"What do you make of it?"
"I have not seen it yet," I answered, and then and there proceeded toloose the band. Just over the external jugular vein there were twopunctures, not large, but not wholesome-looking. There was no signof disease, 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."I must 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 fingerheld up:--
"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 weregood, and she was full of a happy vivacity, but I could see evidencesof the absolute prostration which she had undergone. When I told Mrs.Westenra that Dr. Van Helsing had directed that I should sit up withher she almost pooh-poohed the idea, pointing out her daughter'srenewed strength 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, and Ican 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 myzoophagous 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, andmy brain 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 hadmy supper. Lucy came with me, and, enlivened by her charming presence,I made 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 cosy 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 anythingI shall 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 after along 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. Andto-night I shall not fear to sleep, since he is close at hand and withincall. 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?"