CHAPTER 23
DR. SEWARD'S DIARY
3 October.--The time seemed terribly long whilst we were waiting for the coming of Godalming and Quincy Morris. The Professor tried to keep our minds active by using them all the time. I could see her beneficent purpose, by the side glances which she threw from time to time at Harker. The poor fellow is overwhelmed in a misery that is appalling to see. Last night she was a frank, happy-looking woman, with strong, youthful face, full of energy, and with dark brown hair. Today she is a drawn, haggard old woman, whose white hair matches well with the hollow burning eyes and grief-written lines of her face. Her energy is still intact. In fact, she is like a living flame. This may yet be her salvation, for if all go well, it will tide her over the despairing period. She 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 her . . . !
The Professor knows this well enough, and is doing her best to keep her mind active. What she 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 her out. All through there are signs of her advance. Not only of her power, but of her knowledge of it. As I learned from the researches of my friend Arminius of Buda-Pesth, she was in life a most wonderful woman. Soldier, statesman, and alchemist--which latter was the highest development of the science knowledge of her time. She had a mighty brain, a learning beyond compare, and a heart that knew no fear and no remorse. She dared even to attend the Scholomance, and there was no branch of knowledge of her time that she did not essay.
'Well, in her the brain powers survived the physical death. Though it would seem that memory was not all complete. In some faculties of mind she has been, and is, only a child. But she is growing, and some things that were childish at the first are now of woman's stature. She is experimenting, and doing it well. And if it had not been that we have crossed her path she would be yet, she may be yet if we fail, the mother 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 she experimenting? The knowledge may help us to defeat her!'
'She has all along, since her coming, been trying her power, slowly but surely. That big child-brain of her is working. Well for us, it is as yet a child-brain. For had she dared, at the first, to attempt certain things she would long ago have been beyond our power. However, she means to succeed, and a woman who has centuries before her can afford to wait and to go slow. Festina lente may well be her 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 her hand tenderly on her shoulder as she spoke, 'Ah, my child, I will be plain. Do you not see how, of late, this monster has been creeping into knowledge experimentally. How she has been making use of the zoophagous patient to effect her entry into friend Joan's home. For your Vampire, though in all afterwards she can come when and how she will, must at the first make entry only when asked thereto by an inmate. But these are not her most important experiments. Do we not see how at the first all these so great boxes were moved by others. She knew not then but that must be so. But all the time that so great child-brain of hers was growing, and she began to consider whether she might not herself move the box. So she began to help. And then, when she found that this be all right, she try to move them all alone. And so she progress, and she scatter these graves of her. And none but she know where they are hidden.
'She may have intend to bury them deep in the ground. So that only she use them in the night, or at such time as she can change her form, they do her equal well, and none may know these are her hiding place! But, my child, do not despair, this knowledge came to her just too late! Already all of her lairs but one be sterilize as for her. And before the sunset this shall be so. Then she have no place where she can move and hide. I delayed this morning that so we might be sure. Is there not more at stake for us than for her? Then why not be more careful than her? By my clock it is one hour and already, if all be well, friend Artemis and Quincy are on their way to us. Today 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 we were speaking we were startled by a knock at the hall door, the double postman's knock of the telegraph girl. We all moved out to the hall with one impulse, and Van Helsing, holding up her hand to us to keep silence, stepped to the door and opened it. The girl handed in a dispatch. The Professor closed the door again, and after looking at the direction, opened it and read aloud.
'Look out for D. She has just now, 12:45, come from Carfax hurriedly and hastened towards the South. She seems to be going the round and may want to see you: Minas.'
There was a pause, broken by Joanna Harker's voice, 'Now, God be thanked, we shall soon meet!'
Van Helsing turned to her quickly and said, 'God will act in Her own way and time. Do not fear, and do not rejoice as yet. For what we wish for at the moment may be our own undoings.'
'I care for nothing now,’ she 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 she may purchase, does not keep faith. But God is merciful and just, and knows your pain and your devotion to that dear Minas. Think you, how his pain would be doubled, did he but hear your wild words. Do not fear any of us, we are all devoted to this cause, and today shall see the end. The time is coming for action. Today this Vampire is limit to the powers of woman, and till sunset she may not change. It will take her time to arrive here, see it is twenty minutes past one, and there are yet some times before she can hither come, be she never so quick. What we must hope for is that my Lady Artemis and Quincy arrive first.'
About half an hour after we had received 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 gentlewomen, 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 Lady Godalming and Quincy 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 her!'We were silent for a minute, and then Quincy said, 'There's nothing to do but to wait here. If, however, she doesn't turn up by five o'clock, we must start off. For it won't do to leave Harker alone after sunset.'
'She will be here before long now,’ said Van Helsing, who had been consulting her pocketbook. 'Nota bene, in 's telegram she went south from Carfax. That means she went to cross the river, and she could only do so at slack of tide, which should be something before one o'clock. That she went south has a meaning for us. She is as yet only suspicious, and she went from Carfax first to the place where she would suspect interference least. You must have been at Bermondsey only a short time before her. That she is not here already shows that she went to Mile End next. This took her some time, for she 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!’ she held up a warning hand as she spoke, for we all could hear a key softly inserted in the lock o
f 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, Quincy Morris had always been the one to arrange the plan of action, and Artemis and I had been accustomed to obey her implicitly. Now, the old habit seemed to be renewed instinctively. With a swift glance around the room, she 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 Quincy 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 nightstallion slowness. The slow, careful steps came along the hall. The Countess was evidently prepared for some surprise, at least she feared it.
Suddenly with a single bound she leaped into the room. Winning a way past us before any of us could raise a hand to stay her. There was something so pantherlike in the movement, something so unhuman, that it seemed to sober us all from the shock of her coming. The first to act was Harker, who with a quick movement, threw herself before the door leading into the room in the front of the house. As the Countess saw us, a horrible sort of snarl passed over her face, showing the eyeteeth long and pointed. But the evil smile as quickly passed into a cold stare of lion-like disdain. Her expression again changed as, with a single impulse, we all advanced upon her. It was a pity that we had not some better organized 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 she had ready her great Kukri knife and made a fierce and sudden cut at her. The blow was a powerful one; only the diabolical quickness of the Countess' leap back saved her. A second less and the trenchant blade had shorn through her heart. As it was, the point just cut the cloth of her coat, making a wide gap whence a bundle of bank notes and a stream of gold fell out. The expression of the Countess' face was so hellish, that for a moment I feared for Harker, though I saw her 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 Countess' face. Her waxen hue became greenish-yellow by the contrast of her 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 she swept under Harker's arm, ere her blow could fall, and grasping a handful of the money from the floor, dashed across the room, threw herself at the window. Amid the crash and glitter of the falling glass, she 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 her spring unhurt from the ground. She, rushing up the steps, crossed the flagged yard, and pushed open the stable door. There she 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, she passed quickly through the door, and we heard the rusty bolt creak as she fastened it behind her. A door beyond opened and shut. The first of us to speak was the Professor. Realizing the difficulty of following her through the stable, we moved toward the hall.
'We have learnt something . . . much! Notwithstanding her brave words, she fears us. She fears time, she fears want! For if not, why she hurry so? Her very tone betray her, or my ears deceive. Why take that money? You follow quick. You are hunters of the wild beast, and understand it so. For me, I make sure that nothing here may be of use to her, if so that she returns.'
As she spoke she put the money remaining in her pocket, took the title deeds in the bundle as Harker had left them, and swept the remaining things into the open fireplace, where she set fire to them with a match.
Godalming and Morris had rushed out into the yard, and Harker had lowered herself from the window to follow the Countess. She had, however, bolted the stable door, and by the time they had forced it open there was no sign of her. Van Helsing and I tried to make inquiry at the back of the house. But the mews was deserted and no one had seen her depart.
It was now late in the afternoon, and sunset was not far off. We had to recognize that our game was up. With heavy hearts we agreed with the Professor when she said, 'Let us go back to Minas. Poor, poor dear Minas. All we can do just now is done, and we can there, at least, protect him. 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 she spoke as bravely as she could to comfort Harker. The poor fellow was quite broken down, now and again she gave a low groan which she could not suppress. She was thinking of her husband.
With sad hearts we came back to my house, where we found Harker waiting us, with an appearance of cheerfulness which did honour to his bravery and unselfishness. When he saw our faces, his own became as pale as death. For a second or two his eyes were closed as if he were in secret prayer.
And then he said cheerfully, 'I can never thank you all enough. Oh, my poor darling!'
As he spoke, he took his husband's grey head in his hands and kissed it.
'Lay your poor head here and rest it. All will yet be well, dear! God will protect us if She so will it in Her good intent.’ The poor fellow groaned. There was no place for words in her 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 Harker everything which had passed. And although he grew snowy white at times when danger had seemed to threaten his wife, and red at others when her devotion to his was manifested, he listened bravely and with calmness. When we came to the part where Harker had rushed at the Countess so recklessly, he clung to his husband's arm, and held it tight as though his clinging could protect her from any harm that might come. He said nothing, however, till the narration was all done, and matters had been brought up to the present time.
Then without letting go his husband's hand he stood up amongst us and spoke. Oh, that I could give any idea of the scene. Of that sweet, sweet, good, good man in all the radiant beauty of his youth and animation, with the red scar on his forehead, of which he was conscious, and which we saw with grinding of our teeth, remembering whence and how it came. His loving kindness against our grim hate. His tender faith against all our fears and doubting. And we, knowing that so far as symbols went, he with all his goodness and purity and faith, was outcast from God.
'Joanna,'he said, and the word sounded like music on his lips it was so full of love and tenderness, 'Joanna 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 Lucas so that the true Lucas 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 her joy when she, too, is destroyed in her worser part that her better part may have spiritual immortality. You must
be pitiful to her, too, though it may not hold your hands from her destruction.'
As he spoke I could see his husband's face darken and draw together, as though the passion in her were shriveling her being to its core. Instinctively the clasp on her wife's hand grew closer, till her knuckles looked white. He did not flinch from the pain which I knew he must have suffered, but looked at her with eyes that were more appealing than ever.
As he stopped speaking she leaped to her feet, almost tearing her hand from his as she spoke.
'May God give her into my hand just for long enough to destroy that earthly life of her which we are aiming at. If beyond it I could send her soul forever 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, Joanna, my wife, 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 wife, 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 woman. Oh, God, let these poor white hairs go in evidence of what she has suffered, who all her life has done no wrong, and on whom so many sorrows have come.'
We women were all in tears now. There was no resisting them, and we wept openly. He wept, too, to see that his sweeter counsels had prevailed. His wife flung herself on her knees beside him, and putting her arms round him, hid her face in the folds of his 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 Harker that he might rest in peace. He tried to school himself to the belief, and manifestly for his 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, Quincy, 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 Quincy, so the rest of us shall be off to bed as soon as we can.
Godalming has already turned in, for her is the second watch. Now that my work is done I, too, shall go to bed.
JOANNA 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 Countess alone knew where it was. If she chooses to lie hidden, she 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 man who was all perfection, that one is my poor wronged darling. I loved his a thousand times more for his 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! Minas is sleeping, and sleeping without dreams. I fear what his dreams might be like, with such terrible memories to ground them in. He has not been so calm, within my seeing, since the sunset. Then, for a while, there came over him 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 his 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 tomorrow to think of, and there is no rest for me until . . .
Later--I must have fallen asleep, for I was awakened by Minas, who was sitting up in bed, with a startled look on his face. I could see easily, for we did not leave the room in darkness. He had placed a warning hand over my mouth, and now he 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 Ms. Morris, wide awake. She raised a warning hand for silence as she 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!'
Her look and gesture forbade discussion, so I came back and told Minas. He sighed and positively a shadow of a smile stole over him poor, pale face as he put his arms round me and said softly, 'Oh, thank God for good brave women!'With a sigh he 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 Minas. This time we had all had a good sleep, for the grey of the coming dawn was making the windows into sharp oblongs, and the gas flame was like a speck rather than a disc of light.
He said to me hurriedly, 'Go, call the Professor. I want to see her at once.'
'Why?’ I asked.
'I have an idea. I suppose it must have come in the night, and matured without my knowing it. She must hypnotize me before the dawn, and then I shall be able to speak. Go quick, dearest, the time is getting close.'
I went to the door. Dr. Seward was resting on the mattress, and seeing me, she sprang to her feet.
'Is anything wrong?'she asked, in alarm.
'No,’ I replied. 'But Minas wants to see Dr. Van Helsing at once.'
'I will go,’ she said, and hurried into the Professor's room.
Two or three minutes later Van Helsing was in the room in her dressing gown, and Ms. Morris and Lady Godalming were with Dr. Seward at the door asking questions. When the Professor saw Minas a smile, a positive smile ousted the anxiety of her face.
She rubbed her hands as she said, 'Oh, my dear Minas, this is indeed a change. See! Friend Joanna, we have got our dear Minas, as of old, back to us today!'Then turning to him, she said cheerfully, ‘and what am I to do for you? For at this hour you do not want me for nothing.'
'I want you to hypnotize me!'he said. 'Do it before the dawn, for I feel that then I can speak, and speak freely. Be quick, for the time is short!'Without a word she motioned his to sit up in bed.
Looking fixedly at him, she commenced to make passes in front of him, from over the top of his head downward, with each hand in turn. Minas gazed at her fixedly for a few minutes, during which my own heart beat like a trip hammer, for I felt that some crisis was at hand. Gradually his eyes closed, and he sat, stock still. Only by the gentle heaving of his chest could one know that he was alive. The Professor made a few more passes and then stopped, and I could see that her forehead was covered with great beads of perspiration. Minas opened his eyes, but he did not seem the same man. There was a far-away look in his eyes, and his voice had a sad dreaminess which was new to me. Raising her hand to impose silence, the Professor motioned to me to bring the others in. They came on tiptoe, closing the door behind them, and stood at the foot of the bed, looking on. Minas appeared not to see them. The stillness was broken by Van Helsing's voice speaking in a low level tone which would not break the current of his thoughts.
'Where are you?'The answer came in a neutral way.
'I do not know. Sleep has no place it can call its own.'For several minutes there was silence. Minas sat rigid, and the Professor stood staring at his fixedly.
The rest of us hardly dared to breathe. The room was growing lighter. Without taking her eyes from Minas' face, Dr. Van Helsing motioned me to pull up the blind. I did so, and the day seemed just upon us. A red streak shot up, and a rosy light seemed to diffuse itself through the room. On the instant the Professor spoke again.
'Where are you now?'
The answer came dreamily, but with intention. It were as though he were interpreting something. I have heard his use the same ton
e when reading his shorthand notes.
'I do not know. It is all strange to me!'
'What do you see?'
'I can see nothing. It is all dark.'
'What do you hear?’ I could detect the strain in the Professor's patient voice.
'The lapping of water. It is gurgling by, and little waves leap. I can hear them on the outside.'
'Then you are on a ship?''
We all looked at each other, trying to glean something each from the other. We were afraid to think.
The answer came quick, 'Oh, yes!'
'What else do you hear?'
'The sound of women stamping overhead as they run about. There is the creaking of a chain, and the loud tinkle as the check of the capstan falls into the ratchet.'
'What are you doing?'
'I am still, oh so still. It is like death!'The voice faded away into a deep breath as of one sleeping, and the open eyes closed again.
By this time the sun had risen, and we were all in the full light of day. Dr. Van Helsing placed her hands on Minas' shoulders, and laid his head down softly on his pillow. He lay like a sleeping child for a few moments, and then, with a long sigh, awoke and stared in wonder to see us all around him.
'Have I been talking in my sleep?' was all he said. He seemed, however, to know the situation without telling, though he was eager to know what he had told. The Professor repeated the conversation, and he said, 'Then there is not a moment to lose. It may not be yet too late!'
Ms. Morris and Lady Godalming started for the door but the Professor's calm voice called them back.
'Stay, my friends. That ship, wherever it was, was weighing anchor at the moment in your so great Port of London. Which of them is it that you seek? God be thanked that we have once again a clue, though whither it may lead us we know not. We have been blind somewhat. Blind after the manner of women, since we can look back we see what we might have seen looking forward if we had been able to see what we might have seen! Alas, but that sentence is a puddle, is it not? We can know now what was in the Countess' mind, when she seize that money, though Joanna's so fierce knife put her in the danger that even she dread. She meant escape. Hear me, ESCAPE! She saw that with but one earth box left, and a pack of women following like dogs after a fox, this London was no place for her. She have take her last earth box on board a ship, and she leave the land. She think to escape, but no! We follow her. Tally Ho! As friend Artemis would say when she put on her red frock! Our old fox is wily. Oh! So wily, and we must follow with wile. I, too, am wily and I think her mind in a little while. In meantime we may rest and in peace, for there are between us which she do not want to pass, and which she could not if she would. Unless the ship were to touch the land, and then only at full or slack tide. See, and the sun is just rose, and all day to sunset is us. Let us take bath, and dress, and have breakfast which we all need, and which we can eat comfortably since she be not in the same land with us.'
Minas looked at her appealingly as he asked, 'But why need we seek her further, when she is gone away from us?'
She took his hand and patted it as she replied, 'Ask me nothing as yet. When we have breakfast, then I answer all questions.' She would say no more, and we separated to dress.
After breakfast Minas repeated his question. She looked at his gravely for a minute and then said sorrowfully, 'Because my dear, dear Minas, now more than ever must we find her even if we have to follow her to the jaws of Hell!'
He grew paler as he asked faintly, 'Why?'
'Because,’ she answered solemnly, 'she can live for centuries, and you are but mortal man. Time is now to be dreaded, since once she put that mark upon your throat.'
I was just in time to catch his as he fell forward in a faint.