She grew paler as she asked faintly, “Why?”
“Because,” he answered solemnly, “he
can live for centuries, and you are but mortal woman.
Time is now to be dreaded, since once he put that
mark upon your throat.”
I was just in time to catch her as she fell forward
in a faint.
DR. SEWARD’S PHONOGRAPH DIARY
You are to stay with your dear Madam Mina. We
shall go to make our search, if I can call it so,
for it is not search but knowing, and we seek confirmation
only. But do you stay and take care of her today.
This is your best and most holiest office. This
day nothing can find him here.
Let me tell you that so you will know what we four
know already, for I have tell them. He, our
enemy, have gone away. He have gone back to
his Castle in Transylvania. I know it so well,
as if a great hand of fire wrote it on the wall.
He have prepare for this in some way, and that last
earth box was ready to ship somewheres. For this
he took the money. For this he hurry at the
last, lest we catch him before the sun go down.
It was his last hope, save that he might hide in the
tomb that he think poor Miss Lucy, being as he thought
like him, keep open to him. But there was not
of time. When that fail he make straight for
his last resource, his last earth-work I might say
did I wish double entente. He is clever, oh
so clever! He know that his game here was finish.
And so he decide he go back home. He find ship
going by the route he came, and he go in it.
We go off now to find what ship, and whither bound.
When we have discover that, we come back and tell
you all. Then we will comfort you and poor Madam
Mina with new hope. For it will be hope when
you think it over, that all is not lost. This
very creature that we pursue, he take hundreds of
years to get so far as London. And yet in one
day, when we know of the disposal of him we drive him
out. He is finite, though he is powerful to
do much harm and suffers not as we do. But we
are strong, each in our purpose, and we are all more
strong together. Take heart afresh, dear husband
of Madam Mina. This battle is but begun and
in the end we shall win. So sure as that God
sits on high to watch over His children. Therefore
be of much comfort till we return.
4 October.—When I read to Mina, Van Helsing’s
message in the phonograph, the poor girl brightened
up considerably. Already the certainty that
the Count is out of the country has given her comfort.
And comfort is strength to her. For my own part,
now that his horrible danger is not face to face with
us, it seems almost impossible to believe in it.
Even my own terrible experiences in Castle Dracula
seem like a long forgotten dream. Here in the
crisp autumn air in the bright sunlight.
