odor would be too much for the dear child in her weak state, so I took them
all away and opened a bit of the window to let in a little fresh air. You will
be pleased with her, I am sure."
She moved off into her boudoir, where she usually breakfasted early. As she
had spoken, I watched the Professor's face, and saw it turn ashen gray. He had
been able to retain his self-command whilst the poor lady was present, for he
knew her state and how mischievous a shock would be. He actually smiled on her
as he held open the door for her to pass into her room. But the instant she had
disappeared he pulled me, suddenly and forcibly, into the dining room and
closed the door.
Then, for the first time in my life, I saw Van Helsing break down. He raised
his hands over his head in a sort of mute despair, and then beat his palms
together in a helpless way. Finally he sat down on a chair, and putting his
hands before his face, began to sob, with loud, dry sobs that seemed to come
from the very racking of his heart.
Then he raised his arms again, as though appealing to the whole universe.
"God! God! God!" he said. "What have we done, what has this poor
thing done, that we are so sore beset? Is there fate amongst us still, send
down from the pagan world of old, that such things must be, and in such way?
This poor mother, all unknowing, and all for the best as she think, does such
thing as lose her daughter body and soul, and we must not tell her, we must not
even warn her, or she die, then both die. Oh, how we are beset! How are all the
powers of the devils against us!"
Suddenly he jumped to his feet. "Come," he said."come, we
must see and act. Devils or no devils, or all the devils at once, it matters
not. We must fight him all the same." He went to the hall door for his
bag, and together we went up to Lucy's room.
Once again I drew up the blind, whilst Van Helsing went towards the bed.
This time he did not start as he looked on the poor face with the same awful,
waxen pallor as before. He wore a look of stern sadness and infinite pity.
"As I expected," he murmured, with that hissing inspiration of his
which meant so much. Without a word he went and locked the door, and then began
to set out on the little table the instruments for yet another operation of transfusion
of blood. I had long ago recognized the necessity, and begun to take off my
coat, but he stopped me with a warning hand. "No!" he said.
"Today you must operate. I shall provide. You are weakened already."
As he spoke he took off his coat and rolled up his shirtsleeve.
Again the operation. Again the narcotic. Again some return of color to the
ashy cheeks, and the regular breathing of healthy sleep. This time I watched
whilst Van Helsing recruited himself and rested.
Presently he took an opportunity of telling Mrs. Westenra that she must not
remove anything from Lucy's room without consulting him. That the flowers were
of medicinal value, and that the breathing of their odor was a part of the
system of cure. Then he took over the care of the case himself, saying that he
would watch this night and the next, and would send me word when to come.
After another hour Lucy waked from her sleep, fresh and bright and seemingly
not much the worse for her terrible ordeal.
What does it all mean? I am beginning to wonder if my long habit of life
amongst the insane is beginning to tell upon my own brain.
LUCY WESTENRA'S DIARY
17 September.--Four days and nights of peace. I am getting
so strong again that I hardly know myself. It is as if I had passed through some
long nightmare, and had just awakened to see the beautiful sunshine and feel
the fresh air of the morning around me. I have a dim half remembrance of long,
anxious times of waiting and fearing, darkness in which there was not even the
pain of hope to make present distress more poignant. And then long spells of
oblivion, and the