CHAPTER 12 MINA Hanker’s Diany, Exeren 23 September Jonathan is going to be away today so I shall lock myself in my room and read his diary. 24 September 1 could not write last night. I was too upset by what I had read. Can it be true? Or was it a sick mind that wrote all those terrible things? I suppose I shall never know because I do not want to worry him with questions. And yet ... he seemed quite sure about the man we saw yesterday. That terrible Count was coming to London .... I shall make a copy of the diary on my typewriter” so that I can discuss it with Jonathan when he is ready. Lerten, Van Hetsine 10 Mas Wanker, ExereR Hillingham 24 September Dear Mrs Harker, Mr Arthur Holmwood has kindly allowed me to read Miss Lucy Westenra’s papers. Among them, I found some letters from you. They show that you were Miss Lucy’s friend and that you loved her. I am writing now to ask for your help. Would it be possible for us to meet? Then I can explain more. I am a friend of Dr John Seward so you can trust me. I will come to Exeter at once if you can see me. Van Helsing 63DRACULA TeLeGRaM, Mas HankeR, ExereR, 10 VAN HELSING, HILLINGHAM 25 September Come today. Can see you any time. Miva Hanken’s Diany, EXETER 25 September 1 expect Dr Van Helsing wants to talk to me about Lucy’s sleepwalking habit. That terrible night by the church must have made her ill. Later Dr Van Helsing came for lunch. He is a man of great mental and physical power. I liked and trusted him at once. ‘T know you were with Lucy at Whitby? he said. ‘She wrote in a diary of certain things that happened to her after sleepwalking. Can you tell me what you remember? It may help to explain her illness.” "You can read my diary if you wish) I said and gave it to him. ‘Read it now and I will order lunch. Then you can ask me questions while we eat’ When I returned, he had finished reading. We sat down to lunch and he thanked me. ‘Mrs Harker, you have helped me very much - more than you can know. If ever I can do anything for you, I hope you will tell me. Then he asked me about Jonathan’ illness. ‘Is your husband well again?’ I had been so worried about Jonathan. There was no one I could talk to about the mystery of his diary and the shock he had had in London. At Dr Van Helsing’s kind words, I could no longer hide my fear and I started to cry. 64CHAPTER TWELVE ‘Mrs Harker, I will be glad to help your husband} said Van Helsing. ‘I have some business to attend to this afternoon, and I am going to stay in Exeter tonight. I will come to see you again tomorrow. Then you can tell me what troubles you, “Thank you! Thank you!’ I said. ‘You have made me feel better already. But I would like to give you something to read, first. It will tell you everything’ And I gave him a copy of Jonathan’s diary. Lerten, VAN Heusing 10 Mas HARKER (Deuivenen oy nano) Clarence Hotel, Exeter 25 September, 6 o'clock Dear Mrs Harker, [have read your husband’s diary. I want you to know at once that it is all true! He must be a very brave and strong man. I am sure his brain and heart ate all right, so you need not worry about that. But there is much I want to ask him, Yours, Abraham Van Helsing Lerten, Mas Harken 10 Van Hetstne (Detivene ay HAND) 25 September, 6.30pm Dear Dr Van Helsing, Thank you for your kind letter. It has made my heart much lighter, But that terrible Count is in London! We saw him in the park two days ago. Will you come to 65DRACULA breakfast with us tomorrow to meet Jonathan? Your friend, Mina Harker JONATHAN Hanken’s Diany, EXeren 26 September 1 did not think I would ever write in this notebook again, but apparently my story is not yet finished! Last night, Mina told me about Van Helsing’s visit and that she had shown him our diaries. Then she gave me his letter. So he thinks it was all true! It has made me feel like a new man. I was afraid my mind was failing ... and the fear was making me ill. I can face anything now - even the Count himself, It was him I saw in London. Mina thinks Van Helsing is the man to hunt and destroy him .... I met the doctor at breakfast this morning. We were friends at once. He said he already knew me very well from Mina’s letters and the diaries! He has a very high opinion of Mina and says she has helped him a lot. He believes there is some connection between Count Dracula’ arrival in England and Lucy’s death, but he will not say any more at present Mina and I are ready to help him in any way. ‘You can give me some important information, Mr Harker) he said. ‘I need details of all the Count's business affairs. Tell me everything you did for him before you went to Transylvania’ ‘Tl give you all my papers. You can read them on the train on your way back to London; I said I took him to the railway station and bought him a Daily Telegraph. While we waited for the train to start, heCHAPTER THIRTEEN saw something in the paper that made his face go white. He spoke to himself in a low voice. ‘So soon! So soon!” Just then the train started. He remembered me, and put his head out of the window. ‘Give my love to Mrs Mina. I will write soon. CHAPTER 13 Dr Sewann’s Diany, PURFLEET 26 September On his return from Exeter, Van Helsing called on me. He pushed a newspaper into my hand. ‘What do you think of that?’ He pointed to an article on missing children who had been found with bleeding marks on their necks. ‘Well?’ he said. ‘It’s like poor Lucy ... perhaps they were all hurt in the same way? “And how was that? What do you suspect?” I shook my head. ‘I don’t know’ He laughed sadly. ‘Ah, your science ... it wants to explain everything. If it cannot, it says that there is nothing to explain! But there are always mysteries in life. Keep an open mind, John’ ‘I don’t know what you mean, I said. “You think that the children were hurt by the same thing that hurt her, don’t you?’ he asked. “Yes, I suppose so.’ “You are wrong. It is much worse. Those marks on the the children’s necks were made by Miss Lucy!’ I shouted at him in anger. ‘Dr Van Helsing, are you orDRACULA completely mad?’ “Trust me, John, as you always have. Come with me tonight, and I will show you.’ Later After dark, I followed Van Helsing to Lucy’s grave, which was in the Westenra family vault” next to their local church. He had taken a key from Mrs Westenra’s desk before we left Hillingham and we entered without difficulty. Then, to my horror, he opened Lucy’s coffin’, It was empty .... ‘Are you satisfied now, John?’ he asked. ‘I can see that somebody has taken her body, I replied. ‘Medical students sometimes pay people to do that’? The sun was nearly up when we closed the grave again and left the little building. I was cold, sleepy and angry, and walked quickly away. Van Helsing stopped me. ‘Look!’ he whispered. ‘A white shape was visible among the trees ahead of us. When we moved towards it, the figure disappeared behind the church. But it left something on the ground .... Van Helsing went forward and picked up a small child. She was asleep but not hurt. ‘Thank God! We were in time, he said. * At that time, there were people who stole the bodies of those who had recently died, and sold them to doctors or medical students for use in their studies. 68CHAPTER THIRTEEN ahike A FMAM A white shape was visible among the trees ahead of us. Lerten, Van Heisine To Anton HoLmwoon, GonALMINe Berkeley Hotel, London 27 September Dear Mr Holmwood, I must speak to you at once. There is important work to do. I have new information about Lucy’s death. Please come to the Berkeley Hotel at ten o'clock tomorrow night and bring Mr Quincey Morris with’ you. Yours, Van Helsing 69DRACULA Da Sewann’s Diary, PURFLEET 28 September We left the child for the police to find, and then came home for a long sleep. There must be some good reason for all this mystery! I wonder if Van Helsing is going mad. Did he remove Lucy's body himself? I must watch him carefully, 29 September, morning Last night, Arthur, Quincey and I met Van Helsing in his hotel room. He looked straight at Arthur. ‘There is no easy way to tell you this, Mr Holmwood, so I will be direct. Two days ago, John and I visited Lucy's grave and opened her coffin. It was empty. Lucy’s body was not there’ “You opened her coffin?’ cried Arthur. He looked from Van Helsing to me as if he could not believe his ears. Van Helsing continued. ‘Yesterday morning, I returned to the grave alone. This time, she was there. She looked beautiful. Her-lips were red, her face had a healthy colour-’ “Are you trying to tell me that she was put in her grave alive?’ shouted Arthur. ‘I did not say she was alive, said Van Helsing, ‘but she is not truly dead. I think she is one of the Un-Dead? ‘Not alive! Un-Dead! What do you mean?’ Arthur jumped up and stood over the old man threateningly. “When Miss Lucy walked in her sleep to the church at Whitby, I believe she was bitten by one of the Un-Dead - by a vampire. That is how she lost so much blood, through the holes in her neck. I have wondered about this for some time. Now, I am sure. Lucy herself has 70CHAPTER FOURTEEN become a vampire! Her spirit will never be free unless ... unless ...,‘ he hesitated. Arthur had sat down again, with his head in his hands. Now, he looked up at Van Helsing, “Unless - what?’ he asked. “Unless I cut off her head and destroy her heart!" ‘No!’ cried Arthur in horror. ‘I will never agree. | must protect Lucy. Why are you saying such terrible things about that sweet girl? Are you mad?’ Van Helsing stood up and looked at him hard. ‘Mr Holmwood, I have to protect people, too. I ask you only to come with me, and to look and listen. I will do anything to save Lucy’s brave spirit. I promised her - and I will give my life for her if necessary’ Arthur was deeply affected. Tears ran down his face and he took Van Helsing’s hand. ‘I cannot understand ... I cannot; he said in a broken voice. ‘But I will go with you. CHAPTER 14 Dn Sewann’s Diany, Ponrueet 29 September, morning (continued) At midnight last night, we took Arthur and Quincey to the vault and Van Helsing again opened the coffin. It was empty. After a few moments’ silence, Quincey spoke. ‘Dr Van Helsing, do you give me your word that you haven’t done this?” ‘I do} said Van Helsing. ‘I have not removed" or a