Dracula
Page 27
CHAPTER XXVI.
/Dr. Seward's Diary./
_29 October._--This is written in the train from Varna to Galatz. Lastnight we all assembled a little before the time of sunset. Each of ushad done his work as well as he could; so far as thought, and endeavour,and opportunity go, we are prepared for the whole of our journey, andfor our work when we get to Galatz. When the usual time came round Mrs.Harker prepared herself for her hypnotic effort; and after a longer andmore strenuous effort on the part of Van Helsing than has been usuallynecessary, she sank into the trance. Usually she speaks on a hint; butthis time the Professor had to ask her questions, and to ask them prettyresolutely, before we could learn anything; at last her answer came:--
"I can see nothing; we are still; there are no waves lapping, but onlya steady swirl of water softly running against the hawser. I can hearmen's voices calling, near and far, and the roll and creak of oars inthe rowlocks. A gun is fired somewhere; the echo of it seems far away.There is tramping of feet overhead, and ropes and chains are draggedalong. What is this? There is a gleam of light; I can feel the airblowing upon me."
Here she stopped. She had risen, as if impulsively, from where she layon the sofa, and raised both her hands, palms upwards, as if liftinga weight. Van Helsing and I looked at each other with understanding.Quincey raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at her intently, whilstHarker's hand instinctively closed round the hilt of his kukri. Therewas a long pause. We all knew that the time when she could speak waspassing; but we felt that it was useless to say anything. Suddenly shesat up, and, as she opened her eyes, said sweetly:--
"Would none of you like a cup of tea? You must all be so tired!" Wecould only make her happy, and so acquiesced. She bustled off to gettea; when she had gone Van Helsing said:--
"You see, my friends. _He_ is close to land; he has left hisearth-chest. But he has yet to get on shore. In the night he may liehidden somewhere; but if he be not carried on shore, or if the ship donot touch it, he cannot achieve the land. In such case he can, if itbe in the night, change his form and can jump or fly on shore, as hedid at Whitby. But if the day come before he get on shore, then, unlesshe be carried he cannot escape. And if he be carried, then the customsmen may discover what the box contains. Thus, in fine, if he escape noton shore to-night, or before dawn, there will be the whole day lost tohim. We may then arrive in time; for if he escape not at night we shallcome on him in daytime, boxed up and at our mercy; for he dare not behis true self, awake and visible, lest he be discovered."
There was no more to be said, so we waited in patience until the dawn;at which time we might learn more from Mrs. Harker.
Early this morning we listened, with breathless anxiety, for herresponse in her trance. The hypnotic stage was even longer in comingthan before; and when it came the time remaining until full sunrisewas so short that we began to despair. Van Helsing seemed to throw hiswhole soul into the effort; at last, in obedience to his will she madereply:--
"All is dark. I hear lapping water, level with me, and some creaking asof wood on wood." She paused, and the red sun shot up. We must wait tillto-night.
And so it is that we are travelling towards Galatz in an agony ofexpectation. We are due to arrive between two and three in the morning;but already, at Bucharest, we are three hours late, so we cannotpossibly get in till well after sun-up. Thus we shall have two morehypnotic messages from Mrs. Harker; either or both may possibly throwmore light on what is happening.
_Later._--Sunset has come and gone. Fortunately it came at a timewhen there was no distraction; for had it occurred whilst we were at astation, we might not have secured the necessary calm and isolation.Mrs. Harker yielded to the hypnotic influence even less readily thanthis morning. I am in fear that her power of reading the Count'ssensations may die away, just when we want it most. It seems to me thather imagination is beginning to work. Whilst she has been in the trancehitherto she has confined herself to the simplest of facts. If this goeson it may ultimately mislead us. If I thought that the Count's powerover her would die away equally with her power of knowledge it would bea happy thought; but I am afraid that it may not be so. When she didspeak, her words were enigmatical:--
"Something is going out; I can feel it pass me like a cold wind. I canhear, far off, confused sounds--as of men talking in strange tongues,fierce-falling water, and the howling of wolves." She stopped, and ashudder ran through her, increasing in intensity for a few seconds,till, at the end, she shook as though in a palsy. She said no more, evenin answer to the Professor's imperative questioning. When she woke fromthe trance, she was cold, and exhausted, and languid; but her mind wasall alert. She could not remember anything, but asked what she had said;when she was told, she pondered over it deeply for a long time and insilence.
_30 October, 7 a.m._--We are near Galatz now, and I may not have time towrite later. Sunrise this morning was anxiously looked for by us all.Knowing of the increasing difficulty of procuring the hypnotic trance,Van Helsing began his passes earlier than usual. They produced noeffect, however, until the regular time, when she yielded with a stillgreater difficulty, only a minute before the sun rose. The Professorlost no time in his questioning; her answer came with equal quickness:--
"All is dark. I hear the water swirling by, level with my ears, and thecreaking of wood on wood. Cattle low far off. There is another sound, aqueer one like--" she stopped and grew white, and whiter still.
"Go on; Go on! Speak, I command you!" said Van Helsing in an agonizedvoice. At the same time there was despair in his eyes, for the risensun was reddening even Mrs. Harker's pale face. She opened her eyes,and we all started as she said, sweetly and seemingly with the utmostconcern:--
"Oh, Professor, why ask me to do what you know I can't? I don't rememberanything." Then, seeing the look of amazement on our faces, she said,turning from one to the other with a troubled look:--
"What have I said? What have I done? I know nothing, only that I waslying here, half asleep, and I heard you say 'go on! speak, I commandyou!' It seemed so funny to hear you order me about, as if I were a badchild!"
"Oh, Madam Mina," he said sadly, "it is proof, if proof be needed,of how I love and honour you, when a word for your good, spoken moreearnest than ever, can seem so strange because it is to order her whom Iam proud to obey!"
The whistles are sounding; we are nearing Galatz. We are on fire withanxiety and eagerness.
_Mina Harker's Journal._
_30 October._--Mr. Morris took me to the hotel where our rooms had beenordered by telegraph, he being the one who could best be spared, sincehe does not speak any foreign language. The forces were distributedmuch as they had been at Varna, except that Lord Godalming went to theVice-Consul as his rank might serve as an immediate guarantee of somesort to the official, we being in extreme hurry. Jonathan and the twodoctors went to the shipping agent to learn particulars of the arrivalof the _Czarina Catherine_.
_Later._--Lord Godalming has returned. The Consul is away, and theVice-Consul sick; so the routine work has been attended to by a clerk.He was very obliging, and offered to do anything in his power.
_Jonathan Harker's Journal._
_30 October._--At nine o'clock Dr. Van Helsing, Dr. Seward, and Icalled on Messrs Mackenzie & Steinkoff, the agents of the London firmof Hapgood. They had received a wire from London, in answer to LordGodalming's telegraphed request, asking them to show us any civilityin their power. They were more than kind and courteous, and took usat once on board the _Czarina Catherine_, which lay at anchor out inthe river harbour. There we saw the captain, Donelson by name, who toldus of his voyage. He said that in all his life he had never had sofavourable a run.
"Man!" he said, "but it made us afeared, for we expeckit that we shouldhave to pay for it wi' some rare piece o' ill luck, so as to keep up theaverage. It's no canny to run frae London to the Black Sea wi' a windahint ye, as though the Deil himself were blawin' on yer sail for hisain purpose. An' a' the time we could no speer a thing. Gin we were ni
gha ship, or a port, or a headland, a fog fell on us and travelled wi' us,till when after it had lifted and we looked out, the deil a thing couldwe see. We ran by Gibraltar wi'oot bein' able to signal; an' till wecame to the Dardanelles and had to wait to get our permit to pass, wenever were within hail o' aught. At first I inclined to slack off sailand beat about till the fog was lifted; but whiles, I thocht that ifthe Deil was minded to get us into the Black Sea quick, he was like todo it whether we would or no. If we had a quick voyage it would be noto our miscredit wi' the owners, or no hurt to our traffic; an' the OldMon who had served his ain purpose wad be decently grateful to us for nohinderin' him." This mixture of simplicity and cunning, of superstitionand commercial reasoning, aroused Van Helsing, who said:--
"Mine friend, that Devil is more clever than he is thought by some; andhe know when he meet his match!" The skipper was not displeased with thecompliment, and went on:--
"When we got past the Bosphorus the men began to grumble; some o' them,the Roumanians, came and asked me to heave overboard a big box which hadbeen put on board by a queer-lookin' old man just before we had startedfrae London. I had seen them speer at the fellow, and put out their twafingers when they saw him, to guard against the evil eye. Man! but thesupersteetion of foreigners is pairfectly rideeculous! I sent them aboottheir business pretty quick; but as just after a fog closed in on us,I felt a wee bit as they did anent something, though I wouldn't say itwas agin the big box. Well, on we went, and as the fog didn't let upfor five days I joost let the wind carry us; for if the Deil wanted toget somewheres--well, he would fetch it up a'reet. An' if he didn't,well, we'd keep a sharp look out anyhow. Sure enuch, we had a fair wayand deep water all the time; and two days ago, when the mornin' suncame through the fog, we found ourselves just in the river oppositeGalatz. The Roumanians were wild, and wanted me right or wrong to takeout the box and fling it in the river. I had to argy wi' them aboot itwi' a handspike; an' when the last o' them rose off the deck, wi' hishead in his hand, I had convinced them that, evil eye or no evil eye,the property and the trust of my owners were better in my hands than inthe river Danube. They had, mind ye, taken the box on the deck ready tofling in, and as it was marked Galatz _via_ Varna, I thocht I'd let itlie till we discharged in the port an' get rid o't athegither. We didn'tdo much clearin' that day, an' had to remain the nicht at anchor; but inthe mornin', braw an' airly, an hour before sun-up, a man came aboordwi' an order, written to him from England, to receive a box marked forone Count Dracula. Sure enuch the matter was one ready to his hand. Hehad his papers a' reet, an' glad I was to be rid o' the dam' thing, forI was beginnin' masel' to feel uneasy at it. If the Deil did have anyluggage aboord the ship, I'm thinkin' it was nane ither than that same!"
"What was the name of the man who took it?" asked Dr. Van Helsing, withrestrained eagerness.
"I'll be tellin' ye quick!" he answered, and, stepping down to hiscabin, produced a receipt signed "Immanuel Hildesheim." Burgen-strasse16 was the address. We found out that this was all the captain knew; sowith thanks we came away.
We found Hildesheim in his office, a Hebrew of rather the Adelphitype, with a nose like a sheep, and a fez. His arguments were pointedwith specie--we doing the punctuation--and with a little bargaininghe told us what he knew. This turned out to be simple but important.He had received a letter from Mr. de Ville of London, telling him toreceive, if possible before sunrise, so as to avoid customs, a boxwhich would arrive at Galatz in the _Czarina Catherine_. This he was togive in charge to a certain Petrof Skinsky, who dealt with Slovaks whotraded down the river to the port. He had been paid for his work by anEnglish bank note, which had been duly cashed for gold at the DanubeInternational Bank. When Skinsky had come to him, he had taken him tothe ship and handed over the box, so as to save porterage. That was allhe knew.
We then sought for Skinsky, but were unable to find him. One of hisneighbours, who did not seem to bear him any affection, said that he hadgone away two days before, no one knew whither. This was corroboratedby his landlord, who had received by messenger the key of the housetogether with the rent due, in English money. This had been between tenand eleven o'clock last night. We were at a standstill again.
Whilst we were talking, one came running and breathlessly gaspedout that the body of Skinsky had been found inside the wall of thechurchyard of St. Peter, and that the throat had been torn open as ifby some wild animal. Those we had been speaking with ran off to see thehorror, the women crying out, "This is the work of a Slovak!" We hurriedaway lest we should have been in some way drawn into the affair, and sodetained.
As we came home we could arrive at no definite conclusion. We were allconvinced that the box was on its way, by water, to somewhere; but wherethat might be we would have to discover. With heavy hearts we came hometo the hotel to Mina.
When we met together, the first thing was to consult as to taking Minaagain into our confidence. Things are getting desperate, and it is atleast a chance, though a hazardous one. As a preliminary step, I wasreleased from my promise to her.
_Mina Harker's Journal._
_30 October, evening._--They were so tired and worn-out and dispiritedthat there was nothing to be done till they had some rest; so I askedthem all to lie down for half an hour whilst I should enter everythingup to the moment. I feel so grateful to the man who invented the"Traveller's" typewriter, and to Mr. Morris for getting this one for me.I should have felt quite astray doing the work if I had to write with apen....
It is all done; poor dear, dear Jonathan, what he must have suffered,what must he be suffering now. He lies on the sofa hardly seeming tobreathe, and his whole body appears in collapse. His brows are knit;his face is drawn with pain. Poor fellow, maybe he is thinking, and Ican see his face all wrinkled up with the concentration of his thoughts.Oh! if I could only help at all.... I shall do what I can....
I have asked Dr. Van Helsing, and he has got me all the papers thatI have not yet seen.... Whilst they are resting, I shall go over allcarefully, and perhaps I may arrive at some conclusion. I shall try tofollow the Professor's example, and think without prejudice on the factsbefore me....
I do believe that under God's Providence I have made a discovery. Ishall get the maps and look over them....
I am more than ever sure that I am right. My new conclusion is ready,so I shall get our party together and read it. They can judge it; it iswell to be accurate, and every minute is precious.
_Mina Harker's Memorandum._
(Entered in her Journal.)
_Ground of inquiry._--Count Dracula's problem is to get back to his ownplace.
(_a_) He must be _brought back_ by some one. This is evident; for, hadhe power to move himself as he wished he could go either as man, orwolf, or bat, or in some other way. He evidently fears discovery orinterference, in the state of helplessness in which he must be--confinedas he is between dawn and sunset in his wooden box.
(_b_) _How is he to be taken?_--Here a process of exclusion may help us.By road, by rail, by water?
1. _By Road._--There are endless difficulties, especially in leaving acity.
(_x_) There are people; and people are curious, and investigate. A hint,a surmise, a doubt as to what might be in the box, would destroy him.
(_y_) There are, or there might be, customs and octroi officers to pass.
(_z_) His pursuers might follow. This is his greatest fear; and in orderto prevent his being betrayed he has repelled, so far as he can, evenhis victim--me!
2. _By Rail._--There is no one in charge of the box. It would have totake its chance of being delayed; and delay would be fatal, with enemieson the track. True, he might escape at night; but where would he be, ifleft in a strange place with no refuge that he could fly to? This is notwhat he intends; and he does not mean to risk it.
3. _By Water._--Here is the safest way, in one respect, but with mostdanger in another. On the water he is powerless except at night; eventhen he can only summon fog and storm and snow and his wolves. But werehe wrecked
, the living water would engulf him, helpless; and he wouldindeed be lost. He could have the vessel drive to land; but if it wereunfriendly land, wherein he was not free to move, his position wouldstill be desperate.
We know from the record that he was on the water; so what we have to dois to ascertain _what_ water.
The first thing is to realise exactly what he has done as yet; we may,then, get a light on what his later task is to be.
_Firstly._--We must differentiate between what he did in London as partof his general plan of action, when he was pressed for moments and hadto arrange as best he could.
_Secondly_ we must see, as well as we can surmise it from the facts weknow of, what he has done here.
As to the first, he evidently intended to arrive at Galatz, and sentinvoice to Varna to deceive us lest we should ascertain his means ofexit from England; his immediate and sole purpose then was to escape.The proof of this is the letter of instructions sent to ImmanuelHildesheim to clear and take away the box _before sunrise_. There isalso the instruction to Petrof Skinsky. This we must only guess at;but there must have been some letter or message, since Skinsky came toHildesheim.
That, so far, his plans were successful we know. The _Czarina Catherine_made a phenomenally quick journey--so much so that Captain Donelson'ssuspicions were aroused; but his superstition united with his canninessplayed the Count's game for him, and he ran with his favouring windthrough fogs and all till he brought up blindfold at Galatz. That theCount's arrangements were well made, has been proved. Hildesheim clearedthe box, took it off, and gave it to Skinsky. Skinsky took it--and herewe lose the trail. We only know that the box is somewhere on the water,moving along. The customs and the octroi, if there be any, have beenavoided.
Now we come to what the Count must have done after his arrival--_onland_, at Galatz.
The box was given to Skinsky before sunrise. At sunrise the Count couldappear in his own form. Here, we ask why Skinsky was chosen at all toaid in the work? In my husband's diary, Skinsky is mentioned as dealingwith the Slovaks who trade down the river to the port; and the man'sremark, that the murder was the work of a Slovak, showed the generalfeeling against his class. The Count wanted isolation.
My surmise is, this: that in London the Count decided to get back to hisCastle by water, as the most safe and secret way. He was brought fromthe Castle by Szgany, and probably they delivered their cargo to Slovakswho took the boxes to Varna, for there they were shipped for London.Thus the Count had knowledge of the persons who could arrange thisservice. When the box was on land, before sunrise or after sunset, hecame out from his box, met Skinsky and instructed him what to do as toarranging the carriage of the box up some river. When this was done, andhe knew that all was in train, he blotted out his traces, as he thought,by murdering his agent.
I have examined the map, and find that the river most suitable for theSlovaks to have ascended is either the Pruth or the Sereth. I read inthe typescript that in my trance I heard cows low and water swirlinglevel with my ears and the creaking of wood. The Count in his box, then,was on a river in an open boat--propelled probably either by oars orpoles, for the banks are near and it is working against stream. Therewould be no such sound if floating down stream.
Of course it may not be either the Sereth or the Pruth, but we maypossibly investigate further. Now of these two, the Pruth is the moreeasily navigated, but the Sereth is, at Fundu, joined by the Bistritza,which runs up round the Borgo Pass. The loop it makes is manifestly asclose to Dracula's Castle as can be got by water.
_Mina Harker's Journal--continued._
When I had done reading, Jonathan took me in his arms and kissed me. Theothers kept shaking me by both hands, and Dr. Van Helsing said:--
"Our dear Madam Mina is once more our teacher. Her eyes have seen wherewe were blinded. Now we are on the track once again, and this time wemay succeed. Our enemy is at his most helpless; and if we can come onhim by day, on the water, our task will be over. He has a start, but heis powerless to hasten, as he may not leave his box lest those who carryhim may suspect; for them to suspect would be to prompt them to throwhim in the stream, where he perish. This he knows, and will not. Now,men, to our Council of War; for, here and now, we must plan what eachand all shall do."
"I shall get a steam launch and follow him," said Lord Godalming.
"And I, horses to follow on the bank lest by chance he land," said Mr.Morris.
"Good!" said the Professor, "both good. But neither must go alone. Theremust be force to overcome force if need be; the Slovak is strong andrough, and he carries rude arms." All the men smiled, for amongst themthey carried a small arsenal. Said Mr. Morris:--
"I have brought some Winchesters; they are pretty handy in a crowd,and there may be wolves. The Count, if you remember, took some otherprecautions; he made some requisitions on others that Mrs. Harker couldnot quite hear or understand. We must be ready at all points." Dr.Seward said:--
"I think I had better go with Quincey. We have been accustomed to hunttogether, and we two, well armed, will be a match for whatever may comealong. You must not be alone, Art. It may be necessary to fight theSlovaks, and a chance thrust--for I don't suppose these fellows carryguns--would undo all our plans. There must be no chances, this time;we shall not rest until the Count's head and body have been separated,and we are sure that he cannot re-incarnate." He looked at Jonathan ashe spoke, and Jonathan looked at me. I could see that the poor dear wastorn about in his mind. Of course he wanted to be with me; but then theboat service would, most likely, be the one which would destroy the ...the ... the ... Vampire. (Why did I hesitate to write the word?) He wassilent awhile, and during his silence Dr. Van Helsing spoke:--
"Friend Jonathan, this is to you for twice reasons. First, because youare young and brave and can fight, and all energies may be needed atthe last; and again that it is your right to destroy him--that--whichhas wrought such woe to you and yours. Be not afraid for Madam Mina;she will be my care, if I may. I am old. My legs are not so quick torun as once; and I am not used to ride so long or to pursue as need be,or to fight with lethal weapons. But I can be of other service; I canfight in other way. And I can die, if need be, as well as younger men.Now let me say that what I would is this: while you, my Lord Godalming,and friend Jonathan go in your so swift little steamboat up the river,and whilst John and Quincey guard the bank where perchance he mightbe landed, I will take Madam Mina right into the heart of the enemy'scountry. Whilst the old fox is tied in his box, floating on the runningstream whence he cannot escape to land--where he dares not raise the lidof his coffin-box lest his Slovak carriers should in fear leave him toperish--we shall go in the track where Jonathan went--from Bistritz overthe Borgo--and find our way to the Castle of Dracula. Here, Madam Mina'shypnotic power will surely help, and we shall find our way--all dark andunknown otherwise--after the first sunrise when we near that fatefulplace. There is much to be done, and other places to be made sanctify,so that that nest of vipers be obliterated." Here Jonathan interruptedhim hotly:--
"Do you mean to say, Professor Van Helsing, that you would bring Mina,in her sad case and tainted as she is with that devil's illness, rightinto the jaws of his death-trap? Not for the world! Not for Heaven orHell!" He became almost speechless for a minute, and then went on:--
"Do you know what the place is? Have you seen that awful den of hellishinfamy--with the very moonlight alive with grisly shapes, and ever speckof dust that whirls in the wind a devouring monster in embryo? Have youfelt the Vampire's lips upon your throat?" Here he turned to me, and ashis eyes lit on my forehead, he threw up his arms with a cry: "Oh, myGod, what have we done to have this terror upon us?" and he sank down onthe sofa in a collapse of misery. The Professor's voice, as he spoke inclear, sweet tones, which seemed to vibrate in the air, calmed us all:--
"Oh, my friend, it is because I would save Madam Mina from that awfulplace that I would go. God forbid that I should take her into thatplace. There is work--wild work--to be done there, that her
eyes may notsee. We men here, all save Jonathan, have seen with our own eyes whatis to be done before that place can be purify. Remember that we are interrible straits. If the Count escape us this time--and he is strong andsubtle and cunning--he may choose to sleep him for a century; and thenin time our dear one"--he took my hand--"would come to him to keephim company, and would be as those others that you, Jonathan, saw. Youhave told us of their gloating lips; you heard their ribald laugh asthey clutched the moving bag that the Count threw to them. You shudder;and well may it be. Forgive me that I make you so much pain, but it isnecessary. My friend, is it not a dire need for the which I am giving,if need be, my life? If it were that anyone went into that place tostay, it is I who would have to go, to keep them company."
"Do as you will;" said Jonathan, with a sob that shook him all over, "Weare in the hands of God!"
_Later._--Oh, it did me good to see the way that these brave menworked. How can women help loving men when they are so earnest, and sotrue, and so brave! And, too, it made me think of the wonderful power ofmoney! What can it not do when it is properly applied; and what might itdo when basely used! I felt so thankful that Lord Godalming is rich, andthat both he and Mr. Morris, who also has plenty of money, are willingto spend it so freely. For if they did not, our little expedition couldnot start, either so promptly or so well equipped, as it will withinanother hour. It is not three hours since it was arranged what part eachof us was to do; now Lord Godalming and Jonathan have a lovely steamlaunch, with steam up ready to start at a moment's notice. Dr. Sewardand Mr. Morris have half a dozen beautiful horses, well appointed. Wehave all the maps and appliances of various kinds that can be had.Professor Van Helsing and I are to leave by the 11.40 train to-nightfor Veresti, where we are to get a carriage to drive to the Borgo Pass.We are bringing a good deal of ready money, as we are to buy a carriageand horses. We shall drive ourselves, for we have no one whom we cantrust in this matter. The Professor knows something of a great manylanguages, so we shall get on all right. We have all got arms, even forme a large-bore revolver; Jonathan would not be happy unless I was armedlike the rest. Alas! I cannot carry one arm that the rest do; the scaron my forehead forbids that. Dear Dr. Van Helsing comforts me by tellingme that I am fully armed as there may be wolves; the weather is gettingcolder every hour, and there are snow-flurries which come and go aswarnings.
_Later._--It took all my courage to say good-bye to my darling. We maynever meet again. Courage, Mina! the Professor is looking at you keenly;his look is a warning. There must be no tears now--unless it may be thatGod will let them fall in gladness.
_Jonathan Harker's Journal._
_October 30. Night._--I am writing this in the light from the furnacedoor of the steam launch; Lord Godalming is firing up. He is anexperienced hand at the work, as he has had for years a launch of hisown on the Thames, and another on the Norfolk Broads. Regarding ourplans, we finally decided that Mina's guess was correct, and that ifany waterway was chosen for the Count's escape back to his Castle, theSereth, and then the Bistritza at its junction, would be the one. Wetook it that somewhere about the 47th degree, north latitude, would bethe place chosen for crossing the country between the river and theCarpathians. We have no fear in running at good speed up the river atnight; there is plenty of water, and the banks are wide enough apartto make steaming, even in the dark, easy enough. Lord Godalming tellsme to sleep for a while, as it is enough for the present for one tobe on watch. But I cannot sleep--how can I with the terrible dangerhanging over my darling, and her going out into that awful place.... Myonly comfort is that we are in the hands of God. Only for that faithit would be easier to die than to live, and so be quit of all thetrouble. Mr. Morris and Dr. Seward were off on their long ride beforewe started; they are to keep up the right bank, far enough off to geton higher lands, where they can see a good stretch of river and avoidthe following of its curves. They have, for the first stages, two mento ride and lead their spare horses--four in all, so as not to excitecuriosity. When they dismiss the men, which will be shortly, they willthemselves look after the horses. It may be necessary for us to joinforces; if so they can mount our whole party. One of the saddles has amovable horn, and can be easily adapted for Mina, if required.
It is a wild adventure we are on. Here, as we are rushing along throughthe darkness, with the cold from the river seeming to rise up and strikeus; with all the mysterious voices of the night around us, it all comeshome. We seem to be drifting into unknown places and unknown ways; intoa whole world of dark and dreadful things. Godalming is shutting thefurnace door....
_31 October._--Still hurrying along. The day has come, and Godalming issleeping. I am on watch. The morning is bitterly cold; the furnace heatis grateful, though we have heavy fur coats. As yet we have passed onlya few open boats, but none of them had on board any box or package ofanything like the size of the one we seek. The men were scared everytime we turned our electric lamp on them, and fell on their knees andprayed.
_1 November, evening._--No news all day; we have found nothing of thekind we seek. We have now passed into the Bistritza; and if we arewrong in our surmise our chance is gone. We have overhauled every boat,big and little. Early this morning, one crew took us for a Governmentboat, and treated us accordingly. We saw in this a way of smoothingmatters, so at Fundu, where the Bistritza runs into the Sereth, we got aRoumanian flag which we now fly conspicuously. With every boat which wehave overhauled since then this trick has succeeded; we have had everydeference shown to us, and not once any objection to whatever we choseto ask or do. Some of the Slovaks tell us that a big boat passed them,going at more than usual speed as she had a double crew on board. Thiswas before they came to Fundu, so they could not tell us whether theboat turned into the Bistritza or continued on up the Sereth. At Funduwe could not hear of any such boat, so she must have passed there inthe night. I am feeling very sleepy; the cold is perhaps beginning totell upon me, and nature must have rest some time. Godalming insiststhat he shall keep the first watch. God bless him for all his goodnessto poor dear Mina and me.
_2 November, morning._--It is broad daylight. That good fellow would notwake me. He says it would have been a sin to, for I slept so peacefullyand was forgetting my trouble. It seems brutally selfish of me to haveslept so long, and let him watch all night; but he was quite right. I ama new man this morning; and, as I sit here and watch him sleeping, I cando all that is necessary both as to minding the engine, steering, andkeeping watch. I can feel that my strength and energy are coming backto me. I wonder where Mina is now, and Van Helsing. They should havegot to Veresti about noon on Wednesday. It would take them some time toget the carriage and horses; so if they had started and travelled hard,they would be about now at the Borgo Pass. God guide and help them! Iam afraid to think what may happen. If we could only go faster! butwe cannot; the engines are throbbing and doing their utmost. I wonderhow Dr. Seward and Mr. Morris are getting on. There seem to be endlessstreams running down from the mountains into this river, but as none ofthem are very large--at present, at all events, though they are terribledoubtless in winter and when the snow melts--the horsemen may not havemet much obstruction. I hope that before we get to Strasba we may seethem; for if by that time we have not overtaken the Count, it may benecessary to take counsel together what to do next.
_Dr. Seward's Diary._
_2 November._--Three days on the road. No news, and no time to write itif there had been, for every moment is precious. We have had only therest needful for the horses; but we are both bearing it wonderfully.Those adventurous days of ours are turning up useful. We must push on;we shall never feel happy till we get the launch in sight again.
_3 November._--We heard at Fundu that the launch had gone up theBistritza. I wish it wasn't so cold. There are signs of snow coming;and if it falls heavy it will stop us. In such case we must get a sledgeand go on, Russian fashion.
_4 November._--To-day we heard of the launch having been detained by anaccident when trying to force a way up
the rapid. The Slovak boats getup all right, by aid of a rope, and steering with knowledge. Some wentup only a few hours before. Godalming is an amateur fitter himself, andevidently it was he who put the launch in trim again. Finally, theygot up the Rapids all right, with local help, and are off on the chaseafresh. I fear that the boat is not any better for the accident; thepeasantry tell us that after she got upon the smooth water again, shekept stopping every now and again so long as she was in sight. We mustpush on harder than ever; our help may be wanted soon.
_Mina Harker's Journal._
_31 October._--Arrived at Veresti at noon. The Professor tells me thatthis morning at dawn he could hardly hypnotize me at all, and that allI could say was: "Dark and quiet." He is off now buying a carriage andhorses. He says that he will later on try to buy additional horses, sothat we may be able to change them on the way. We have something morethan 70 miles before us. The country is lovely, and most interesting;if only it were under different conditions, how delightful it would beto see it all. If Jonathan and I were driving through it alone what apleasure it would be. To stop and see people, and learn something oftheir life, and to fill our minds and memories with all the colour andpicturesqueness of the whole wild, beautiful country and the quaintpeople! But, alas!--
_Later._--Dr. Van Helsing has returned. He has got the carriage andhorses; we are to have some dinner, and to start in an hour. Thelandlady is putting us up a huge basket of provisions; it seems enoughfor a company of soldiers. The Professor encourages her, and whispers tome that it may be a week before we can get any good food again. He hasbeen shopping too, and has sent home such a wonderful lot of fur coatsand wraps, and all sorts of warm things. There will not be any chance ofour being cold.
* * * * *
We shall soon be off. I am afraid to think what may happen to us. Weare truly in the hands of God. He alone knows what may be, and I prayHim, with all the strength of my sad and humble soul, that He willwatch over my beloved husband; that whatever may happen, Jonathan mayknow that I loved him and honoured him more than I can say, and that mylatest and truest thought will be always for him.
CHAPTER XXVII.
/Mina Harker's Journal./
_1 November._--All day long we have travelled, and at a good speed.The horses seem to know that they are being kindly treated, for theygo willingly their full stage at best speed. We have now had so manychanges and find the same thing so constantly that we are encouraged tothink that the journey will be an easy one. Dr. Van Helsing is laconic;he tells the farmers that he is hurrying to Bistritz, and pays themwell to make the exchange of horses. We get hot soup, or coffee, ortea; and off we go. It is a lovely country; full of beauties of allimaginable kinds, and the people are brave, and strong, and simple, andseem full of nice qualities. They are very, very superstitious. In thefirst house where we stopped, when the woman who served us saw the scaron my forehead, she crossed herself and put out two fingers towards me,to keep off the evil eye. I believe they went to the trouble of puttingan extra amount of garlic into our food; and I can't abide garlic.Ever since then I have taken care not to take off my hat or veil, andso have escaped their suspicions. We are travelling fast, and as wehave no driver with us to carry tales, we go ahead of scandal; but Idaresay that fear of the evil eye will follow hard behind us all theway. The Professor seems tireless; all day he would not take any rest,though he made me sleep for a long spell. At sunset time he hypnotizedme, and he says that I answered as usual "darkness, lapping waterand creaking wood;" so our enemy is still on the river. I am afraidto think of Jonathan, but somehow I have now no fear for him, or formyself. I write this whilst we wait in a farmhouse for the horses to begot ready. Dr. Van Helsing is sleeping. Poor dear, he looks very tiredand old and grey, but his mouth is set as firmly as a conqueror's; evenin his sleep he is instinct with resolution. When we have well startedI must make him rest whilst I drive. I shall tell him that we have daysbefore us, and he must not break down when most of all his strengthwill be needed.... All is ready; we are off shortly.
_2 November, morning._--I was successful, and we took turns drivingall night; now the day is on us, bright though cold. There is a strangeheaviness in the air--I say heaviness for want of a better word; I meanthat it oppresses us both. It is very cold, and only our warm furs keepus comfortable. At dawn Van Helsing hypnotised me; he says I answered"darkness, creaking wood and roaring water," so the river is changingas they ascend. I do hope that my darling will not run any chance ofdanger--more than need be; but we are in God's hands.
_2 November, night._--All day long driving. The country gets wilder aswe go, and the great spurs of the Carpathians, which at Veresti seemedso far from us and so low on the horizon, now seem to gather round usand tower in front. We both seem in good spirits; I think we make aneffort each to cheer the other; in the doing so we cheer ourselves.Dr. Van Helsing says that by morning we shall reach the Borgo Pass.The houses are very few here now, and the Professor says that the lasthorses we got will have to go on with us, as we may not be able tochange. He got two in addition to the two we changed, so that now wehave a rude four-in-hand. The dear horses are patient and good, andthey give us no trouble. We are not worried with other travellers, andso even I can drive. We shall get to the Pass in daylight; we do notwant to arrive before. So we take it easy, and have each a long restin turn. Oh, what will to-morrow bring to us? We go to seek the placewhere my poor darling suffered so much. God grant that we may be guidedaright, and that He will deign to watch over my husband and those dearto us both, and who are in such deadly peril. As for me, I am notworthy in His sight. Alas! I am unclean to His eyes, and shall be untilHe may deign to let me stand forth in His sight as one of those whohave not incurred His wrath.
_Memorandum by Abraham Van Helsing._
_4 November._--This to my old and true friend John Seward, M.D.,of Purfleet, London, in case I may not see him. It may explain. Itis morning, and I write by a fire which all the night I have keptalive--Madam Mina aiding me. It is cold, cold; so cold that the greyheavy sky is full of snow, which when it falls will settle for allwinter as the ground is hardening to receive it. It seems to haveaffected Madam Mina; she has been so heavy of head all day that shewas not like herself. She sleeps, and sleeps, and sleeps! She, whois usual so alert, have done literally nothing all the day; she evenhave lost her appetite. She make no entry into her little diary, shewho write so faithful at every pause. Something whisper to me that allis not well. However, to-night she is more _vif_. Her long sleep allday have refresh and restore her, for now she is all sweet and brightas ever. At sunset I try to hypnotise her, but alas! with no effect;the power has grown less and less with each day, and to-night it failme altogether. Well, God's will be done--whatever it may be, andwhithersoever it may lead!
Now to the historical, for as Madam Mina write not in her stenography,I must, in my cumbrous old fashion, that so each day of us may not gounrecorded.
We got to the Borgo Pass just after sunrise yesterday morning. When Isaw the signs of the dawn I got ready for the hypnotism. We stopped ourcarriage, and got down so that there might be no disturbance. I made acouch with furs, and Madam Mina, lying down, yield herself as usual,but more slow and more short time than ever, to the hypnotic sleep. Asbefore, came the answer: "darkness and the swirling of water." Thenshe woke, bright and radiant, and we go on our way and soon reach thePass. At this time and place she become all on fire with zeal; some newguiding power be in her manifested, for she point to a road and say:--
"This is the way."
"How know you it?" I ask.
"Of course I know it," she answer, and with a pause, add: "Have not myJonathan travel it and wrote of his travel?"
At first I think somewhat strange, but soon I see that there be onlyone such by-road. It is used but little, and very different from thecoach road from Bukovina to Bistritz, which is more wide and hard, andmore of use.
So we came down this road; when we meet other ways--not always were wesu
re that they were roads at all, for they be neglect and light snowhave fallen--the horses know and they only. I give rein to them, andthey go on so patient. By-and-by we find all the things which Jonathanhave note in that wonderful diary of him. Then we go on for long, longhours and hours. At the first, I tell Madam Mina to sleep; she try, andshe succeed. She sleep all the time; till at the last, I feel myselfto suspicious grow, and attempt to wake her. But she sleep on, and Imay not wake her though I try. I do not wish to try too hard lest Iharm her; for I know that she have suffer much, and sleep at times beall--in--all to her. I think I drowse myself, for all of sudden I feelguilt, as though I have done something; I find myself bolt up, with thereins in my hand, and the good horses go along jog, jog, just as ever.I look down and find Madam Mina still sleep. It is now not far offsunset time, and over the snow the light of the sun flow in big yellowflood, so that we throw great long shadow on where the mountain rise sosteep. For we are going up, and up; and all is oh! so wild and rocky,as though it were the end of the world.
Then I arouse Madam Mina. This time she wake with not much trouble, andthen I try to put her to hypnotic sleep. But she sleep not, being asthough I were not. Still I try and try, till all at once I find her andmyself in dark; so I look round, and find that the sun have gone down.Madam Mina laugh, and I turn and look at her. She is now quite awake,and look so well as I never saw her since that night at Carfax whenwe first enter the Count's house. I am amaze, and not at ease then;but she is so bright and tender and thoughtful for me that I forgetall fear. I light a fire, for we have brought supply of wood with us,and she prepare food while I undo the horses and set them, tethered inshelter, to feed. Then when I return to the fire she have my supperready. I go to help her; but she smile, and tell me that she have eatalready--that she was so hungry that she would not wait. I like it not,and I have grave doubts; but I fear to affright her, and so I am silentof it. She help me and I eat alone; and then we wrap in fur and liebeside the fire, and I tell her to sleep while I watch. But presentlyI forget all of watching; and when I sudden remember that I watch,I find her lying quiet, but awake, and looking at me with so brighteyes. Once, twice more the same occur, and I get much sleep till beforemorning. When I wake I try to hypnotise her; but alas! though she shuther eyes obedient, she may not sleep. The run rise up, and up, and up;and then sleep come to her too late, but so heavy that she will notwake. I have to lift her up and place her sleeping in the carriage whenI have harnessed the horses and made all ready. Madam still sleep,and sleep; and she look in her sleep more healthy and more redder thanbefore. And I like it not. And I am afraid, afraid, afraid!--I amafraid of all things--even to think; but I must go on my way. The stakewe play for is life and death, or more than these, and we must notflinch.
_5 November, morning._--Let me be accurate in everything, for thoughyou and I have seen some strange things together, you may at the firstthink that I, Van Helsing, am mad--that the many horrors and the solong strain on nerves has at the last turn my brain.
All yesterday we travel, ever getting closer to the mountains, andmoving into a more and more wild and desert land. There are great,frowning precipices and much falling water, and Nature seemed to haveheld sometime her carnival. Madam Mina still sleep and sleep; andthough I did have hunger and appeased it, I could not waken her--evenfor food. I began to fear that the fatal spell of the place was uponher, tainted as she is with that Vampire baptism. "Well," said I tomyself, "if it be that she sleep all the day, it shall also be that Ido not sleep at night." As we travel on the rough road, for a road ofan ancient and imperfect kind there was, I held down my head and slept.Again I waked with a sense of guilt and of time passed, and found MadamMina still sleeping, and the sun low down. But all was indeed changed;the frowning mountains seemed further away, and we were near the topof a steep-rising hill, on summit of which was such as castle asJonathan tell of in his diary. At once I exulted and feared; for now,for good or ill, the end was near. I woke Madam Mina, and again triedto hypnotise her; but alas! unavailing till too late. Then, ere thegreat dark came upon us--for even after down-sun the heavens reflectedthe gone sun on the snow, and all was for a time in a great twilight--Itook out the horses and fed them in what shelter I could. Then I make afire; and near it I made Madam Mina, now awake and more charming thanever, sit comfortable amid her rugs. I got ready food: but she wouldnot eat, simply saying that she had not hunger. I did not press her,knowing her unavailingness. But I myself eat, for I must needs now bestrong for all. Then, with the fear on me of what might be, I drew aring so big for her comfort, round where Madam Mina sat; and over thering I passed some of the wafer, and I broke it fine so that all waswell guarded. She sat still all the time--so still as one dead; and shegrew whiter and ever whiter till the snow was not more pale; and noword she said. But when I drew near, she clung to me, and I could knowthat the poor soul shook her from head to feet with a tremor that waspain to feel. I said to her presently, when she had grown more quiet:--
"Will you not come over to the fire?" for I wished to make a test ofwhat she could. She rose obedient, but when she have made a step shestopped, and stood as one stricken.
"Why not go on?" I asked. She shook her head, and, coming back, satdown in her place. Then, looking at me with open eyes, as of one wakedfrom sleep, she said simply:--
"I cannot!" and remained silent. I rejoiced, for I knew that what shecould not, none of those that we dreaded could. Though there might bedanger to her body, yet her soul was safe!
Presently the horses began to scream, and tore at their tethers tillI came to them and quieted them. When they did feel my hands on them,they whinnied low as in joy, and licked at my hands and were quietfor a time. Many times through the night did I come to them, till itarrive to the cold hour when all nature is at lowest; and every timemy coming was with quiet of them. In the cold hour the fire began todie, and I was about stepping forth to replenish it, for now the snowcame in flying sweeps and with it a chill mist. Even in the dark therewas a light of some kind, as there ever is over snow; and it seemed asthough the snow-flurries and the wreaths of mist took shape as of womenwith trailing garments. All was in dead, grim silence, only that thehorses whinnied and cowered, as if in terror of the worst. I began tofear--horrible fears; but then came to me the sense of safety in thatring wherein I stood. I began, too, to think that my imaginings wereof the night, and the gloom, and the unrest that I have gone through,and all the terrible anxiety. It was as though my memories of allJonathan's horrid experience were befooling me; for the snow flakes andthe mist began to wheel and circle round, till I could get as thougha shadowy glimpse of those women that would have kissed him. And thenthe horses cowered lower and lower, and moaned in terror as men do inpain. Even the madness of fright was not to them, so that they couldbreak away. I feared for my dear Madam Mina when these weird figuresdrew near and circled round. I looked at her, but she sat calm, andsmiled at me; when I would have stepped to the fire to replenish it,she caught me and held me back, and whispered, like a voice that onehears in a dream, so low it was:--
"No! No! Do not go without. Here you are safe!" I turned to her, andlooking in her eyes, said:--
"But you? It is for you that I fear!" whereat she laughed--a laugh lowand unreal, and said:--
"Fear for _me_! Why fear for me? None safer in all the world from themthan I am," and as I wondered at the meaning of her words, a puff ofwind made the flame leap up, and I see the red scar on her forehead.Then, alas! I knew. Did I not, I would soon have learned, for thewheeling figures of mist and snow came closer, but keeping ever withoutthe Holy circle. Then they began to materialise, till--if God have nottake away my reason, for I saw it through my eyes--there were beforeme in actual flesh the same three women that Jonathan saw in the room,when they would have kissed his throat. I knew the swaying round forms,the bright hard eyes, the white teeth, the ruddy colour, the voluptuouslips. They smiled ever at poor dear Madam Mina; and as their laugh camethrough the silence of the night, they twined their arms an
d pointed toher, and said in those so sweet tingling tones that Jonathan said wereof the intolerable sweetness of the water-glasses:--
"Come, sister. Come to us. Come! Come!" In fear I turned to my poorMadam Mina, and my heart with gladness leapt like flame; for oh! theterror in her sweet eyes, the repulsion, the horror, told a story to myheart that was all of hope. God be thanked she was not, yet, of them.I seized some of the firewood which was by me, and holding out some ofthe Wafer, advanced on them towards the fire. They drew back before me,and laughed their low horrid laugh. I fed the fire, and feared themnot; for I knew that we were safe within our protections. They couldnot approach me, whilst so armed, nor Madam Mina whilst she remainedwithin the ring, which she could not leave no more than they couldenter. The horses had ceased to moan, and lay still on the ground; thesnow fell on them softly, and they grew whiter. I knew that there wasfor the poor beasts no more of terror.
And so we remained till the red of the dawn began to fall through thesnow-gloom. I was desolate and afraid, and full of woe and terror;but when that beautiful sun began to climb the horizon life was to meagain. At the first coming of the dawn the horrid figures melted in thewhirling mist and snow; the wreaths of transparent gloom moved awaytowards the castle, and were lost.
Instinctively, with the dawn coming, I turned to Madam Mina, intendingto hypnotise her; but she lay in a deep and sudden sleep, from whichI could not wake her. I tried to hypnotise through her sleep, but shemade no response, none at all; and the day broke. I fear yet to stir. Ihave made my fire and have seen the horses; they are all dead. To-day Ihave much to do here, and I keep waiting till the sun is up high; forthere may be places where I must go, where that sunlight, though snowand mist obscure it, will be to me a safety.
I will strengthen me with breakfast, and then I will to my terriblework. Madam Mina still sleeps; and, God be thanked! she is calm in hersleep....
_Jonathan Harker's Journal._
_4 November, evening._--The accident to the launch has been a terriblething for us. Only for it we should have overtaken the boat long ago;and by now my dear Mina would have been free. I fear to think of her,off on the wolds near that horrid place. We have got horses, and wefollow on the track. I note this whilst Godalming is getting ready. Wehave our arms. The Szgany must look out if they mean to fight. Oh, ifonly Morris and Seward were with us. We must only hope! If I write nomore, Good-bye, Mina! God bless and keep you.
_Dr. Seward's Diary._
_5 November._--With the dawn we saw the body of Szgany before usdashing away from the river with their leiter-waggon. They surroundedit in a cluster, and hurried along as though beset. The snow is fallinglightly and there is a strange excitement in the air. It may be ourown excited feelings, but the depression is strange. Far off I hearthe howling of wolves; the snow brings them down from the mountains,and there are dangers to all of us, and from all sides. The horses arenearly ready, and we are soon off. We ride to death of some one. Godalone knows who, or where, or what, or when, or how it may be....
_Dr. Van Helsing's Memorandum._
_5 November, afternoon._--I am at least sane. Thank God for thatmercy at all events, though the proving it has been dreadful. When Ileft Madam Mina sleeping within the Holy circle, I took my way to thecastle. The blacksmith hammer which I took in the carriage from Verestiwas useful; though the doors were all open I broke them off the rustyhinges, lest some ill-intent or ill-chance should close them, so thatbeing entered I might not get out. Jonathan's bitter experience servedme here. By memory of his diary I found my way to the old chapel, forI knew that here my work lay. The air was oppressive; it seemed as ifthere was some sulphurous fume, which at times made me dizzy. Eitherthere was a roaring in my ears or I heard afar off the howl of wolves.Then I bethought me of my dear Madam Mina, and I was in terribleplight. The dilemma had me between his horns. Her, I had not dare totake into this place, but left safe from the Vampire in that Holycircle; and yet even there would be the wolf! I resolve me that my worklay here, and that as to the wolves we must submit, if it were God'sWill. At any rate it was only death and freedom beyond. So did I choosefor her. Had it but been for myself the choice had been easy; the mawof the wolf were better to rest in than the grave of the Vampire! So Imake my choice to go on with my work.
I knew that there were at least three graves to find--graves that areinhabit; so I search, and search, and I find one of them. She lay inher Vampire sleep, so full of life and voluptuous beauty that I shudderas though I have come to do murder. Ah, I doubt not that in old time,when such things were, many a man who set forth to do such a task asmine, found at the last his heart fail him, and then his nerve. So hedelay, and delay, and delay, till the mere beauty and the fascinationof the wanton Un-Dead have hypnotise him; and he remain on, and on,till sunset come, and the Vampire sleep be over. Then the beautifuleyes of the fair woman open and look love, and the voluptuous mouthpresent to a kiss--and man is weak. And there remain one more victim inthe Vampire fold; one more to swell the grim and grisly ranks of theUn-Dead!...
There is some fascination, surely, when I am moved by the mere presenceof such an one, even lying as she lay in a tomb fretted with age andheavy with the dust of centuries, though there be that horrid odoursuch as the lairs of the Count have had. Yes, I was moved--I, VanHelsing, with all my purpose and with my motive for hate--I was movedto a yearning for delay which seemed to paralyse my faculties and toclog my very soul. It may have been that the need of natural sleep,and the strange oppression of the air were beginning to overcome me.Certain it was that I was lapsing into sleep, the open-eyed sleep ofone who yields to a sweet fascination, when there came through thesnow-stilled air a long, low wail, so full of woe and pity that it wokeme like the sound of a clarion. For it was the voice of my dear MadamMina that I heard.
Then I braced myself again to my horrid task, and found by wrenchingaway tomb-tops one other of the sisters, the other dark one. I darednot pause to look on her as I had on her sister, lest once more Ishould begin to be enthral; but I go on searching until, presently, Ifind in a high great tomb as if made to one much beloved that otherfair sister which, like Jonathan I had seen to gather herself outof the atoms of the mist. She was so fair to look on, so radiantlybeautiful, so exquisitely voluptuous, that the very instinct of man inme, which calls some of my sex to love and to protect one of hers, mademy head whirl with new emotion. But God be thanked, that soul-wail ofmy dear Madam Mina had not died out of my ears; and, before the spellcould be wrought further upon me, I had nerved myself to my wild work.By this time I had searched all the tombs in the chapel, so far as Icould tell; and as there had been only three of these Un-Dead phantomsaround us in the night, I took it that there were no more of activeUn-Dead existent. There was one great tomb more lordly than all therest; huge it was, and nobly proportioned. On it was but one word
DRACULA.
This then was the Un-Dead home of the King-Vampire, to whom so manymore were due. Its emptiness spoke eloquent to make certain what Iknew. Before I began to restore these women to their dead selvesthrough my awful work, I laid in Dracula's tomb some of the Wafer, andso banished him from it, Un-Dead, for ever.
Then began my terrible task, and I dreaded it. Had it been but one,it had been easy, comparative. But three! To begin twice more afterI had been through a deed of horror; for if it was terrible with thesweet Miss Lucy, what would it not be with these strange ones whohad survived through centuries, and who had been strengthened by thepassing of the years; who would, if they could, have fought for theirfoul lives?...
Oh, my friend John, but it was butcher work; had I not been nerved bythoughts of other dead, and of the living over whom hung such a pall offear, I could not have gone on. I tremble and tremble even yet, thoughtill all was over, God be thanked, my nerve did stand. Had I not seenthe repose in the first face, and the gladness that stole over it justere the final dissolution came, as realisation that the soul had beenwon, I could not have gone further with my butchery. I could not haveendured t
he horrid screeching as the stake drove home; the plunging ofwrithing form, and lips of bloody foam. I should have fled in terrorand left my work undone. But it is over! And the poor souls, I can pitythem now and weep, as I think of them placid each in her full sleep ofdeath, for a short moment ere fading. For, friend John, hardly had myknife severed the head of each, before the whole body began to meltaway and crumble into its native dust, as though the death that shouldhave come centuries agone had at last assert himself and say at onceand loud "I am here!"
Before I left the castle I so fixed its entrances that never more canthe Count enter there Un-Dead.
When I stepped into the circle where Madam Mina slept, she woke fromher sleep, and seeing me, cried out in pain that I had endured too much.
"Come!" she said, "come away from this awful place! Let us go to meetmy husband, who is, I know, coming towards us." She was looking thinand pale and weak; but her eyes were pure and glowed with fervour. Iwas glad to see her paleness and her illness, for my mind was full ofthe fresh horror of that ruddy Vampire sleep.
And so with trust and hope, and yet full of fear, we go eastward tomeet our friends--and _him_--whom Madam Mina tell me that she _know_are coming to meet us.
_Mina Harker's Journal._
_6 November._--It was late in the afternoon when the Professor and Itook our way towards the east whence I knew Jonathan was coming. Wedid not go fast, though the way was steeply downhill, for we had totake heavy rugs and wraps with us; we dared not face the possibility ofbeing left without warmth in the cold and the snow. We had to take someof our provisions too, for we were in a perfect desolation, and, sofar as we could see through the snow-fall, there was not even the signof a habitation. When we had gone about a mile, I was tired with theheavy walking and sat down to rest. Then we looked back and saw wherethe clear line of Dracula's castle cut the sky; for we were so deepunder the hill whereon it was set that the angle of perspective of theCarpathian mountains was far below it. We saw it in all its grandeur,perched a thousand feet on the summit of a sheer precipice, and withseemingly a great gap between it and the steep of the adjacent mountainon any side. There was something wild and uncanny about the place. Wecould hear the distant howling of wolves. They were far off, but thesound, even though coming muffled through the deadening snowfall, wasfull of terror. I knew from the way Dr. Van Helsing was searching aboutthat he was trying to seek some strategic point, where we would be lessexposed in case of attack. The rough roadway still led downwards; wecould trace it through the drifted snow.
In a little while the Professor signalled to me, so I got up and joinedhim. He had found a wonderful spot, a sort of natural hollow in arock, with an entrance like a doorway between two boulders. He tookme by the hand and drew me in: "See!" he said, "here you will be inshelter; and if the wolves do come I can meet them one by one." Hebrought in our furs, and made a snug nest for me, and got out someprovisions and forced them upon me. But I could not eat; to even try todo so was repulsive to me, and, much as I would have liked to pleasehim, I could not bring myself to the attempt. He looked very sad, butdid not reproach me. Taking his field-glasses from the case, he stoodon the top of the rock, and began to search the horizon. Suddenly hecalled out:--
"Look! Madam Mina, look! look!" I sprang up and stood beside him on therock; he handed me his glasses and pointed. The snow was now fallingmore heavily, and swirled about fiercely, for a high wind was beginningto blow. However, there were times when there were pauses between thesnow flurries, and I could see a long way round. From the height wherewe were it was possible to see a great distance; and far off, beyondthe white waste of snow, I could see the river lying like a blackribbon in kinks and curls as it wound its way. Straight in front of usand not far off--in fact so near that I wondered we had not noticedbefore--came a group of mounted men hurrying along. In the midst ofthem was a cart, a long leiter-waggon, which swept from side to side,like a dog's tail wagging, with each stern inequality of the road.Outlined against the snow as they were, I could see from the men'sclothes that they were peasants or gipsies of some kind.
On the cart was a great square chest. My heart leaped as I saw it, forI felt that the end was coming. The evening was now drawing close, andwell I knew that at sunset the Thing, which was till then imprisonedthere, would take new freedom and could in any of many forms eludeall pursuit. In fear I turned to the Professor; to my consternation,however, he was not there. An instant later, I saw him below me. Roundthe rock he had drawn a circle, such as we had found shelter in lastnight. When he had completed it he stood beside me again, saying:--
"At least you shall be safe here from _him_!" He took the glasses fromme, and at the next lull of the snow swept the whole space below us."See," he said, "they come quickly; they are flogging the horses,and galloping as hard as they can." He paused and went on in a hollowvoice:--
"They are racing for the sunset. We may be too late. God's will bedone!" Down came another blinding rush of driving snow, and the wholelandscape was blotted out. It soon passed, however, and once more hisglasses were fixed on the plain. Then came a sudden cry:--
"Look! Look! Look! See, two horsemen follow fast, coming up from thesouth. It must be Quincey and John. Take the glass. Look, before thesnow blots it all out!" I took it and looked. The two men might be Dr.Seward and Mr. Morris. I knew at all events that neither of them wasJonathan. At the same time I _knew_ that Jonathan was not far off;looking around I saw on the north side of the coming party two othermen, riding at break-neck speed. One of them I knew was Jonathan,and the other I took, of course, to be Lord Godalming. They, too,were pursuing the party with the cart. When I told the Professor heshouted in glee like a schoolboy, and, after looking intently till asnowfall made sight impossible, he laid his Winchester rifle ready foruse against the boulder at the opening of our shelter. "They are allconverging," he said. "When the time comes we shall have the gipsieson all sides." I got out my revolver ready to hand, for whilst wewere speaking the howling of wolves came louder and closer. When thesnowstorm abated a moment we looked again. It was strange to see thesnow falling in such heavy flakes close to us, and beyond, the sunshining more and more brightly as it sank down towards the far mountaintops. Sweeping the glass all around us I could see here and there dotsmoving singly and in twos and threes and larger numbers--the wolveswere gathering for their prey.
Every instant seemed an age whilst we waited. The wind came now infierce bursts, and the snow was driven with fury as it swept upon usin circling eddies. At times we could not see an arm's length beforeus; but at others as the hollow-sounding wind swept by us, it seemed toclear the air-space around us so that we could see afar off. We had oflate been so accustomed to watch for sunrise and sunset, that we knewwith fair accuracy when it would be; and we knew that before long thesun would set.
It was hard to believe that by our watches it was less than an hourthat we waited in that rocky shelter before the various bodies began toconverge close upon us. The wind came now with fiercer and more bittersweeps, and more steadily from the north. It seemingly had driventhe snow-clouds from us, for, with only occasional bursts, the snowfell. We could distinguish clearly the individuals of each party, thepursued and the pursuers. Strangely enough those pursued did not seemto realize, or at least to care, that they were pursued; they seemed,however, to hasten with redoubled speed as the sun dropped lower andlower on the mountain tops.
Closer and closer they drew. The Professor and I crouched downbehind our rock, and held our weapons ready; I could see that he wasdetermined that they should not pass. One and all were quite unaware ofour presence.
All at once two voices shouted out to: "Halt!" One was my Jonathan's,raised in a high key of passion; the other Mr. Morris's strong resolutetone of quiet command. The gipsies may not have known the language,but there was no mistaking the tone, in whatever tongue the words werespoken. Instinctively they reined in, and at the instant Lord Godalmingand Jonathan dashed up at one side and Dr. Seward and Mr. Morris on theother. The
leader of the gipsies, a splendid looking fellow, who sathis horse like a centaur, waved them back, and in a fierce voice gaveto his companions some word to proceed. They lashed the horses, whichsprang forward; but the four men raised their Winchester rifles, andin an unmistakable way commanded them to stop. At the same moment Dr.Van Helsing and I rose behind the rock and pointed our weapons at them.Seeing that they were surrounded, the men tightened their reins anddrew up. The leader turned to them and gave a word at which every manof the gipsy party drew what weapon he carried, knife or pistol, andheld himself in readiness to attack. Issue was joined in an instant.
The leader, with a quick movement of his rein, threw his horse outin front, and pointing first to the sun--now close down on thehill-tops--and then to the castle, said something which I did notunderstand. For answer, all four men of our party threw themselvesfrom their horses and dashed towards the cart. I should have feltterrible fear at seeing Jonathan in such danger, but that the ardour ofbattle must have been upon me as well as the rest of them; I felt nofear, but only a wild, surging desire to do something. Seeing a quickmovement of our parties, the leader of the gipsies gave a command;his men instantly formed round the cart in a sort of undisciplinedendeavour, each one shouldering and pushing the other in his eagernessto carry out the order.
In the midst of this I could see that Jonathan on one side of the ringof men, and Quincey on the other, were forcing a way to the cart; itwas evident that they were bent on finishing their task before the sunshould set. Nothing seemed to stop or even to hinder them. Neither thelevelled weapons or the flashing knives of the gipsies in front, or thehowling of the wolves behind, appeared to even attract their attention.Jonathan's impetuosity, and the manifest singleness of his purpose,seemed to overawe those in front of him; instinctively they coweredaside and let him pass. In an instant he had jumped upon the cart,and, with a strength which seemed incredible, raised the great box,and flung it over the wheel to the ground. In the meantime, Mr. Morrishad had to use force to pass through his side of the ring of Szgany.All the time I had been breathlessly watching Jonathan I had, with thetail of my eye, seen him pressing desperately forward, and had seenthe knives of the gipsies flash as he won a way through them, and theycut at him. He had parried with his great bowie knife, and at first Ithought that he too had come through in safety; but as he sprang besideJonathan, who had by now jumped from the cart, I could see that withhis left hand he was clutching at his side, and that the blood wasspurting through his fingers. He did not delay notwithstanding this,for as Jonathan, with desperate energy, attacked one end of the chest,attempting to prise off the lid with his great kukri knife, he attackedthe other frantically with his bowie. Under the efforts of both men thelid began to yield; the nails drew with a quick screeching sound, andthe top of the box was thrown back.
By this time the gipsies, seeing themselves covered by the Winchesters,and at the mercy of Lord Godalming and Dr. Seward, had given in andmade no further resistance. The sun was almost down on the mountaintops, and the shadows of the whole group fell long upon the snow. Isaw the Count lying within the box upon the earth, some of which therude falling from the cart had scattered over him. He was deathly pale,just like a waxen image, and the red eyes glared with the horriblevindictive look which I knew too well.
As I looked, the eyes saw the sinking sun, and the look of hate in themturned to triumph.
But, on the instant, came the sweep and flash of Jonathan's greatknife. I shrieked as I saw it shear through the throat; whilst at thesame moment Mr. Morris' bowie knife plunged in the heart.
It was like a miracle; but before our very eyes, and almost in thedrawing of a breath, the whole body crumbled into dust and passed fromour sight.
I shall be glad as long as I live that even in that moment of finaldissolution there was in the face a look of peace, such as I nevercould have imagined might have rested there.
The Castle of Dracula now stood out against the red sky, and everystone of its broken battlements was articulated against the light ofthe setting sun.
The gipsies, taking us as in some way the cause of the extraordinarydisappearance of the dead man, turned, without a word, and rode awayas if for their lives. Those who were unmounted jumped upon theleiter-waggon and shouted to the horsemen not to desert them. Thewolves, which had withdrawn to a safe distance, followed in their wake,leaving us alone.
Mr. Morris, who had sunk to the ground, leaned on his elbow, holdinghis hand pressed to his side; the blood still gushed through hisfingers. I flew to him, for the Holy circle did not now keep me back;so did the two doctors. Jonathan knelt behind him and the wounded manlaid back his head on his shoulder. With a sigh he took, with a feebleeffort, my hand in that of his own which was unstained. He must haveseen the anguish of my heart in my face, for he smiled at me andsaid:--
"I am only too happy to have been of any service! Oh, God!" he criedsuddenly, struggling up to a sitting posture and pointing to me, "Itwas worth this to die! Look! look!"
The sun was now right down upon the mountain top, and the red gleamsfell upon my face, so that it was bathed in rosy light. With oneimpulse the men sank on their knees, and a deep and earnest "Amen"broke from all as their eyes followed the pointing of his finger as thedying man spoke:--
"Now God be thanked that all has not been in vain! See! the snow is notmore stainless than her forehead! The curse has passed away!"
And, to our bitter grief, with a smile and in silence, he died, agallant gentleman.
NOTE.
Seven years ago we all went through the flames; and the happiness ofsome of us since then is, we think, well worth the pain we endured. Itis an added joy to Mina and to me that our boy's birthday is the sameday as that on which Quincey Morris died. His mother holds, I know, thesecret belief that some of our brave friend's spirit has passed intohim. His bundle of names links all our little band of men together; butwe call him Quincey.
In the summer of this year we made a journey to Transylvania, and wentover the old ground which was, and is, to us so full of vivid andterrible memories. It was almost impossible to believe that the thingswhich we had seen with our own eyes and heard with our own ears wereliving truths. Every trace of all that had been was blotted out. Thecastle stood as before, reared high above a waste of desolation.
When we got home we got to talking of the old time--which we could alllook back on without despair, for Godalming and Seward are both happilymarried. I took the papers from the safe where they have been eversince our return so long ago. We were struck with the fact, that in allthe mass of material of which the record is composed, there is hardlyone authentic document; nothing but a mass of type-writing, exceptthe later note-books of Mina and Seward and myself, and Van Helsing'smemorandum. We could hardly ask any one, even did we wish to, to acceptthese as proofs of so wild a story. Van Helsing summed it all up as hesaid, with our boy on his knee:--
"We want no proofs; we ask none to believe us! This boy will some dayknow what a brave and gallant woman his mother is. Already he knows hersweetness and loving care; later on he will understand how some men soloved her, that they did dare much for her sake."
/Jonathan Harker./