Dracula by Bram Stoker(17)

5 November, afternoon.—I am at least sane. Thank
God for that mercy at all events, though the proving it has
been dreadful. When I left Madam Mina sleeping within
the Holy circle, I took my way to the castle. The
blacksmith hammer which I took in the carriage from
Veresti was useful, though the doors were all open I broke
them off the rusty hinges, lest some ill intent or ill chance
should close them, so that being entered I might not get
out. Jonathan’s bitter experience served me here. By
memory of his diary I found my way to the old chapel, for
I knew that here my work lay. The air was oppressive. It
seemed as if there was some sulphurous fume, which at
times made me dizzy. Either there was a roaring in my
ears or I heard afar off the howl of wolves. Then I
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bethought me of my dear Madam Mina, and I was in
terrible plight. The dilemma had me between his horns.
Her, I had not dare to take into this place, but left safe
from the Vampire in that Holy circle. And yet even there
would be the wolf! I resolve me that my work lay here,
and that as to the wolves we must submit, if it were God’s
will. At any rate it was only death and freedom beyond.
So did I choose for her. Had it but been for myself the
choice had been easy, the maw of the wolf were better to
rest in than the grave of the Vampire! So I make my
choice to go on with my work.
I knew that there were at least three graves to find,
graves that are inhabit. So I search, and search, and I find
one of them. She lay in her Vampire sleep, so full of life
and voluptuous beauty that I shudder as though I have
come to do murder. Ah, I doubt not that in the old time,
when such things were, many a man who set forth to do
such a task as mine, found at the last his heart fail him, and
then his nerve. So he delay, and delay, and delay, till the
mere beauty and the fascination of the wanton Undead

Dracula by Bram Stoker(16)

We could only make her happy, and so acqueisced. She
bustled off to get tea. When she had gone Van Helsing
said, ‘You see, my friends. He is close to land. He has left
his earth chest. But he has yet to get on shore. In the night
he may lie hidden somewhere, but if he be not carried on
shore, or if the ship do not touch it, he cannot achieve the
land. In such case he can, if it be in the night, change his
form and jump or fly on shore, then, unless he be carried
he cannot escape. And if he be carried, then the customs
men may discover what the box contain. Thus, in fine, if
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he escape not on shore tonight, or before dawn, there will
be the whole day lost to him. We may then arrive in time.
For if he escape not at night we shall come on him in
daytime, boxed up and at our mercy. For he dare not be
his true self, awake and visible, lest he be discovered.’
There was no more to be said, so we waited in patience
until the dawn, at which time we might learn more from
Mrs. Harker.
Early this morning we listened, with breathless anxiety,
for her response in her trance. The hypnotic stage was
even longer in coming than before, and when it came the
time remaining until full sunrise was so short that we
began to despair. Van Helsing seemed to throw his whole
soul into the effort. At last, in obedience to his will she
made reply.
‘All is dark. I hear lapping water, level with me, and
some creaking as of wood on wood.’ She paused, and the
red sun shot up. We must wait till tonight.
And so it is that we are travelling towards Galatz in an
agony of expectation. We are due to arrive between two
and three in the morning. But already, at Bucharest, we
are three hours late, so we cannot possibly get in till well
after sunup. Thus we shall have two more hypnotic
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messages from Mrs. Harker! Either or both may possibly
throw more light on what is happening.

Dracula by Bram Stoker(15)

patience just how is his strength, and what are his powers.
He study new tongues. He learn new social life, new
environment of old ways, the politics, the law, the finance,
the science, the habit of a new land and a new people who
have come to be since he was. His glimpse that he have
had, whet his appetite only and enkeen his desire. Nay, it
help him to grow as to his brain. For it all prove to him
how right he was at the first in his surmises. He have done
this alone, all alone! From a ruin tomb in a forgotten land.
What more may he not do when the greater world of
thought is open to him. He that can smile at death, as we
know him. Who can flourish in the midst of diseases that
kill off whole peoples. Oh! If such an one was to come
from God, and not the Devil, what a force for good might
he not be in this old world of ours. But we are pledged to
set the world free. Our toil must be in silence, and our
efforts all in secret. For in this enlightened age, when men
believe not even what they see, the doubting of wise men
would be his greatest strength. It would be at once his
sheath and his armor, and his weapons to destroy us, his
enemies, who are willing to peril even our own souls for
the safety of one we love. For the good of mankind, and
for the honour and glory of God.’
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After a general discussion it was determined that for
tonight nothing be definitely settled. That we should all
sleep on the facts, and try to think out the proper
conclusions. Tomorrow, at breakfast, we are to meet
again, and after making our conclusions known to one
another, we shall decide on some definite cause of action
…
I feel a wonderful peace and rest tonight. It is as if some
haunting presence were removed from me. Perhaps …
My surmise was not finished, could not be, for I caught
sight in the mirror of the red mark upon my forehead, and
I knew that I was still unclean.
DR. SEWARD’S DIARY

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destruction. And his presence in his purely material shape,
and at his weakest, might give us some new clue.
As to the disposal of forces, it was suggested by the
Professor that, after our visit to Carfax, we should all enter
the house in Piccadilly. That the two doctors and I should
remain there, whilst Lord Godalming and Quincey found
the lairs at Walworth and Mile End and destroyed them. It
was possible, if not likely, the Professor urged, that the
Count might appear in Piccadilly during the day, and that
if so we might be able to cope with him then and there.
At any rate, we might be able to follow him in force. To
this plan I strenuously objected, and so far as my going was
concerned, for I said that I intended to stay and protect
Mina. I thought that my mind was made up on the
subject, but Mina would not listen to my objection. She
said that there might be some law matter in which I could
be useful. That amongst the Count’s papers might be some
clue which I could understand out of my experience in
Transylvania. And that, as it was, all the strength we could
muster was required to cope with the Count’s
extraordinary power. I had to give in, for Mina’s
resolution was fixed. She said that it was the last hope for
her that we should all work together.
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‘As for me,’ she said, ‘I have no fear. Things have been
as bad as they can be. And whatever may happen must
have in it some element of hope or comfort. Go, my
husband! God can, if He wishes it, guard me as well alone
as with any one present.’
So I started up crying out, ‘Then in God’s name let us
come at once, for we are losing time. The Count may
come to Piccadilly earlier than we think.’
‘Not so!’ said Van Helsing, holding up his hand.
‘But why?’ I asked.
‘Do you forget,’ he said, with actually a smile, ‘that last
night he banqueted heavily, and will sleep late?’
Did I forget! Shall I ever … can I ever! Can any of us
ever forget that terrible scene! Mina struggled hard to keep
her brave countenance, but the pain overmastered her and
she put her hands before her face, and shuddered whilst
she moaned. Van Helsing had not intended to recall her
frightful experience. He had simply lost sight of her and
her part in the affair in his intellectual effort.
When it struck him what he said, he was horrified at
his thoughtlessness and tried to comfort her.

Dracula by Bram Stoker(13)

When I had finished Van Helsing said, ‘This has been a
great day’s work, friend Jonathan. Doubtless we are on the
track of the missing boxes. If we find them all in that
house, then our work is near the end. But if there be some
missing, we must search until we find them. Then shall we
make our final coup, and hunt the wretch to his real
death.’
We all sat silent awhile and all at once Mr. Morris
spoke, ‘Say! How are we going to get into that house?’
‘We got into the other,’ answered Lord Godalming
quickly.
‘But, Art, this is different. We broke house at Carfax,
but we had night and a walled park to protect us. It will
be a mighty different thing to commit burglary in
Piccadilly, either by day or night. I confess I don’t see how
we are going to get in unless that agency duck can find us
a key of some sort.’
Lord Godalming’s brows contracted, and he stood up
and walked about the room. By-and-by he stopped and
said, turning from one to another of us, ‘Quincey’s head is
level. This burglary business is getting serious. We got off
once all right, but we have now a rare job on hand. Unless
we can find the Count’s key basket.’
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As nothing could well be done before morning, and as
it would be at least advisable to wait till Lord Godalming
should hear from Mitchell’s, we decided not to take any
active step before breakfast time. For a good while we sat
and smoked, discussing the matter in its various lights and
bearings. I took the opportunity of bringing this diary
right up to the moment. I am very sleepy and shall go to

Dracula by Bram Stoker(12)

great and noble race, though now and again were scions
who were held by their coevals to have had dealings with
the Evil One. They learned his secrets in the
Scholomance, amongst the mountains over Lake
Hermanstadt, where the devil claims the tenth scholar as
his due. In the records are such words as ‘stregoica’ witch,
‘ordog’ and ‘pokol’ Satan and hell, and in one manuscript
this very Dracula is spoken of as ‘wampyr,’which we all
understand too well. There have been from the loins of
this very one great men and good women, and their
graves make sacred the earth where alone this foulness can
dwell. For it is not the least of its terrors that this evil thing
is rooted deep in all good, in soil barren of holy memories
it cannot rest.’
Whilst they were talking Mr. Morris was looking
steadily at the window, and he now got up quietly, and
went out of the room. There was a little pause, and then
the Professor went on.
‘And now we must settle what we do. We have here
much data, and we must proceed to lay out our campaign.
We know from the inquiry of Jonathan that from the
castle to Whitby came fifty boxes of earth, all of which
were delivered at Carfax, we also know that at least some
of these boxes have been removed. It seems to me, that
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our first step should be to ascertain whether all the rest
remain in the house beyond that wall where we look
today, or whether any more have been removed. If the
latter, we must trace …’

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He answered, ‘I am closing the tomb so that the
UnDead may not enter.’
‘And is that stuff you have there going to do it?’
‘It is.’
‘What is that which you are using?’ This time the
question was by Arthur. Van Helsing reverently lifted his
hat as he answered.
‘The Host. I brought it from Amsterdam. I have an
Indulgence.’
It was an answer that appalled the most sceptical of us,
and we felt individually that in the presence of such
earnest purpose as the Professor’s, a purpose which could
thus use the to him most sacred of things, it was
impossible to distrust. In respectful silence we took the
places assigned to us close round the tomb, but hidden
from the sight of any one approaching. I pitied the others,
especially Arthur. I had myself been apprenticed by my
former visits to this watching horror, and yet I, who had
up to an hour ago repudiated the proofs, felt my heart sink
within me. Never did tombs look so ghastly white. Never
did cypress, or yew, or juniper so seem the embodiment of
funeral gloom. Never did tree or grass wave or rustle so
ominously. Never did bough creak so mysteriously, and
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never did the far-away howling of dogs send such a
woeful presage through the night.
There was a long spell of silence, big, aching, void, and
then from the Professor a keen ‘S-s-s-s!’ He pointed, and
far down the avenue of yews we saw a white figure
advance, a dim white figure, which held something dark at
its breast. The figure stopped, and at the moment a ray of
moonlight fell upon the masses of driving clouds, and
showed in startling prominence a dark-haired woman,
dressed in the cerements of the grave. We could not see
the face, for it was bent down over what we saw to be a
fair-haired child. There was a pause and a sharp little cry,
such as a child gives in sleep, or a dog as it lies before the
fire and dreams. We were starting forward, but the
Professor’s warning hand, seen by us as he stood behind a
yew tree, kept us back. And then as we looked the white
figure moved forwards again. It was now near enough for
us to see clearly, and the moonlight still held. My own
heart grew cold as ice, and I could hear the gasp of Arthur,
as we recognized the features of Lucy Westenra. Lucy

Dracula by Bram Stoker(10)

whole fearful mystery of his diary, and the fear that has
been brooding over me ever since, all came in a tumult. I
suppose I was hysterical, for I threw myself on my knees
and held up my hands to him, and implored him to make
my husband well again. He took my hands and raised me
up, and made me sit on the sofa, and sat by me. He held
my hand in his, and said to me with, oh, such infinite
sweetness,
‘My life is a barren and lonely one, and so full of work
that I have not had much time for friendships, but since I
have been summoned to here by my friend John Seward I
have known so many good people and seen such nobility
that I feel more than ever, and it has grown with my
advancing years, the loneliness of my life. Believe me,
then, that I come here full of respect for you, and you
have given me hope, hope, not in what I am seeking of,
but that there are good women still left to make life
happy, good women, whose lives and whose truths may
make good lesson for the children that are to be. I am
glad, glad, that I may here be of some use to you. For if
your husband suffer, he suffer within the range of my
study and experience. I promise you that I will gladly do
all for him that I can, all to make his life strong and manly,
and your life a happy one. Now you must eat. You are
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overwrought and perhaps over-anxious. Husband
Jonathan would not like to see you so pale, and what he
like not where he love, is not to his good. Therefore for
his sake you must eat and smile. You have told me about
Lucy, and so now we shall not speak of it, lest it distress. I
shall stay in Exeter tonight, for I want to think much over
what you have told me, and when I have thought I will
ask you questions, if I may. And then too, you will tell me
of husband Jonathan’s trouble so far as you can, but not
yet. You must eat now, afterwards you shall tell me all.’
After lunch, when we went back to the drawing room,
he said to me, ‘And now tell me all about him.’

Dracula by Bram Stoker(9)

He was stooping to kiss her, when Van Helsing
motioned him back. ‘No,’ he whispered, ‘not yet! Hold
her hand, it will comfort her more.’
So Arthur took her hand and knelt beside her, and she
looked her best, with all the soft lines matching the angelic
beauty of her eyes. Then gradually her eyes closed, and
she sank to sleep. For a little bit her breast heaved softly,
and her breath came and went like a tired child’s.
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And then insensibly there came the strange change
which I had noticed in the night. Her breathing grew
stertorous, the mouth opened, and the pale gums, drawn
back, made the teeth look longer and sharper than ever. In
a sort of sleep-waking, vague, unconscious way she
opened her eyes, which were now dull and hard at once,
and said in a soft, voluptuous voice, such as I had never
heard from her lips, ‘Arthur! Oh, my love, I am so glad
you have come! Kiss me!’
Arthur bent eagerly over to kiss her, but at that instant
Van Helsing, who, like me, had been startled by her voice,
swooped upon him, and catching him by the neck with
both hands, dragged him back with a fury of strength
which I never thought he could have possessed, and
actually hurled him almost across the room.
‘Not on your life!’ he said, ‘not for your living soul and
hers!’ And he stood between them like a lion at bay.
Arthur was so taken aback that he did not for a
moment know what to do or say, and before any impulse
of violence could seize him he realized the place and the
occasion, and stood silent, waiting.

Dracula by Bram Stoker(8)

Once again I drew up the blind, whilst Van Helsing
went towards the bed. This time he did not start as he
looked on the poor face with the same awful, waxen
pallor as before. He wore a look of stern sadness and
infinite pity.
‘As I expected,’ he murmured, with that hissing
inspiration of his which meant so much. Without a word
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he went and locked the door, and then began to set out
on the little table the instruments for yet another operation
of transfusion of blood. I had long ago recognized the
necessity, and begun to take off my coat, but he stopped
me with a warning hand. ‘No!’ he said. ‘Today you must
operate. I shall provide. You are weakened already.’ As he
spoke he took off his coat and rolled up his shirtsleeve.
Again the operation. Again the narcotic. Again some
return of colour to the ashy cheeks, and the regular
breathing of healthy sleep. This time I watched whilst Van
Helsing recruited himself and rested.
Presently he took an opportunity of telling Mrs.
Westenra that she must not remove anything from Lucy’s
room without consulting him. That the flowers were of
medicinal value, and that the breathing of their odour was
a part of the system of cure. Then he took over the care of
the case himself, saying that he would watch this night and
the next, and would send me word when to come.
After another hour Lucy waked from her sleep, fresh
and bright and seemingly not much the worse for her

Dracula by Bram Stoker(7)

mind about her daughter in her present state of health
would be fatal. Mrs. Westenra has confided to me that her
doom is spoken, disease of the heart, though poor Lucy
does not know it yet. I am sure that there is something
preying on my dear girl’s mind. I am almost distracted
when I think of her. To look at her gives me a pang. I
told her I should ask you to see her, and though she
demurred at first, I know why, old fellow, she finally
consented. It will be a painful task for you, I know, old
friend, but it is for her sake, and I must not hesitate to ask,
or you to act. You are to come to lunch at Hillingham
tomorrow, two o’clock, so as not to arouse any suspicion
in Mrs. Westenra, and after lunch Lucy will take an
opportunity of being alone with you. I am filled with
anxiety, and want to consult with you alone as soon as I
can after you have seen her. Do not fail!
‘Arthur.’
TELEGRAM, ARTHUR HOLMWOOD TO
SEWARD
1 September
‘Am summoned to see my father, who is worse. Am
writing. Write me fully by tonight’s post to Ring. Wire
me if necessary.’
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LETTER FROM DR. SEWARD TO ARTHUR

Dracula by Bram Stoker(6)

heroic. I think that some day the bishops must get
together and see about breeding up a new class of curates,
who don’t take supper, no matter how hard they may be
pressed to, and who will know when girls are tired.
Lucy is asleep and breathing softly. She has more colour
in her cheeks than usual, and looks, oh so sweet. If Mr.
Holmwood fell in love with her seeing her only in the
drawing room, I wonder what he would say if he saw her
now. Some of the ‘New Women’ writers will some day
start an idea that men and women should be allowed to
see each other asleep before proposing or accepting. But I
suppose the ‘New Woman’ won’t condescend in future to
accept. She will do the proposing herself. And a nice job
she will make of it too! There’s some consolation in that. I
am so happy tonight, because dear Lucy seems better. I
really believe she has turned the corner, and that we are
over her troubles with dreaming. I should be quite happy
if I only knew if Jonathan … God bless and keep him.
11 August.—Diary again. No sleep now, so I may as
well write. I am too agitated to sleep. We have had such
an adventure, such an agonizing experience. I fell asleep as
soon as I had closed my diary. … Suddenly I became
broad awake, and sat up, with a horrible sense of fear upon
me, and of some feeling of emptiness around me. The
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room was dark, so I could not see Lucy’s bed. I stole
across and felt for her. The bed was empty. I lit a match
and found that she was not in the room. The door was
shut, but not locked, as I had left it. I feared to wake her
mother, who has been more than usually ill lately, so
threw on some clothes and got ready to look for her. As I
was leaving the room it struck me that the clothes she

Dracula by Bram Stoker(5)

My homicidal maniac is of a peculiar kind. I shall have
to invent a new classification for him, and call him a
zoophagous (life-eating) maniac. What he desires is to
absorb as many lives as he can, and he has laid himself out
to achieve it in a cumulative way. He gave many flies to
one spider and many spiders to one bird, and then wanted
a cat to eat the many birds. What would have been his
later steps?
It would almost be worth while to complete the
experiment. It might be done if there were only a
sufficient cause. Men sneered at vivisection, and yet look
at its results today! Why not advance science in its most
difficult and vital aspect, the knowledge of the brain?
Had I even the secret of one such mind, did I hold the
key to the fancy of even one lunatic, I might advance my
own branch of science to a pitch compared with which
Burdon-Sanderson’s physiology or Ferrier’s brain
knowledge would be as nothing. If only there were a
sufficient cause! I must not think too much of this, or I
may be tempted. A good cause might turn the scale with
me, for may not I too be of an exceptional brain,
congenitally?
How well the man reasoned. Lunatics always do within
their own scope. I wonder at how many lives he values a
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Dracula by Bram Stoker(4)

take some of the gold with me, lest I want it later. I may
find a way from this dreadful place.
And then away for home! Away to the quickest and
nearest train! Away from the cursed spot, from this cursed
land, where the devil and his children still walk with
earthly feet!
At least God’s mercy is better than that of those
monsters, and the precipice is steep and high. At its foot a
man may sleep, as a man. Goodbye, all. Mina!
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Chapter 5
LETTER FROM MISS MINA MURRAY TO MISS
LUCY WESTENRA
9 May.
My dearest Lucy,
Forgive my long delay in writing, but I have been
simply overwhelmed with work. The life of an assistant
schoolmistress is sometimes trying. I am longing to be
with you, and by the sea, where we can talk together
freely and build our castles in the air. I have been working
very hard lately, because I want to keep up with
Jonathan’s studies, and I have been practicing shorthand
very assiduously. When we are married I shall be able to
be useful to Jonathan, and if I can stenograph well enough
I can take down what he wants to say in this way and
write it out for him on the typewriter, at which also I am
practicing very hard.

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somewhat amused, for it is wonderful how small a matter
will interest and amuse a man when he is a prisoner. But
my very feelings changed to repulsion and terror when I
saw the whole man slowly emerge from the window and
begin to crawl down the castle wall over the dreadful
abyss, face down with his cloak spreading out around him
like great wings. At first I could not believe my eyes. I
thought it was some trick of the moonlight, some weird
effect of shadow, but I kept looking, and it could be no
delusion. I saw the fingers and toes grasp the corners of the
stones, worn clear of the mortar by the stress of years, and
by thus using every projection and inequality move
downwards with considerable speed, just as a lizard moves
along a wall.
What manner of man is this, or what manner of
creature, is it in the semblance of man? I feel the dread of
this horrible place overpowering me. I am in fear, in awful
fear, and there is no escape for me. I am encompassed
about with terrors that I dare not think of.

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seemingly without a window of any sort. Passing through
this, he opened another door, and motioned me to enter.
It was a welcome sight. For here was a great bedroom well
lighted and warmed with another log fire, also added to
but lately, for the top logs were fresh, which sent a hollow
roar up the wide chimney. The Count himself left my
luggage inside and withdrew, saying, before he closed the
door.
‘You will need, after your journey, to refresh yourself
by making your toilet. I trust you will find all you wish.
When you are ready, come into the other room, where
you will find your supper prepared.’
The light and warmth and the Count’s courteous
welcome seemed to have dissipated all my doubts and
fears. Having then reached my normal state, I discovered
that I was half famished with hunger. So making a hasty
toilet, I went into the other room.
I found supper already laid out. My host, who stood on
one side of the great fireplace, leaning against the
stonework, made a graceful wave of his hand to the table,
and said,
‘I pray you, be seated and sup how you please. You
will I trust, excuse me that I do not join you, but I have
dined already, and I do not sup.’
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Dracula by Bram Stoker(1)

Chapter 1
Jonathan Harker’s Journal
3 May. Bistritz.—Left Munich at 8:35 P.M., on 1st
May, arriving at Vienna early next morning; should have
arrived at 6:46, but train was an hour late. Buda-Pesth
seems a wonderful place, from the glimpse which I got of
it from the train and the little I could walk through the
streets. I feared to go very far from the station, as we had
arrived late and would start as near the correct time as
possible.
The impression I had was that we were leaving the
West and entering the East; the most western of splendid
bridges over the Danube, which is here of noble width
and depth, took us among the traditions of Turkish rule.
We left in pretty good time, and came after nightfall to
Klausenburgh. Here I stopped for the night at the Hotel
Royale. I had for dinner, or rather supper, a chicken done
up some way with red pepper, which was very good but
thirsty. (Mem. get recipe for Mina.) I asked the waiter,
and he said it was called ‘paprika hendl,’ and that, as it was
a national dish, I should be able to get it anywhere along
the Carpathians.
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