Dracula

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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. . .

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.

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 odor 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.

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 tim e 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.

Then began my terrible task, and I dreaded it.
Had it been but one, it had been easy, comparative. But three!
To begin twice more after I had been through a deed of horror.
For it was terrible with the sweet Miss Lucy, what would it not
be with these strange ones who had survived through centuries,
and who had been strenghtened by the passing of the years.
Who would, if they could, have fought for their foul lives.
. .

Oh, my friend John, but it was butcher work. Had I not been
nerved by thoughts of other dead, and of the living over
whom hung such a pall of fear, I could not have gone on.
I tremble and tremble even yet, though till all was over,
God be thanked, my nerve did stand. Had I not seen the repose
in the first place, and the gladness that stole over it just
ere the final dissolution came, as realization that the soul
had been won, I could not have gone further with my butchery.
I could not have endured the horrid screeching as the stake
drove home, the plunging of writhing form, and lips of bloody foam.
I should have fled in terror and left my work undone.
But it is over! And the poor souls, I can pity them now
and weep, as I think of them placid each in her full sleep
of death for a short moment ere fading. For, friend John,
hardly had my knife severed the head of each, before the whole
body began to melt away and crumble into its native dust,
as though the death that should have come centuries agone had
at last assert himself and say at once and loud, "I am here!"

Before I left the castle I so fixed its entrances that never more can
the Count enter there Undead.

When I stepped into the circle where Madam Mina slept,
she woke from her sleep and, seeing me, cried out in pain
that I had endured too much.

"Come!" she said, "come away from this awful place!
Let us go to meet my husband who is, I know, coming towards us."
She was looking thin and pale and weak. But her eyes were
pure and glowed with fervor. I was glad to see her paleness
and her illness, for my mind was full of the fresh horror
of that ruddy vampire sleep.

And so with trust and hope, and yet full of fear, we go eastward to meet
our friends, and him, whom Madam Mina tell me that she know are coming
to meet us.

MINA HARKER'S JOURNAL

6 November.--It was late in the afternoon when the Professor and I
took our way towards the east whence I knew Jonathan was coming.
We did not go fast, though the way was steeply downhill,
for w e had to take heavy rugs and wraps with us. We dared not
face the possibility of being left without warmth in the cold
and the snow. We had to take some of our provisions too,
for we were in a perfect desolation, and so far as we could see
through the snowfall, there was not even the sign of habitation.
When we had gone about a mile, I was tired with the heavy
walking and sat down to rest. Then we looked back and saw
where the clear line of Dracula's castle cut the sky.
For we were so deep under the hill whereon it was set that the angle
of perspective of the Carpathian mountains was far below it.
We saw it in all its grandeur, perched a thousand feet on
the summit of a sheer precipice, and with seemingly a great gap
between it and the steep of the adjacent mountain on any side.
There was something wild and uncanny about the place.
We could hear the distant howling of wolves. They were
far off, but the sound, even though coming muffled through
the deadening snowfall, was full of terror. I knew from
the way Dr. Van Helsing was searching about that he was trying
to seek some strategic point, where we would be less exposed
in case of attack. The rough roadway still led downwards.
We could trace it through the drifted snow.

In a little while the Professor signalled to me, so I got up and
joined him. He had found a wonderful spot, a sort of natural hollow
in a rock, with an entrance like a doorway between two boulders.
He took me by the hand and drew me in.

"See!" he said, "here you will be in shelter. And if the wolves
do come I can meet them one by one."

He brought in our furs, and made a snug nest for me,
and got out some provisions and forced them upon me.
But I could not eat, to even try to do so was repulsive to me,
and much as I would have liked to please him, I could not bring
myself to the attempt. He looked very sad, but did not reproach me.
Taking his field glasses from the case, he stood on the top
of the rock, and began to search the horizon.

Suddenly he called out, "Look! Madam Mina, look! Look!"

I sprang up and stood beside him on the rock. He handed me
his glasses and pointed. The snow was now falling more heavily,
and swirled about fiercely, for a high wind was beginning
to blow. However, there were times when there were pauses
between the snow flurries and I could see a long way round.
From the height where we were it was possible to see a great distance.
And far off, beyond the white waste of snow, I could see the river
lying like a black ribbon in kinks and curls as it wound its way.
Straight in front of us and not far off, in fact so near that I wondered
we had not noticed before, came a group of mounted men hurrying along.
In the midst of them was a cart, a long leiter wagon which swept
from side to side, like a dog's tail wagging, with each stern
inequality of the road. Outlined against the snow as they were,
I could see from the men's clothes that they were peasants or gypsies
of some kind.

On the cart was a great square chest. My heart leaped as I saw it, for I
felt that the end was coming. The evening was now drawing close, and well
I knew that at sunset the Thing, which was till then imprisoned there,
would take new freedom and could in any of many forms elude pursuit. In fear
I turned to the Professor. To my consternation, however, he was not there.
An instant later, I saw him below me. Round the rock he had drawn a circle,
such as we had found shelter in last night.

When he had completed it he stood beside me again saying, "At least
you shall be safe here from him!" He took the glasses from me,
and at the next lull of the snow swept the whole space below us.
"See," he said, "they come quickly. They are flogging the horses,
and galloping as hard as they can."

He paused and went on in a hollow voice, "They are racing for the sunset.
We may be too late. God's will be done!" Down came another blinding
rush of driving snow, and the whole landscape was blotted out.
It soon passed, however, and once more his glasses were fixed on the plain.

Then came a sudden cry, "Look! Look! Look! See, two horsemen
follow fast, coming up from the south. It must be Quincey and John.
Take the glass. Look before the snow blots it all out!"
I took it and looked. The two men might be Dr. Seward and Mr. Morris.
I knew at all events that neither of them was Jonathan. At the same time
I knew that Jonathan was not far off. Looking around I saw on the north
side of the coming party two other men, riding at breakneck speed.
One of them I knew was Jonathan, and the other I took, of course,
to be Lord Godalming. They too, were pursuing the party with the cart.
When I told the Professor he shouted in glee like a schoolboy,
and after looking intently till a snow fall made sight impossible,
he laid his Winchester rifle ready for use against the boulder
at the opening of our shelter.

"They are all converging," he said."When the time comes we shall
have gypsies on all sides." I got out my revolver ready to hand,
for whilst we were speaking the howling of wolves came louder
and closer. When the snow storm abated a moment we looked again.
It was strange to see the snow falling in such heavy flakes
close to us, and beyond, the sun shining more and more
brightly as it sank down towards the far mountain tops.
Sweeping the glass all around us I could see here and there
dots moving singly and in twos and threes and larger numbers.
The wolves were gathering for their prey.

Every instant seemed an age whilst we waited.
The wind came now in fierce bursts, and the snow was
driven with fury as it swept upon us in circling eddies.
At times we could not see an arm's length before us.
But at others, as the hollow sounding wind swept by us, it seemed
to clear the air space around us so that we could see afar off.
We had of late been so accustomed to watch for sunrise
and sunset, that we knew with fair accuracy when it would be.
And we knew that before long the sun would set.
It was hard to believe that by our watches it was less
than an hour that we waited in that rocky shelter before
the various bodies began to converge close upon us.
The wind came now with fiercer and more bitter sweeps, and more
steadily from the north. It seemingly had driven the snow
clouds from us, for with only occasional bursts, the snow fell.
We could distinguish clearly the individuals of each party,
the pursued and the pursuers. Strangely enough those pursued did
not seem to realize, or at least to care, that they were pursued.
They seemed, however, to hasten with redoubled speed as the sun
dropped lower and lower on the mountain tops.

Closer and closer they drew. The Professor and I crouched
down behind our rock, and held our weapons ready.
I could see that he was determined that they should not pass.
One and all were quite unaware of our presence.

All at once two voices shouted out to, "Halt!"
One was my Jonathan's, raised in a high key of passion.
The other Mr. Morris' strong resolute tone of quiet command.
The gypsies may not have known the language, but there was no
mistaking the tone, in whatever tongue the words were spoken.
Instinctively they reined in, and at the instant Lord Godalming
and Jonathan dashed up at one side and Dr. Seward and Mr. Morris
on the other. The leader of the gypsies, a splendid looking
fellow who sat his horse like a centaur, waved them back,
and in a fierce voice gave to his companions some word to proceed.
They lashed the horses which sprang forward. But the four men
raised their Winchester rifles, and in an unmistakable way
commanded them to stop. At the same moment Dr. Van Helsing
and I rose behind the rock and pointed our weapons at them.
Seeing that they were surrounded the men tightened their reins
and drew up. The leader turned to them and gave a word at
which every man of the gypsy party drew what weapon he carried,
knife or pistol, and held himself in readiness to attack.
Issue was joined in an instant.

The leader, with a quick movement of his rein, threw his horse out
in front, and pointed first to the sun, now close down on the hill tops,
and then to the castle, said something which I did not understand.
For answer, all four men of our party threw themselves from their
horses and dashed towards the cart. I should have felt terrible
fear at seeing Jonathan in such danger, but that the ardor
of battle must have been upon me as well as the rest of them.
I felt no fear, but only a wild, surging desire to do something.
Seeing the quick movement of our parties, the leader of the gypsies
gave a command. His men instantly formed round the cart in a sort
of undisciplined endeavor, each one shouldering and pushing the other
in his eagerness to carry out the order.

In the midst of this I could see that Jonathan on one side of the ring
of men, and Quincey on the other, were forcing a way to the cart.
It was evident that they were bent on finishing their task before
the sun should set. Nothing seemed to stop or even to hinder them.
Neither the levelled weapons nor the flashing knives of the gypsies
in front, nor the howling of the wolves behind, appeared to even
attract their attention. Jonathan's impetuosity, and the manifest
singleness of his purpose, seemed to overawe those in front of him.
Instinctively they cowered aside and let him pass.
In an instant he had jumped upon the cart, and with a strength
which seemed incredible, raised the great box, and flung it
over the wheel to the ground. In the meantime, Mr. Morris had
had to use force to pass through his side of the ring of Szgany.
All the time I had been breathlessly watching Jonathan I had,
with the tail of my eye, seen him pressing desperately forward,
and had seen the knives of the gypsies flash as he won a way through them,
and they cut at him. He had parried with his great bowie knife,
and at first I thought that he too had come through in safety.
But as he sprang beside Jonathan, who had by now jumped from the cart,
I could see that with his left hand he was clutching at his side,
and that the blood was spurting through his fingers. He did not
delay notwithstanding this, for as Jonathan, with desperate energy,
attacked one end of the chest, attempting to prize off the lid with his
great Kukri knife, he attacked the other frantically with his bowie.
Under the efforts of both men the lid began to yield.
The nails drew with a screeching sound, and the top of the box
was thrown back.

By this time the gypsies, seeing themselves covered by the Winchesters,
and at the mercy of Lord Godalming and Dr. Seward, had given
in and made no further resistance. The sun was almost down on
the mountain tops, and the shadows of the whole group fell upon
the snow. I saw the Count lying within the box upon the earth,
some of which the rude falling from the cart had scattered over him.
He was deathly pale, just like a waxen image, and the red eyes
glared with the horrible vindictive look which I knew so well.

As I looked, the eyes saw the sinking sun, and the look of hate in them
turned to triumph.

But, on the instant, came the sweep and flash of Jonathan's great knife.
I shrieked as I saw it shear through the throat. Whilst at the same moment
Mr. Morris's bowie knife plunged into the heart.

It was like a miracle, but before our very eyes, and almost in the drawing
of a breath, the whole body crumbled into dust and passed from our sight.

I shall be glad as long as I live that even in that moment
of final dissolution, there was in the face a look of peace,
such as I never could have imagined might have rested there.

The Castle of Dracula now stood out against the red sky,
and every stone of its broken battlements was articulated
against the light of the setting sun.

The gypsies, taking us as in some way the cause of the extraordinary
disappearance of the dead man, turned, without a word, and rode
away as if for their lives. Those who were unmounted jumped upon
the leiter wagon and shouted to the horsemen not to desert them.
The wolves, which had withdrawn to a safe distance, followed in
their wake, leaving us alone.

Mr. Morris, who had sunk to the ground, leaned on his elbow,
holding his hand pressed to his side. The blood still
gushed through his fingers. I flew to him, for the Holy
circle did not now keep me back, so did the two doctors.
Jonathan knelt behind him and the wounded man laid back his head
on his shoulder. With a sigh he took, with a feeble effort,
my hand in that of his own which was unstained.

He must have seen the anguish of my heart in my face, for he smiled
at me and said, "I am only too happy to have been of service! Oh, God!"
he cried suddenly, struggling to a sitting posture and pointing to me.
"It was worth for this to die! Look! Look!"

The sun was now right down upon the mountain top, and the red
gleams fell upon my face, so that it was bathed in rosy light.
With one impulse the men sank on their knees and a deep
and earnest "Amen" broke from all as their eyes followed
the pointing of his finger.

The dying man spoke, "Now God be thanked that all has not been
in vain! See! The snow is not more stainless than her forehead!
The curse has passed away!"

And, to our bitter grief, with a smile and in silence, he died,
a gallant gentleman.

NOTE

Seven years ago we all went through the flames. And the happiness
of some of us since then is, we think, well worth the pain we endured.
It is an added joy to Mina and to me that our boy's birthday is the same
day as that on which Quincey Morris died. His mother holds, I know,
the secret belief that some of our brave friend's spirit has passed into him.
His bundle of names links all our little band of men together.
But we call him Quincey.

In the summer of this year we made a journey to Transylvania,
and went over the old ground which was, and is, to us so full
of vivid and terrible memories. It was almost impossible
to believe that the things which we had seen with our own
eyes and heard with our own ears were living truths.
Every trace of all that had been was blotted out. The castle
stood as before, reared high above a waste of desolation.

When we got home we were talking of the old time, which we could all look
back on without despair, for Godalming and Seward are both happily married.
I took the papers from the safe where they had been ever since our return
so long ago. We were struck with the fact, that in all the mass of material
of which the record is composed, there is hardly one authentic document.
Nothing but a mass of typewriting, except the later notebooks of Mina
and Seward and myself, and Van Helsing's memorandum. We could hardly ask
any one, even did we wish to, to accept these as proofs of so wild a story.
Van Helsing summed it all up as he said, with our boy on his knee.

"We want no proofs. We ask none to believe us! This boy will
some day know what a brave and gallant woman his mother is.
Already he knows her sweetness and loving care.
Later on he will understand how some men so loved her,
that they did dare much for her sake.

JONATHAN HARKER

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