Dracula. Bram Stoker

all over the town, sometimes in rows where the streets

      are, and sometimes singly; they run right up the Esk and die

      away in the curve of the valley. To my left the view is cut off

      by a black line of roof of the old house next the abbey. The sheep

      and lambs are bleating in the fields away behind me, and there

      is a clatter of a donkey’s hoofs up the paved road below. The

      band on the pier is playing a harsh waltz in good time, and

      further along the quay there is a Salvation Army meeting in a

      back street. Neither of the bands hears the other, but up here I

      hear and see them both. I wonder where Jonathan is and if he is

      thinking of me! I wish he were here.

      Dr. Seward’s Diary.

      5 June. The case of Renfield grows more interesting the more

      I get to understand the man. He has certain qualities very largely

      developed; selfishness, secrecy, and purpose. I wish I could get

      at what is the object of the latter. He seems to have some settled

      scheme of his own, but what it is I do not yet know. His redeem-

      ing quality is a love of animals, though, indeed, he has such

      curious turns in it that I sometimes imagine he is only abnorm-

      ally cruel. His pets are of odd sorts. Just now his hobby is catch-

      ing flies. He has at present such a quantity that I have had

      myself to expostulate. To my astonishment, he did not break

      out into a fury, as I expected, but took the matter in simple

      seriousness. He thought for a moment, and then said: «May I

      have three days? I shall clear them away.» Of course, I said that

      would do. I must watch him.

      18 June. He has turned his mind now to spiders, and has got

      several very big fellows in a box. He keeps feeding them with his

      Mina Murray’s Journal 65

      flies, and the number of the latter is becoming sensibly dimin-

      ished, although he has used half his food in attracting more flies

      from outside to his room.

      j July. His spiders are now becoming as great a nuisance as

      his flies, and to-day I told him that he must get rid of them. He

      looked very sad at this, so I said that he must clear out some of

      them, at all events. He cheerfully acquiesced in this, and I gave

      him the same time as before for reduction. He disgusted me much

      while with him, for when a horrid blow-fly, bloated with some

      carrion food, buzzed into the room, he caught it, held it exult-

      antly for a few moments between his finger and thumb, and,

      before I knew what he was going to do, put it in his mouth and

      ate it. I scolded him for it, but he argued quietly that it was very

      good and very wholesome; that it was life, strong life, and gave

      fife to him. This gave me an idea, or the rudiment of one. I must

      watch how he gets rid of his spiders. He has evidently some deep

      problem in his mind, for he keeps a little note-book in which he

      is always jotting down something. Whole pages of it are filled

      with masses of figures, generally single numbers added up in

      batches, and then the totals added in batches again, as though he

      were «focussing» some account, as the auditors put it.

      8 Jiily. There is a method in his madness, and the rudimen-

      tary idea in my mind is growing. It will be a whole idea soon, and

      then, oh, unconscious cerebration! you will have to give the

      wall to your conscious brother. I kept away from my friend for

      a few days, so that I might notice if there were any change.

      Things remain as they were except that he has parted with

      some of his pets and got a new one. He has managed to get a

      sparrow, and has already partially tamed it. His means of taming

      is simple, for already the spiders have diminished. Those that

      do remain, however, are well fed, for he still brings in the flies

      by tempting them with his food.

      ig July. We are progressing. My friend has now a whole

      colony of sparrows, and his flies and spiders are almost obliter-

      ated. When I came in he ran to me and said he wanted to ask

      me a great favour a very, very great favour; and as he spoke he

      fawned on me like a dog. I asked him what it was, and he said,

      with a sort of rapture in his voice and bearing:

      «A kitten, a nice little, sleek playful kitten, that I can play

      with, and teach, and feed and feed and feed!» I was not

      66 Dracula

      unprepared for this request, for I had noticed how his pets wef. t

      on increasing in size and vivacity, but I did not care that his

      pretty family of tame sparrows should be wiped out in the same

      manner as the flies and the spiders; so I said I would see about it,

      and asked him if he would not rather have a cat than a kitten.

      His eagerness betrayed him as he answered:

      «Oh, yes, I would like a cat! I only asked for a kitten lest you

      should refuse me a cat. No one would refuse me a kitten, would

      they?» I shook my head, and said that at present I feared it

      would not be possible, but that I would see about it. His face

      fell, and I could see a warning of danger in it, for there was a

      sudden fierce, sidelong look which meant killing. The man is an

      undeveloped homicidal maniac. I shall test him with his present

      craving and see how it will work out; then I shall know more.

      10 p. m. I have visited him again and found him sitting in a

      corner brooding. When I came in he threw himself on his knees

      before me and implored me to let him have a cat; that his salva-

      tion depended upon it. I was firm, however, and told him that

      he could not have it, whereupon he went without a word, and

      sat down, gnawing his fingers, in the corner where I had found

      him. I shall see him in the morning early.

      20 July. Visited Renfield very early, before the attendant

      went his rounds. Found him up and humming a tune. He was

      spreading out his