“Excuse me,” I said, “but the answer
is here.” I laid my hand on the typewritten
matter. “When our sane and learned lunatic
made that very statement of how he used to consume
life, his mouth was actually nauseous with the flies
and spiders which he had eaten just before Mrs. Harker
entered the room.”
Van Helsing smiled in turn. “Good!”
he said. “Your memory is true, friend
John. I should have remembered. And yet
it is this very obliquity of thought and memory which
makes mental disease such a fascinating study.
Perhaps I may gain more knowledge out of the folly
of this madman than I shall from the teaching of the
most wise. Who knows?”
I went on with my work, and before long was through
that in hand. It seemed that the time had been
very short indeed, but there was Van Helsing back
in the study.
“Do I interrupt?” he asked politely as
he stood at the door.
“Not at all,” I answered. “Come
in. My work is finished, and I am free.
I can go with you now, if you like.”
“It is needless, I have seen him!”
“I fear that he does not appraise me at much.
Our interview was short. When I entered his
room he was sitting on a stool in the centre, with
his elbows on his knees, and his face was the picture
of sullen discontent. I spoke to him as cheerfully
as I could, and with such a measure of respect as
I could assume. He made no reply whatever.
‘Don’t you know me?’ I asked.
His answer was not reassuring: ’I know
you well enough; you are the old fool Van Helsing.
I wish you would take yourself and your idiotic brain
theories somewhere else. Damn all thick-headed
Dutchmen!’ Not a word more would he say, but
sat in his implacable sullenness as indifferent to
me as though I had not been in the room at all.
Thus departed for this time my chance of much learning
from this so clever lunatic, so I shall go, if I may,
and cheer myself with a few happy words with that
sweet soul Madam Mina. Friend John, it does rejoice
me unspeakable that she is no more to be pained, no
more to be worried with our terrible things.
Though we shall much miss her help, it is better
so.”
“I agree with you with all my heart,”
I answered earnestly, for I did not want him to weaken
in this matter. “Mrs. Harker is better
out of it. Things are quite bad enough for us,
all men of the world, and who have been in many tight
places in our time, but it is no place for a woman,
and if she had remained in touch with the affair, it
would in time infallibly have wrecked her.”
So Van Helsing has gone to confer with Mrs. Harker
and Harker, Quincey and Art are all out following
up the clues as to the earth boxes. I shall
finish my round of work and we shall meet tonight.
