he were to swing for it. I opened the window and signed to the man not to
notice, so he contented himself after looking the place over and making up his
mind as to what kind of place he had got to by saying, `Lor' bless yer, sir, I
wouldn't mind what was said to me in a bloomin' madhouse. I pity ye and the
guv'nor for havin' to live in the house with a wild beast like that.'
"Then he asked his way civilly enough, and I told him where the gate of
the empty house was. He went away followed by threats and curses and revilings
from our man. I went down to see if I could make out any cause for his anger,
since he is usually such a well-behaved man, and except his violent fits
nothing of the kind had ever occurred. I found him, to my astonishment, quite
composed and most genial in his manner. I tried to get him to talk of the
incident, but he blandly asked me questions as to what I meant, and led me to
believe that he was completely oblivious of the affair. It was, I am sorry to
say, however, only another instance of his cunning, for within half an hour I
heard of him again. This time he had broken out through the window of his room,
and was running down the avenue. I called to the attendants to follow me, and
ran after him, for I feared he was intent on some mischief. My fear was
justified when I saw the same cart which had passed before coming down the
road, having on it some great wooden boxes. The men were wiping their
foreheads, and were flushed in the face, as if with violent exercise. Before I
could get up to him, the patient rushed at them, and pulling one of them off
the cart, began to knock his head against the ground. If I had not seized him
just at the moment, I believe he would have killed the man there and then. The
other fellow jumped down and struck him over the head with the butt end of his
heavy whip. It was a horrible blow, but he did not seem to mind it, but seized
him also, and struggled with the three of us, pulling us to and fro as if we
were kittens. You know I am no lightweight, and the others were both burly men.
At first he was silent in his fighting, but as we began to master him, and the
attendants were putting a strait waistcoat on him, he began to shout, `I'll
frustrate them! They shan't rob me!They shan't murder me by inches! I'll fight
for my Lord and Master!'and all sorts of similar incoherent ravings. It was
with very considerable difficulty that they got him back to the house and put
him in the padded room. One of the attendants, Hardy, had a finger broken.
However, I set it all right, and he is going on well.
"The two carriers were at first loud in their threats of actions for
damages, and promised to rain all the penalties of the law on us. Their threats
were, however, mingled with some sort of indirect apology for the defeat of the
two of them by a feeble madman. They said that if it had not been for the way
their strength had been spent in carrying and raising the heavy boxes to the
cart they would have made short work of him. They gave as another reason for
their defeat the extraordinary state of drouth to which they had been reduced
by the dusty nature of their occupation and the reprehensible distance from the
scene of their labors of any place of public entertainment. I quite understood
their drift, and after a stiff glass of strong grog, or rather more of the
same, and with each a sovereign in hand, they made light of the attack, and
swore that they would encounter a worse madman any day for the pleasure of
meeting so `bloomin' good a bloke' as your correspondent. I took their names
and addresses, in case they might be needed. They are as follows: Jack Smollet,
of Dudding's Rents, King George's Road, Great Walworth, and Thomas Snelling,
Peter Farley's Row, Guide Court,
Bethnal Green. They are both in the employment of Harris & Sons, Moving and
Shipment Company, Orange Master's Yard, Soho.
"I shall report to you any matter of interest occurring here, and shall
wire you at once if there is anything of importance.
"Believe me, dear Sir,
"Yours faithfully,
"Patrick Hennessey."
LETTER, MINA HARKER TO LUCY WESTENRA (Unopened by her)