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began to probe the lock, as if feeling his way with it. After fumbling

about for a bit he tried a second, and then a third. All at once the

door opened under a slight push from him, and he and the two others

entered the hall. We sat still; my own cigar burnt furiously, but Van

Helsing's went cold altogether. We waited patiently as we saw the

workman come out and bring in his bag. Then he held the door partly

open, steadying it with his knees, whilst he fitted a key to the lock.

This he finally handed to Lord Godalming, who took out his purse and

gave him something. The man touched his hat, took his bag, put on his

coat and departed; not a soul took the slightest notice of the whole

transaction.

 

When the man had fairly gone, we three crossed the street and knocked at

the door. It was immediately opened by Quincey Morris, beside whom stood

Lord Godalming lighting a cigar.

 

"The place smells so vilely," said the latter as we came in. It did

indeed smell vilely--like the old chapel at Carfax--and with our

previous experience it was plain to us that the Count had been using the

place pretty freely. We moved to explore the house, all keeping together

in case of attack; for we knew we had a strong and wily enemy to deal

with, and as yet we did not know whether the Count might not be in the

house. In the dining-room, which lay at the back of the hall, we found

eight boxes of earth. Eight boxes only out of the nine, which we sought!

Our work was not over, and would never be until we should have found the

missing box. First we opened the shutters of the window which looked out

across a narrow stone-flagged yard at the blank face of a stable,

pointed to look like the front of a miniature house. There were no

windows in it, so we were not afraid of being over-looked. We did not

lose any time in examining the chests. With the tools which we had

brought with us we opened them, one by one, and treated them as we had

treated those others in the old chapel. It was evident to us that the

Count was not at present in the house, and we proceeded to search for

any of his effects.

 

After a cursory glance at the rest of the rooms, from basement to attic,

we came to the conclusion that the dining-room contained any effects

which might belong to the Count; and so we proceeded to minutely examine

them. They lay in a sort of orderly disorder on the great dining-room

table. There were title deeds of the Piccadilly house in a great bundle;

deeds of the purchase of the houses at Mile End and Bermondsey;

note-paper, envelopes, and pens and ink. All were covered up in thin

wrapping paper to keep them from the dust. There were also a clothes

brush, a brush and comb, and a jug and basin--the latter containing

dirty water which was reddened as if with blood. Last of all was a

little heap of keys of all sorts and sizes, probably those belonging to

the other houses. When we had examined this last find, Lord Godalming

and Quincey Morris taking accurate notes of the various addresses of the

houses in the East and the South, took with them the keys in a great

bunch, and set out to destroy the boxes in these places. The rest of us

are, with what patience we can, waiting their return--or the coming of

the Count.

 

 

CHAPTER XXIII

 

DR. SEWARD'S DIARY

 

 

_3 October._--The time seemed terrible long whilst we were waiting for

the coming of Godalming and Quincey Morris. The Professor tried to keep

our minds active by using them all the time. I could see his beneficent

purpose, by the side glances which he threw from time to time at Harker.

The poor fellow is overwhelmed in a misery that is appalling to see.

Last night he was a frank, happy-looking man, with strong, youthful

face, full of energy, and with dark brown hair. To-day he is a drawn,

haggard old man, whose white hair matches well with the hollow burning

eyes and grief-written lines of his face. His energy is still intact; in

fact, he is like a living flame. This may yet be his salvation, for, if

all go well, it will tide him over the despairing period; he will then,

in a kind of way, wake again to the realities of life. Poor fellow, I

thought my own trouble was bad enough, but his----! The Professor knows

this well enough, and is doing his best to keep his mind active. What he

has been saying was, under the circumstances, of absorbing interest. So

well as I can remember, here it is:--

 

"I have studied, over and over again since they came into my hands, all

the papers relating to this monster; and the more I have studied, the

greater seems the necessity to utterly stamp him out. All through there

are signs of his advance; not only of his power, but of his knowledge of

it. As I learned from the researches of my friend Arminus of Buda-Pesth,

he was in life a most wonderful man. Soldier, statesman, and

alchemist--which latter was the highest development of the

science-knowledge of his time. He had a mighty brain, a learning beyond

compare, and a heart that knew no fear and no remorse. He dared even to

attend the Scholomance, and there was no branch of knowledge of his time

that he did not essay. Well, in him the brain powers survived the

physical death; though it would seem that memory was not all complete.

In some faculties of mind he has been, and is, only a child; but he is

growing, and some things that were childish at the first are now of

man's stature. He is experimenting, and doing it well; and if it had not

been that we have crossed his path he would be yet--he may be yet if we

fail--the father or furtherer of a new order of beings, whose road must

lead through Death, not Life."

 

Harker groaned and said, "And this is all arrayed against my darling!

But how is he experimenting? The knowledge may help us to defeat him!"

 

"He has all along, since his coming, been trying his power, slowly but

surely; that big child-brain of his is working. Well for us, it is, as

yet, a child-brain; for had he dared, at the first, to attempt certain

things he would long ago have been beyond our power. However, he means

to succeed, and a man who has centuries before him can afford to wait

and to go slow. _Festina lente_ may well be his motto."

 

"I fail to understand," said Harker wearily. "Oh, do be more plain to

me! Perhaps grief and trouble are dulling my brain."

 

The Professor laid his hand tenderly on his shoulder as he spoke:--

 

"Ah, my child, I will be plain. Do you not see how, of late, this

monster has been creeping into knowledge experimentally. How he has been

making use of the zooephagous patient to effect his entry into friend

John's home; for your Vampire, though in all afterwards he can come when

and how he will, must at the first make entry only when asked thereto by

an inmate. But these are not his most important experiments. Do we not

see how at the first all these so great boxes were moved by others. He

knew not then but that must be so. But all the time that so great

child-brain of his was growing, and he began to consider whether he

might not himself move the box. So he began to help; and then, when he

found that this be all-right, he try to move them all alone. And so he

progress, and he scatter these graves of him; and none but he know where

they are hidden. He may have intend to bury them deep in the ground. So

that he only use them in the night, or at such time as he can change his

form, they do him equal well; and none may know these are his

hiding-place! But, my child, do not despair; this knowledge come to him

just too late! Already all of his lairs but one be sterilise as for him;

and before the sunset this shall be so. Then he have no place where he

can move and hide. I delayed this morning that so we might be sure. Is

there not more at stake for us than for him? Then why we not be even

more careful than him? By my clock it is one hour and already, if all be

well, friend Arthur and Quincey are on their way to us. To-day is our

day, and we must go sure, if slow, and lose no chance. See! there are

five of us when those absent ones return."

 

Whilst he was speaking we were startled by a knock at the hall door, the

double postman's knock of the telegraph boy. We all moved out to the

hall with one impulse, and Van Helsing, holding up his hand to us to

keep silence, stepped to the door and opened it. The boy handed in a

despatch. The Professor closed the door again, and, after looking at the

direction, opened it and read aloud.

 

"Look out for D. He has just now, 12:45, come from Carfax hurriedly and

hastened towards the South. He seems to be going the round and may want

to see you: Mina."

 

There was a pause, broken by Jonathan Harker's voice:--

 

"Now, God be thanked, we shall soon meet!" Van Helsing turned to him

quickly and said:--

 

"God will act in His own way and time. Do not fear, and do not rejoice

as yet; for what we wish for at the moment may be our undoings."

 

"I care for nothing now," he answered hotly, "except to wipe out this

brute from the face of creation. I would sell my soul to do it!"

 

"Oh, hush, hush, my child!" said Van Helsing. "God does not purchase

souls in this wise; and the Devil, though he may purchase, does not keep

faith. But God is merciful and just, and knows your pain and your

devotion to that dear Madam Mina. Think you, how her pain would be

doubled, did she but hear your wild words. Do not fear any of us, we are

all devoted to this cause, and to-day shall see the end. The time is

coming for action; to-day this Vampire is limit to the powers of man,

and till sunset he may not change. It will take him time to arrive

here--see, it is twenty minutes past one--and there are yet some times

before he can hither come, be he never so quick. What we must hope for

is that my Lord Arthur and Quincey arrive first."

 

About half an hour after we had received Mrs. Harker's telegram, there

came a quiet, resolute knock at the hall door. It was just an ordinary

knock, such as is given hourly by thousands of gentlemen, but it made

the Professor's heart and mine beat loudly. We looked at each other, and

together moved out into the hall; we each held ready to use our various

armaments--the spiritual in the left hand, the mortal in the right. Van

Helsing pulled back the latch, and, holding the door half open, stood

back, having both hands ready for action. The gladness of our hearts

must have shown upon our faces when on the step, close to the door, we

saw Lord Godalming and Quincey Morris. They came quickly in and closed

the door behind them, the former saying, as they moved along the

hall:--

 

"It is all right. We found both places; six boxes in each and we

destroyed them all!"

 

"Destroyed?" asked the Professor.

 

"For him!" We were silent for a minute, and then Quincey said:--

 

"There's nothing to do but to wait here. If, however, he doesn't turn up

by five o'clock, we must start off; for it won't do to leave Mrs. Harker

alone after sunset."

 

"He will be here before long now," said Van Helsing, who had been

consulting his pocket-book. "_Nota bene_, in Madam's telegram he went

south from Carfax, that means he went to cross the river, and he could

only do so at slack of tide, which should be something before one

o'clock. That he went south has a meaning for us. He is as yet only

suspicious; and he went from Carfax first to the place where he would

suspect interference least. You must have been at Bermondsey only a

short time before him. That he is not here already shows that he went to

Mile End next. This took him some time; for he would then have to be

carried over the river in some way. Believe me, my friends, we shall not

have long to wait now. We should have ready some plan of attack, so that

we may throw away no chance. Hush, there is no time now. Have all your

arms! Be ready!" He held up a warning hand as he spoke, for we all could

hear a key softly inserted in the lock of the hall door.

 

I could not but admire, even at such a moment, the way in which a

dominant spirit asserted itself. In all our hunting parties and

adventures in different parts of the world, Quincey Morris had always

been the one to arrange the plan of action, and Arthur and I had been

accustomed to obey him implicitly. Now, the old habit seemed to be

renewed instinctively. With a swift glance around the room, he at once

laid out our plan of attack, and, without speaking a word, with a

gesture, placed us each in position. Van Helsing, Harker, and I were

just behind the door, so that when it was opened the Professor could

guard it whilst we two stepped between the incomer and the door.

Godalming behind and Quincey in front stood just out of sight ready to

move in front of the window. We waited in a suspense that made the

seconds pass with nightmare slowness. The slow, careful steps came along

the hall; the Count was evidently prepared for some surprise--at least

he feared it.

 

Suddenly with a single bound he leaped into the room, winning a way past

us before any of us could raise a hand to stay him. There was something

so panther-like in the movement--something so unhuman, that it seemed

to sober us all from the shock of his coming. The first to act was

Harker, who, with a quick movement, threw himself before the door

leading into the room in the front of the house. As the Count saw us, a

horrible sort of snarl passed over his face, showing the eye-teeth long

and pointed; but the evil smile as quickly passed into a cold stare of

lion-like disdain. His expression again changed as, with a single

impulse, we all advanced upon him. It was a pity that we had not some

better organised plan of attack, for even at the moment I wondered what

we were to do. I did not myself know whether our lethal weapons would

avail us anything. Harker evidently meant to try the matter, for he had

ready his great Kukri knife and made a fierce and sudden cut at him. The

blow was a powerful one; only the diabolical quickness of the Count's

leap back saved him. A second less and the trenchant blade had shorne

through his heart. As it was, the point just cut the cloth of his coat,

making a wide gap whence a bundle of bank-notes and a stream of gold

fell out. The expression of the Count's face was so hellish, that for a

moment I feared for Harker, though I saw him throw the terrible knife

aloft again for another stroke. Instinctively I moved forward with a

protective impulse, holding the Crucifix and Wafer in my left hand. I

felt a mighty power fly along my arm; and it was without surprise that I

saw the monster cower back before a similar movement made spontaneously

by each one of us. It would be impossible to describe the expression of

hate and baffled malignity--of anger and hellish rage--which came over

the Count's face. His waxen hue became greenish-yellow by the contrast

of his burning eyes, and the red scar on the forehead showed on the

pallid skin like a palpitating wound. The next instant, with a sinuous

dive he swept under Harker's arm, ere his blow could fall, and, grasping

a handful of the money from the floor, dashed across the room, threw

himself at the window. Amid the crash and glitter of the falling glass,

he tumbled into the flagged area below. Through the sound of the

shivering glass I could hear the "ting" of the gold, as some of the

sovereigns fell on the flagging.

 

We ran over and saw him spring unhurt from the ground. He, rushing up

the steps, crossed the flagged yard, and pushed open the stable door.

There he turned and spoke to us:--

 

"You think to baffle me, you--with your pale faces all in a row, like

sheep in a butcher's. You shall be sorry yet, each one of you! You think

you have left me without a place to rest; but I have more. My revenge is

just begun! I spread it over centuries, and time is on my side. Your

girls that you all love are mine already; and through them you and

others shall yet be mine--my creatures, to do my bidding and to be my

jackals when I want to feed. Bah!" With a contemptuous sneer, he passed

quickly through the door, and we heard the rusty bolt creak as he

fastened it behind him. A door beyond opened and shut. The first of us

to speak was the Professor, as, realising the difficulty of following

him through the stable, we moved toward the hall.

 

"We have learnt something--much! Notwithstanding his brave words, he

fears us; he fear time, he fear want! For if not, why he hurry so? His

very tone betray him, or my ears deceive. Why take that money? You

follow quick. You are hunters of wild beast, and understand it so. For

me, I make sure that nothing here may be of use to him, if so that he

return." As he spoke he put the money remaining into his pocket; took

the title-deeds in the bundle as Harker had left them, and swept the

remaining things into the open fireplace, where he set fire to them with

a match.

 

Godalming and Morris had rushed out into the yard, and Harker had

lowered himself from the window to follow the Count. He had, however,

bolted the stable door; and by the time they had forced it open there

was no sign of him. Van Helsing and I tried to make inquiry at the back

of the house; but the mews was deserted and no one had seen him depart.

 

It was now late in the afternoon, and sunset was not far off. We had to

recognise that our game was up; with heavy hearts we agreed with the

Professor when he said:--

 

"Let us go back to Madam Mina--poor, poor dear Madam Mina. All we can do

just now is done; and we can there, at least, protect her. But we need

not despair. There is but one more earth-box, and we must try to find

it; when that is done all may yet be well." I could see that he spoke as

bravely as he could to comfort Harker. The poor fellow was quite broken

down; now and again he gave a low groan which he could not suppress--he

was thinking of his wife.

 

With sad hearts we came back to my house, where we found Mrs. Harker

waiting us, with an appearance of cheerfulness which did honour to her

bravery and unselfishness. When she saw our faces, her own became as

pale as death: for a second or two her eyes were closed as if she were

in secret prayer; and then she said cheerfully:--

 

"I can never thank you all enough. Oh, my poor darling!" As she spoke,

she took her husband's grey head in her hands and kissed it--"Lay your

poor head here and rest it. All will yet be well, dear! God will protect

us if He so will it in His good intent." The poor fellow groaned. There

was no place for words in his sublime misery.

 

We had a sort of perfunctory supper together, and I think it cheered us

all up somewhat. It was, perhaps, the mere animal heat of food to hungry

people--for none of us had eaten anything since breakfast--or the sense

of companionship may have helped us; but anyhow we were all less

miserable, and saw the morrow as not altogether without hope. True to

our promise, we told Mrs. Harker everything which had passed; and

although she grew snowy white at times when danger had seemed to

threaten her husband, and red at others when his devotion to her was

manifested, she listened bravely and with calmness. When we came to the

part where Harker had rushed at the Count so recklessly, she clung to

her husband's arm, and held it tight as though her clinging could

protect him from any harm that might come. She said nothing, however,

till the narration was all done, and matters had been brought right up

to the present time. Then without letting go her husband's hand she

stood up amongst us and spoke. Oh, that I could give any idea of the

scene; of that sweet, sweet, good, good woman in all the radiant beauty

of her youth and animation, with the red scar on her forehead, of which

she was conscious, and which we saw with grinding of our

teeth--remembering whence and how it came; her loving kindness against

our grim hate; her tender faith against all our fears and doubting; and

we, knowing that so far as symbols went, she with all her goodness and

purity and faith, was outcast from God.

 

"Jonathan," she said, and the word sounded like music on her lips it was

so full of love and tenderness, "Jonathan dear, and you all my true,

true friends, I want you to bear something in mind through all this

dreadful time. I know that you must fight--that you must destroy even as

you destroyed the false Lucy so that the true Lucy might live hereafter;

but it is not a work of hate. That poor soul who has wrought all this

misery is the saddest case of all. Just think what will be his joy when

he, too, is destroyed in his worser part that his better part may have

spiritual immortality. You must be pitiful to him, too, though it may

not hold your hands from his destruction."

 

As she spoke I could see her husband's face darken and draw together, as

though the passion in him were shrivelling his being to its core.

Instinctively the clasp on his wife's hand grew closer, till his

knuckles looked white. She did not flinch from the pain which I knew she

must have suffered, but looked at him with eyes that were more appealing

than ever. As she stopped speaking he leaped to his feet, almost tearing

his hand from hers as he spoke:--

 

"May God give him into my hand just for long enough to destroy that

earthly life of him which we are aiming at. If beyond it I could send

his soul for ever and ever to burning hell I would do it!"

 

"Oh, hush! oh, hush! in the name of the good God. Don't say such things,

Jonathan, my husband; or you will crush me with fear and horror. Just

think, my dear--I have been thinking all this long, long day of it--that

... perhaps... some day... I, too, may need such pity; and that some

other like you--and with equal cause for anger--may deny it to me! Oh,

my husband! my husband, indeed I would have spared you such a thought

had there been another way; but I pray that God may not have treasured

your wild words, except as the heart-broken wail of a very loving and

sorely stricken man. Oh, God, let these poor white hairs go in evidence

of what he has suffered, who all his life has done no wrong, and on whom

so many sorrows have come."

 

We men were all in tears now. There was no resisting them, and we wept

openly. She wept, too, to see that her sweeter counsels had prevailed.

Her husband flung himself on his knees beside her, and putting his arms

round her, hid his face in the folds of her dress. Van Helsing beckoned

to us and we stole out of the room, leaving the two loving hearts alone

with their God.

 

Before they retired the Professor fixed up the room against any coming

of the Vampire, and assured Mrs. Harker that she might rest in peace.

She tried to school herself to the belief, and, manifestly for her

husband's sake, tried to seem content. It was a brave struggle; and was,

I think and believe, not without its reward. Van Helsing had placed at

hand a bell which either of them was to sound in case of any emergency.

When they had retired, Quincey, Godalming, and I arranged that we should

sit up, dividing the night between us, and watch over the safety of the

poor stricken lady. The first watch falls to Quincey, so the rest of us

shall be off to bed as soon as we can. Godalming has already turned in,

for his is the second watch. Now that my work is done I, too, shall go

to bed.

 

 

_Jonathan Harker's Journal._

 

_3-4 October, close to midnight._--I thought yesterday would never end.

There was over me a yearning for sleep, in some sort of blind belief

that to wake would be to find things changed, and that any change must

now be for the better. Before we parted, we discussed what our next step

was to be, but we could arrive at no result. All we knew was that one

earth-box remained, and that the Count alone knew where it was. If he

chooses to lie hidden, he may baffle us for years; and in the

meantime!--the thought is too horrible, I dare not think of it even now.

This I know: that if ever there was a woman who was all perfection, that

one is my poor wronged darling. I love her a thousand times more for her

sweet pity of last night, a pity that made my own hate of the monster

seem despicable. Surely God will not permit the world to be the poorer

by the loss of such a creature. This is hope to me. We are all drifting

reefwards now, and faith is our only anchor. Thank God! Mina is

sleeping, and sleeping without dreams. I fear what her dreams might be

like, with such terrible memories to ground them in. She has not been so

calm, within my seeing, since the sunset. Then, for a while, there came

over her face a repose which was like spring after the blasts of March.

I thought at the time that it was the softness of the red sunset on her

face, but somehow now I think it has a deeper meaning. I am not sleepy

myself, though I am weary--weary to death. However, I must try to sleep;

for there is to-morrow to think of, and there is no rest for me

until....

 

* * * * *

 

_Later._--I must have fallen asleep, for I was awaked by Mina, who was

sitting up in bed, with a startled look on her face. I could see easily,

for we did not leave the room in darkness; she had placed a warning hand

over my mouth, and now she whispered in my ear:--

 

"Hush! there is someone in the corridor!" I got up softly, and crossing

the room, gently opened the door.

 

Just outside, stretched on a mattress, lay Mr. Morris, wide awake. He

raised a warning hand for silence as he whispered to me:--

 

"Hush! go back to bed; it is all right. One of us will be here all

night. We don't mean to take any chances!"

 

His look and gesture forbade discussion, so I came back and told Mina.

She sighed and positively a shadow of a smile stole over her poor, pale

face as she put her arms round me and said softly:--

 

"Oh, thank God for good brave men!" With a sigh she sank back again to

sleep. I write this now as I am not sleepy, though I must try again.

 

* * * * *

 

_4 October, morning._--Once again during the night I was wakened by