round her throat, buckled with an old diamond buckle which her
lover had given her, was dragged a little up, and showed a red mark
on her throat.
Arthur did not notice it, but I could hear the deep hiss of
indrawn breath which is one of Van Helsing's ways of betraying
emotion. He said nothing at the moment, but turned to me, saying,
"Now take down our brave young lover, give him of the port wine,
and let him lie down a while. He must then go home and rest, sleep
much and eat much, that he may be recruited of what he has so given
to his love. He must not stay here. Hold a moment! I may take it,
sir, that you are anxious of result. Then bring it with you, that
in all ways the operation is successful. You have saved her life
this time, and you can go home and rest easy in mind that all that
can be is. I shall tell her all when she is well. She shall love
you none the less for what you have done. Goodbye."
When Arthur had gone I went back to the room. Lucy was sleeping
gently, but her breathing was stronger. I could see the counterpane
move as her breast heaved. By the bedside sat Van Helsing, looking
at her intently. The velvet band again covered the red mark. I
asked the Professor in a whisper, "What do you make of that mark on
her throat?"
"What do you make of it?"
"I have not examined it yet," I answered, and then and there
proceeded to loose the band. Just over the external jugular vein
there were two punctures, not large, but not wholesome looking.
There was no sign of disease, but the edges were white and worn
looking, as if by some trituration. It at once occurred to me that
that this wound, or whatever it was, might be the means of that
manifest loss of blood. But I abandoned the idea as soon as it
formed, for such a thing could not be. The whole bed would have
been drenched to a scarlet with the blood which the girl must have
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.""Well?" said Van Helsing.
"Well," said I. "I can make nothing of it."
The Professor stood up. "I must go back to Amsterdam tonight,"
he said "There are books and things there which I want. You must
remain here all night, and you must 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 that she is well fed, and that nothing disturbs her. You must
not sleep all the night.Later on we can sleep, you and I. I shall
be back as soon as possible. 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
moment later and put his head inside the door and said with a
warning finger held up, "Remember, she is your charge. If you leave
her, and harm befall, you shall not sleep easy hereafter!"
DR. SEWARD'S DIARY—CONTINUED
8 September.—I sat up all night with Lucy. The opiate worked
itself off towards dusk, and she waked naturally. She looked a
different being from what she had been before the operation. Her
spirits even were good, and she was full of a happy vivacity, but I
could see evidences of the absolute prostration which she had
undergone. When I told Mrs. Westenra that Dr. Van Helsing had
directed that I should sit up with her, she almost pooh-poohed the
idea, pointing out her daughter's renewed strength and excellent
spirits. I was firm, however, and made preparations for my long
vigil. When her maid had prepared her for the night I came in,
having in the meantime had supper, and took a seat by the
bedside.
She did not in any way make objection, but looked at me
gratefully whenever I caught her eye. After a long spell she seemed
sinking off to sleep, but with an effort seemed to pull herself
together and shook it off. It was apparent that she did not want to
sleep, so I tackled the subject at once.
"You do not want to sleep?"
"No. I am afraid."
"Afraid to go to sleep! Why so? It is the boon we all crave
for.""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. All this weakness comes to me in sleep, until I dread the
very thought."
"But, my dear girl, you may sleep tonight. I am here watching
you, and I can promise that nothing will happen."
"Ah, I can trust you!" she said.
I seized the opportunity, and said, "I promise 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
will sleep!" And almost at the word she gave a deep sigh of relief,
and sank back, asleep.
All night long I watched by her. She never stirred, but slept on
and on in a deep, tranquil, life-giving, healthgiving sleep. Her
lips were slightly parted, and her breast rose and fell with the
regularity of a pendulum. There was a smile on her face, and it was
evident that no bad dreams had come to disturb her peace of
mind.
In the early morning her maid came, and I left her in her care
and took myself back home, for I was anxious about many things. I
sent a short wire to Van Helsing and to Arthur, telling them of the
excellent result of the operation. My own work, with its manifold
arrears, took me all day to clear off. It was dark when I was able
to inquire about my zoophagous patient. The report was good. He had
been quite quiet for the past day and night. A telegram came from
Van Helsing at Amsterdam whilst I was at dinner, suggesting that I
should be at Hillingham tonight, as it might be well to be at hand,
and stating that he was leaving by the night mail and would join me
early in the morning.
9 September.—I was pretty tired and worn out when I got to
Hillingham. For two nights I had hardly had a wink of sleep, and my
brain was beginning to feel that numbness which marks cerebral
exhaustion. Lucy was up and in cheerful spirits. When she shook