[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.Isn't that true, doctor?"I nodded assent, for I was so amazed that I hardly knew what to eitherthink or say, it was hard to imagine that I had seen him eat up his spidersand flies not five minutes before.Looking at my watch, I saw that I shouldgo to the station to meet Van Helsing, so I told Mrs.Harker that it wastime to leave.She came at once, after saying pleasantly to Mr.Renfield, "Goodbye, andI hope I may see you often, under auspices pleasanter to yourself."To which, to my astonishment, he replied, "Goodbye, my dear.I pray GodI may never see your sweet face again.May He bless and keep you!"When I went to the station to meet Van Helsing I left the boys behind me.Poor Art seemed more cheerful than he has been since Lucy first took ill,and Quincey is more like his own bright self than he has been for many along day.Van Helsing stepped from the carriage with the eager nimbleness of a boy.He saw me at once, and rushed up to me, saying, "Ah, friend John, howgoes all? Well? So! I have been busy, for I come here to stay if need be.All affairs are settled with me, and I have much to tell.Madam Mina iswith you? Yes.And her so fine husband? And Arthur and my friendQuincey, they are with you, too? Good!"As I drove to the house I told him of what had passed, and of how my owndiary had come to be of some use through Mrs.Harker's suggestion, atwhich the Professor interrupted me."Ah, that wonderful Madam Mina! She has man's brain, a brain that aman should have were he much gifted, and a woman's heart.The goodGod fashioned her for a purpose, believe me, when He made that so goodcombination.Friend John, up to now fortune has made that woman ofhelp to us, after tonight she must not have to do with this so terrible affair.It is not good that she run a risk so great.We men are determined, nay, arewe not pledged, to destroy this monster? But it is no part for a woman.Even if she be not harmed, her heart may fail her in so much and so manyhorrors and hereafter she may suffer, both in waking, from her nerves, andPage 200 CHAPTER 18in sleep, from her dreams.And, besides, she is young woman and not solong married, there may be other things to think of some time, if not now.You tell me she has wrote all, then she must consult with us, but tomorrowshe say goodbye to this work, and we go alone."I agreed heartily with him, and then I told him what we had found in hisabsence, that the house which Dracula had bought was the very next oneto my own.He was amazed, and a great concern seemed to come on him."Oh that we had known it before!" he said, "for then we might havereached him in time to save poor Lucy.However, `the milk that is spiltcries not out afterwards,'as you say.We shall not think of that, but go onour way to the end." Then he fell into a silence that lasted till we enteredmy own gateway.Before we went to prepare for dinner he said to Mrs.Harker, "I am told, Madam Mina, by my friend John that you and yourhusband have put up in exact order all things that have been, up to thismoment.""Not up to this moment, Professor," she said impulsively, "but up to thismorning.""But why not up to now? We have seen hitherto how good light all thelittle things have made.We have told our secrets, and yet no one who hastold is the worse for it."Mrs.Harker began to blush, and taking a paper from her pockets, she said,"Dr.Van Helsing, will you read this, and tell me if it must go in.It is myrecord of today.I too have seen the need of putting down at presenteverything, however trivial, but there is little in this except what ispersonal.Must it go in?"The Professor read it over gravely, and handed it back, saying, "It neednot go in if you do not wish it, but I pray that it may.It can but make yourhusband love you the more, and all us, your friends, more honor you, aswell as more esteem and love." She took it back with another blush and abright smile.And so now, up to this very hour, all the records we have are complete andin order.The Professor took away one copy to study after dinner, andbefore our meeting, which is fixed for nine o'clock.The rest of us havealready read everything, so when we meet in the study we shall all beinformed as to facts, and can arrange our plan of battle with this terribleand mysterious enemy.Page 201 CHAPTER 18MINA HARKER'S JOURNAL30 September.--When we met in Dr.Seward's study two hours afterdinner, which had been at six o'clock, we unconsciously formed a sort ofboard or committee.Professor Van Helsing took the head of the table, towhich Dr.Seward motioned him as he came into the room.He made mesit next to him on his right, and asked me to act as secretary.Jonathan satnext to me.Opposite us were Lord Godalming, Dr.Seward, and Mr.Morris, Lord Godalming being next the Professor, and Dr.Seward in thecenter.The Professor said, "I may, I suppose, take it that we are all acquaintedwith the facts that are in these papers." We all expressed assent, and hewent on, "Then it were, I think, good that I tell you something of the kindof enemy with which we have to deal.I shall then make known to yousomething of the history of this man, which has been ascertained for me.So we then can discuss how we shall act, and can take our measureaccording."There are such beings as vampires, some of us have evidence that theyexist.Even had we not the proof of our own unhappy experience, theteachings and the records of the past give proof enough for sane peoples.I admit that at the first I was sceptic.Were it not that through long years Ihave trained myself to keep an open mind, I could not have believed untilsuch time as that fact thunder on my ear.`See! See! I prove, I prove.' Alas!Had I known at first what now I know, nay, had I even guess at him, oneso precious life had been spared to many of us who did love her.But thatis gone, and we must so work, that other poor souls perish not, whilst wecan save.The nosferatu do not die like the bee when he sting once.He isonly stronger, and being stronger, have yet more power to work evil.Thisvampire which is amongst us is of himself so strong in person as twentymen, he is of cunning more than mortal, for his cunning be the growth ofages, he have still the aids of necromancy, which is, as his etymologyimply, the divination by the dead, and all the dead that he can come nighto are for him at command, he is brute, and more than brute, he is devil incallous, and the heart of him is not, he can, within his range, direct theelements, the storm, the fog, the thunder, he can command all the meanerthings, the rat, and the owl, and the bat, the moth, and the fox, and thewolf, he can grow and become small, and he can at times vanish and comeunknown.How then are we to begin our strike to destroy him? How shallwe find his where, and having found it, how can we destroy? My friends,this is much, it is a terrible task that we undertake, and there may beconsequence to make the brave shudder.For if we fail in this our fight hemust surely win, and then where end we? Life is nothings, I heed him not
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]