JONATHAN HARKER’S JOURNAL
1 October, 5 A.M.—I went with the party
to the search with an easy mind, for I think I never
saw Mina so absolutely strong and well. I am
so glad that she consented to hold back and let us
men do the work. Somehow, it was a dread to me
that she was in this fearful business at all, but
now that her work is done, and that it is due to her
energy and brains and foresight that the whole story
is put together in such a way that every point tells,
she may well feel that her part is finished, and that
she can henceforth leave the rest to us. We were,
I think, all a little upset by the scene with Mr. Renfield.
When we came away from his room we were silent till
we got back to the study.
Then Mr. Morris said to Dr. Seward, “Say, Jack,
if that man wasn’t attempting a bluff, he is
about the sanest lunatic I ever saw. I’m
not sure, but I believe that he had some serious purpose,
and if he had, it was pretty rough on him not to get
a chance.”
Lord Godalming and I were silent, but Dr. Van Helsing
added, “Friend John, you know more lunatics
than I do, and I’m glad of it, for I fear that
if it had been to me to decide I would before that
last hysterical outburst have given him free.
But we live and learn, and in our present task we
must take no chance, as my friend Quincey would say.
All is best as they are.”
Dr. Seward seemed to answer them both in a dreamy
kind of way, “I don’t know but that I
agree with you. If that man had been an ordinary
lunatic I would have taken my chance of trusting him,
but he seems so mixed up with the Count in an indexy
kind of way that I am afraid of doing anything wrong
by helping his fads. I can’t forget how
he prayed with almost equal fervor for a cat, and then
tried to tear my throat out with his teeth.
Besides, he called the Count ’lord and master’,
and he may want to get out to help him in some diabolical
way. That horrid thing has the wolves and the
rats and his own kind to help him, so I suppose he
isn’t above trying to use a respectable lunatic.
He certainly did seem earnest, though. I only
hope we have done what is best. These things,
in conjunction with the wild work we have in hand,
help to unnerve a man.”
The Professor stepped over, and laying his hand on
his shoulder, said in his grave, kindly way, “Friend
John, have no fear. We are trying to do our
duty in a very sad and terrible case, we can only do
as we deem best. What else have we to hope for,
except the pity of the good God?”
Lord Godalming had slipped away for a few minutes,
but now he returned. He held up a little silver
whistle as he remarked, “That old place may
be full of rats, and if so, I’ve got an antidote
on call.”
Having passed the wall, we took our way to the house,
taking care to keep in the shadows of the trees on
the lawn when the moonlight shone out. When
we got to the porch the Professor opened his bag and
took out a lot of things, which he laid on the step,
sorting them into four little groups, evidently one
for each. Then he spoke.
