Dracula. Bram Stoker

to make a chance, and I helping him all I

      could; I am not ashamed to say it now. I must tell you before-

      hand that Mr. Morris doesn’t always speak slang that is to

      say, he never does so to strangers or before them, for he is really

      Letters, Etc. 55

      well educated and has exquisite manners but he f ouna out that

      it amused me to hear him talk American slang, and whenever I

      was present, and there was no one to be shocked, he said such

      funny things. I air afraid, my dear, he has to invent it all, for

      it fits exactly into whatever else he has to say. But this is a way

      slang has. I do not know myself if I shall ever speak slang; I do

      not know if Arthur likes it, as I have never heard him use any

      as yet. Well, Mr. Morris sat down beside me and looked as

      happy and jolly as he could, but I could see all the same that he

      was very nervous. He took my hand in his, and said ever so

      sweetly:

      «' Miss Lucy, I know I ain’t good enough to regulate the fixin’s

      of your little shoes, but I guess if you wait till you find a man that

      is you will go join them seven young women with the lamps when

      you quit. Won’t you just hitch up alongside of me and let us go

      down the long road together, driving in double harness?»

      «Well, he did look so good-humoured and so jolly that it

      didn’t seem half so hard to refuse him as it did poor Dr. Seward;

      so I said, as lightly as I could, that I did not know anything of

      hitching, and that I wasn’t broken to harness at all yet. Then

      he said that he had spoken in a light manner, and he hoped that

      if he had made a mistake in doing so on so grave, so momentous, 1

      an occasion for him, I would forgive him. He really did look

      serious when he was saying it, and I couldn’t help feeling a bit

      serious too I know, Mina, you will think me a horrid flirt

      though I couldn’t help feeling a sort of exultation that he was

      number two in one day. And then, my dear, before I could say

      a word he began pouring out a perfect torrent of love-making,

      laying his very heart and soul at my feet. He looked so earnest

      over it that I shall never again think that a man must be playful

      always, and never earnest, because he is merry at times. I sup-

      pose he saw something in my face which checked him, for he

      suddenly stopped, and said with a sort of manly fervour that I

      could have loved him for if I had been free:

      ««Lucy, you are an honest-hearted girl, I know. I should not

      be here speaking to you as I am now if I did not believe you clean

      grit, right through to the very depths of your soul. Tell me, like

      one good fellow to another, is there any one else that you care

      for? And if there is I’ll never trouble you a hair’s breadth again,

      but will be, if you will let me,» a very faithful friend.»

      «M} dear Mina, why are men so noble when we women are

      so little worthy of them? Here was I almost making fun of this

      great- aearted, true gentleman. 1 burst into tears I am afraid.

      56 Dracula

      my dear, you will think this a very sloppy letter in more ways

      than one and I really felt very badly. Why can’t they let a girl

      marry three men, or as many. as want her, and save all t\iis

      trouble? But this is heresy, and I must not say it. I am glad to

      say that, though I was crying, I was able to look into Mr. Mor-

      ris’s brave eyes, and I told him out straight:

      ««Yes, there is some one I love, though he has not told me yet

      that he even loves me. ' I was right to speak to him so frankly,

      for quite a light came into his face, and he put out both his hands

      and took mine I think I put them into his and said in a hearty

      way:

      «« That’s my brave girl. It’s better worth being late for a

      chance of winning you than being in time for any other girl in

      the world. Don’t cry, my dear. If it’s for me, I’m a hard nut to

      crack; and I take it standing up. If that other fellow doesn’t

      know his happiness, well, he’d better look for it soon, or he’ll

      have to deal with me. Little girl, your honesty and pluck have

      made me a friend, and that’s rarer than a lover; it’s more un-

      selfish anyhow. My dear, I’m going to have a pretty lonely

      walk between this and Kingdom Come. Won’t you give me one

      kiss? It’ll be something to keep off the darkness now and then.

      You can, you know, if you like, for that other good fellow he

      must be a good fellow, my dear, and a fine fellow, or you could

      not love him hasn’t spoken yet. 7 That quite won me, Mina,

      for it was brave and sweet of him, and noble, too, to a rival

      wasn’t it? and he so sad; so I leant over and kissed him.

      He stood up with my two hands in his, and as he looked down

      into my face I am afraid I was blushing very much he

      said:

      ««Little girl, I hold your hand, and you’ve kissed me, and if

      these things don’t make us friends nothing ever will. Thank you

      for your sweet honesty to me, and good-bye. ' He wrung my hand,

      and taking up his hat, went straight out of the room without

      looking back, without a tear or a quiver or a pause; and JL*am

      cryiifg like a baby. Oh, why must a man like that be made un-

      happy when there are lots of girls about who would worship the

      very ground he trod on? I know I would if I were free only I

      don’t want to be free. My dear, this quite upset me, and I feel

      I cannot write of happiness just at once, after telling you of it;

      and I don’t wish to tell of the number three until it crji be all

      happy.

      «Ever your loving

      «I. UCY.

      Letters, Etc. 57

      «P.S. Oh, about number Three I needn’t tell you of num-

      ber Three, need I? Besides, it was