tender solicitude, and when he had finished with his penitent
said,
"There, I knew the poor old chap would get into some kind of
trouble. Didn't I say it all along? Here's his head all cut and
full of broken glass. `E's been a-gettin' over some bloomin' wall
or other. It's a shyme that people are allowed to top their walls
with broken bottles. This `ere's what comes of it. Come along,
Bersicker."
He took the wolf and locked him up in a cage, with a piece of
meat that satisfied, in quantity at any rate, the elementary
conditions of the fatted calf, and went off to report.
I came off too, to report the only exclusive information that is
given today regarding the strange escapade at the Zoo.
DR. SEWARD'S DIARY
17 September.—I was engaged after dinner in my study posting up
my books, which, through press of other work and the many visits to
Lucy, had fallen sadly into arrear. Suddenly the door was burst
open, and in rushed my patient, with his face distorted with
passion. I was thunderstruck, for such a thing as a patient getting
of his own accord into the Superintendent's study is almost
unknown.
Without an instant's notice he made straight at me. He had a
dinner knife in his hand, and as I saw he was dangerous, I tried to
keep the table between us. He was too quick and too strong for me,
however, for before I could get my balance he had struck at me and
cut my left wrist rather severely.
Before he could strike again, however, I got in my right hand
and he was sprawling on his back on the floor. My wrist bled
freely, and quite a little pool trickled on to the carpet. I saw
that my friend was not intent on further effort, and occupied
myself binding up my wrist, keeping a wary eye on the prostrate
figure all the time. When the attendants rushed in, and we turned
our attention to him, his employment positively sickened me. He was
lying on his belly on the floor licking up, like a dog, the blood
which had fallen from my wounded wrist. He was easily secured, andwhich had fallen from my wounded wrist. He was easily secured, and
to my surprise, went with the attendants quite placidly, simply
repeating over and over again, "The blood is the life! The blood is
the life!"
I cannot afford to lose blood just at present. I have lost too
much of late for my physical good, and then the prolonged strain of
Lucy's illness and its horrible phases is telling on me. I am over
excited and weary, and I need rest, rest, rest. Happily Van Helsing
has not summoned me, so I need not forego my sleep. Tonight I could
not well do without it.
TELEGRAM, VAN HELSING, ANTWERP, TO SEWARD, CARFAX
(Sent to Carfax, Sussex, as no county given, delivered late by
twenty-two hours.)
17 September.—Do not fail to be at Hilllingham tonight. If not
watching all the time, frequently visit and see that flowers are as
placed, very important, do not fail. Shall be with you as soon as
possible after arrival.
DR. SEWARD'S DIARY
18 September.—Just off train to London. The arrival of Van
Helsing's telegram filled me with dismay. A whole night lost, and I
know by bitter experience what may happen in a night. Of course it
is possible that all may be well, but what may have happened?
Surely there is some horrible doom hanging over us that every
possible accident should thwart us in all we try to do. I shall
take this cylinder with me, and then I can complete my entry on
Lucy's phonograph. MEMORANDUM LEFT BY LUCY WESTENRA
17 September, Night.—I write this and leave it to be seen, so
that no one may by any chance get into trouble through me. This is
an exact record of what took place tonight. I feel I am dying of
weakness, and have barely strength to write, but it must be done if
I die in the doing.
I went to bed as usual, taking care that the flowers were placed
as Dr. Van Helsing directed, and soon fell asleep.
I was waked by the flapping at the window, which had begun after
that sleep-walking on the cliff at Whitby when Mina saved me, and
which now I know so well. I was not afraid, but I did wish that Dr.which now I know so well. I was not afraid, but I did wish that Dr.
Seward was in the next room, as Dr. Van Helsing said he would be,
so that I might have called him. I tried to sleep, but I could not.
Then there came to me the old fear of sleep, and I determined to
keep awake. Perversely sleep would try to come then when I did not
want it. So, as I feared to be alone, I opened my door and called
out. "Is there anybody there?" There was no answer. I was afraid to
wake mother, and so closed my door again. Then outside in the
shrubbery I heard a sort of howl like a dog's, but more fierce and
deeper. I went to the window and looked out, but could see nothing,
except a big bat, which had evidently been buffeting its wings
against the window. So I went back to bed again, but determined not
to go to sleep. Presently the door opened, and mother looked in.
Seeing by my moving that I was not asleep, she came in and sat by
me. She said to me even more sweetly and softly than her wont,
"I was uneasy about you, darling, and came in to see that you
were all right."
I feared she might catch cold sitting there, and asked her to
come in and sleep with me, so she came into bed, and lay down
beside me. She did not take off her dressing gown, for she said she
would only stay a while and then go back to her own bed. As she lay
there in my arms, and I in hers the flapping and buffeting came to
the window again. She was startled and a little frightened, and
cried out, "What is that?"
I tried to pacify her, and at last succeeded, and she lay quiet.
But I could hear her poor dear heart still beating terribly. After
a while there was the howl again out in the shrubbery, and shortly
after there was a crash at the window, and a lot of broken glass
was hurled on the floor. The window blind blew back with the wind
that rushed in, and in the aperture of the broken panes there was
the head of a great, gaunt gray wolf.
Mother cried out in a fright, and struggled up into a sitting
posture, and clutched wildly at anything that would help her.