26 July.—I am anxious, and it soothes me
to express myself here. It is like whispering
to one’s self and listening at the same time.
And there is also something about the shorthand symbols
that makes it different from writing. I am unhappy
about Lucy and about Jonathan. I had not heard
from Jonathan for some time, and was very concerned,
but yesterday dear Mr. Hawkins, who is always so kind,
sent me a letter from him. I had written asking
him if he had heard, and he said the enclosed had
just been received. It is only a line dated
from Castle Dracula, and says that he is just starting
for home. That is not like Jonathan. I
do not understand it, and it makes me uneasy.
Then, too, Lucy, although she is so well, has lately
taken to her old habit of walking in her sleep.
Her mother has spoken to me about it, and we have
decided that I am to lock the door of our room every
night.
Mrs. Westenra has got an idea that sleep-walkers always
go out on roofs of houses and along the edges of cliffs
and then get suddenly wakened and fall over with a
despairing cry that echoes all over the place.
Poor dear, she is naturally anxious about Lucy, and
she tells me that her husband, Lucy’s father,
had the same habit, that he would get up in the night
and dress himself and go out, if he were not stopped.
Lucy is to be married in the autumn, and she is already
planning out her dresses and how her house is to be
arranged. I sympathise with her, for I do the
same, only Jonathan and I will start in life in a
very simple way, and shall have to try to make both
ends meet.
Mr. Holmwood, he is the Hon. Arthur Holmwood, only
son of Lord Godalming, is coming up here very shortly,
as soon as he can leave town, for his father is not
very well, and I think dear Lucy is counting the moments
till he comes.
She wants to take him up in the seat on the churchyard
cliff and show him the beauty of Whitby. I daresay
it is the waiting which disturbs her. She will
be all right when he arrives.
27 July.—No news from Jonathan. I
am getting quite uneasy about him, though why I should
I do not know, but I do wish that he would write,
if it were only a single line.
Lucy walks more than ever, and each night I am awakened
by her moving about the room. Fortunately, the
weather is so hot that she cannot get cold.
But still, the anxiety and the perpetually being awakened
is beginning to tell on me, and I am getting nervous
and wakeful myself. Thank God, Lucy’s
health keeps up. Mr. Holmwood has been suddenly
called to Ring to see his father, who has been taken
seriously ill. Lucy frets at the postponement
of seeing him, but it does not touch her looks.
She is a trifle stouter, and her cheeks are a lovely
rose-pink. She has lost the anemic look which
she had. I pray it will all last.
