"You forget--or perhaps you do not know, though Jonathan does and sodoes Dr. Van Helsing--that I am the train fiend. At home in ExeterI always used to make up the time-tables, so as to be helpful to myhusband. I found it so useful sometimes, that I always make a study ofthe time-tables now. I knew that if anything were to take us to CastleDracula we should go by Galatz, or at any rate through Bucharest, so Ilearned the times very carefully. Unhappily there are not many to learn,as the only train to-morrow leaves as I say."
"Wonderful woman!" murmured the Professor.
"Can't we get a special?" asked Lord Godalming. Van Helsing shook hishead: "I fear not. This land is very different from yours or mine; evenif we did have a special, it would probably not arrive as soon as ourregular train. Moreover, we have something to prepare. We must think.Now let us organize. You, friend Arthur, go to the train and get thetickets and arrange that all be ready for us to go in the morning. Doyou, friend Jonathan, go to the agent of the ship and get from himletters to the agent in Galatz, with authority to make search the shipjust as it was here. Quincey Morris, you see the Vice-Consul, and gethis aid with his fellow in Galatz and all he can do to make our waysmooth, so that no times be lost when over the Danube. John will staywith Madam Mina and me, and we shall consult. For so if time be long youmay be delayed; and it will not matter when the sun set, since I am herewith Madam to make report."
"And I," said Mrs. Harker brightly, and more like her old self than shehad been for many a long day, "shall try to be of use in all ways, andshall think and write for you as I used to do. Something is shiftingfrom me in some strange way, and I feel freer than I have been of late!"The three younger men looked happier at the moment as they seemed torealise the significance of her words; but Van Helsing and I, turning toeach other, met each a grave and troubled glance. We said nothing at thetime, however.
When the three men had gone out to their tasks Van Helsing asked Mrs.Harker to look up the copy of the diaries and find him the part ofHarker's journal at the castle. She went away to get it; when the doorwas shut upon her he said to me:--
"We mean the same! speak out!"
"There is some change. It is a hope that makes me sick, for it maydeceive us."
"Quite so. Do you know why I asked her to get the manuscript?"
"No!" said I, "unless it was to get an opportunity of seeing me alone."
"You are in part right, friend John, but only in part. I want to tellyou something. And oh, my friend, I am taking a great--a terrible--risk;but I believe it is right. In the moment when Madam Mina said thosewords that arrest both our understanding, an inspiration come to me. Inthe trance of three days ago the Count sent her his spirit to read hermind; or more like he took her to see him in his earth-box in the shipwith water rushing, just as it go free at rise and set of sun. He learnthen that we are here; for she have more to tell in her open life witheyes to see and ears to hear than he, shut, as he is, in his coffin-box.Now he make his most effort to escape us. At present he want her not.He is sure with his so great knowledge that she will come at his call;but he cut her off--take her, as he can do, out of his own power, thatso she come not to him. Ah! there I have hope that our man-brains thathave been of man so long and that have not lost the grace of God, willcome higher than his child-brain that he in his tomb for centuries, thatgrow not yet to our stature, and that do only work selfish and thereforesmall. Here comes Madam Mina; not a word to her of her trance! She knowit not; and it would overwhelm her and make despair just when we wantall her hope, all her courage; when most we want all her great brainwhich is trained like man's brain, but is of sweet woman and have aspecial power which the Count give her, and which he may not take awayaltogether--though he think not so. Hush! let me speak, and you shalllearn. Oh, John, my friend, we are in awful straits. I fear, as I neverfeared before. We can only trust the good God. Silence! here she comes!"
I thought that the Professor was going to break down and have hysterics,just as he had when Lucy died, but with a great effort he controlledhimself and was at perfect nervous poise when Mrs. Harker tripped intothe room, bright and happy-looking and, in the doing of work, seeminglyforgetful of her misery. As she came in, she handed a number of sheetsof typewriting to Van Helsing. He looked over them gravely, his facebrightening up as he read. Then, holding the pages between his fingerand thumb, he said:--
"Friend John, to you with so much of experience already--and you too,dear Madam Mina, that are young--here is a lesson: do not fear ever tothink. A half-thought has been buzzing often in my brain, but I fear tolet him loose his wings. Here now, with more knowledge, I go back towhere that half-thought come from, and I find that he be no half-thoughtat all; that he be a whole thought, though so young that he is not yetstrong to use his little wings. Nay, like the "Ugly Duck" of my friendHans Andersen, he be no duck-thought at all, but a big swan-thought thatsail nobly on big wings, when the time come for him to try them. See Iread here what Jonathan
have written:--
"That other of his race who, in a later age, again and again, broughthis forces over the Great River into Turkey Land; who, when he wasbeaten back, came again, and again, and again, though he had to comealone from the bloody field where his troops were being slaughtered,since he knew that he alone could ultimately triumph."
"What does this tell us? Not much! no! The Count's child-thought seenothing; therefore he speak so free. Your man-thought see nothing; myman-thought see nothing, till just now. No! But there comes anotherword from some one who speak without thought because she too know notwhat it mean--what it _might_ mean. Just as there are elements whichrest, yet when in nature's course they move on their way and theytouch--then pouf! and there comes a flash of light, heaven's wide,that blind and kill and destroy some; but that show up all earthbelow for leagues and leagues. Is it not so? Well, I shall explain.To begin, have you ever study the philosophy of crime? 'Yes' and'No.' You, John, yes; for it is a study of insanity. You, no, MadamMina; for crime touch you not--not but once. Still, your mind workstrue, and argues not _a particulari ad universale_. There is thispeculiarity in criminals. It is so constant, in all countries andat all times, that even police, who know not much from philosophy,come to know it empirically, that _it is_. That is to be empiric. Thecriminal always work at one crime--that is the true criminal who seemspredestinate to crime, and who will of none other. This criminal hasnot full man-brain. He is clever and cunning and resourceful; buthe be not of man-stature as to brain. He be of child-brain in much.Now this criminal of ours is predestinate to crime also; he too havechild-brain, and it is of the child to do what he have done. The littlebird, the little fish, the little animal learn not by principle, butempirically; and when he learn to do, then there is to him the groundto start from to do more. '_Dos pou sto_,' said Archimedes. 'Give mea fulcrum, and I shall move the world!' To do once, is the fulcrumwhereby child-brain become man-brain; and until he have the purpose todo more, he continue to do the same again every time, just as he havedone before! Oh, my dear, I see that your eyes are opened, and that toyou the lightning flash show all the leagues," for Mrs. Harker began toclap her hands, and her eyes sparkled. He went on:--
"Now you shall speak. Tell us two dry men of science what you see withthose so bright eyes." He took her hand and held it whilst she spoke.His finger and thumb closed on her pulse, as I thought instinctively andunconsciously, as she spoke:--
"The Count is a criminal and of criminal type. Nordau and Lombrosowould so classify him, and _qua_ criminal he is of imperfectly formedmind. Thus, in a difficulty he has to seek resource in habit. His pastis a clue, and the one page of it that we know--and that from his ownlips--tells that once before, when in what Mr. Morris would call a'tight place,' he went back to his own country from the land he hadtried to invade, and thence, without losing purpose, prepared himselffor a new effort. He came again, better equipped for his work; and won.So he came to London to invade a new land. He was beaten, and when allhope of success was lost, and his existence in danger, he fled back overthe sea to his home; just as formerly he had fled back over the Danubefrom Turkey land."
"Good, good! oh, you so clever lady!" said Van Helsing,enthusiastically, as he stooped and kissed her hand. A moment laterhe said to me, as calmly as though we had been having a sick-roomconsultation:--
"Seventy-two only; and in all this excitement. I have hope." Turning toher again, he said with keen expectation:--
"But go on. Go on! there is more to tell if you will. Be not afraid;John and I know. I do in any case, and shall tell you if you are right.Speak, without fear!"
"I will try to; but you will forgive me if I seem egotistical."
"Nay! fear not, you must be egotist, for it is of you that we think."
"Then, as he is criminal he is selfish; and as his intellect is smalland his action is based on selfishness, he confines himself to onepurpose. That purpose is remorseless. As he fled back over the Danube,leaving his forces to be cut to pieces, so now he is intent on beingsafe, careless of all. So, his own selfishness frees my soul somewhat ofthe terrible power which he acquired over me on that dreadful night. Ifelt it, Oh! I felt it. Thank God for His great mercy! My soul is freerthan it has been since that awful hour; and all that haunts me is afear lest in some trance or dream he may have used my knowledge for hisends." The Professor stood up:--
"He has so used your mind; and by it he has left us here in Varna,whilst the ship that carried him rushed through enveloping fog up toGalatz, where, doubtless, he had made preparation for escaping fromus. But his child-mind only saw so far; and it may be that, as ever isin God's Providence, the very thing that the evil doer most reckonedon for his selfish good, turns out to be his chiefest harm. The hunteris taken in his own snare, as the great Psalmist says. For now that hethink he is free from every trace of us all, and that he has escaped uswith so many hours to him, then his selfish child-brain will whisper himto sleep. He think, too, that as he cut himself off from knowing yourmind, there can be no knowledge of him to you; there is where he fail!That terrible baptism of blood which he give you makes you free to go tohim in spirit, as you have as yet done in your times of freedom, whenthe sun rise and set. At such times you go by my volition and not byhis; and this power to good of you and others, you have won from yoursuffering at his hands. This is now all more precious that he know itnot, and to guard himself have even cut himself off from his knowledgeof our where. We, however, are not all selfish, and we believe that Godis with us through all this blackness, and these many dark hours. Weshall follow him; and we shall not flinch; even if we peril ourselvesthat we become like him. Friend John, this has been a great hour; and ithave done much to advance us on our way. You must be scribe and writehim all down, so that when the others return from their work you cangive it to them; then they shall know as we do."
And so I have written it whilst we wait their return, and Mrs. Harkerhas written with her typewriter all since she brought the MS. to us.
CHAPTER XXVI.
/Dr. Seward's Diary./
_29 October._--This is written in the train from Varna to Galatz. Lastnight we all assembled a little before the time of sunset. Each of ushad done his work as well as he could; so far as thought, and endeavour,and opportunity go, we are prepared for the whole of our journey, andfor our work when we get to Galatz. When the usual time came round Mrs.Harker prepared herself for her hypnotic effort; and after a longer andmore strenuous effort on the part of Van Helsing than has been usuallynecessary, she sank into the trance. Usually she speaks on a hint; butthis time the Professor had to ask her questions, and to ask them prettyresolutely, before we could learn anything; at last her answer came:--
"I can see nothing; we are still; there are no waves lapping, but onlya steady swirl of water softly running against the hawser. I can hearmen's voices calling, near and far, and the roll and creak of oars inthe rowlocks. A gun is fired somewhere; the echo of it seems far away.There is tramping of feet overhead, and ropes and chains are draggedalong. What is this? There is a gleam of light; I can feel the airblowing upon me."
Here she stopped. She had risen, as if impulsively, from where she layon the sofa, and raised both her hands, palms upwards, as if liftinga weight. Van Helsing and I looked at each other with understanding.Quincey raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at her intently, whilstHarker's hand instinctively closed round the hilt of his kukri. Therewas a long pause. We all knew that the time when she could speak waspassing; but we felt that it was useless to say anything. Suddenly shesat up, and, as she opened her eyes, said sweetly:--