Helsing when he comes. I have sent a telegram to Jonathan to come
on here when he arrives in London from Whitby. In this matter dates
are everything, and I think that if we get all of our material
ready, and have every item put in chronological order, we shall
have done much.
"You tell me that Lord Godalming and Mr. Morris are coming too.
Let us be able to tell them when they come."
He accordingly set the phonograph at a slow pace, and I began to
typewrite from the beginning of the seventeenth cylinder. I used
manifold, and so took three copies of the diary, just as I had done
with the rest. It was late when I got through, but Dr. Seward went
about his work of going his round of the patients. When he had
finished he came back and sat near me, reading, so that I did not
feel too lonely whilst I worked. How good and thoughtful he is. The
world seems full of good men, even if there are monsters in it.
Before I left him I remembered what Jonathan put in his diary of
the Professor's perturbation at reading something in an evening
paper at the station at Exeter, so, seeing that Dr. Seward keeps
his newspapers, I borrowed the files of `The Westminster Gazette'
and `The Pall Mall Gazette' and took them to my room. I remember
how much the `Dailygraph' and `The Whitby Gazette', of which I had
made cuttings, had helped us to understand the terrible events at
Whitby when Count Dracula landed, so I shall look through the
evening papers since then, and perhaps I shall get some new light.
I am not sleepy, and the work will help to keep me quiet.
DR. SEWARD'S DIARY
30 September.—Mr. Harker arrived at nine o'clock. He got his
wife's wire just before starting. He is uncommonly clever, if one
can judge from his face, and full of energy. If this journal be
true, and judging by one's own wonderful experiences, it must be,
he is also a man of great nerve. That going down to the vault a
second time was a remarkable piece of daring. After reading his
account of it I was prepared to meet a good specimen of manhood,account of it I was prepared to meet a good specimen of manhood,
but hardly the quiet, business-like gentleman who came here
today.
LATER.—After lunch Harker and his wife went back to their own
room, and as I passed a while ago I heard the click of the
typewriter. They are hard at it. Mrs. Harker says that knitting
together in chronological order every scrap of evidence they have.
Harker has got the letters between the consignee of the boxes at
Whitby and the carriers in London who took charge of them. He is
now reading his wife's transcript of my diary. I wonder what they
make out of it. Here it is …
Strange that it never struck me that the very next house might
be the Count's hiding place! Goodness knows that we had enough
clues from the conduct of the patient Renfield! The bundle of
letters relating to the purchase of the house were with the
transcript. Oh, if we had only had them earlier we might have saved
poor Lucy! Stop! That way madness lies! Harker has gone back, and
is again collecting material. He says that by dinner time they will
be able to show a whole connected narrative. He thinks that in the
meantime I should see Renfield, as hitherto he has been a sort of
index to the coming and going of the Count. I hardly see this yet,
but when I get at the dates I suppose I shall. What a good thing
that Mrs. Harker put my cylinders into type! We never could have
found the dates otherwise.
I found Renfield sitting placidly in his room with his hands
folded, smiling benignly. At the moment he seemed as sane as any
one I ever saw. I sat down and talked with him on a lot of
subjects, all of which he treated naturally. He then, of his own
accord, spoke of going home, a subject he has never mentioned to my
knowledge during his sojourn here. In fact, he spoke quite
confidently of getting his discharge at once. I believe that, had I
not had the chat with Harker and read the letters and the dates of
his outbursts, I should have been prepared to sign for him after ahis outbursts, I should have been prepared to sign for him after a
brief time of observation. As it is, I am darkly suspicious. All
those outbreaks were in some way linked with the proximity of the
Count. What then does this absolute content mean? Can it be that
his instinct is satisfied as to the vampire's ultimate triumph?
Stay. He is himself zoophagous, and in his wild ravings outside the
chapel door of the deserted house he always spoke of `master'. This
all seems confirmation of our idea. However, after a while I came
away. My friend is just a little too sane at present to make it
safe to probe him too deep with questions. He might begin to think,
and then … So I came away. I mistrust these quiet moods of of
his, so I have given the attendant a hint to look closely after
him, and to have a strait waistcoat ready in case of need.
JOHNATHAN HARKER'S JOURNAL
29 September, in train to London.—When I received Mr.
Billington's courteous message that he would give me any
information in his power I thought it best to go down to Whitby and
make, on the spot, such inquiries as I wanted. It was now my object
to trace that horrid cargo of the Count's to its place in London.
Later, we may be able to deal with it. Billington junior, a nice
lad, met me at the station, and brought me to his father's house,
where they had decided that I must spend the night. They are
hospitable, with true Yorkshire hospitality, give a guest
everything and leave him to do as he likes. They all knew that I
was busy, and that my stay was short, and Mr. Billington had ready
in his office all the papers concerning the consignment of boxes.
It gave me almost a turn to see again one of the letters which I
had seen on the Count's table before I knew of his diabolical
plans. Everything had been carefully thought out, and done
systematically and with precision. He seemed to have been prepared
for every obstacle which might be placed by accident in the way of
his intentions being carried out. To use an Americanism, he had