Dracula

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"Oh, my friend, it is because I would save Madam Mina from that awful
place that I would go. God forbid that I should take her into that
place. There is work, wild work, to be done before that place can be
purify. Remember that we are in terrible straits. If the Count
escape us this time, and he is strong and subtle and cunning, he may
choose to sleep him for a century, and then in time our dear one," he
took my hand, "would come to him to keep him company, and would be as
those others that you, Jonathan, saw. You have told us of their
gloating lips. You heard their ribald laugh as they 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 is necessary. My
friend, is it not a dire need for that which I am giving, possibly my
life? If it were that any one went into that place to stay, 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,
"we are in the hands of God!"

Later.--Oh, it did me good to see the way that these brave men worked.
How can women help loving men when they are so earnest, and so true,
and so brave! And, too, it made me think of the wonderful power of
money! What can it not do when basely used. I felt so thankful that
Lord Godalming is rich, and both he and Mr. Morris, who also has
plenty of money, are willing to spend it so freely. For if they did
not, our little expedition could not start, either so promptly or so
well equipped, as it will within another hour. It is not three hours
since it was arranged what part each of us was to do. And now Lord
Godalming and Jonathan have a lovely steam launch, with steam up ready
to start at a moment's notice. Dr. Seward and Mr. Morris have half a
dozen good horses, well appointed. We have 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 tonight for 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 carriage and horses. We
shall drive ourselves, for we have no one whom we can trust in the
matter. The Professor knows something of a great many languages, so
we shall get on all right. We have all got arms, even for me a large
bore revolver. Jonathan would not be happy unless I was armed like
the rest. Alas! I cannot carry one arm that the rest do, the scar on
my forehead forbids that. Dear Dr. Van Helsing comforts me by telling
me that I am fully armed as there may be wolves. The weather is
getting colder every hour, and there are snow flurries which come and
go as warnings.

Later.--It took all my courage to say goodbye to my darling. We may
never 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 that God will let them fall in gladness.

JONATHAN HARKER'S JOURNAL

30 October, night.--I am writing this in the light from the furnace
door of the steam launch. Lord Godalming is firing up. He is an
experienced hand at the work, as he has had for years a launch of his
own on the Thames, and another on the Norfolk Broads. Regarding our
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 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 moveable 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 overhauled 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 overhauled 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 doubtless terrible 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.--Today 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 hypnotize 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 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 27

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 hypnotized me, and he says
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 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 intense 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 he 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 hypnotized 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 tomorrow 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, tonight 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
hypnotize her, but alas! with no effect. The power has grown
less and less with each day, and tonight 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 byroad. 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 asleep. 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
hypnotize 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, always 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 hypnotize 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 even 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.

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