Dr.
Seward's Diary29 September I was so absorbed in that wonderful diary
of Jonathan Harker and that other of his wife that I let the time run on without
thinking. Mrs. Harker was not down when the maid came to announce dinner, so I
said, "She is possibly tired. Let dinner wait an hour," and I went on
with my work. I had just finished Mrs. Harker's diary, when she came in. She looked
sweetly pretty, but very sad, and her eyes were flushed with crying. This somehow
moved me much. Of late I have had cause for tears, God knows! But the relief of
them was denied me, and now the sight of those sweet eyes, brightened by recent
tears, went straight to my heart. So I said as gently as I could, "I greatly
fear I have distressed you." "Oh, no, not distressed me,"
she replied. "But I have been more touched than I can say by your grief.
That is a wonderful machine, but it is cruelly true. It told me, in its very tones,
the anguish of your heart. It was like a soul crying out to Almighty God. No one
must hear them spoken ever again! See, I have tried to be useful. I have copied
out the words on my typewriter, and none other need now hear your heart beat,
as I did." "No one need ever know, shall ever know," I said
in a low voice. She laid her hand on mine and said very gravely, "Ah, but
they must!" "Must! But why?" I asked. "Because
it is a part of the terrible story, a part of poor Lucy's death and all that led
to it. Because in the struggle which we have before us to rid the earth of this
terrible monster we must have all the knowledge and all the help which we can
get. I think that the cylinders which you gave me contained more than you intended
me to know. But I can see that there are in your record many lights to this dark
mystery. You will let me help, will you not? I know all up to a certain point,
and I see already, though your diary only took me to 7 September, how poor Lucy
was beset, and how her terrible doom was being wrought out. Jonathan and I have
been working day and night since Professor Van Helsing saw us. He is gone to Whitby
to get more information, and he will be here tomorrow to help us. We need have
no secrets amongst us. Working together and with absolute trust, we can surely
be stronger than if some of us were in the dark." She looked at me
so appealingly, and at the same time manifested such courage and resolution in
her bearing, that I gave in at once to her wishes. "You shall," I said,
"do as you like in the matter. God forgive me if I do wrong! There are terrible
things yet to learn of, but if you have so far traveled on the road to poor Lucy's
death, you will not be content, I know, to remain in the dark. Nay, the end, the
very end, may give you a gleam of peace. Come, there is dinner. We must keep one
another strong for what is before us. We have a cruel and dreadful task. When
you have eaten you shall learn the rest, and I shall answer any questions you
ask, if there be anything which you do not understand, though it was apparent
to us who were present." |
