be useful to me.
First, he asked if a man in England might have two solicitors or
more. I told him he might have a dozen if he wished, but that it
would not be wise to have more than one solicitor engaged in one
transaction, as only one could act at a time, and that to change
would be certain to militate against his interest. He seemed
thoroughly to understand, and went on to ask if there would be any
practical difficulty in having one man to attend, say, to banking,
and another to look after shipping, in case local help were needed
in a place far from the home of the banking solicitor. I asked to
explain more fully, so that I might not by any chance mislead him,
so he said,
"I shall illustrate. Your friend and mine, Mr. Peter Hawkins,
from under the shadow of your beautiful cathedral at Exeter, which
is far from London, buys for me through your good self my place at
London. Good! Now here let me say frankly, lest you should think it
strange that I have sought the services of one so far off from
London instead of some one resident there, that my motive was that
no local interest might be served save my wish only, and as one of
London residence might, perhaps, have some purpose of himself or
friend to serve, I went thus afield to seek my agent, whose labours
should be only to my interest. Now, suppose I, who have much of
affairs, wish to ship goods, say, to Newcastle, or Durham, or
Harwich, or Dover, might it not be that it could with more ease be
done by consigning to one in these ports?"
I answered that certainly it would be most easy, but that we
solicitors had a system of agency one for the other, so that local
work could be done locally on instruction from any solicitor, so
that the client, simply placing himself in the hands of one man,
could have his wishes carried out by him without further
trouble.
"But," said he,"I could be at liberty to direct myself. Is it
not so?"
"Of course, " I replied, and "Such is often done by men of
business, who do not like the whole of their affairs to be known bybusiness, who do not like the whole of their affairs to be known by
any one person."
"Good!" he said, and then went on to ask about the means of
making consignments and the forms to be gone through, and of all
sorts of difficulties which might arise, but by forethought could
be guarded against. I explained all these things to him to the best
of my ability, and he certainly left me under the impression that
he would have made a wonderful solicitor, for there was nothing
that he did not think of or foresee. For a man who was never in the
country, and who did not evidently do much in the way of business,
his knowledge and acumen were wonderful. When he had satisfied
himself on these points of which he had spoken, and I had verified
all as well as I could by the books available, he suddenly stood up
and said, "Have you written since your first letter to our friend
Mr. Peter Hawkins, or to any other?"
It was with some bitterness in my heart that I answered that I
had not, that as yet I had not seen any opportunity of sending
letters to anybody.
"Then write now, my young friend," he said, laying a heavy hand
on my shoulder, "write to our friend and to any other, and say, if
it will please you, that you shall stay with me until a month from
now."
"Do you wish me to stay so long?" I asked, for my heart grew
cold at the thought.
"I desire it much, nay I will take no refusal. When your master,
employer, what you will, engaged that someone should come on his
behalf, it was understood that my needs only were to be consulted.
I have not stinted. Is it not so?"
What could I do but bow acceptance? It was Mr. Hawkins'
interest, not mine, and I had to think of him, not myself, and
besides, while Count Dracula was speaking, there was that in his
eyes and in his bearing which made me remember that I was a
prisoner, and that if I wished it I could have no choice. The Count
saw his victory in my bow, and his mastery in the trouble of my
face, for he began at once to use them, but in his own smooth,
resistless way.face, for he began at once to use them, but in his own smooth,
resistless way.
"I pray you, my good young friend, that you will not discourse
of things other than business in your letters. It will doubtless
please your friends to know that you are well, and that you look
forward to getting home to them. Is it not so?" As he spoke he
handed me three sheets of note paper and three envelopes. They were
all of the thinnest foreign post, and looking at them, then at him,
and noticing his quiet smile, with the sharp, canine teeth lying
over the red underlip, I understood as well as if he had spoken
that I should be more careful what I wrote, for he would be able to
read it. So I determined to write only formal notes now, but to
write fully to Mr. Hawkins in secret, and also to Mina, for to her
I could write shorthand, which would puzzle the Count, if he did
see it. When I had written my two letters I sat quiet, reading a
book whilst the Count wrote several notes, referring as he wrote
them to some books on his table. Then he took up my two and placed
them with his own, and put by his writing materials, after which,
the instant the door had closed behind him, I leaned over and
looked at the letters, which were face down on the table. I felt no
compunction in doing so for under the circumstances I felt that I
should protect myself in every way I could.
One of the letters was directed to Samuel F. Billington, No. 7,
The Crescent, Whitby, another to Herr Leutner, Varna. The third was
to Coutts & Co., London, and the fourth to Herren Klopstock
& Billreuth, bankers, Buda Pesth. The second and fourth were
unsealed. I was just about to look at them when I saw the door
handle move. I sank back in my seat, having just had time to resume
my book before the Count, holding still another letter in his hand,
entered the room. He took up the letters on the table and stamped
them carefully, and then turning to me, said,
"I trust you will forgive me, but I have much work to do in