Dracula

CHAPTER X

_Letter, Dr. Seward to Hon. Arthur Holmwood._

”_6 September._

”My dear Art,--

”My news to-day is not so good. Lucy this morning had gone back a bit.There is, however, one good thing which has arisen from it; Mrs.Westenra was naturally anxious concerning Lucy, and has consulted meprofessionally about her. I took advantage of the opportunity, and toldher that my old master, Van Helsing, the great specialist, was coming tostay with me, and that I would put her in his charge conjointly withmyself; so now we can come and go without alarming her unduly, for ashock to her would mean sudden death, and this, in Lucy's weakcondition, might be disastrous to her. We are hedged in withdifficulties, all of us, my poor old fellow; but, please God, we shallcome through them all right. If any need I shall write, so that, if youdo not hear from me, take it for granted that I am simply waiting fornews. In haste

Yours ever,

”JOHN SEWARD.”

_Dr. Seward's Diary._

_7 September._--The first thing Van Helsing said to me when we met atLiverpool Street was:--

”Have you said anything to our young friend the lover of her?”

”No,” I said. ”I waited till I had seen you, as I said in my telegram. Iwrote him a letter simply telling him that you were coming, as MissWestenra was not so well, and that I should let him know if need be.”

”Right, my friend,” he said, ”quite right! Better he not know as yet;perhaps he shall never know. I pray so; but if it be needed, then heshall know all. And, my good friend John, let me caution you. You dealwith the madmen. All men are mad in some way or the other; and inasmuchas you deal discreetly with your madmen, so deal with God's madmen,too--the rest of the world. You tell not your madmen what you do nor whyyou do it; you tell them not what you think. So you shall keep knowledgein its place, where it may rest--where it may gather its kind around itand breed. You and I shall keep as yet what we know here, and here.” Hetouched me on the heart and on the forehead, and then touched himselfthe same way. ”I have for myself thoughts at the present. Later I shallunfold to you.”

”Why not now?” I asked. ”It may do some good; we may arrive at somedecision.” He stopped and looked at me, and said:--

”My friend John, when the corn is grown, even before it hasripened--while the milk of its mother-earth is in him, and the sunshinehas not yet begun to paint him with his gold, the husbandman he pull theear and rub him between his rough hands, and blow away the green chaff,and say to you: 'Look! he's good corn; he will make good crop when thetime comes.'” I did not see the application, and told him so. For replyhe reached over and took my ear in his hand and pulled it playfully, ashe used long ago to do at lectures, and said: ”The good husbandman tellyou so then because he knows, but not till then. But you do not find thegood husbandman dig up his planted corn to see if he grow; that is forthe children who play at husbandry, and not for those who take it as ofthe work of their life. See you now, friend John? I have sown my corn,and Nature has her work to do in making it sprout; if he sprout at all,there's some promise; and I wait till the ear begins to swell.” He brokeoff, for he evidently saw that I understood. Then he went on, and verygravely:--

”You were always a careful student, and your case-book was ever morefull than the rest. You were only student then; now you are master, andI trust that good habit have not fail. Remember, my friend, thatknowledge is stronger than memory, and we should not trust the weaker.Even if you have not kept the good practise, let me tell you that thiscase of our dear miss is one that may be--mind, I say _may be_--of suchinterest to us and others that all the rest may not make him kick thebeam, as your peoples say. Take then good note of it. Nothing is toosmall. I counsel you, put down in record even your doubts and surmises.Hereafter it may be of interest to you to see how true you guess. Welearn from failure, not from success!”

When I described Lucy's symptoms--the same as before, but infinitelymore marked--he looked very grave, but said nothing. He took with him abag in which were many instruments and drugs, ”the ghastly paraphernaliaof our beneficial trade,” as he once called, in one of his lectures, theequipment of a professor of the healing craft. When we were shown in,Mrs. Westenra met us. She was alarmed, but not nearly so much as Iexpected to find her. Nature in one of her beneficent moods has ordainedthat even death has some antidote to its own terrors. Here, in a casewhere any shock may prove fatal, matters are so ordered that, from somecause or other, the things not personal--even the terrible change in herdaughter to whom she is so attached--do not seem to reach her. It issomething like the way Dame Nature gathers round a foreign body anenvelope of some insensitive tissue which can protect from evil thatwhich it would otherwise harm by contact. If this be an orderedselfishness, then we should pause before we condemn any one for the viceof egoism, for there may be deeper root for its causes than we haveknowledge of.

I used my knowledge of this phase of spiritual pathology, and laid downa rule that she should not be present with Lucy or think of her illnessmore than was absolutely required. She assented readily, so readily thatI saw again the hand of Nature fighting for life. Van Helsing and I wereshown up to Lucy's room. If I was shocked when I saw her yesterday, Iwas horrified when I saw her to-day. She was ghastly, chalkily pale; thered seemed to have gone even from her lips and gums, and the bones ofher face stood out prominently; her breathing was painful to see orhear. Van Helsing's face grew set as marble, and his eyebrows convergedtill they almost touched over his nose. Lucy lay motionless, and did notseem to have strength to speak, so for a while we were all silent. ThenVan Helsing beckoned to me, and we went gently out of the room. Theinstant we had closed the door he stepped quickly along the passage tothe next door, which was open. Then he pulled me quickly in with him andclosed the door. ”My God!” he said; ”this is dreadful. There is no timeto be lost. She will die for sheer want of blood to keep the heart'saction as it should be. There must be transfusion of blood at once. Isit you or me?”

”I am younger and stronger, Professor. It must be me.”

”Then get ready at once. I will bring up my bag. I am prepared.”

I went downstairs with him, and as we were going there was a knock atthe hall-door. When we reached the hall the maid had just opened thedoor, and Arthur was stepping quickly in. He rushed up to me, saying inan eager whisper:--

”Jack, I was so anxious. I read between the lines of your letter, andhave been in an agony. The dad was better, so I ran down here to see formyself. Is not that gentleman Dr. Van Helsing? I am so thankful to you,sir, for coming.” When first the Professor's eye had lit upon him he hadbeen angry at his interruption at such a time; but now, as he took inhis stalwart proportions and recognised the strong young manhood whichseemed to emanate from him, his eyes gleamed. Without a pause he said tohim gravely as he held out his hand:--

”Sir, you have come in time. You are the lover of our dear miss. She isbad, very, very bad. Nay, my child, do not go like that.” For hesuddenly grew pale and sat down in a chair almost fainting. ”You are tohelp her. You can do more than any that live, and your courage is yourbest help.”

”What can I do?” asked Arthur hoarsely. ”Tell me, and I shall do it. Mylife is hers, and I would give the last drop of blood in my body forher.” The Professor has a strongly humorous side, and I could from oldknowledge detect a trace of its origin in his answer:--

”My young sir, I do not ask so much as that--not the last!”

”What shall I do?” There was fire in his eyes, and his open nostrilquivered with intent. Van Helsing slapped him on the shoulder. ”Come!”he said. ”You are a man, and it is a man we want. You are better thanme, better than my friend John.” Arthur looked bewildered, and theProfessor went on by explaining in a kindly way:--

”Young miss is bad, very bad. She wants blood, and blood she must haveor die. My friend John and I have consulted; and we are about to performwhat we call transfusion of blood--to transfer from full veins of one tothe empty veins which pine for him. John was to give his blood, as he isthe more young and strong than me”--here Arthur took my hand and wrungit hard in silence--”but, now you are here, you are more good than us,old or young, who toil much in the world of thought. Our nerves are notso calm and our blood not so bright than yours!” Arthur turned to himand said:--

”If you only knew how gladly I would die for her you wouldunderstand----”

He stopped, with a sort of choke in his voice.

”Good boy!” said Van Helsing. ”In the not-so-far-off you will be happythat you have done all for her you love. Come now and be silent. Youshall kiss her once before it is done, but then you must go; and youmust leave at my sign. Say no word to Madame; you know how it is withher! There must be no shock; any knowledge of this would be one. Come!”

We all went up to Lucy's room. Arthur by direction remained outside.Lucy turned her head and looked at us, but said nothing. She was notasleep, but she was simply too weak to make the effort. Her eyes spoketo us; that was all. Van Helsing took some things from his bag and laidthem on a little table out of sight. Then he mixed a narcotic, andcoming over to the bed, said cheerily:--

”Now, little miss, here is your medicine. Drink it off, like a goodchild. See, I lift you so that to swallow is easy. Yes.” She had madethe effort with success.

It astonished me how long the drug took to act. This, in fact, markedthe extent of her weakness. The time seemed endless until sleep began toflicker in her eyelids. At last, however, the narcotic began to manifestits potency; and she fell into a deep sleep. When the Professor wassatisfied he called Arthur into the room, and bade him strip off hiscoat. Then he added: ”You may take that one little kiss whiles I bringover the table. Friend John, help to me!” So neither of us looked whilsthe bent over her.

Van Helsing turning to me, said:

”He is so young and strong and of blood so pure that we need notdefibrinate it.”

Then with swiftness, but with absolute method, Van Helsing performed theoperation. As the transfusion went on something like life seemed to comeback to poor Lucy's cheeks, and through Arthur's growing pallor the joyof his face seemed absolutely to shine. After a bit I began to growanxious, for the loss of blood was telling on Arthur, strong man as hewas. It gave me an idea of what a terrible strain Lucy's system musthave undergone that what weakened Arthur only partially restored her.But the Professor's face was set, and he stood watch in hand and withhis eyes fixed now on the patient and now on Arthur. I could hear my ownheart beat. Presently he said in a soft voice: ”Do not stir an instant.It is enough. You attend him; I will look to her.” When all was over Icould see how much Arthur was weakened. I dressed the wound and took hisarm to bring him away, when Van Helsing spoke without turning round--theman seems to have eyes in the back of his head:--

”The brave lover, I think, deserve another kiss, which he shall havepresently.” And as he had now finished his operation, he adjusted thepillow to the patient's head. As he did so the narrow black velvet bandwhich she seems always to wear round her throat, buckled with an olddiamond buckle which her lover had given her, was dragged a little up,and showed a red mark on her throat. Arthur did not notice it, but Icould hear the deep hiss of indrawn breath which is one of Van Helsing'sways of betraying emotion. He said nothing at the moment, but turned tome, saying: ”Now take down our brave young lover, give him of the portwine, and let him lie down a while. He must then go home and rest, sleepmuch and eat much, that he may be recruited of what he has so given tohis love. He must not stay here. Hold! a moment. I may take it, sir,that you are anxious of result. Then bring it with you that in all waysthe operation is successful. You have saved her life this time, and youcan go home and rest easy in mind that all that can be is. I shall tellher all when she is well; she shall love you none the less for what youhave done. Good-bye.”

When Arthur had gone I went back to the room. Lucy was sleeping gently,but her breathing was stronger; I could see the counterpane move as herbreast heaved. By the bedside sat Van Helsing, looking at her intently.The velvet band again covered the red mark. I asked the Professor in awhisper:--

”What do you make of that mark on her throat?”

”What do you make of it?”

”I have not examined it yet,” I answered, and then and there proceededto loose the band. Just over the external jugular vein there were twopunctures, not large, but not wholesome-looking. There was no sign ofdisease, but the edges were white and worn-looking, as if by sometrituration. It at once occurred to me that this wound, or whatever itwas, might be the means of that manifest loss of blood; but I abandonedthe idea as soon as formed, for such a thing could not be. The whole bedwould have been drenched to a scarlet with the blood which the girl musthave lost to leave such a pallor as she had before the transfusion.

”Well?” said Van Helsing.

”Well,” said I, ”I can make nothing of it.” The Professor stood up. ”Imust go back to Amsterdam to-night,” he said. ”There are books andthings there which I want. You must remain here all the night, and youmust not let your sight pass from her.”

”Shall I have a nurse?” I asked.

”We are the best nurses, you and I. You keep watch all night; see thatshe is well fed, and that nothing disturbs her. You must not sleep allthe night. Later on we can sleep, you and I. I shall be back as soon aspossible. And then we may begin.”

”May begin?” I said. ”What on earth do you mean?”

”We shall see!” he answered, as he hurried out. He came back a momentlater and put his head inside the door and said with warning finger heldup:--

”Remember, she is your charge. If you leave her, and harm befall, youshall not sleep easy hereafter!”

_Dr. Seward's Diary--continued._

_8 September._--I sat up all night with Lucy. The opiate worked itselfoff towards dusk, and she waked naturally; she looked a different beingfrom what she had been before the operation. Her spirits even were good,and she was full of a happy vivacity, but I could see evidences of theabsolute prostration which she had undergone. When I told Mrs. Westenrathat Dr. Van Helsing had directed that I should sit up with her shealmost pooh-poohed the idea, pointing out her daughter's renewedstrength and excellent spirits. I was firm, however, and madepreparations for my long vigil. When her maid had prepared her for thenight I came in, having in the meantime had supper, and took a seat bythe bedside. She did not in any way make objection, but looked at megratefully whenever I caught her eye. After a long spell she seemedsinking off to sleep, but with an effort seemed to pull herself togetherand shook it off. This was repeated several times, with greater effortand with shorter pauses as the time moved on. It was apparent that shedid not want to sleep, so I tackled the subject at once:--

”You do not want to go to sleep?”

”No; I am afraid.”

”Afraid to go to sleep! Why so? It is the boon we all crave for.”

”Ah, not if you were like me--if sleep was to you a presage of horror!”

”A presage of horror! What on earth do you mean?”

”I don't know; oh, I don't know. And that is what is so terrible. Allthis weakness comes to me in sleep; until I dread the very thought.”

”But, my dear girl, you may sleep to-night. I am here watching you, andI can promise that nothing will happen.”

”Ah, I can trust you!” I seized the opportunity, and said: ”I promiseyou that if I see any evidence of bad dreams I will wake you at once.”

”You will? Oh, will you really? How good you are to me. Then I willsleep!” And almost at the word she gave a deep sigh of relief, and sankback, asleep.

All night long I watched by her. She never stirred, but slept on and onin a deep, tranquil, life-giving, health-giving sleep. Her lips wereslightly parted, and her breast rose and fell with the regularity of apendulum. There was a smile on her face, and it was evident that no baddreams had come to disturb her peace of mind.

In the early morning her maid came, and I left her in her care and tookmyself back home, for I was anxious about many things. I sent a shortwire to Van Helsing and to Arthur, telling them of the excellent resultof the operation. My own work, with its manifold arrears, took me allday to clear off; it was dark when I was able to inquire about myzooephagous patient. The report was good; he had been quite quiet for thepast day and night. A telegram came from Van Helsing at Amsterdam whilstI was at dinner, suggesting that I should be at Hillingham to-night, asit might be well to be at hand, and stating that he was leaving by thenight mail and would join me early in the morning.

* * * * *

_9 September_.--I was pretty tired and worn out when I got toHillingham. For two nights I had hardly had a wink of sleep, and mybrain was beginning to feel that numbness which marks cerebralexhaustion. Lucy was up and in cheerful spirits. When she shook handswith me she looked sharply in my face and said:--

”No sitting up to-night for you. You are worn out. I am quite wellagain; indeed, I am; and if there is to be any sitting up, it is I whowill sit up with you.” I would not argue the point, but went and had mysupper. Lucy came with me, and, enlivened by her charming presence, Imade an excellent meal, and had a couple of glasses of the more thanexcellent port. Then Lucy took me upstairs, and showed me a room nexther own, where a cozy fire was burning. ”Now,” she said, ”you must stayhere. I shall leave this door open and my door too. You can lie on thesofa for I know that nothing would induce any of you doctors to go tobed whilst there is a patient above the horizon. If I want anything Ishall call out, and you can come to me at once.” I could not butacquiesce, for I was ”dog-tired,” and could not have sat up had I tried.So, on her renewing her promise to call me if she should want anything,I lay on the sofa, and forgot all about everything.

_Lucy Westenra's Diary._

_9 September._--I feel so happy to-night. I have been so miserably weak,that to be able to think and move about is like feeling sunshine aftera long spell of east wind out of a steel sky. Somehow Arthur feels very,very close to me. I seem to feel his presence warm about me. I supposeit is that sickness and weakness are selfish things and turn our innereyes and sympathy on ourselves, whilst health and strength give Loverein, and in thought and feeling he can wander where he wills. I knowwhere my thoughts are. If Arthur only knew! My dear, my dear, your earsmust tingle as you sleep, as mine do waking. Oh, the blissful rest oflast night! How I slept, with that dear, good Dr. Seward watching me.And to-night I shall not fear to sleep, since he is close at hand andwithin call. Thank everybody for being so good to me! Thank God!Good-night, Arthur.

_Dr. Seward's Diary._

_10 September._--I was conscious of the Professor's hand on my head, andstarted awake all in a second. That is one of the things that we learnin an asylum, at any rate.

”And how is our patient?”

”Well, when I left her, or rather when she left me,” I answered.

”Come, let us see,” he said. And together we went into the room.

The blind was down, and I went over to raise it gently, whilst VanHelsing stepped, with his soft, cat-like tread, over to the bed.

As I raised the blind, and the morning sunlight flooded the room, Iheard the Professor's low hiss of inspiration, and knowing its rarity, adeadly fear shot through my heart. As I passed over he moved back, andhis exclamation of horror, ”Gott in Himmel!” needed no enforcement fromhis agonised face. He raised his hand and pointed to the bed, and hisiron face was drawn and ashen white. I felt my knees begin to tremble.

There on the bed, seemingly in a swoon, lay poor Lucy, more horriblywhite and wan-looking than ever. Even the lips were white, and the gumsseemed to have shrunken back from the teeth, as we sometimes see in acorpse after a prolonged illness. Van Helsing raised his foot to stampin anger, but the instinct of his life and all the long years of habitstood to him, and he put it down again softly. ”Quick!” he said. ”Bringthe brandy.” I flew to the dining-room, and returned with the decanter.He wetted the poor white lips with it, and together we rubbed palm andwrist and heart. He felt her heart, and after a few moments of agonisingsuspense said:--

”It is not too late. It beats, though but feebly. All our work isundone; we must begin again. There is no young Arthur here now; I haveto call on you yourself this time, friend John.” As he spoke, he wasdipping into his bag and producing the instruments for transfusion; Ihad taken off my coat and rolled up my shirt-sleeve. There was nopossibility of an opiate just at present, and no need of one; and so,without a moment's delay, we began the operation. After a time--it didnot seem a short time either, for the draining away of one's blood, nomatter how willingly it be given, is a terrible feeling--Van Helsingheld up a warning finger. ”Do not stir,” he said, ”but I fear that withgrowing strength she may wake; and that would make danger, oh, so muchdanger. But I shall precaution take. I shall give hypodermic injectionof morphia.” He proceeded then, swiftly and deftly, to carry out hisintent. The effect on Lucy was not bad, for the faint seemed to mergesubtly into the narcotic sleep. It was with a feeling of personal pridethat I could see a faint tinge of colour steal back into the pallidcheeks and lips. No man knows, till he experiences it, what it is tofeel his own life-blood drawn away into the veins of the woman he loves.

The Professor watched me critically. ”That will do,” he said. ”Already?”I remonstrated. ”You took a great deal more from Art.” To which hesmiled a sad sort of smile as he replied:--

”He is her lover, her _fiance_. You have work, much work, to do for herand for others; and the present will suffice.”

When we stopped the operation, he attended to Lucy, whilst I applieddigital pressure to my own incision. I laid down, whilst I waited hisleisure to attend to me, for I felt faint and a little sick. By-and-byhe bound up my wound, and sent me downstairs to get a glass of wine formyself. As I was leaving the room, he came after me, and halfwhispered:--

”Mind, nothing must be said of this. If our young lover should turn upunexpected, as before, no word to him. It would at once frighten him andenjealous him, too. There must be none. So!”

When I came back he looked at me carefully, and then said:--

”You are not much the worse. Go into the room, and lie on your sofa, andrest awhile; then have much breakfast, and come here to me.”

I followed out his orders, for I knew how right and wise they were. Ihad done my part, and now my next duty was to keep up my strength. Ifelt very weak, and in the weakness lost something of the amazement atwhat had occurred. I fell asleep on the sofa, however, wondering overand over again how Lucy had made such a retrograde movement, and howshe could have been drained of so much blood with no sign anywhere toshow for it. I think I must have continued my wonder in my dreams, for,sleeping and waking, my thoughts always came back to the littlepunctures in her throat and the ragged, exhausted appearance of theiredges--tiny though they were.

Lucy slept well into the day, and when she woke she was fairly well andstrong, though not nearly so much so as the day before. When Van Helsinghad seen her, he went out for a walk, leaving me in charge, with strictinjunctions that I was not to leave her for a moment. I could hear hisvoice in the hall, asking the way to the nearest telegraph office.

Lucy chatted with me freely, and seemed quite unconscious that anythinghad happened. I tried to keep her amused and interested. When her mothercame up to see her, she did not seem to notice any change whatever, butsaid to me gratefully:--

”We owe you so much, Dr. Seward, for all you have done, but you reallymust now take care not to overwork yourself. You are looking paleyourself. You want a wife to nurse and look after you a bit; that youdo!” As she spoke, Lucy turned crimson, though it was only momentarily,for her poor wasted veins could not stand for long such an unwonteddrain to the head. The reaction came in excessive pallor as she turnedimploring eyes on me. I smiled and nodded, and laid my finger on mylips; with a sigh, she sank back amid her pillows.

Van Helsing returned in a couple of hours, and presently said to me:”Now you go home, and eat much and drink enough. Make yourself strong. Istay here to-night, and I shall sit up with little miss myself. You andI must watch the case, and we must have none other to know. I have gravereasons. No, do not ask them; think what you will. Do not fear to thinkeven the most not-probable. Good-night.”

In the hall two of the maids came to me, and asked if they or either ofthem might not sit up with Miss Lucy. They implored me to let them; andwhen I said it was Dr. Van Helsing's wish that either he or I should situp, they asked me quite piteously to intercede with the ”foreigngentleman.” I was much touched by their kindness. Perhaps it is becauseI am weak at present, and perhaps because it was on Lucy's account, thattheir devotion was manifested; for over and over again have I seensimilar instances of woman's kindness. I got back here in time for alate dinner; went my rounds--all well; and set this down whilst waitingfor sleep. It is coming.

* * * * *

_11 September._--This afternoon I went over to Hillingham. Found VanHelsing in excellent spirits, and Lucy much better. Shortly after I hadarrived, a big parcel from abroad came for the Professor. He opened itwith much impressment--assumed, of course--and showed a great bundle ofwhite flowers.

”These are for you, Miss Lucy,” he said.

”For me? Oh, Dr. Van Helsing!”

”Yes, my dear, but not for you to play with. These are medicines.” HereLucy made a wry face. ”Nay, but they are not to take in a decoction orin nauseous form, so you need not snub that so charming nose, or I shallpoint out to my friend Arthur what woes he may have to endure in seeingso much beauty that he so loves so much distort. Aha, my pretty miss,that bring the so nice nose all straight again. This is medicinal, butyou do not know how. I put him in your window, I make pretty wreath, andhang him round your neck, so that you sleep well. Oh yes! they, like thelotus flower, make your trouble forgotten. It smell so like the watersof Lethe, and of that fountain of youth that the Conquistadores soughtfor in the Floridas, and find him all too late.”

Whilst he was speaking, Lucy had been examining the flowers and smellingthem. Now she threw them down, saying, with half-laughter, andhalf-disgust:--

”Oh, Professor, I believe you are only putting up a joke on me. Why,these flowers are only common garlic.”

To my surprise, Van Helsing rose up and said with all his sternness, hisiron jaw set and his bushy eyebrows meeting:--

”No trifling with me! I never jest! There is grim purpose in all I do;and I warn you that you do not thwart me. Take care, for the sake ofothers if not for your own.” Then seeing poor Lucy scared, as she mightwell be, he went on more gently: ”Oh, little miss, my dear, do not fearme. I only do for your good; but there is much virtue to you in those socommon flowers. See, I place them myself in your room. I make myself thewreath that you are to wear. But hush! no telling to others that make soinquisitive questions. We must obey, and silence is a part of obedience;and obedience is to bring you strong and well into loving arms that waitfor you. Now sit still awhile. Come with me, friend John, and you shallhelp me deck the room with my garlic, which is all the way from Haarlem,where my friend Vanderpool raise herb in his glass-houses all the year.I had to telegraph yesterday, or they would not have been here.”

We went into the room, taking the flowers with us. The Professor'sactions were certainly odd and not to be found in any pharmacopoeiathat I ever heard of. First he fastened up the windows and latched themsecurely; next, taking a handful of the flowers, he rubbed them all overthe sashes, as though to ensure that every whiff of air that might getin would be laden with the garlic smell. Then with the wisp he rubbedall over the jamb of the door, above, below, and at each side, and roundthe fireplace in the same way. It all seemed grotesque to me, andpresently I said:--

”Well, Professor, I know you always have a reason for what you do, butthis certainly puzzles me. It is well we have no sceptic here, or hewould say that you were working some spell to keep out an evil spirit.”

”Perhaps I am!” he answered quietly as he began to make the wreath whichLucy was to wear round her neck.

We then waited whilst Lucy made her toilet for the night, and when shewas in bed he came and himself fixed the wreath of garlic round herneck. The last words he said to her were:--

”Take care you do not disturb it; and even if the room feel close, donot to-night open the window or the door.”

”I promise,” said Lucy, ”and thank you both a thousand times for allyour kindness to me! Oh, what have I done to be blessed with suchfriends?”

As we left the house in my fly, which was waiting, Van Helsing said:--

”To-night I can sleep in peace, and sleep I want--two nights of travel,much reading in the day between, and much anxiety on the day to follow,and a night to sit up, without to wink. To-morrow in the morning earlyyou call for me, and we come together to see our pretty miss, so muchmore strong for my 'spell' which I have work. Ho! ho!”

He seemed so confident that I, remembering my own confidence two nightsbefore and with the baneful result, felt awe and vague terror. It musthave been my weakness that made me hesitate to tell it to my friend, butI felt it all the more, like unshed tears.