emust have suffered, but looked at him with eyes that were more appealingthan ever. As she stopped speaking he leaped to his feet, almosttearing his hand from hers as he spoke:--
"May God give him into my hand just for long enough to destroy thatearthly life of him which we are aiming at. If beyond it I could sendhis soul for ever 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,Jonathan, my husband; or you will crush me with fear and horror. Justthink, 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 someother like you--and with equal cause for anger--may deny it to me! Oh,my husband! my husband, indeed I would have spared you such a thoughthad there been another way; but I pray that God may not have treasuredyour wild words, except as the heartbroken wail of a very loving andsorely stricken man. Oh God, let these poor white hairs go in evidenceof what he has suffered, who all his life has done no wrong, and on whomso many sorrows have come."
We men were all in tears now. There was no resisting them, and we weptopenly. She wept too, to see that her sweeter counsels had prevailed.Her husband flung himself on his knees beside her, and putting his armsround her, hid his face in the folds of her dress. Van Helsing beckonedto us and we stole out of the room, leaving the two loving hearts alonewith God.
Before they retired the Professor fixed up the room against any comingof the Vampire, and assured Mrs. Harker that she might rest in peace.She tried to school herself to the belief, and, manifestly for herhusband'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 athand a bell which either of them was to sound in case of any emergency.When they had retired, Quincey, Godalming, and I arranged that we shouldsit up, dividing the night between us, and watch over the safety of thepoor stricken lady. The first watch falls to Quincey, so the rest of uswill be off to bed as soon as we can. Godalming has already turned in,for his is the second watch. Now that my work is done, I, too, shall goto bed.
_Jonathan 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 beliefthat to wake would be to find things changed, and that any changemust now be for the better. Before we parted, we discussed what ournext step was to be, but we could arrive at no result. All we knewwas that one earth-box remained, and that the Count alone knew whereit was. If he chooses to lie hidden, he may baffle us for years; andin the meantime!--the thought is too horrible, I dare not think ofit even now. This I know: that if ever there was a woman who was allperfection, that one is my poor wronged darling. I love her a thousandtimes more for her sweet pity of last night, a pity that made my ownhate of the monster seem despicable. Surely God will not permit theworld to be the poorer by the loss of such a creature. This is hope tome. We are all drifting reefwards now, and faith is our only anchor.Thank God! Mina is sleeping, and sleeping without dreams. I fear whather dreams might be like, with such terrible memories to ground themin. She has not been so calm, within my seeing, since the sunset.Then, for a while, there came over her face a repose which was likespring after the blasts of March. I thought at the time that it was thesoftness of the red sunset on her face, but somehow now I think it hada deeper meaning. I am not sleepy myself, though I am weary--weary todeath. However, I must try to sleep; for there is to-morrow to thinkof, and there is no rest for me until....
_Later._--I must have fallen asleep, for I was awakened by Mina, who wassitting up in bed, with a startled look on her face. I could see easily,for we did not leave the room in darkness; she had placed a warning handover my mouth, and now she whispered in my ear:--
"Hush! there is someone in the corridor!" I got up softly, and crossingthe room, gently opened the door.
Just outside, stretched on a mattress, lay Mr. Morris, wide awake. Heraised a warning hand for silence as he whispered to me:--
"Hush! go back to bed; it is all right. One of us will be here allnight. We don't mean to take any chances!"
His look and gesture forbade discussion, so I came back and told Mina.She sighed, and positively a shadow of a smile stole over her poor, paleface as she put her arms round me and said softly:--
"Oh, thank God for good brave men!" With a sigh she sank back again tosleep. I write this as I am not sleepy, though I must try again.
_4 October, morning._--Once again during the night I was wakened byMina. This time we had all had a good sleep, for the grey of the comingdawn was making the windows into sharp oblongs, and the gas flame waslike a speck rather than a disc of light. She said to me hurriedly:--
"Go call the Professor. I want to see him at once."
"Why?" I asked.
"I have an idea. I suppose it must have come in the night, and maturedwithout my knowing it. He must hypnotise me before the dawn, and then Ishall 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, seeingme, he sprang to his feet.
"Is anything wrong?" he asked, in alarm.
"No," I replied; "but Mina wants to see Dr. Van Helsing at once."
"I will go," he said, and hurried into the Professor's room.
Two or three minutes later Van Helsing was in the room in hisdressing-gown, and Mr. Morris and Lord Godalming were with Dr. Sewardat the door asking questions. When the Professor saw Mina a smile--apositive smile--ousted the anxiety of his face; he rubbed his hands ashe said:--
"Oh, my dear Madam Mina, this is indeed a change. See! friend Jonathan,we have got our dear Madam Mina, as of old, back to us to-day!" Thenturning to her, he said cheerfully: "And what am I do for you? For atthis hour you do not want me for nothings."
"I want you to hypnotise me!" she said. "Do it before the dawn, for Ifeel that then I can speak, and speak freely. Be quick, for the time isshort!" Without a word he motioned her to sit up in bed.
Looking fixedly at her, he commenced to make passes in front of her,from over the top of her head downward, with each hand in turn. Minagazed at him fixedly for a few minutes, during which my own heart beatlike a trip hammer, for I felt that some crisis was at hand. Graduallyher eyes closed, and she sat, stock still; only by the gentle heavingof her bosom could one know that she was alive. The Professor made afew more passes and then stopped, and I could see that his forehead wascovered with great beads of perspiration. Mina opened her eyes; but shedid not seem the same woman. There was a faraway look in her eyes, andher voice had a sad dreaminess which was new to me. Raising his hand toimpose silence, the Professor motioned me to bring the others in. Theycame on tip-toe, closing the door behind them, and stood at the foot ofthe bed, looking on. Mina appeared not to see them. The stillness wasbroken by Van Helsing's voice speaking in a low level tone which wouldnot break the current of her 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. Mina sat rigid, and the Professorstood staring at her fixedly; the rest of us hardly dared to breathe.The room was growing lighter; without taking his eyes from Mina's face,Dr. Van Helsing motioned me to pull up the blind. I did so, and theday seemed just upon us. A red streak shot up, and a rosy light seemedto diffuse itself through the room. On the instant the Professor spokeagain:--
"Where are you now?" The answer came dreamily, but with intention; itwas as though she were interpreting something. I have heard her use thesame tone when reading her shorthand notes.
"I do not know. It is all strange to me!"
"What do you see?"