seem to have strength to speak, so for a while we were all silent.
Then Van Helsing beckoned to me, and we went gently out of the
room. The instant we had closed the door he stepped quickly along
the passage to the next door, which was open. Then he pulled me
quickly in with him and closed the door. "My god!" he said. "This
is dreadful. There is not time to be lost. She will die for sheer
want of blood to keep the heart's action as it should be. There
must be a transfusion of blood at once. Is it you or me?"
"I am younger and stronger, Professor. It must be me."
"Then get ready at once. I will bring up my bag. I am
prepared."
I went downstairs with him, and as we were going there was a
knock at the hall door. When we reached the hall, the maid had just
opened the door, and Arthur was stepping quickly in. He rushed up
to me, saying in an eager whisper,
"Jack, I was so anxious. I read between the lines of your
letter, and have been in an agony. The dad was better, so I ran
down here to see for myself. Is not that gentleman Dr. Van Helsing?
I am so thankful to you, sir, for coming."
When first the Professor's eye had lit upon him, he had been
angry at his interruption at such a time, but now, as he took in
his stalwart proportions and recognized the strong young manhood
which seemed to emanate from him, his eyes gleamed. Without a pause
he said to him as he held out his hand,
"Sir, you have come in time. You are the lover of our dear miss.
She is bad, very, very bad. Nay, my child, do not go like that."For
he suddenly grew pale and sat down in a chair almost fainting. "You
are to help her. You can do more than any that live, and your
courage is your best help."
"What can I do?" asked Arthur hoarsely. "Tell me, and I shall do
it. My life is hers' and I would give the last drop of blood in my
body for her."
The Professor has a strongly humorous side, and I could from old
knowledge detect a trace of its origin in his answer.
"My young sir, I do not ask so much as that, not the last!""My young sir, I do not ask so much as that, not the last!"
"What shall I do?" There was fire in his eyes, and his open
nostrils quivered with intent. Van Helsing slapped him on the
shoulder.
"Come!" he said. "You are a man, and it is a man we want. You
are better than me, better than my friend John." Arthur looked
bewildered, and the Professor went on by explaining in a kindly
way.
"Young miss is bad, very bad. She wants blood, and blood she
must have or die. My friend John and I have consulted, and we are
about to perform what we call transfusion of blood, to transfer
from full veins of one to the empty veins which pine for him. John
was to give his blood, as he is the more young and strong than
me."—Here Arthur took my hand and wrung it hard in silence.—"But
now you are here, you are more good than us, old or young, who toil
much in the world of thought. Our nerves are not so calm and our
blood so bright than yours!"
Arthur turned to him and said, "If you only knew how gladly I
would die for her you would understand … " He stopped with a
sort of choke in his voice.
"Good boy!" said Van Helsing. "In the not-so-far-off you will be
happy that you have done all for her you love. Come now and be
silent. You shall kiss her once before it is done, but then you
must go, and you must leave at my sign. Say no word to Madame. You
know how it is with her. There must be no shock, any knowledge of
this would be one. Come!"
We all went up to Lucy's room. Arthur by direction remained
outside. Lucy turned her head and looked at us, but said nothing.
She was not asleep, but she was simply too weak to make the effort.
Her eyes spoke to us, that was all.
Van Helsing took some things from his bag and laid them on a
little table out of sight. Then he mixed a narcotic, and coming
over to the bed, said cheerily, "Now, little miss, here is your
medicine. Drink it off, like a good child. See, I lift you so that
to swallow is easy. Yes." She had made the effort with success.to swallow is easy. Yes." She had made the effort with success.
It astonished me how long the drug took to act. This, in fact,
marked the extent of her weakness. The time seemed endless until
sleep began to flicker in her eyelids. At last, however, the
narcotic began to manifest its potency, and she fell into a deep
sleep. When the Professor was satisfied, he called Arthur into the
room, and bade him strip off his coat. Then he added, "You may take
that one little kiss whiles I bring over the table. Friend John,
help to me!" So neither of us looked whilst he bent over her.
Van Helsing, turning to me, said, "He is so young and strong,
and of blood so pure that we need not defibrinate it."
Then with swiftness, but with absolute method, Van Helsing
performed the operation. As the transfusion went on, something like
life seemed to come back to poor Lucy's cheeks, and through
Arthur's growing pallor the joy of his face seemed absolutely to
shine. After a bit I began to grow anxious, for the loss of blood
was telling on Arthur, strong man as he was. It gave me an idea of
what a terrible strain Lucy's system must have undergone that what
weakened Arthur only partially restored her.
But the Professor's face was set, and he stood watch in hand,
and with his eyes fixed now on the patient and now on Arthur. I
could hear my own heart beat. Presently, he said in a soft voice,
"Do not stir an instant. It is enough. You attend him. I will look
to her."
When all was over, I could see how much Arthur was weakened. I
dressed the wound and took his arm to bring him away, when Van
Helsing spoke without turning round, the man seems to have eyes in
the back of his head,"The brave lover, I think, deserve another
kiss, which he shall have presently." And as he had now finished
his operation, he adjusted the pillow to the patient's head. As he
did so the narrow black velvet band which she seems always to wear
round her throat, buckled with an old diamond buckle which her