is coming.11 september.--this afternoon i went over to hillingham.found van helsing in excellent spirits, and lucy much better. shortly after i had arrived, a big parcelfrom abroad came for the professor. he opened it with much impressment,assumed, of course, and showed a great bundle of white flowers. "these are for you, miss lucy," he said."for me?

oh, dr. van helsing!""yes, my dear, but not for you to play with. these are medicines."here lucy made a wry face. "nay, but they are not to take in adecoction or in nauseous form, so you need not snub that so charming nose, or i shallpoint out to my friend arthur what woes he may have to endure in seeing so much beautythat he so loves so much distort. aha, my pretty miss, that bring the so nicenose all straight again. this is medicinal, but you do not know how. i put him in your window, i make prettywreath, and hang him round your neck, so

you sleep well.oh, yes! they, like the lotus flower, make yourtrouble forgotten. it smell so like the waters of lethe, andof that fountain of youth that the conquistadores sought for in the floridas,and find him all too late." whilst he was speaking, lucy had beenexamining the flowers and smelling them. now she threw them down saying, with halflaughter, and half disgust, "oh, professor, i believe you are onlyputting up a joke on me. why, these flowers are only common garlic." to my surprise, van helsing rose up andsaid with all his sternness, his iron jaw

set and his bushy eyebrows meeting,"no trifling with me! i never jest! there is grim purpose in what i do, and iwarn you that you do not thwart me. take care, for the sake of others if notfor your own." then seeing poor lucy scared, as she mightwell be, he went on more gently, "oh, little miss, my dear, do not fear me.i only do for your good, but there is much virtue to you in those so common flowers. see, i place them myself in your room.i make myself the wreath that you are to wear.but hush!

no telling to others that make soinquisitive questions. we must obey, and silence is a part ofobedience, and obedience is to bring you strong and well into loving arms that waitfor you. now sit still a while. come with me, friend john, and you shallhelp me deck the room with my garlic, which is all the way from haarlem, where myfriend vanderpool raise herb in his glass houses all the year. i had to telegraph yesterday, or they wouldnot have been here." we went into the room, taking the flowerswith us.

the professor's actions were certainly oddand not to be found in any pharmacopeia that i ever heard of.first he fastened up the windows and latched them securely. next, taking a handful of the flowers, herubbed them all over the sashes, as though to ensure that every whiff of air thatmight get in would be laden with the garlic smell. then with the wisp he rubbed all over thejamb of the door, above, below, and at each side, and round the fireplace in the sameway. it all seemed grotesque to me, andpresently i said, "well, professor, i know

you always have a reason for what you do,but this certainly puzzles me. it is well we have no sceptic here, or hewould say that you were working some spell to keep out an evil spirit." "perhaps i am!" he answered quietly as hebegan to make the wreath which lucy was to wear round her neck. we then waited whilst lucy made her toiletfor the night, and when she was in bed he came and himself fixed the wreath of garlicround her neck. the last words he said to her were, "take care you do not disturb it, and evenif the room feel close, do not tonight open

the window or the door.""i promise," said lucy. "and thank you both a thousand times forall your kindness to me! oh, what have i done to be blessed withsuch friends?" as we left the house in my fly, which waswaiting, van helsing said, "tonight i can sleep in peace, and sleep i want, twonights of travel, much reading in the day between, and much anxiety on the day to follow, and a night to sit up, without towink. tomorrow in the morning early you call forme, and we come together to see our pretty miss, so much more strong for my 'spell'which i have work.

ho, ho!" he seemed so confident that i, rememberingmy own confidence two nights before and with the baneful result, felt awe and vagueterror. it must have been my weakness that made mehesitate to tell it to my friend, but i felt it all the more, like unshed tears. chapter 11.lucy westenra's diary 12 september.--how good they all are to me.i quite love that dear dr. van helsing. i wonder why he was so anxious about theseflowers. he positively frightened me, he was sofierce.

and yet he must have been right, for i feelcomfort from them already. somehow, i do not dread being alonetonight, and i can go to sleep without fear.i shall not mind any flapping outside the window. oh, the terrible struggle that i have hadagainst sleep so often of late, the pain of sleeplessness, or the pain of the fear ofsleep, and with such unknown horrors as it has for me! how blessed are some people, whose liveshave no fears, no dreads, to whom sleep is a blessing that comes nightly, and bringsnothing but sweet dreams.

well, here i am tonight, hoping for sleep,and lying like ophelia in the play, with 'virgin crants and maiden strewments.'i never liked garlic before, but tonight it is delightful! there is peace in its smell.i feel sleep coming already. goodnight, everybody. dr. seward's diary13 september.--called at the berkeley and found van helsing, as usual, up to time.the carriage ordered from the hotel was waiting. the professor took his bag, which he alwaysbrings with him now.

let all be put down exactly.van helsing and i arrived at hillingham at eight o'clock. it was a lovely morning.the bright sunshine and all the fresh feeling of early autumn seemed like thecompletion of nature's annual work. the leaves were turning to all kinds ofbeautiful colours, but had not yet begun to drop from the trees.when we entered we met mrs. westenra coming out of the morning room. she is always an early riser.she greeted us warmly and said, "you will be glad to know that lucy isbetter.

the dear child is still asleep. i looked into her room and saw her, but didnot go in, lest i should disturb her." the professor smiled, and looked quitejubilant. he rubbed his hands together, and said,"aha! i thought i had diagnosed the case. my treatment is working."to which she replied, "you must not take all the credit to yourself, doctor. lucy's state this morning is due in part tome." "how do you mean, ma'am?" asked theprofessor. "well, i was anxious about the dear childin the night, and went into her room.

she was sleeping soundly, so soundly thateven my coming did not wake her. but the room was awfully stuffy. there were a lot of those horrible, strong-smelling flowers about everywhere, and she had actually a bunch of them round herneck. i feared that the heavy odour would be toomuch for the dear child in her weak state, so i took them all away and opened a bit ofthe window to let in a little fresh air. you will be pleased with her, i am sure." she moved off into her boudoir, where sheusually breakfasted early. as she had spoken, i watched theprofessor's face, and saw it turn ashen

gray. he had been able to retain his self-commandwhilst the poor lady was present, for he knew her state and how mischievous a shockwould be. he actually smiled on her as he held openthe door for her to pass into her room. but the instant she had disappeared hepulled me, suddenly and forcibly, into the dining room and closed the door. then, for the first time in my life, i sawvan helsing break down. he raised his hands over his head in a sortof mute despair, and then beat his palms together in a helpless way.

finally he sat down on a chair, and puttinghis hands before his face, began to sob, with loud, dry sobs that seemed to comefrom the very racking of his heart. then he raised his arms again, as thoughappealing to the whole universe. "god! god! god!" he said."what have we done, what has this poor thing done, that we are so sore beset? is there fate amongst us still, send downfrom the pagan world of old, that such things must be, and in such way? this poor mother, all unknowing, and allfor the best as she think, does such thing as lose her daughter body and soul, and wemust not tell her, we must not even warn

her, or she die, then both die. oh, how we are beset!how are all the powers of the devils against us!"suddenly he jumped to his feet. "come," he said, "come, we must see andact. devils or no devils, or all the devils atonce, it matters not. we must fight him all the same." he went to the hall door for his bag, andtogether we went up to lucy's room. once again i drew up the blind, whilst vanhelsing went towards the bed. this time he did not start as he looked onthe poor face with the same awful, waxen

pallor as before.he wore a look of stern sadness and infinite pity. "as i expected," he murmured, with thathissing inspiration of his which meant so much. without a word he went and locked the door,and then began to set out on the little table the instruments for yet anotheroperation of transfusion of blood. i had long ago recognized the necessity,and begun to take off my coat, but he stopped me with a warning hand."no!" he said. "today you must operate.

i shall provide.you are weakened already." as he spoke he took off his coat and rolledup his shirtsleeve. again the operation. again the narcotic.again some return of colour to the ashy cheeks, and the regular breathing ofhealthy sleep. this time i watched whilst van helsingrecruited himself and rested. presently he took an opportunity of tellingmrs. westenra that she must not remove anything from lucy's room withoutconsulting him. that the flowers were of medicinal value,and that the breathing of their odour was a

part of the system of cure. then he took over the care of the casehimself, saying that he would watch this night and the next, and would send me wordwhen to come. after another hour lucy waked from hersleep, fresh and bright and seemingly not much the worse for her terrible ordeal.what does it all mean? i am beginning to wonder if my long habitof life amongst the insane is beginning to tell upon my own brain. lucy westenra's diary17 september.--four days and nights of peace.i am getting so strong again that i hardly

know myself. it is as if i had passed through some longnightmare, and had just awakened to see the beautiful sunshine and feel the fresh airof the morning around me. i have a dim half remembrance of long,anxious times of waiting and fearing, darkness in which there was not even thepain of hope to make present distress more poignant. and then long spells of oblivion, and therising back to life as a diver coming up through a great press of water. since, however, dr. van helsing has beenwith me, all this bad dreaming seems to

have passed away. the noises that used to frighten me out ofmy wits, the flapping against the windows, the distant voices which seemed so close tome, the harsh sounds that came from i know not where and commanded me to do i know notwhat, have all ceased. i go to bed now without any fear of sleep.i do not even try to keep awake. i have grown quite fond of the garlic, anda boxful arrives for me every day from haarlem.tonight dr. van helsing is going away, as he has to be for a day in amsterdam. but i need not be watched.i am well enough to be left alone.

thank god for mother's sake, and deararthur's, and for all our friends who have been so kind! i shall not even feel the change, for lastnight dr. van helsing slept in his chair a lot of the time.i found him asleep twice when i awoke. but i did not fear to go to sleep again,although the boughs or bats or something flapped almost angrily against the windowpanes. the pall mall gazette 18 september.the escaped wolf perilous adventure of our interviewerinterview with the keeper in the zoological gardens

after many inquiries and almost as manyrefusals, and perpetually using the words 'pall mall gazette' as a sort of talisman,i managed to find the keeper of the section of the zoological gardens in which the wolfdepartment is included. thomas bilder lives in one of the cottagesin the enclosure behind the elephant house, and was just sitting down to his tea when ifound him. thomas and his wife are hospitable folk,elderly, and without children, and if the specimen i enjoyed of their hospitality beof the average kind, their lives must be pretty comfortable. the keeper would not enter on what hecalled business until the supper was over,

and we were all satisfied.then when the table was cleared, and he had lit his pipe, he said, "now, sir, you can go on and arsk me whatyou want. you'll excoose me refoosin' to talk ofperfeshunal subjucts afore meals. i gives the wolves and the jackals and thehyenas in all our section their tea afore i begins to arsk them questions.""how do you mean, ask them questions?" i queried, wishful to get him into atalkative humor. "'ittin' of them over the 'ead with a poleis one way. scratchin' of their ears in another, whengents as is flush wants a bit of a show-orf

to their gals. i don't so much mind the fust, the 'ittinof the pole part afore i chucks in their dinner, but i waits till they've 'ad theirsherry and kawffee, so to speak, afore i tries on with the ear scratchin'. mind you," he added philosophically,"there's a deal of the same nature in us as in them theer animiles. here's you a-comin' and arskin' of mequestions about my business, and i that grump-like that only for your bloomin''arf-quid i'd 'a' seen you blowed fust 'fore i'd answer.

not even when you arsked me sarcastic likeif i'd like you to arsk the superintendent if you might arsk me questions.without offence did i tell yer to go to 'ell?" "you did.""an' when you said you'd report me for usin' obscene language that was 'ittin' meover the 'ead. but the 'arf-quid made that all right. i weren't a-goin' to fight, so i waited forthe food, and did with my 'owl as the wolves and lions and tigers does. but, lor' love yer 'art, now that the old'ooman has stuck a chunk of her tea-cake in

me, an' rinsed me out with her bloomin' oldteapot, and i've lit hup, you may scratch my ears for all you're worth, and won'teven get a growl out of me. drive along with your questions.i know what yer a-comin' at, that 'ere escaped wolf." "exactly.i want you to give me your view of it. just tell me how it happened, and when iknow the facts i'll get you to say what you consider was the cause of it, and how youthink the whole affair will end." "all right, guv'nor. this 'ere is about the 'ole story.that 'ere wolf what we called bersicker was

one of three gray ones that came fromnorway to jamrach's, which we bought off him four years ago. he was a nice well-behaved wolf, that nevergave no trouble to talk of. i'm more surprised at 'im for wantin' toget out nor any other animile in the place. but, there, you can't trust wolves no morenor women." "don't you mind him, sir!" broke in mrs.tom, with a cheery laugh. "'e's got mindin' the animiles so long thatblest if he ain't like a old wolf 'isself! but there ain't no 'arm in 'im." "well, sir, it was about two hours afterfeedin' yesterday when i first hear my

disturbance.i was makin' up a litter in the monkey house for a young puma which is ill. but when i heard the yelpin' and 'owlin' ikem away straight. there was bersicker a-tearin' like a madthing at the bars as if he wanted to get out. there wasn't much people about that day,and close at hand was only one man, a tall, thin chap, with a 'ook nose and a pointedbeard, with a few white hairs runnin' through it. he had a 'ard, cold look and red eyes, andi took a sort of mislike to him, for it

seemed as if it was 'im as they washirritated at. he 'ad white kid gloves on 'is 'ands, andhe pointed out the animiles to me and says, 'keeper, these wolves seem upset atsomething.' "'maybe it's you,' says i, for i did notlike the airs as he give 'isself. he didn't get angry, as i 'oped he would,but he smiled a kind of insolent smile, with a mouth full of white, sharp teeth. 'oh no, they wouldn't like me,' 'e says."'ow yes, they would,' says i, a-imitatin' of him. 'they always like a bone or two to cleantheir teeth on about tea time, which you

'as a bagful.' "well, it was a odd thing, but when theanimiles see us a-talkin' they lay down, and when i went over to bersicker he let mestroke his ears same as ever. that there man kem over, and blessed but ifhe didn't put in his hand and stroke the old wolf's ears too!"'tyke care,' says i. 'bersicker is quick.' "'never mind,' he says.i'm used to 'em!' "'are you in the business yourself?' i says, tyking off my 'at, for a man whattrades in wolves, anceterer, is a good

friend to keepers."'nom,' says he, 'not exactly in the business, but i 'ave made pets of several.' and with that he lifts his 'at as perliteas a lord, and walks away. old bersicker kep' a-lookin' arter 'im till'e was out of sight, and then went and lay down in a corner and wouldn't come hout the'ole hevening. well, larst night, so soon as the moon washup, the wolves here all began a-'owling. there warn't nothing for them to 'owl at. there warn't no one near, except some onethat was evidently a-callin' a dog somewheres out back of the gardings in thepark road.

once or twice i went out to see that allwas right, and it was, and then the 'owling stopped. just before twelve o'clock i just took alook round afore turnin' in, an', bust me, but when i kem opposite to old bersicker'scage i see the rails broken and twisted about and the cage empty. and that's all i know for certing.""did any one else see anything?" "one of our gard'ners was a-comin' 'omeabout that time from a 'armony, when he sees a big gray dog comin' out through thegarding 'edges. at least, so he says, but i don't give muchfor it myself, for if he did 'e never said

a word about it to his missis when 'e got'ome, and it was only after the escape of the wolf was made known, and we had been up all night a-huntin' of the park forbersicker, that he remembered seein' anything.my own belief was that the 'armony 'ad got into his 'ead." "now, mr. bilder, can you account in anyway for the escape of the wolf?" "well, sir," he said, with a suspicioussort of modesty, "i think i can, but i don't know as 'ow you'd be satisfied withthe theory." "certainly i shall.

if a man like you, who knows the animalsfrom experience, can't hazard a good guess at any rate, who is even to try?""well then, sir, i accounts for it this way. it seems to me that 'ere wolf escaped--simply because he wanted to get out." from the hearty way that both thomas andhis wife laughed at the joke i could see that it had done service before, and thatthe whole explanation was simply an elaborate sell. i couldn't cope in badinage with the worthythomas, but i thought i knew a surer way to his heart, so i said, "now, mr. bilder,we'll consider that first half-sovereign

worked off, and this brother of his is waiting to be claimed when you've told mewhat you think will happen." "right y'are, sir," he said briskly. "ye'll excoose me, i know, for a-chaffin'of ye, but the old woman here winked at me, which was as much as telling me to go on.""well, i never!" said the old lady. "my opinion is this: that 'ere wolf isa'idin' of, somewheres. the gard'ner wot didn't remember said hewas a-gallopin' northward faster than a horse could go, but i don't believe him,for, yer see, sir, wolves don't gallop no more nor dogs does, they not bein' builtthat way.

wolves is fine things in a storybook, and idessay when they gets in packs and does be chivyin' somethin' that's more afeared thanthey is they can make a devil of a noise and chop it up, whatever it is. but, lor' bless you, in real life a wolf isonly a low creature, not half so clever or bold as a good dog, and not half a quarterso much fight in 'im. this one ain't been used to fightin' oreven to providin' for hisself, and more like he's somewhere round the park a'hidin'an' a'shiverin' of, and if he thinks at all, wonderin' where he is to get hisbreakfast from. or maybe he's got down some area and is ina coal cellar.

my eye, won't some cook get a rum startwhen she sees his green eyes a-shinin' at her out of the dark! if he can't get food he's bound to look forit, and mayhap he may chance to light on a butcher's shop in time. if he doesn't, and some nursemaid goes outwalkin' or orf with a soldier, leavin' of the hinfant in the perambulator--well, theni shouldn't be surprised if the census is one babby the less. that's all."i was handing him the half-sovereign, when something came bobbing up against thewindow, and mr. bilder's face doubled its

natural length with surprise. "god bless me!" he said."if there ain't old bersicker come back by 'isself!"he went to the door and opened it, a most unnecessary proceeding it seemed to me. i have always thought that a wild animalnever looks so well as when some obstacle of pronounced durability is between us.a personal experience has intensified rather than diminished that idea. after all, however, there is nothing likecustom, for neither bilder nor his wife thought any more of the wolf than i shouldof a dog.

the animal itself was a peaceful and well-behaved as that father of all picture- wolves, red riding hood's quondam friend,whilst moving her confidence in masquerade. the whole scene was a unutterable mixtureof comedy and pathos. the wicked wolf that for a half a day hadparalyzed london and set all the children in town shivering in their shoes, was therein a sort of penitent mood, and was received and petted like a sort of vulpineprodigal son. old bilder examined him all over with mosttender solicitude, and when he had finished with his penitent said, "there, i knew the poor old chap would getinto some kind of trouble.

didn't i say it all along?here's his head all cut and full of broken glass. 'e's been a-gettin' over some bloomin' wallor other. it's a shyme that people are allowed to toptheir walls with broken bottles. this 'ere's what comes of it. come along, bersicker." he took the wolf and locked him up in acage, with a piece of meat that satisfied, in quantity at any rate, the elementaryconditions of the fatted calf, and went off to report.

i came off too, to report the onlyexclusive information that is given today regarding the strange escapade at the zoo. dr. seward's diary 17 september.--i was engaged after dinnerin my study posting up my books, which, through press of other work and the manyvisits to lucy, had fallen sadly into arrear. suddenly the door was burst open, and inrushed my patient, with his face distorted with passion. i was thunderstruck, for such a thing as apatient getting of his own accord into the

superintendent's study is almost unknown.without an instant's notice he made straight at me. he had a dinner knife in his hand, and as isaw he was dangerous, i tried to keep the table between us. he was too quick and too strong for me,however, for before i could get my balance he had struck at me and cut my left wristrather severely. before he could strike again, however, igot in my right hand and he was sprawling on his back on the floor.my wrist bled freely, and quite a little pool trickled on to the carpet.

i saw that my friend was not intent onfurther effort, and occupied myself binding up my wrist, keeping a wary eye on theprostrate figure all the time. when the attendants rushed in, and weturned our attention to him, his employment positively sickened me. he was lying on his belly on the floorlicking up, like a dog, the blood which had fallen from my wounded wrist. he was easily secured, and to my surprise,went with the attendants quite placidly, simply repeating over and over again, "theblood is the life! the blood is the life!"

i cannot afford to lose blood just atpresent. i have lost too much of late for myphysical good, and then the prolonged strain of lucy's illness and its horriblephases is telling on me. i am over excited and weary, and i needrest, rest, rest. happily van helsing has not summoned me, soi need not forego my sleep. tonight i could not well do without it. telegram, van helsing, antwerp, to seward,carfax (sent to carfax, sussex, as no countygiven, delivered late by twenty-two hours.) 17 september.--do not fail to be athilllingham tonight.

if not watching all the time, frequentlyvisit and see that flowers are as placed, very important, do not fail. shall be with you as soon as possible afterarrival. dr. seward's diary18 september.--just off train to london. the arrival of van helsing's telegramfilled me with dismay. a whole night lost, and i know by bitterexperience what may happen in a night. of course it is possible that all may bewell, but what may have happened? surely there is some horrible doom hangingover us that every possible accident should thwart us in all we try to do.

i shall take this cylinder with me, andthen i can complete my entry on lucy's phonograph. memorandum left by lucy westenra17 september, night.--i write this and leave it to be seen, so that no one may byany chance get into trouble through me. this is an exact record of what took placetonight. i feel i am dying of weakness, and havebarely strength to write, but it must be done if i die in the doing. i went to bed as usual, taking care thatthe flowers were placed as dr. van helsing directed, and soon fell asleep.

i was waked by the flapping at the window,which had begun after that sleep-walking on the cliff at whitby when mina saved me, andwhich now i know so well. i was not afraid, but i did wish that dr.seward was in the next room, as dr. van helsing said he would be, so that i mighthave called him. i tried to sleep, but i could not. then there came to me the old fear ofsleep, and i determined to keep awake. perversely sleep would try to come thenwhen i did not want it. so, as i feared to be alone, i opened mydoor and called out, "is there anybody there?"there was no answer.

i was afraid to wake mother, and so closedmy door again. then outside in the shrubbery i heard asort of howl like a dog's, but more fierce and deeper. i went to the window and looked out, butcould see nothing, except a big bat, which had evidently been buffeting its wingsagainst the window. so i went back to bed again, but determinednot to go to sleep. presently the door opened, and motherlooked in. seeing by my moving that i was not asleep,she came in and sat by me. she said to me even more sweetly and softlythan her wont,

"i was uneasy about you, darling, and camein to see that you were all right." i feared she might catch cold sittingthere, and asked her to come in and sleep with me, so she came into bed, and lay downbeside me. she did not take off her dressing gown, forshe said she would only stay a while and then go back to her own bed. as she lay there in my arms, and i in hersthe flapping and buffeting came to the window again.she was startled and a little frightened, and cried out, "what is that?" i tried to pacify her, and at lastsucceeded, and she lay quiet.

but i could hear her poor dear heart stillbeating terribly. after a while there was the howl again outin the shrubbery, and shortly after there was a crash at the window, and a lot ofbroken glass was hurled on the floor. the window blind blew back with the windthat rushed in, and in the aperture of the broken panes there was the head of a great,gaunt gray wolf. mother cried out in a fright, and struggledup into a sitting posture, and clutched wildly at anything that would help her. amongst other things, she clutched thewreath of flowers that dr. van helsing insisted on my wearing round my neck, andtore it away from me.

for a second or two she sat up, pointing atthe wolf, and there was a strange and horrible gurgling in her throat. then she fell over, as if struck withlightning, and her head hit my forehead and made me dizzy for a moment or two.the room and all round seemed to spin round. i kept my eyes fixed on the window, but thewolf drew his head back, and a whole myriad of little specks seems to come blowing inthrough the broken window, and wheeling and circling round like the pillar of dust that travellers describe when there is a simoonin the desert.

i tried to stir, but there was some spellupon me, and dear mother's poor body, which seemed to grow cold already, for her dearheart had ceased to beat, weighed me down, and i remembered no more for a while. the time did not seem long, but very, veryawful, till i recovered consciousness again.somewhere near, a passing bell was tolling. the dogs all round the neighbourhood werehowling, and in our shrubbery, seemingly just outside, a nightingale was singing. i was dazed and stupid with pain and terrorand weakness, but the sound of the nightingale seemed like the voice of mydead mother come back to comfort me.

the sounds seemed to have awakened themaids, too, for i could hear their bare feet pattering outside my door. i called to them, and they came in, andwhen they saw what had happened, and what it was that lay over me on the bed, theyscreamed out. the wind rushed in through the brokenwindow, and the door slammed to. they lifted off the body of my dear mother,and laid her, covered up with a sheet, on the bed after i had got up. they were all so frightened and nervousthat i directed them to go to the dining room and each have a glass of wine.the door flew open for an instant and

closed again. the maids shrieked, and then went in a bodyto the dining room, and i laid what flowers i had on my dear mother's breast. when they were there i remembered what dr.van helsing had told me, but i didn't like to remove them, and besides, i would havesome of the servants to sit up with me now. i was surprised that the maids did not comeback. i called them, but got no answer, so i wentto the dining room to look for them. my heart sank when i saw what had happened. they all four lay helpless on the floor,breathing heavily.

the decanter of sherry was on the tablehalf full, but there was a queer, acrid smell about. i was suspicious, and examined thedecanter. it smelt of laudanum, and looking on thesideboard, i found that the bottle which mother's doctor uses for her--oh! did use--was empty. what am i to do? what am i to do?i am back in the room with mother. i cannot leave her, and i am alone, savefor the sleeping servants, whom some one has drugged.

alone with the dead!i dare not go out, for i can hear the low howl of the wolf through the broken window. the air seems full of specks, floating andcircling in the draught from the window, and the lights burn blue and dim.what am i to do? god shield me from harm this night! i shall hide this paper in my breast, wherethey shall find it when they come to lay me out.my dear mother gone! it is time that i go too. goodbye, dear arthur, if i should notsurvive this night.

god keep you, dear, and god help me! chapter 12.dr. seward's diary 18 september.--i drove at once tohillingham and arrived early. keeping my cab at the gate, i went up theavenue alone. i knocked gently and rang as quietly aspossible, for i feared to disturb lucy or her mother, and hoped to only bring aservant to the door. after a while, finding no response, iknocked and rang again, still no answer. i cursed the laziness of the servants thatthey should lie abed at such an hour, for it was now ten o'clock, and so rang andknocked again, but more impatiently, but

still without response. hitherto i had blamed only the servants,but now a terrible fear began to assail me. was this desolation but another link in thechain of doom which seemed drawing tight round us? was it indeed a house of death to which ihad come, too late? i know that minutes, even seconds of delay,might mean hours of danger to lucy, if she had had again one of those frightfulrelapses, and i went round the house to try if i could find by chance an entryanywhere. i could find no means of ingress.

every window and door was fastened andlocked, and i returned baffled to the porch.as i did so, i heard the rapid pit-pat of a swiftly driven horse's feet. they stopped at the gate, and a few secondslater i met van helsing running up the avenue.when he saw me, he gasped out, "then it was you, and just arrived. how is she?are we too late? did you not get my telegram?" i answered as quickly and coherently as icould that i had only got his telegram

early in the morning, and had not a minutein coming here, and that i could not make any one in the house hear me. he paused and raised his hat as he saidsolemnly, "then i fear we are too late. god's will be done!"with his usual recuperative energy, he went on, "come. if there be no way open to get in, we mustmake one. time is all in all to us now."we went round to the back of the house, where there was a kitchen window. the professor took a small surgical sawfrom his case, and handing it to me,

pointed to the iron bars which guarded thewindow. i attacked them at once and had very sooncut through three of them. then with a long, thin knife we pushed backthe fastening of the sashes and opened the i helped the professor in, and followedhim. there was no one in the kitchen or in theservants' rooms, which were close at hand. we tried all the rooms as we went along,and in the dining room, dimly lit by rays of light through the shutters, found fourservant women lying on the floor. there was no need to think them dead, fortheir stertorous breathing and the acrid smell of laudanum in the room left no doubtas to their condition.

van helsing and i looked at each other, andas we moved away he said, "we can attend to them later."then we ascended to lucy's room. for an instant or two we paused at the doorto listen, but there was no sound that we could hear. with white faces and trembling hands, weopened the door gently, and entered the room.how shall i describe what we saw? on the bed lay two women, lucy and hermother. the latter lay farthest in, and she wascovered with a white sheet, the edge of which had been blown back by the droughtthrough the broken window, showing the

drawn, white, face, with a look of terrorfixed upon it. by her side lay lucy, with face white andstill more drawn. the flowers which had been round her neckwe found upon her mother's bosom, and her throat was bare, showing the two littlewounds which we had noticed before, but looking horribly white and mangled. without a word the professor bent over thebed, his head almost touching poor lucy's breast. then he gave a quick turn of his head, asof one who listens, and leaping to his feet, he cried out to me, "it is not yettoo late!

quick! quick!bring the brandy!" i flew downstairs and returned with it,taking care to smell and taste it, lest it, too, were drugged like the decanter ofsherry which i found on the table. the maids were still breathing, but morerestlessly, and i fancied that the narcotic was wearing off.i did not stay to make sure, but returned to van helsing. he rubbed the brandy, as on anotheroccasion, on her lips and gums and on her wrists and the palms of her hands.he said to me, "i can do this, all that can

be at the present. you go wake those maids.flick them in the face with a wet towel, and flick them hard.make them get heat and fire and a warm bath. this poor soul is nearly as cold as thatbeside her. she will need be heated before we can doanything more." i went at once, and found little difficultyin waking three of the women. the fourth was only a young girl, and thedrug had evidently affected her more strongly so i lifted her on the sofa andlet her sleep.

the others were dazed at first, but asremembrance came back to them they cried and sobbed in a hysterical manner.i was stern with them, however, and would not let them talk. i told them that one life was bad enough tolose, and if they delayed they would sacrifice miss lucy. so, sobbing and crying they went abouttheir way, half clad as they were, and prepared fire and water. fortunately, the kitchen and boiler fireswere still alive, and there was no lack of hot water.we got a bath and carried lucy out as she

was and placed her in it. whilst we were busy chafing her limbs therewas a knock at the hall door. one of the maids ran off, hurried on somemore clothes, and opened it. then she returned and whispered to us thatthere was a gentleman who had come with a message from mr. holmwood.i bade her simply tell him that he must wait, for we could see no one now. she went away with the message, and,engrossed with our work, i clean forgot all about him.i never saw in all my experience the professor work in such deadly earnest.

i knew, as he knew, that it was a stand-upfight with death, and in a pause told him so. he answered me in a way that i did notunderstand, but with the sternest look that his face could wear. "if that were all, i would stop here wherewe are now, and let her fade away into peace, for i see no light in life over herhorizon." he went on with his work with, if possible,renewed and more frenzied vigour. presently we both began to be consciousthat the heat was beginning to be of some effect.

lucy's heart beat a trifle more audibly tothe stethoscope, and her lungs had a perceptible movement. van helsing's face almost beamed, and as welifted her from the bath and rolled her in a hot sheet to dry her he said to me, "thefirst gain is ours! check to the king!" we took lucy into another room, which hadby now been prepared, and laid her in bed and forced a few drops of brandy down herthroat. i noticed that van helsing tied a soft silkhandkerchief round her throat. she was still unconscious, and was quite asbad as, if not worse than, we had ever seen

van helsing called in one of the women, andtold her to stay with her and not to take her eyes off her till we returned, and thenbeckoned me out of the room. "we must consult as to what is to be done,"he said as we descended the stairs. in the hall he opened the dining room door,and we passed in, he closing the door carefully behind him. the shutters had been opened, but theblinds were already down, with that obedience to the etiquette of death whichthe british woman of the lower classes always rigidly observes. the room was, therefore, dimly dark.it was, however, light enough for our

purposes.van helsing's sternness was somewhat relieved by a look of perplexity. he was evidently torturing his mind aboutsomething, so i waited for an instant, and he spoke."what are we to do now? where are we to turn for help? we must have another transfusion of blood,and that soon, or that poor girl's life won't be worth an hour's purchase.you are exhausted already. i am exhausted too. i fear to trust those women, even if theywould have courage to submit.

what are we to do for some one who willopen his veins for her?" "what's the matter with me, anyhow?" the voice came from the sofa across theroom, and its tones brought relief and joy to my heart, for they were those of quinceymorris. van helsing started angrily at the firstsound, but his face softened and a glad look came into his eyes as i cried out,"quincey morris!" and rushed towards him with outstretched hands. "what brought you here?"i cried as our hands met. "i guess art is the cause."

he handed me a telegram.--'have not heardfrom seward for three days, and am terribly anxious.cannot leave. father still in same condition. send me word how lucy is.do not delay.--holmwood.' "i think i came just in the nick of time.you know you have only to tell me what to do." van helsing strode forward, and took hishand, looking him straight in the eyes as he said, "a brave man's blood is the bestthing on this earth when a woman is in trouble.

you're a man and no mistake.well, the devil may work against us for all he's worth, but god sends us men when wewant them." once again we went through that ghastlyoperation. i have not the heart to go through with thedetails. lucy had got a terrible shock and it toldon her more than before, for though plenty of blood went into her veins, her body didnot respond to the treatment as well as on the other occasions. her struggle back into life was somethingfrightful to see and hear. however, the action of both heart and lungsimproved, and van helsing made a sub-

cutaneous injection of morphia, as before,and with good effect. her faint became a profound slumber. the professor watched whilst i wentdownstairs with quincey morris, and sent one of the maids to pay off one of thecabmen who were waiting. i left quincey lying down after having aglass of wine, and told the cook to get ready a good breakfast.then a thought struck me, and i went back to the room where lucy now was. when i came softly in, i found van helsingwith a sheet or two of note paper in his hand.

he had evidently read it, and was thinkingit over as he sat with his hand to his brow. there was a look of grim satisfaction inhis face, as of one who has had a doubt solved. he handed me the paper saying only, "itdropped from lucy's breast when we carried her to the bath." when i had read it, i stood looking at theprofessor, and after a pause asked him, "in god's name, what does it all mean?was she, or is she, mad, or what sort of horrible danger is it?"

i was so bewildered that i did not knowwhat to say more. van helsing put out his hand and took thepaper, saying, "do not trouble about it now. forget it for the present.you shall know and understand it all in good time, but it will be later.and now what is it that you came to me to say?" this brought me back to fact, and i was allmyself again. "i came to speak about the certificate ofdeath. if we do not act properly and wisely, theremay be an inquest, and that paper would

have to be produced. i am in hopes that we need have no inquest,for if we had it would surely kill poor lucy, if nothing else did. i know, and you know, and the other doctorwho attended her knows, that mrs. westenra had disease of the heart, and we cancertify that she died of it. let us fill up the certificate at once, andi shall take it myself to the registrar and go on to the undertaker.""good, oh my friend john! well thought of! truly miss lucy, if she be sad in the foesthat beset her, is at least happy in the

friends that love her.one, two, three, all open their veins for her, besides one old man. ah, yes, i know, friend john.i am not blind! i love you all the more for it!now go." in the hall i met quincey morris, with atelegram for arthur telling him that mrs. westenra was dead, that lucy also had beenill, but was now going on better, and that van helsing and i were with her. i told him where i was going, and hehurried me out, but as i was going said, "when you come back, jack, may i have twowords with you all to ourselves?"

i nodded in reply and went out. i found no difficulty about theregistration, and arranged with the local undertaker to come up in the evening tomeasure for the coffin and to make arrangements. when i got back quincey was waiting for me.i told him i would see him as soon as i knew about lucy, and went up to her room. she was still sleeping, and the professorseemingly had not moved from his seat at her side. from his putting his finger to his lips, igathered that he expected her to wake

before long and was afraid of fore-stallingnature. so i went down to quincey and took him intothe breakfast room, where the blinds were not drawn down, and which was a little morecheerful, or rather less cheerless, than the other rooms. when we were alone, he said to me, "jackseward, i don't want to shove myself in anywhere where i've no right to be, butthis is no ordinary case. you know i loved that girl and wanted tomarry her, but although that's all past and gone, i can't help feeling anxious abouther all the same. what is it that's wrong with her?

the dutchman, and a fine old fellow he is,i can see that, said that time you two came into the room, that you must have anothertransfusion of blood, and that both you and he were exhausted. now i know well that you medical men speakin camera, and that a man must not expect to know what they consult about in private.but this is no common matter, and whatever it is, i have done my part. is not that so?""that's so," i said, and he went on. "i take it that both you and van helsinghad done already what i did today. is not that so?"

"that's so.""and i guess art was in it too. when i saw him four days ago down at hisown place he looked queer. i have not seen anything pulled down soquick since i was on the pampas and had a mare that i was fond of go to grass all ina night. one of those big bats that they callvampires had got at her in the night, and what with his gorge and the vein left open,there wasn't enough blood in her to let her stand up, and i had to put a bullet throughher as she lay. jack, if you may tell me without betrayingconfidence, arthur was the first, is not that so?"

as he spoke the poor fellow looked terriblyanxious. he was in a torture of suspense regardingthe woman he loved, and his utter ignorance of the terrible mystery which seemed tosurround her intensified his pain. his very heart was bleeding, and it tookall the manhood of him, and there was a royal lot of it, too, to keep him frombreaking down. i paused before answering, for i felt thati must not betray anything which the professor wished kept secret, but alreadyhe knew so much, and guessed so much, that there could be no reason for not answering,so i answered in the same phrase. "that's so.""and how long has this been going on?"

"about ten days." "ten days!then i guess, jack seward, that that poor pretty creature that we all love has hadput into her veins within that time the blood of four strong men. man alive, her whole body wouldn't holdit." then coming close to me, he spoke in afierce half-whisper. "what took it out?" i shook my head."that," i said, "is the crux. van helsing is simply frantic about it, andi am at my wits' end.

i can't even hazard a guess. there has been a series of littlecircumstances which have thrown out all our calculations as to lucy being properlywatched. but these shall not occur again. here we stay until all be well, or ill."quincey held out his hand. "count me in," he said."you and the dutchman will tell me what to do, and i'll do it." when she woke late in the afternoon, lucy'sfirst movement was to feel in her breast, and to my surprise, produced the paperwhich van helsing had given me to read.

the careful professor had replaced it whereit had come from, lest on waking she should be alarmed.her eyes then lit on van helsing and on me too, and gladdened. then she looked round the room, and seeingwhere she was, shuddered. she gave a loud cry, and put her poor thinhands before her pale face. we both understood what was meant, that shehad realized to the full her mother's death.so we tried what we could to comfort her. doubtless sympathy eased her somewhat, butshe was very low in thought and spirit, and wept silently and weakly for a long time.

we told her that either or both of us wouldnow remain with her all the time, and that seemed to comfort her.towards dusk she fell into a doze. here a very odd thing occurred. whilst still asleep she took the paper fromher breast and tore it in two. van helsing stepped over and took thepieces from her. all the same, however, she went on with theaction of tearing, as though the material were still in her hands.finally she lifted her hands and opened them as though scattering the fragments. van helsing seemed surprised, and his browsgathered as if in thought, but he said

19 september.--all last night she sleptfitfully, being always afraid to sleep, and something weaker when she woke from it. the professor and i took in turns to watch,and we never left her for a moment unattended. quincey morris said nothing about hisintention, but i knew that all night long he patrolled round and round the house.when the day came, its searching light showed the ravages in poor lucy's strength. she was hardly able to turn her head, andthe little nourishment which she could take seemed to do her no good.

at times she slept, and both van helsingand i noticed the difference in her, between sleeping and waking.whilst asleep she looked stronger, although more haggard, and her breathing was softer. her open mouth showed the pale gums drawnback from the teeth, which looked positively longer and sharper than usual. when she woke the softness of her eyesevidently changed the expression, for she looked her own self, although a dying one.in the afternoon she asked for arthur, and we telegraphed for him. quincey went off to meet him at thestation.

when he arrived it was nearly six o'clock,and the sun was setting full and warm, and the red light streamed in through thewindow and gave more colour to the pale cheeks. when he saw her, arthur was simply chokingwith emotion, and none of us could speak. in the hours that had passed, the fits ofsleep, or the comatose condition that passed for it, had grown more frequent, sothat the pauses when conversation was possible were shortened. arthur's presence, however, seemed to actas a stimulant. she rallied a little, and spoke to him morebrightly than she had done since we

arrived. he too pulled himself together, and spokeas cheerily as he could, so that the best was made of everything.it is now nearly one o'clock, and he and van helsing are sitting with her. i am to relieve them in a quarter of anhour, and i am entering this on lucy's phonograph.until six o'clock they are to try to rest. i fear that tomorrow will end our watching,for the shock has been too great. the poor child cannot rally.god help us all. letter mina harker to lucy westenra(unopened by her)

17 septembermy dearest lucy, "it seems an age since i heard from you, orindeed since i wrote. you will pardon me, i know, for all myfaults when you have read all my budget of news. well, i got my husband back all right.when we arrived at exeter there was a carriage waiting for us, and in it, thoughhe had an attack of gout, mr. hawkins. he took us to his house, where there wererooms for us all nice and comfortable, and we dined together.after dinner mr. hawkins said, "'my dears, i want to drink your health andprosperity, and may every blessing attend

you both.i know you both from children, and have, with love and pride, seen you grow up. now i want you to make your home here withme. i have left to me neither chick nor child.all are gone, and in my will i have left you everything.' i cried, lucy dear, as jonathan and the oldman clasped hands. our evening was a very, very happy one. "so here we are, installed in thisbeautiful old house, and from both my bedroom and the drawing room i can see thegreat elms of the cathedral close, with

their great black stems standing out against the old yellow stone of thecathedral, and i can hear the rooks overhead cawing and cawing and chatteringand chattering and gossiping all day, after the manner of rooks--and humans. i am busy, i need not tell you, arrangingthings and housekeeping. jonathan and mr. hawkins are busy all day,for now that jonathan is a partner, mr. hawkins wants to tell him all about theclients. "how is your dear mother getting on? i wish i could run up to town for a day ortwo to see you, dear, but i dare not go

yet, with so much on my shoulders, andjonathan wants looking after still. he is beginning to put some flesh on hisbones again, but he was terribly weakened by the long illness. even now he sometimes starts out of hissleep in a sudden way and awakes all trembling until i can coax him back to hisusual placidity. however, thank god, these occasions growless frequent as the days go on, and they will in time pass away altogether, i trust.and now i have told you my news, let me ask yours. when are you to be married, and where, andwho is to perform the ceremony, and what

are you to wear, and is it to be a publicor private wedding? tell me all about it, dear, tell me allabout everything, for there is nothing which interests you which will not be dearto me. jonathan asks me to send his 'respectfulduty', but i do not think that is good enough from the junior partner of theimportant firm hawkins & harker. and so, as you love me, and he loves me,and i love you with all the moods and tenses of the verb, i send you simply his'love' instead. goodbye, my dearest lucy, and blessings onyou. "yours,"mina harker"

report from patrick hennessey, md, mrcslk,qcpi, etc, etc, to john seward, md 20 septembermy dear sir: "in accordance with your wishes, i enclosereport of the conditions of everything left in my charge.with regard to patient, renfield, there is more to say. he has had another outbreak, which mighthave had a dreadful ending, but which, as it fortunately happened, was unattendedwith any unhappy results. this afternoon a carrier's cart with twomen made a call at the empty house whose grounds abut on ours, the house to which,you will remember, the patient twice ran

away. the men stopped at our gate to ask theporter their way, as they were strangers. "i was myself looking out of the studywindow, having a smoke after dinner, and saw one of them come up to the house. as he passed the window of renfield's room,the patient began to rate him from within, and called him all the foul names he couldlay his tongue to. the man, who seemed a decent fellow enough,contented himself by telling him to 'shut up for a foul-mouthed beggar', whereon ourman accused him of robbing him and wanting to murder him and said that he would hinderhim if he were to swing for it.

i opened the window and signed to the mannot to notice, so he contented himself after looking the place over and making uphis mind as to what kind of place he had got to by saying, 'lor' bless yer, sir, i wouldn't mind what was said to me in abloomin' madhouse. i pity ye and the guv'nor for havin' tolive in the house with a wild beast like that.' "then he asked his way civilly enough, andi told him where the gate of the empty house was.he went away followed by threats and curses and revilings from our man.

i went down to see if i could make out anycause for his anger, since he is usually such a well-behaved man, and except hisviolent fits nothing of the kind had ever i found him, to my astonishment, quitecomposed and most genial in his manner. i tried to get him to talk of the incident,but he blandly asked me questions as to what i meant, and led me to believe that hewas completely oblivious of the affair. it was, i am sorry to say, however, onlyanother instance of his cunning, for within half an hour i heard of him again. this time he had broken out through thewindow of his room, and was running down the avenue.

i called to the attendants to follow me,and ran after him, for i feared he was intent on some mischief. my fear was justified when i saw the samecart which had passed before coming down the road, having on it some great woodenboxes. the men were wiping their foreheads, andwere flushed in the face, as if with violent exercise. before i could get up to him, the patientrushed at them, and pulling one of them off the cart, began to knock his head againstthe ground. if i had not seized him just at the moment,i believe he would have killed the man

there and then. the other fellow jumped down and struck himover the head with the butt end of his heavy whip. it was a horrible blow, but he did not seemto mind it, but seized him also, and struggled with the three of us, pulling usto and fro as if we were kittens. you know i am no lightweight, and theothers were both burly men. at first he was silent in his fighting, butas we began to master him, and the attendants were putting a strait waistcoaton him, he began to shout, 'i'll frustrate them!

they shan't rob me!they shan't murder me by inches! i'll fight for my lord and master!' and allsorts of similar incoherent ravings. it was with very considerable difficultythat they got him back to the house and put him in the padded room.one of the attendants, hardy, had a finger broken. however, i set it all right, and he isgoing on well. "the two carriers were at first loud intheir threats of actions for damages, and promised to rain all the penalties of thelaw on us. their threats were, however, mingled withsome sort of indirect apology for the

defeat of the two of them by a feeblemadman. they said that if it had not been for theway their strength had been spent in carrying and raising the heavy boxes to thecart they would have made short work of him. they gave as another reason for theirdefeat the extraordinary state of drouth to which they had been reduced by the dustynature of their occupation and the reprehensible distance from the scene of their labors of any place of publicentertainment. i quite understood their drift, and after astiff glass of strong grog, or rather more

of the same, and with each a sovereign inhand, they made light of the attack, and swore that they would encounter a worse madman any day for the pleasure of meetingso 'bloomin' good a bloke' as your correspondent.i took their names and addresses, in case they might be needed. they are as follows: jack smollet, ofdudding's rents, king george's road, great walworth, and thomas snelling, peterfarley's row, guide court, bethnal green. they are both in the employment of harris &sons, moving and shipment company, orange master's yard, soho.

"i shall report to you any matter ofinterest occurring here, and shall wire you at once if there is anything of importance."believe me, dear sir, "yours faithfully, "patrick hennessey." letter, mina harker to lucy westenra(unopened by her) 18 september"my dearest lucy, "such a sad blow has befallen us. mr. hawkins has died very suddenly.some may not think it so sad for us, but we had both come to so love him that it reallyseems as though we had lost a father.

i never knew either father or mother, sothat the dear old man's death is a real blow to me.jonathan is greatly distressed. it is not only that he feels sorrow, deepsorrow, for the dear, good man who has befriended him all his life, and now at theend has treated him like his own son and left him a fortune which to people of our modest bringing up is wealth beyond thedream of avarice, but jonathan feels it on another account.he says the amount of responsibility which it puts upon him makes him nervous. he begins to doubt himself.i try to cheer him up, and my belief in him

helps him to have a belief in himself.but it is here that the grave shock that he experienced tells upon him the most. oh, it is too hard that a sweet, simple,noble, strong nature such as his, a nature which enabled him by our dear, goodfriend's aid to rise from clerk to master in a few years, should be so injured thatthe very essence of its strength is gone. forgive me, dear, if i worry you with mytroubles in the midst of your own happiness, but lucy dear, i must tellsomeone, for the strain of keeping up a brave and cheerful appearance to jonathan tries me, and i have no one here that i canconfide in.

i dread coming up to london, as we must dothat day after tomorrow, for poor mr. hawkins left in his will that he was to beburied in the grave with his father. as there are no relations at all, jonathanwill have to be chief mourner. i shall try to run over to see you,dearest, if only for a few minutes. forgive me for troubling you. with all blessings,"your loving "mina harker" dr. seward's diary20 september.--only resolution and habit can let me make an entry tonight.

i am too miserable, too low spirited, toosick of the world and all in it, including life itself, that i would not care if iheard this moment the flapping of the wings of the angel of death. and he has been flapping those grim wingsto some purpose of late, lucy's mother and arthur's father, and now...let me get on with my work. i duly relieved van helsing in his watchover lucy. we wanted arthur to go to rest also, but herefused at first. it was only when i told him that we shouldwant him to help us during the day, and that we must not all break down for want ofrest, lest lucy should suffer, that he

agreed to go. van helsing was very kind to him."come, my child," he said. "come with me. you are sick and weak, and have had muchsorrow and much mental pain, as well as that tax on your strength that we know of.you must not be alone, for to be alone is to be full of fears and alarms. come to the drawing room, where there is abig fire, and there are two sofas. you shall lie on one, and i on the other,and our sympathy will be comfort to each other, even though we do not speak, andeven if we sleep."

arthur went off with him, casting back alonging look on lucy's face, which lay in her pillow, almost whiter than the lawn. she lay quite still, and i looked aroundthe room to see that all was as it should be. i could see that the professor had carriedout in this room, as in the other, his purpose of using the garlic. the whole of the window sashes reeked withit, and round lucy's neck, over the silk handkerchief which van helsing made herkeep on, was a rough chaplet of the same odorous flowers.

lucy was breathing somewhat stertorously,and her face was at its worst, for the open mouth showed the pale gums. her teeth, in the dim, uncertain light,seemed longer and sharper than they had been in the morning. in particular, by some trick of the light,the canine teeth looked longer and sharper than the rest.i sat down beside her, and presently she moved uneasily. at the same moment there came a sort ofdull flapping or buffeting at the window. i went over to it softly, and peeped out bythe corner of the blind.

there was a full moonlight, and i could seethat the noise was made by a great bat, which wheeled around, doubtless attractedby the light, although so dim, and every now and again struck the window with itswings. when i came back to my seat, i found thatlucy had moved slightly, and had torn away the garlic flowers from her throat. i replaced them as well as i could, and satwatching her. presently she woke, and i gave her food, asvan helsing had prescribed. she took but a little, and that languidly. there did not seem to be with her now theunconscious struggle for life and strength

that had hitherto so marked her illness. it struck me as curious that the moment shebecame conscious she pressed the garlic flowers close to her. it was certainly odd that whenever she gotinto that lethargic state, with the stertorous breathing, she put the flowersfrom her, but that when she waked she clutched them close. there was no possibility of making anymistake about this, for in the long hours that followed, she had many spells ofsleeping and waking and repeated both actions many times.

at six o'clock van helsing came to relieveme. arthur had then fallen into a doze, and hemercifully let him sleep on. when he saw lucy's face i could hear thehissing indraw of breath, and he said to me in a sharp whisper."draw up the blind. i want light!" then he bent down, and, with his facealmost touching lucy's, examined her carefully.he removed the flowers and lifted the silk handkerchief from her throat. as he did so he started back and i couldhear his ejaculation, "mein gott!" as it

was smothered in his throat.i bent over and looked, too, and as i noticed some queer chill came over me. the wounds on the throat had absolutelydisappeared. for fully five minutes van helsing stoodlooking at her, with his face at its sternest. then he turned to me and said calmly, "sheis dying. it will not be long now.it will be much difference, mark me, whether she dies conscious or in her sleep. wake that poor boy, and let him come andsee the last.

he trusts us, and we have promised him."i went to the dining room and waked him. he was dazed for a moment, but when he sawthe sunlight streaming in through the edges of the shutters he thought he was late, andexpressed his fear. i assured him that lucy was still asleep,but told him as gently as i could that both van helsing and i feared that the end wasnear. he covered his face with his hands, andslid down on his knees by the sofa, where he remained, perhaps a minute, with hishead buried, praying, whilst his shoulders shook with grief. i took him by the hand and raised him up."come," i said, "my dear old fellow, summon

all your fortitude.it will be best and easiest for her." when we came into lucy's room i could seethat van helsing had, with his usual forethought, been putting matters straightand making everything look as pleasing as possible. he had even brushed lucy's hair, so that itlay on the pillow in its usual sunny ripples. when we came into the room she opened hereyes, and seeing him, whispered softly, "arthur!oh, my love, i am so glad you have come!" he was stooping to kiss her, when vanhelsing motioned him back.

"no," he whispered, "not yet!hold her hand, it will comfort her more." so arthur took her hand and knelt besideher, and she looked her best, with all the soft lines matching the angelic beauty ofher eyes. then gradually her eyes closed, and shesank to sleep. for a little bit her breast heaved softly,and her breath came and went like a tired child's. and then insensibly there came the strangechange which i had noticed in the night. her breathing grew stertorous, the mouthopened, and the pale gums, drawn back, made the teeth look longer and sharper thanever.

in a sort of sleep-waking, vague,unconscious way she opened her eyes, which were now dull and hard at once, and said ina soft, voluptuous voice, such as i had never heard from her lips, "arthur! oh, my love, i am so glad you have come!kiss me!" arthur bent eagerly over to kiss her, butat that instant van helsing, who, like me, had been startled by her voice, swoopedupon him, and catching him by the neck with both hands, dragged him back with a fury of strength which i never thought he couldhave possessed, and actually hurled him almost across the room."not on your life!" he said, "not for your

living soul and hers!" and he stood between them like a lion atbay. arthur was so taken aback that he did notfor a moment know what to do or say, and before any impulse of violence could seizehim he realized the place and the occasion, and stood silent, waiting. i kept my eyes fixed on lucy, as did vanhelsing, and we saw a spasm as of rage flit like a shadow over her face.the sharp teeth clamped together. then her eyes closed, and she breathedheavily. very shortly after she opened her eyes inall their softness, and putting out her

poor, pale, thin hand, took van helsing'sgreat brown one, drawing it close to her, she kissed it. "my true friend," she said, in a faintvoice, but with untellable pathos, "my true friend, and his!oh, guard him, and give me peace!" "i swear it!" he said solemnly, kneelingbeside her and holding up his hand, as one who registers an oath. then he turned to arthur, and said to him,"come, my child, take her hand in yours, and kiss her on the forehead, and onlyonce." their eyes met instead of their lips, andso they parted.

lucy's eyes closed, and van helsing, whohad been watching closely, took arthur's arm, and drew him away. and then lucy's breathing became stertorousagain, and all at once it ceased. "it is all over," said van helsing."she is dead!" i took arthur by the arm, and led him awayto the drawing room, where he sat down, and covered his face with his hands, sobbing ina way that nearly broke me down to see. i went back to the room, and found vanhelsing looking at poor lucy, and his face was sterner than ever.some change had come over her body. death had given back part of her beauty,for her brow and cheeks had recovered some

of their flowing lines.even the lips had lost their deadly pallor. it was as if the blood, no longer neededfor the working of the heart, had gone to make the harshness of death as little rudeas might be. "we thought her dying whilst she slept, andsleeping when she died." i stood beside van helsing, and said, "ahwell, poor girl, there is peace for her at last. it is the end!"he turned to me, and said with grave solemnity, "not so, alas!not so. it is only the beginning!"

when i asked him what he meant, he onlyshook his head and answered, "we can do nothing as yet.wait and see."

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