took his fly box, and emptied it outside, and threw away the box. Then he
shut the window, and crossing over, sat down on his bed. All this surprised me,
so I asked him,"Are you going to keep flies any more?"
"No," said he. "I am sick of all that rubbish!" He
certainly is a wonderfully interesting study. I wish I could get some glimpse
of his mind or of the cause of his sudden passion. Stop. There may be a clue
after all, if we can find why today his paroxysms came on at high noon and at
sunset. Can it be that there is a malign influence of the sun at periods which
affects certain natures, as at times the moon does others? We shall see.
TELEGRAM. SEWARD, LONDON, TO VAN HELSING, AMSTERDAM
"4 September.--Patient still better today."
TELEGRAM, SEWARD, LONDON, TO VAN HELSING, AMSTERDAM
"5 September.--Patient greatly improved. Good appetite, sleeps
naturally, good spirits, color coming back."
TELEGRAM, SEWARD, LONDON, TO VAN HELSING, AMSTERDAM
"6 September.--Terrible change for the worse. Come at once. Do not lose
an hour. I hold over telegram to Holmwood till have seen you."

LETTER, DR. SEWARD TO HON. ARTHUR HOLMWOOD
6 September
"My dear Art,
"My news today is not so good. Lucy this morning had gone back a bit.
There is, however, one good thing which has arisen from it. Mrs. Westenra was
naturally anxious concerning Lucy, and has consulted me professionally about
her. I took advantage of the opportunity, and told her that my old master, Van Helsing,
the great specialist, was coming to stay with me, and that I would put her in
his charge conjointly with myself. So now we can come and go without alarming
her unduly, for a shock to her would mean sudden death, and this, in Lucy's
weak condition, might be disastrous to her. We are hedged in with difficulties,
all of us, my poor fellow, but, please God, we shall come through them all
right. If any need I shall write, so that, if you do not hear from me, take it
for granted that I am simply waiting for news, In haste,
"Yours ever,"
John Seward
DR. SEWARD'S DIARY