Jonathan
Harker's Journal12 May Let me begin with facts, bare, meager facts,
verified by books and figures, and of which there can be no doubt. I must not
confuse them with experiences which will have to rest on my own observation, or
my memory of them. Last evening when the Count came from his room he began by
asking me questions on legal matters and on the doing of certain kinds of business.
I had spent the day wearily over books, and, simply to keep my mind occupied,
went over some of the matters I had been examined in at Lincoln's Inn. There was
a certain method in the Count's inquiries, so I shall try to put them down in
sequence. The knowledge may somehow or some time be useful to me. First,
he asked if a man in England might have two solicitors or more. I told him he
might have a dozen if he wished, but that it would not be wise to have more than
one solicitor engaged in one transaction, as only one could act at a time, and
that to change would be certain to militate against his interest. He seemed thoroughly
to understand, and went on to ask if there would be any practical difficulty in
having one man to attend, say, to banking, and another to look after shipping,
in case local help were needed in a place far from the home of the banking solicitor.
I asked to explain more fully, so that I might not by any chance mislead him,
so he said, "I shall illustrate. Your friend and mine, Mr. Peter Hawkins,
from under the shadow of your beautiful cathedral at Exeter, which is far from
London, buys for me through your good self my place at London. Good! Now here
let me say frankly, lest you should think it strange that I have sought the services
of one so far off from London instead of some one resident there, that my motive
was that no local interest might be served save my wish only, and as one of London
residence might, perhaps, have some purpose of himself or friend to serve, I went
thus afield to seek my agent, whose labours should be only to my interest. Now,
suppose I, who have much of affairs, wish to ship goods, say, to Newcastle, or
Durham, or Harwich, or Dover, might it not be that it could with more ease be
done by consigning to one in these ports?" I answered that certainly
it would be most easy, but that we solicitors had a system of agency one for the
other, so that local work could be done locally on instruction from any solicitor,
so that the client, simply placing himself in the hands of one man, could have
his wishes carried out by him without further trouble. "But,"
said he,"I could be at liberty to direct myself. Is it not so?" "Of
course, " I replied, and "Such is often done by men of business, who
do not like the whole of their affairs to be known by any one person." "Good!"
he said, and then went on to ask about the means of making consignments and the
forms to be gone through, and of all sorts of difficulties which might arise,
but by forethought could be guarded against. I explained all these things to him
to the best of my ability, and he certainly left me under the impression that
he would have made a wonderful solicitor, for there was nothing that he did not
think of or foresee. For a man who was never in the country, and who did not evidently
do much in the way of business, his knowledge and acumen were wonderful. When
he had satisfied himself on these points of which he had spoken, and I had verified
all as well as I could by the books available, he suddenly stood up and said,
"Have you written since your first letter to our friend Mr. Peter Hawkins,
or to any other?" It was with some bitterness in my heart that I answered
that I had not, that as yet I had not seen any opportunity of sending letters
to anybody. "Then write now, my young friend," he said, laying
a heavy hand on my shoulder, "write to our friend and to any other, and say,
if it will please you, that you shall stay with me until a month from now." "Do
you wish me to stay so long?" I asked, for my heart grew cold at the thought. "I
desire it much, nay I will take no refusal. When your master, employer, what you
will, engaged that someone should come on his behalf, it was understood that my
needs only were to be consulted. I have not stinted. Is it not so?" What
could I do but bow acceptance? It was Mr. Hawkins' interest, not mine, and I had
to think of him, not myself, and besides, while Count Dracula was speaking, there
was that in his eyes and in his bearing which made me remember that I was a prisoner,
and that if I wished it I could have no choice. The Count saw his victory in my
bow, and his mastery in the trouble of my face, for he began at once to use them,
but in his own smooth, resistless way. "I pray you, my good young friend,
that you will not discourse of things other than business in your letters. It
will doubtless please your friends to know that you are well, and that you look
forward to getting home to them. Is it not so?" As he spoke he handed me
three sheets of note paper and three envelopes. They were all of the thinnest
foreign post, and looking at them, then at him, and noticing his quiet smile,
with the sharp, canine teeth lying over the red underlip, I understood as well
as if he had spoken that I should be more careful what I wrote, for he would be
able to read it. So I determined to write only formal notes now, but to write
fully to Mr. Hawkins in secret, and also to Mina, for to her I could write shorthand,
which would puzzle the Count, if he did see it. When I had written my two letters
I sat quiet, reading a book whilst the Count wrote several notes, referring as
he wrote them to some books on his table. Then he took up my two and placed them
with his own, and put by his writing materials, after which, the instant the door
had closed behind him, I leaned over and looked at the letters, which were face
down on the table. I felt no compunction in doing so for under the circumstances
I felt that I should protect myself in every way I could. One of the letters
was directed to Samuel F.Billington , No. 7, The Crescent, Whitby, another to
Herr Leutner, Varna. The third was to Coutts & Co., London, and the fourth
to Herren Klopstock & Billreuth, bankers, Buda Pesth. The second and fourth
were unsealed. I was just about to look at them when I saw the door handle move.
I sank back in my seat, having just had time to resume my book before the Count,
holding still another letter in his hand, entered the room. He took up the letters
on the table and stamped them carefully, and then turning to me, said, "I
trust you will forgive me, but I have much work to do in private this evening.
You will, I hope, find all things as you wish." At the door he turned, and
after a moment's pause said, "Let me advise you, my dear young friend. Nay,
let me warn you with all seriousness, that should you leave these rooms you will
not by any chance go to sleep in any other part of the castle. It is old, and
has many memories, and there are bad dreams for those who sleep unwisely. Be warned!
Should sleep now or ever overcome you, or be like to do, then haste to your own
chamber or to these rooms, for your rest will then be safe. But if you be not
careful in this respect, then," He finished his speech in a gruesome way,
for he motioned with his hands as if he were washing them. I quite understood.
My only doubt was as to whether any dream could be more terrible than the unnatural,
horrible net of gloom and mystery which seemed closing around me. |
