Dracula. Bram Stoker

that I had been sleeping, he said:

      «So, my friend, you are tired? Get to bed. There is the surest

      rest. I may not have the pleasure to talk to-night, since there are

      many labours to me; but you will sleep, I pray.» I passed to my

      room and went to bed, and, strange to say, slept without dream-

      ing. Despair has its own calms.

      31 May. This morning when I woke I thought I would pro-

      vide myself with some paper and envelopes from my bag and

      keep them in my pocket, so that I might write in case I should

      get an opportunity, but again a surprise, again a shock!

      Every scrap of paper was gone, and with it all my notes, my

      memoranda, relating to railways and travel, my letter of credit,

      Jonathan Harker’s Journal 41

      in fact all that might be useful to me were I once outside the

      castle. I sat and pondered awhile, and then some thought oc-

      curred to me, and I made search of my portmanteau and in the

      wardrobe where I had placed my clothes.

      The suit in which I had travelled was gone, and also my over-

      coat and rug; I could find no trace of them anywhere. This

      looked like some new scheme of villainy

      17 June. This morning, as I was sitting on the edge of my

      bed cudgelling my brains, I heard without a cracking of whips

      and pounding and scraping of horses’ feet up the rocky path

      beyond the courtyard. With joy I hurried to the window, and

      saw drive into the yard two great leiter-wagons, each drawn by

      eight sturdy horses, and at the head of each pair a Slovak, with

      his wide hat, great nail-studded belt, dirty sheepskin, and high

      boots. They had also their long staves in hand. I ran to the door,

      intending to descend and try and join them through the main

      hall, as I thought that way might be opened for them. Again a

      shock: my door was fastened on the outside.

      Then I ran to the window and cried to them. They looked

      up at me stupidly and pointed, but just then the «hetman»

      of the Szgany came out, and seeing them pointing to my window,

      said something, at which they laughed. Henceforth no effort of

      mine, no piteous cry or agonised entreaty, would make them

      even look at me. They resolutely turned away. The leiter-wagons

      contained great, square boxes, with handles of thick rope; these

      were evidently empty by the ease with which the Slovaks handled

      them, and by their resonance as they were roughly moved.

      When they were all unloaded and packed in a great heap in one

      corner of the yard, the Slovaks were given some money by the

      Szgany, and spitting on it for luck, lazily went each to his

      horse’s head. Shortly afterwards, I heard the cracking of their

      whips die away in the distance.

      24, June, before morning. Last night the Count left me early,

      and locked himself into his own room. As soon as I dared I ran up

      the winding stair, and looked out of the window, which opened

      south. I thought I would watch for the Count, for there is some-

      thing going on. The Szgany are quartered somewhere in the’castle

      and are doing work of some kind. I know it, for now and then I

      hear a far-away muffled sound as of mattock and spade, and,

      whatever it is % it must be the end of some ruthless villainy.

      42 Dracula

      I had been at the window somewhat less than half an hour,

      when I saw something coming out of the Count’s window. I

      drew back and watched carefully, and saw the whole man

      emerge. It was a new shock to me to find that he had on the

      suit of clothes which I had worn whilst travelling here, and

      slung over his shoulder the terrible bag which I had seen the

      women take away. There could be no doubt as to his quest, and

      ’in my garb, too! This, then, is his new scheme of evil: that he

      will allow others to see me, as they think, so that he may both

      leave evidence that I have been seen in the towns or villages

      posting my own letters, and that any wickedness which he may

      do shall by the local people be attributed to me.

      It makes me rage to think that this can go on, and whilst I

      am shut up here, a veritable prisoner, but without that protec-

      tion of the law which is even a criminal’s right and consolation.

      I thought I would watch for the Count’s return, and for a

      long time sat doggedly at the window. Then I began to notice

      that there were some quaint little specks floating hi the rays of

      the moonlight. They were like the tiniest grains of dust, and they

      whirled round and gathered in clusters in a nebulous sort of way.

      I watched them with a sense of soothing, and a sort of calm stole

      over me. I leaned back in the embrasure in a more comfortable

      position, so that I could enjoy more fully the aerial gambolling.

      Something made me start up, a low, piteous howling of dogs

      somewhere far below in the valley, which was hidden from my

      sight. Louder it seemed to ring in my ears, and the floating motes

      of dust to take new shapes to the sound as they danced in the

      moonlight. I felt myself struggling to awake to some call of

      my instincts; nay, my very soul was struggling, and my half-

      remembered sensibilities were striving to answer the call. I was

      becoming hypnotised! Quicker and quicker danced the dust;

      the moonbeams seemed to quiver as they went by me into the

      mass of gloom beyond. More and more they gathered till they

      seemed to take dim phantom shapes. And then I started, broad

      awake and in full possession of my senses, and ran screaming

      from the place. The phantom shapes, which were becoming grad-

      ually materialised from the moonbeams, were those of the three

      ghostly women to whom I was doomed. I fled, and felt somewhat

      safer in my own room, where there was no moonlight and where

      the lamp was burning brightly.

      When