Dracula

[Dark Saint Alaick]

Then I arouse Madam Mina. This time she wake with not much
trouble, and then I try to put her to hypnotic sleep. But
she sleep not, being as though I were not. Still I try and
try, till all at once I find her and myself in dark, so I
look round, and find that the sun have gone down. Madam
Mina laugh, and I turn and look at her. She is now quite
awake, and look so well as I never saw her since that night
at Carfax when we first enter the Count's house. I am amaze, and
not at ease then. But she is so bright and tender and thoughtful
for me that I forget all fear. I light a fire, for we have
brought supply of wood with us, and she prepare food while I undo
the horses and set them, tethered in shelter, to feed. Then when
I return to the fire she have my supper ready. I go to help her,
but she smile, and tell me that she have eat already. That she
was so hungry that she would not wait. I like it not, and I have
grave doubts. But I fear to affright her, and so I am silent of
it. She help me and I eat alone, and then we wrap in fur and lie
beside the fire, and I tell her to sleep while I watch. But
presently I forget all of watching. And when I sudden remember
that I watch, I find her lying quiet, but awake, and looking at
me with so bright eyes. Once, twice more the same occur, and I
get much sleep till before morning. When I wake I try to
hypnotize her, but alas! though she shut her eyes obedient, she
may not sleep. The sun rise up, and up, and up, and then sleep
come to her too late, but so heavy that she will not wake. I
have to lift her up, and place her sleeping in the carriage when
I have harnessed the horses and made all ready. Madam still
sleep, and she look in her sleep more healthy and more redder
than before. And I like it not. And I am afraid, afraid,
afraid! I am afraid of all things, even to think but I must go
on my way. The stake we play for is life and death, or more than
these, and we must not flinch.

[Dark Saint Alaick]

5 November, morning.--Let me be accurate in everything, for
though you and I have seen some strange things together,
you may at the first think that I, Van Helsing, am mad.
That the many horrors and the so long strain on nerves has
at the last turn my brain.

All yesterday we travel, always getting closer to the
mountains, and moving into a more and more wild and desert
land. There are great, frowning precipices and much falling
water, and Nature seem to have held sometime her carnival. Madam
Mina still sleep and sleep. And though I did have hunger and
appeased it, I could not waken her, even for food. I began to
fear that the fatal spell of the place was upon her, tainted as
she is with that Vampire baptism. "Well," said I to myself, "if
it be that she sleep all the day, it shall also be that I do not
sleep at night." As we travel on the rough road, for a road of
an ancient and imperfect kind there was, I held down my head and
slept.

Again I waked with a sense of guilt and of time passed, and
found Madam Mina still sleeping, and the sun low down. But
all was indeed changed. The frowning mountains seemed further
away, and we were near the top of a steep rising hill, on summit
of which was such a castle as Jonathan tell of in his diary. At
once I exulted and feared. For now, for good or ill, the end was
near.

[Dark Saint Alaick]

I woke Madam Mina, and again tried to hypnotize her, but
alas! unavailing till too late. Then, ere the great dark
came upon us, for even after down sun the heavens reflected
the gone sun on the snow, and all was for a time in a great
twilight. I took out the horses and fed them in what shelter I
could. Then I make a fire, and near it I make Madam Mina, now
awake and more charming than ever, sit comfortable amid her rugs.
I got ready food, but she would not eat, simply saying that she
had not hunger. I did not press her, knowing her unavailingness.
But I myself eat, for I must needs now be strong for all. Then,
with the fear on me of what might be, I drew a ring so big for
her comfort, round where Madam Mina sat. And over the ring I
passed some of the wafer, and I broke it fine so that all was
well guarded. She sat still all the time, so still as one dead.
And she grew whiter and even whiter till the snow was not more
pale, and no word she said. But when I drew near, she clung to
me, and I could know that the poor soul shook her from head to
feet with a tremor that was pain to feel.

I said to her presently, when she had grown more quiet,
"Will you not come over to the fire?" for I wished to make
a test of what she could. She rose obedient, but when she
have made a step she stopped, and stood as one stricken.

[Dark Saint Alaick]

"Why not go on?" I asked. She shook her head, and coming
back, sat down in her place. Then, looking at me with open
eyes, as of one waked from sleep, she said simply, "I cannot!"
and remained silent. I rejoiced, for I knew that what she could
not, none of those that we dreaded could. Though there might be
danger to her body, yet her soul was safe!

Presently the horses began to scream, and tore at their
tethers till I came to them and quieted them. When they
did feel my hands on them, they whinnied low as in joy, and
licked at my hands and were quiet for a time. Many times
through the night did I come to them, till it arrive to the
cold hour when all nature is at lowest, and every time my
coming was with quiet of them. In the cold hour the fire
began to die, and I was about stepping forth to replenish
it, for now the snow came in flying sweeps and with it a
chill mist. Even in the dark there was a light of some
kind, as there ever is over snow, and it seemed as though
the snow flurries and the wreaths of mist took shape as of
women with trailing garments. All was in dead, grim silence only
that the horses whinnied and cowered, as if in terror of the
worst. I began to fear, horrible fears. But then came to me the
sense of safety in that ring wherein I stood. I began too, to
think that my imaginings were of the night, and the gloom, and
the unrest that I have gone through, and all the terrible
anxiety. It was as though my memories of all Jonathan's horrid
experience were befooling me. For the snow flakes and the mist
began to wheel and circle round, till I could get as though a
shadowy glimpse of those women that would have kissed him. And
then the horses cowered lower and lower, and moaned in terror as
men do in pain. Even the madness of fright was not to them, so
that they could break away. I feared for my dear Madam Mina when
these weird figures drew near and circled round. I looked at her,
but she sat calm, and smiled at me. When I would have stepped to
the fire to replenish it, she caught me and held me back, and
whispered, like a voice that one hears in a dream, so low it was.

[Dark Saint Alaick]

"No! No! Do not go without. Here you are safe!"

I turned to her, and looking in her eyes said, "But you?
It is for you that I fear!"

Whereat she laughed, a laugh low and unreal, and said, "Fear
for me! Why fear for me? None safer in all the world from
them than I am," and as I wondered at the meaning of her
words, a puff of wind made the flame leap up, and I see the
red scar on her forehead. Then, alas! I knew. Did I not,
I would soon have learned, for the wheeling figures of mist
and snow came closer, but keeping ever without the Holy
circle. Then they began to materialize till, if God have
not taken away my reason, for I saw it through my eyes.
There were before me in actual flesh the same three women
that Jonathan saw in the room, when they would have kissed
his throat. I knew the swaying round forms, the bright
hard eyes, the white teeth, the ruddy colour, the voluptuous
lips. They smiled ever at poor dear Madam Mina. And as
their laugh came through the silence of the night, they
twined their arms and pointed to her, and said in those so
sweet tingling tones that Jonathan said were of the intolerable
sweetness of the water glasses, "Come, sister. Come to us.
Come!"

In fear I turned to my poor Madam Mina, and my heart with
gladness leapt like flame. For oh! the terror in her sweet
eyes, the repulsion, the horror, told a story to my heart
that was all of hope. God be thanked she was not, yet, of
them. I seized some of the firewood which was by me, and
holding out some of the Wafer, advanced on them towards the
fire. They drew back before me, and laughed their low horrid
laugh. I fed the fire, and feared them not. For I knew that we
were safe within the ring, which she could not leave no more than
they could enter. The horses had ceased to moan, and lay still
on the ground. The snow fell on them softly, and they grew
whiter. I knew that there was for the poor beasts no more of
terror.

[Dark Saint Alaick]

And so we remained till the red of the dawn began to fall
through the snow gloom. I was desolate and afraid, and
full of woe and terror. But when that beautiful sun began
to climb the horizon life was to me again. At the first
coming of the dawn the horrid figures melted in the whirling
mist and snow. The wreaths of transparent gloom moved away
towards the castle, and were lost.

Instinctively, with the dawn coming, I turned to Madam Mina,
intending to hypnotize her. But she lay in a deep and sudden
sleep, from which I could not wake her. I tried to hypnotize
through her sleep, but she made no response, none at all, and the
day broke. I fear yet to stir. I have made my fire and have
seen the horses, they are all dead. Today I have much to do here,
and I keep waiting till the sun is up high. For there may be
places where I must go, where that sunlight, though snow and mist
obscure it, will be to me a safety.

I will strengthen me with breakfast, and then I will do my
terrible work. Madam Mina still sleeps, and God be thanked! She
is calm in her sleep . . .

[Dark Saint Alaick]

JONATHAN HARKER'S JOURNAL

4 November, evening.--The accident to the launch has been a terrible
thing for us. Only for it we should have overtaken the boat long ago,
and by now my dear Mina would have been free. I fear to think of her,
off on the wolds near that horrid place. We have got horses, and we
follow on the track. I note this whilst Godalming is getting ready.
We have our arms. The Szgany must look out if they mean to fight. Oh,
if only Morris and Seward were with us. We must only hope! If I
write no more Goodby Mina! God bless and keep you.



DR. SEWARD'S DIARY

5 November.--With the dawn we saw the body of Szgany before us dashing
away from the river with their leiter wagon. They surrounded it in a
cluster, and hurried along as though beset. The snow is falling
lightly and there is a strange excitement in the air. It may be our
own feelings, but the depression is strange. Far off I hear the
howling of wolves. The snow brings them down from the mountains, and
there are dangers to all of us, and from all sides. The horses are
nearly ready, and we are soon off. We ride to death of some one. God
alone knows who, or where, or what, or when, or how it may be . . .

[Dark Saint Alaick]

DR. VAN HELSING'S MEMORANDUM

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 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.

[Dark Saint Alaick]

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 have hypnotize
him. And he remain on and on, till sunset come, and the Vampire
sleep be over. Then the beautiful eyes of the fair woman open
and look love, and the voluptuous mouth present to a kiss, and
the man is weak. And there remain one more victim in the
Vampire fold. One more to swell the grim and grisly ranks
of the Undead! . . .

There is some fascination, surely, when I am moved by the
mere presence of such an one, even lying as she lay in a
tomb fretted with age and heavy with the dust of centuries,
though there be that horrid odour such as the lairs of the
Count have had. Yes, I was moved. I, Van Helsing, with
all my purpose and with my motive for hate. I was moved to
a yearning for delay which seemed to paralyze my faculties
and to clog my very soul. It may have been that the need
of natural sleep, and the strange oppression of the air
were beginning to overcome me. Certain it was that I was
lapsing into sleep, the open eyed sleep of one who yields
to a sweet fascination, when there came through the snow-stilled
air a long, low wail, so full of woe and pity that it woke me
like the sound of a clarion. For it was the voice of my dear
Madam Mina that I heard.

[Dark Saint Alaick]

Then I braced myself again to my horrid task, and found by
wrenching away tomb tops one other of the sisters, the other dark
one. I dared not pause to look on her as I had on her sister,
lest once more I should begin to be enthrall. But I go on
searching until, presently, I find in a high great tomb as if
made to one much beloved that other fair sister which, like
Jonathan I had seen to gather herself out of the atoms of the
mist. She was so fair to look on, so radiantly beautiful, so
exquisitely voluptuous, that the very instinct of man in me,
which calls some of my sex to love and to protect one of hers,
made my head whirl with new emotion. But God be thanked, that
soul wail of my dear Madam Mina had not died out of my ears.
And, before the spell could be wrought further upon me, I had
nerved myself to my wild work. By this time I had searched all
the tombs in the chapel, so far as I could tell. And as there
had been only three of these Undead phantoms around us in the
night, I took it that there were no more of active Undead
existent. There was one great tomb more lordly than all the
rest. Huge it was, and nobly proportioned. On it was but one
word.


DRACULA


This then was the Undead home of the King Vampire, to whom
so many more were due. Its emptiness spoke eloquent to
make certain what I knew. Before I began to restore these
women to their dead selves through my awful work, I laid in
Dracula's tomb some of the Wafer, and so banished him from
it, Undead, for ever.