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plans, we finally decided that Mina's guess was correct, and that if any

waterway was chosen for the Count's escape back to his Castle, the

Sereth and then the Bistritza at its junction, would be the one. We took

it, that somewhere about the 47th degree, north latitude, would be the

place chosen for the crossing the country between the river and the

Carpathians. We have no fear in running at good speed up the river at

night; there is plenty of water, and the banks are wide enough apart to

make steaming, even in the dark, easy enough. Lord Godalming tells me to

sleep for a while, as it is enough for the present for one to be on

watch. But I cannot sleep--how can I with the terrible danger hanging

over my darling, and her going out into that awful place.... My only

comfort is that we are in the hands of God. Only for that faith it would

be easier to die than to live, and so be quit of all the trouble. Mr.

Morris and Dr. Seward were off on their long ride before we started;

they are to keep up the right bank, far enough off to get on higher

lands where they can see a good stretch of river and avoid the following

of its curves. They have, for the first stages, two men to ride and lead

their spare horses--four in all, so as not to excite curiosity. When

they dismiss the men, which shall be shortly, they shall themselves look

after the horses. It may be necessary for us to join forces; if so they

can mount our whole party. One of the saddles has a movable horn, and

can be easily adapted for Mina, if required.

 

It is a wild adventure we are on. Here, as we are rushing along through

the darkness, with the cold from the river seeming to rise up and strike

us; with all the mysterious voices of the night around us, it all comes

home. We seem to be drifting into unknown places and unknown ways; into

a whole world of dark and dreadful things. Godalming is shutting the

furnace door....

 

* * * * *

 

_31 October._--Still hurrying along. The day has come, and Godalming is

sleeping. I am on watch. The morning is bitterly cold; the furnace heat

is grateful, though we have heavy fur coats. As yet we have passed only

a few open boats, but none of them had on board any box or package of

anything like the size of the one we seek. The men were scared every

time we turned our electric lamp on them, and fell on their knees and

prayed.

 

* * * * *

 

_1 November, evening._--No news all day; we have found nothing of the

kind we seek. We have now passed into the Bistritza; and if we are wrong

in our surmise our chance is gone. We have over-hauled every boat, big

and little. Early this morning, one crew took us for a Government boat,

and treated us accordingly. We saw in this a way of smoothing matters,

so at Fundu, where the Bistritza runs into the Sereth, we got a

Roumanian flag which we now fly conspicuously. With every boat which we

have over-hauled since then this trick has succeeded; we have had every

deference shown to us, and not once any objection to whatever we chose

to 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. This

was before they came to Fundu, so they could not tell us whether the

boat turned into the Bistritza or continued on up the Sereth. At Fundu

we could not hear of any such boat, so she must have passed there in the

night. I am feeling very sleepy; the cold is perhaps beginning to tell

upon me, and nature must have rest some time. Godalming insists that he

shall keep the first watch. God bless him for all his goodness to poor

dear Mina and me.

 

* * * * *

 

_2 November, morning._--It is broad daylight. That good fellow would not

wake me. He says it would have been a sin to, for I slept peacefully and

was forgetting my trouble. It seems brutally selfish to me to have slept

so long, and let him watch all night; but he was quite right. I am a new

man this morning; and, as I sit here and watch him sleeping, I can do

all that is necessary both as to minding the engine, steering, and

keeping watch. I can feel that my strength and energy are coming back to

me. I wonder where Mina is now, and Van Helsing. They should have got to

Veresti about noon on Wednesday. It would take them some time to get 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! I am

afraid to think what may happen. If we could only go faster! but we

cannot; the engines are throbbing and doing their utmost. I wonder how

Dr. Seward and Mr. Morris are getting on. There seem to be endless

streams running down the mountains into this river, but as none of them

are very large--at present, at all events, though they are terrible

doubtless in winter and when the snow melts--the horsemen may not have

met much obstruction. I hope that before we get to Strasba we may see

them; for if by that time we have not overtaken the Count, it may be

necessary 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 it

if there had been, for every moment is precious. We have had only the

rest 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 the

Bistritza. 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 sledge and

go on, Russian fashion.

 

* * * * *

 

_4 November._--To-day we heard of the launch having been detained by an

accident when trying to force a way up the rapids. The Slovak boats get

up all right, by aid of a rope and steering with knowledge. Some went up

only a few hours before. Godalming is an amateur fitter himself, and

evidently it was he who put the launch in trim again. Finally, they got

up the rapids all right, with local help, and are off on the chase

afresh. I fear that the boat is not any better for the accident; the

peasantry tell us that after she got upon smooth water again, she kept

stopping every now and again so long as she was in sight. We must push

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 that

this morning at dawn he could hardly hypnotise me at all, and that all I

could say was: "dark and quiet." He is off now buying a carriage and

horses. He says that he will later on try to buy additional horses, so

that we may be able to change them on the way. We have something more

than 70 miles before us. The country is lovely, and most interesting; if

only we were under different conditions, how delightful it would be to

see it all. If Jonathan and I were driving through it alone what a

pleasure it would be. To stop and see people, and learn something of

their life, and to fill our minds and memories with all the colour and

picturesqueness of the whole wild, beautiful country and the quaint

people! But, alas!--

 

* * * * *

 

_Later._--Dr. Van Helsing has returned. He has got the carriage and

horses; we are to have some dinner, and to start in an hour. The

landlady is putting us up a huge basket of provisions; it seems enough

for a company of soldiers. The Professor encourages her, and whispers to

me that it may be a week before we can get any good food again. He has

been shopping too, and has sent home such a wonderful lot of fur coats

and wraps, and all sorts of warm things. There will not be any chance of

our being cold.

 

* * * * *

 

We shall soon be off. I am afraid to think what may happen to us. We are

truly in the hands of God. He alone knows what may be, and I pray Him,

with all the strength of my sad and humble soul, that He will watch over

my beloved husband; that whatever may happen, Jonathan may know that I

loved him and honoured him more than I can say, and that my latest 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 they go

willingly their full stage at best speed. We have now had so many

changes and find the same thing so constantly that we are encouraged to

think 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 them well

to make the exchange of horses. We get hot soup, or coffee, or tea; and

off we go. It is a lovely country; full of beauties of all imaginable

kinds, and the people are brave, and strong, and simple, and seem full

of nice qualities. They are _very, very_ superstitious. In the first

house where we stopped, when the woman who served us saw the scar on 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 putting an

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, and so have

escaped their suspicions. We are travelling fast, and as we have no

driver with us to carry tales, we go ahead of scandal; but I daresay

that fear of the evil eye will follow hard behind us all the way. 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 hypnotised me, and he

says that I answered as usual "darkness, lapping water and creaking

wood"; so our enemy is still on the river. I am afraid to think of

Jonathan, but somehow I have now no fear for him, or for myself. I write

this whilst we wait in a farmhouse for the horses to be got ready. Dr.

Van Helsing is sleeping, Poor dear, he looks very tired and old and

grey, but his mouth is set as firmly as a conqueror's; even in his sleep

he is instinct with resolution. When we have well started I must make

him rest whilst I drive. I shall tell him that we have days before us,

and we must not break down when most of all his strength will be

needed.... All is ready; we are off shortly.

 

* * * * *

 

_2 November, morning._--I was successful, and we took turns driving all

night; now the day is on us, bright though cold. There is a strange

heaviness in the air--I say heaviness for want of a better word; I mean

that it oppresses us both. It is very cold, and only our warm furs keep

us comfortable. At dawn Van Helsing hypnotised me; he says I answered

"darkness, creaking wood and roaring water," so the river is changing as

they ascend. I do hope that my darling will not run any chance of

danger--more than need be; but we are in God's hands.

 

* * * * *

 

_2 November, night._--All day long driving. The country gets wilder as

we go, and the great spurs of the Carpathians, which at Veresti seemed

so far from us and so low on the horizon, now seem to gather round us

and tower in front. We both seem in good spirits; I think we make an

effort 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 last horse

we got will have to go on with us, as we may not be able to change. He

got two in addition to the two we changed, so that now we have a rude

four-in-hand. The dear horses are patient and good, and they give us no

trouble. We are not worried with other travellers, and so even I can

drive. We shall get to the Pass in daylight; we do not want to arrive

before. So we take it easy, and have each a long rest in turn. Oh, what

will to-morrow bring to us? We go to seek the place where my poor

darling suffered so much. God grant that we may be guided aright, and

that He will deign to watch over my husband and those dear to us both,

and who are in such deadly peril. As for me, I am not worthy in His

sight. Alas! I am unclean to His eyes, and shall be until He may deign

to let me stand forth in His sight as one of those who have 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. It is

morning, and I write by a fire which all the night I have kept

alive--Madam Mina aiding me. It is cold, cold; so cold that the grey

heavy sky is full of snow, which when it falls will settle for all

winter as the ground is hardening to receive it. It seems to have

affected Madam Mina; she has been so heavy of head all day that she was

not like herself. She sleeps, and sleeps, and sleeps! She who is usual

so alert, have done literally nothing all the day; she even have lost

her appetite. She make no entry into her little diary, she who write so

faithful at every pause. Something whisper to me that all is not well.

However, to-night she is more _vif_. Her long sleep all day have refresh

and restore her, for now she is all sweet and bright as 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 fail me altogether. Well,

God's will be done--whatever it may be, and whithersoever 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 go

unrecorded.

 

We got to the Borgo Pass just after sunrise yesterday morning. When I

saw the signs of the dawn I got ready for the hypnotism. We stopped our

carriage, and got down so that there might be no disturbance. I made a

couch with furs, and Madam Mina, lying down, yield herself as usual, but

more slow and more short time than ever, to the hypnotic sleep. As

before, came the answer: "darkness and the swirling of water." Then she

woke, bright and radiant and we go on our way and soon reach the Pass.

At this time and place, she become all on fire with zeal; some new

guiding 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 my

Jonathan travelled it and wrote of his travel?"

 

At first I think somewhat strange, but soon I see that there be only one

such by-road. It is used but little, and very different from the coach

road from the Bukovina to Bistritz, which is more wide and hard, and

more of use.

 

So we came down this road; when we meet other ways--not always were we

sure that they were roads at all, for they be neglect and light snow

have fallen--the horses know and they only. I give rein to them, and

they go on so patient. By-and-by we find all the things which Jonathan

have note in that wonderful diary of him. Then we go on for long, long

hours and hours. At the first, I tell Madam Mina to sleep; she try, and

she succeed. She sleep all the time; till at the last, I feel myself to

suspicious grow, and attempt to wake her. But she sleep on, and I may

not wake her though I try. I do not wish to try too hard lest I harm

her; for I know that she have suffer much, and sleep at times be

all-in-all to her. I think I drowse myself, for all of sudden I feel

guilt, as though I have done something; I find myself bolt up, with the

reins 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 off sunset

time, and over the snow the light of the sun flow in big yellow flood,

so that we throw great long shadow on where the mountain rise so steep.

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, and

then I try to put her to hypnotic sleep. But she sleep not, being as

though I were not. Still I try and try, till all at once I find her and

myself 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 when we

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 forget all 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 in shelter,

to feed. Then when I return to the fire she have my supper ready. I go

to help her; but she smile, and tell me that she have eat already--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 silent of it. She

help me and I eat alone; and then we wrap in fur and lie beside the

fire, and I tell her to sleep while I watch. But presently I 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 bright eyes. Once, twice

more the same occur, and I get much sleep till before morning. When I

wake I try to hypnotise her; but alas! though she shut her eyes

obedient, she may not sleep. The sun rise up, and up, and up; and then

sleep come to her too late, but so heavy that she will not wake. I have

to lift her up, and place her sleeping in the carriage when I have

harnessed the horses and made all ready. Madam still sleep, and she look

in her sleep more healthy and more redder than before. And I like it

not. And I am afraid, afraid, afraid!--I am afraid of all things--even

to think but I must go on my way. The stake we play for is life and

death, or more than these, and we must not flinch.

 

* * * * *

 

_5 November, morning._--Let me be accurate in everything, for though you

and I have seen some strange things together, you may at the first think

that I, Van Helsing, am mad--that the many horrors and the so long

strain on nerves has at the last turn my brain.

 

All yesterday we travel, ever getting closer to the mountains, and

moving into a more and more wild and desert land. There are great,

frowning precipices and much falling water, and Nature seem to have held

sometime her carnival. Madam Mina still sleep and sleep; and though I

did have hunger and appeased it, I could not waken her--even for food. I

began to fear that the fatal spell of the place was upon her, tainted as

she is with that Vampire baptism. "Well," said I to myself, "if it be

that she sleep all the day, it shall also be that I do not sleep at

night." As we travel on the rough road, for a road of an ancient and

imperfect kind there was, I held down my head and slept. Again I waked

with a sense of guilt and of time passed, and found Madam Mina still

sleeping, and the sun low down. But all was indeed changed; the frowning

mountains seemed further away, and we were near the top of a

steep-rising hill, on summit of which was such a castle as Jonathan tell

of in his diary. At once I exulted and feared; for now, for good or ill,

the end was near.

 

I woke Madam Mina, and again tried to hypnotise her; but alas!

unavailing till too late. Then, ere the great dark came upon us--for

even after down-sun the heavens reflected the gone sun on the snow, and

all was for a time in a great twilight--I took out the horses and fed

them in what shelter I could. Then I make a fire; and near it I make

Madam Mina, now awake and more charming than ever, sit comfortable amid

her rugs. I got ready food: but she would not eat, simply saying that

she had not hunger. I did not press her, knowing her unavailingness. But

I myself eat, for I must needs now be strong for all. Then, with the

fear on me of what might be, I drew a ring so big for her comfort, round

where Madam Mina sat; and over the ring I passed some of the wafer, and

I broke it fine so that all was well guarded. She sat still all the

time--so still as one dead; and she grew whiter and ever whiter till the

snow was not more pale; and no word she said. But when I drew near, she

clung to me, and I could know that the poor soul shook her from head to

feet with a tremor that was pain to feel. I said to her presently, when

she had grown more quiet:--

 

"Will you not come over to the fire?" for I wished to make a test of

what she could. She rose obedient, but when she have made a step she

stopped, and stood as one stricken.

 

"Why not go on?" I asked. She shook her head, and, coming back, sat

down in her place. Then, looking at me with open eyes, as of one waked

from sleep, she said simply:--

 

"I cannot!" and remained silent. I rejoiced, for I knew that what she

could not, none of those that we dreaded could. Though there might be

danger to her body, yet her soul was safe!

 

Presently the horses began to scream, and tore at their tethers till I

came to them and quieted them. When they did feel my hands on them, they

whinnied low as in joy, and licked at my hands and were quiet for a

time. Many times through the night did I come to them, till it arrive to

the cold hour when all nature is at lowest; and every time my coming was

with quiet of them. In the cold hour the fire began to die, and I was

about stepping forth to replenish it, for now the snow came in flying

sweeps and with it a chill mist. Even in the dark there was a light of

some kind, as there ever is over snow; and it seemed as though the

snow-flurries and the wreaths of mist took shape as of women with

trailing garments. All was in dead, grim silence only that the horses

whinnied and cowered, as if in terror of the worst. I began to

fear--horrible fears; but then came to me the sense of safety in that

ring wherein I stood. I began, too, to think that my imaginings were of

the night, and the gloom, and the unrest that I have gone through, and

all the terrible anxiety. It was as though my memories of all Jonathan's

horrid experience were befooling me; for the snow flakes and the mist

began to wheel and circle round, till I could get as though a shadowy

glimpse of those women that would have kissed him. And then the horses

cowered lower and lower, and moaned in terror as men do in pain. Even

the madness of fright was not to them, so that they could break away. I

feared for my dear Madam Mina when these weird figures drew near and

circled round. I looked at her, but she sat calm, and smiled at me; when

I would have stepped to the fire to replenish it, she caught me and held

me back, and whispered, like a voice that one hears in a dream, so low

it was:--

 

"No! No! Do not go without. Here you are safe!" I turned to her, and

looking in her eyes, said:--

 

"But you? It is for you that I fear!" whereat she laughed--a laugh, low

and unreal, and said:--

 

"Fear for _me_! Why fear for me? None safer in all the world from them

than I am," and as I wondered at the meaning of her words, a puff of

wind made the flame leap up, and I see the red scar on her forehead.

Then, alas! I knew. Did I not, I would soon have learned, for the

wheeling figures of mist and snow came closer, but keeping ever without

the Holy circle. Then they began to materialise till--if God have not

take away my reason, for I saw it through my eyes--there were before me

in actual flesh the same three women that Jonathan saw in the room, when

they would have kissed his throat. I knew the swaying round forms, the

bright hard eyes, the white teeth, the ruddy colour, the voluptuous

lips. They smiled ever at poor dear Madam Mina; and as their laugh came

through the silence of the night, they twined their arms and pointed to

her, and said in those so sweet tingling tones that Jonathan said were

of the intolerable sweetness of the water-glasses:--

 

"Come, sister. Come to us. Come! Come!" In fear I turned to my poor

Madam Mina, and my heart with gladness leapt like flame; for oh! the

terror in her sweet eyes, the repulsion, the horror, told a story to my

heart that was all of hope. God be thanked she was not, yet, of them. I

seized some of the firewood which was by me, and holding out some of the

Wafer, advanced on them towards the fire. They drew back before me, and

laughed their low horrid laugh. I fed the fire, and feared them not; for

I knew that we were safe within our protections. They could not

approach, me, whilst so armed, nor Madam Mina whilst she remained within

the ring, which she could not leave no more than they could enter. The

horses had ceased to moan, and lay still on the ground; the snow fell on

them softly, and they grew whiter. I knew that there was for the poor

beasts no more of terror.

 

And so we remained till the red of the dawn to fall through the

snow-gloom. I was desolate and afraid, and full of woe and terror; but

when that beautiful sun began to climb the horizon life was to me again.

At the first coming of the dawn the horrid figures melted in the

whirling mist and snow; the wreaths of transparent gloom moved away

towards the castle, and were lost.

 

Instinctively, with the dawn coming, I turned to Madam Mina, intending

to hypnotise her; but she lay in a deep and sudden sleep, from which I

could not wake her. I tried to hypnotise through her sleep, but she made

no response, none at all; and the day broke. I fear yet to stir. I have

made my fire and have seen the horses, they are all dead. To-day I have

much to do here, and I keep waiting till the sun is up high; for there

may be places where I must go, where that sunlight, though snow and mist

obscure it, will be to me a safety.

 

I will strengthen me with breakfast, and then I will to my terrible

work. Madam Mina still sleeps; and, God be thanked! she is calm in her

sleep....

 

 

_Jonathan Harker's Journal._

 

_4 November, evening._--The accident to the launch has been a terrible

thing 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 we