beloved husband, that should the time come, you will kill me."
"What is that time?" The voice was Quincey's, but it was low and
strained.
"When you shall be convinced that I am so changed that it is
better that I die that I may live. When I am thus dead in the
flesh, then you will, without a moment's delay, drive a stake
through me and cut off my head, or do whatever else may be wanting
to give me rest!"
Quincey was the first to rise after the pause. He knelt down
before her and taking her hand in his said solemnly, "I'm only a
rough fellow, who hasn't, perhaps, lived as a man should to win
such a distinction, but I swear to you by all that I hold sacred
and dear that, should the time ever come, I shall not flinch from
the duty that you have set us. And I promise you, too, that I shall
make all certain, for if I am only doubtful I shall take it that
the time has come!"
"My true friend!" was all she could say amid her fastfalling
tears, as bending over, she kissed his hand.
"I swear the same, my dear Madam Mina!"said Van Helsing. "And
I!" said Lord Godalming, each of them in turn kneeling to her to
take the oath. I followed, myself.
Then her husband turned to her wan-eyed and with a greenish
pallor which subdued the snowy whiteness of his hair, and asked,
"And must I, too, make such a promise, oh, my wife?"
"You too, my dearest,"she said, with infinite yearning of pity
in her voice and eyes. "You must not shrink. You are nearest and
dearest and all the world to me. Our souls are knit into one, for
all life and all time. Think, dear, that there have been times when
brave men have killed their wives and their womenkind, to keep them
from falling into the hands of the enemy. Their hands did not
falter any the more because those that they loved implored them to
slay them. It is men's duty towards those whom they love, in such
times of sore trial! And oh, my dear, if it is to be that I must
meet death at any hand, let it be at the hand of him that loves me
best. Dr. Van Helsing, I have not forgotten your mercy in poorbest. Dr. Van Helsing, I have not forgotten your mercy in poor
Lucy's case to him who loved." She stopped with a flying blush, and
changed her phrase, "to him who had best right to give her peace.
If that time shall come again, I look to you to make it a happy
memory of my husband's life that it was his loving hand which set
me free from the awful thrall upon me."
"Again I swear!" came the Professor's resonant voice.
Mrs. Harker smiled, positively smiled, as with a sigh of relief
she leaned back and said, "And now one word of warning, a warning
which you must never forget. This time, if it ever come, may come
quickly and unexpectedly, and in such case you must lose no time in
using your opportunity. At such a time I myself might be …
nay! If the time ever come, shall be, leagued with your enemy
against you.
"One more request," she became very solemn as she said this, "it
is not vital and necessary like the other, but I want you to do one
thing for me, if you will."
We all acquiesced, but no one spoke. There was no need to
speak.
"I want you to read the Burial Service." She was interrupted by
a deep groan from her husband. Taking his hand in hers, she held it
over her heart, and continued. "You must read it over me some day.
Whatever may be the issue of all this fearful state of things, it
will be a sweet thought to all or some of us. You, my dearest, will
I hope read it, for then it will be in your voice in my memory
forever, come what may!"
"But oh, my dear one," he pleaded, "death is afar off from
you."
"Nay," she said, holding up a warning hand. "I am deeper in
death at this moment than if the weight of an earthly grave lay
heavy upon me!"
"Oh, my wife, must I read it?"he said, before he began.
"It would comfort me, my husband!" was all she said, and he
began to read when she had got the book ready.
How can I, how could anyone, tell of that strange scene, its
solemnity, its gloom,its sadness, its horror, and withal, its
sweetness. Even a sceptic, who can see nothing but a travesty ofsweetness. Even a sceptic, who can see nothing but a travesty of
bitter truth in anything holy or emotional, would have been melted
to the heart had he seen that little group of loving and devoted
friends kneeling round that stricken and sorrowing lady. Or heard
the tender passion of her husband's voice, as in tones so broken
and emotional that often he had to pause, he read the simple and
beautiful service from the Burial of the Dead. I cannot go
on … words … and v-voices … f-fail m-me!
She was right in her instinct. Strange as it was, bizarre as it
may hereafter seem even to us who felt its potent influence at the
time, it comforted us much. And the silence, which showed Mrs.
Harker's coming relapse from her freedom of soul, did not seem so
full of despair to any of us as we had dreaded.
JONATHAN HARKER'S JOURNAL
15 October, Varna.—We left Charing Cross on the morning of the
12th, got to Paris the same night, and took the places secured for
us in the Orient Express. We traveled night and day, arriving here
at about five o'clock. Lord Godalming went to the Consulate to see
if any telegram had arrived for him, whilst the rest of us came on
to this hotel, "the Odessus." The journey may have had incidents. I
was, however, too eager to get on, to care for them. Until the
Czarina Catherine comes into port there will be no interest for me
in anything in the wide world. Thank God! Mina is well, and looks
to be getting stronger. Her color is coming back. She sleeps a
great deal. Throughout the journey she slept nearly all the time.
Before sunrise and sunset, however, she is very wakeful and alert.
And it has become a habit for Van Helsing to hypnotize her at such
times. At first, some effort was needed, and he had to make many
passes. But now, she seems to yield at once, as if by habit, and
scarcely any action is needed. He seems to have power at these
particular moments to simply will, and her thoughts obey him. He
always asks her what she can see and hear.
She answers to the first, "Nothing, all is dark."