_Letter, Lucy Westenra to Mina Harker._
“_Whitby, 30 August._
“My dearest Mina,--
“Oceans of love and millions of kisses,and may you soon be in your own home with your husband.I wish you could be coming home soon enough to stay with us here.The strong air would soon restore Jonathan;it has quite restored me.I have an appetite like a cormorant, am full of life,and sleep well. You will be glad to know that I have quite given up walking in my sleep. I think I have not stirred out of my bed for a week, that is when I once got into it at night. Arthur says I am getting fat. By the way, I forgot to tell you that Arthur is here. We have such walks and drives, and rides, and rowing, and tennis, and fishing together; and I love him more than ever. He _tells_ me that he loves me more, but I doubt that, for at first he told me that he couldn’t love me more than he did then. But this is nonsense. There he is, calling to me. So no more just at present from your loving
“LUCY.
“P. S.--Mother sends her love. She seems better,poor dear. “P. P. S.--We are to be married on 28 September. ”
_Dr. Seward’s Diary._
_20 August._--The case of Renfield grows even more interesting.He has now so far quieted that there are spells of cessation from his passion.For the first week after his attack he was perpetually violent.Then one night, just as the moon rose, he grew quiet,and kept murmuring to himself: “Now I can wait;now I can wait.” The attendant came to tell me,so I ran down at once to have a look at him.He was still in the strait-waistcoat and in the padded room,but the suffused look had gone from his face,and his eyes had something of their old pleading--I might almost say,“cringing”--softness.I was satisfied with his present condition,and directed him to be relieved.The attendants hesitated,but finally carried out my wishes without protest.It was a strange thing that the patient had humour enough to see their distrust, for, coming close to me, he said in a whisper, all the while looking furtively at them:--
“They think I could hurt you!Fancy _me_ hurting _you_!The fools!”
It was soothing, somehow,to the feelings to find myself dissociated even in the mind of this poor madman from the others; but all the same I do not follow his thought. Am I to take it that I have anything in common with him, so that we are, as it were, to stand together; or has he to gain from me some good so stupendous that my well-being is needful to him?I must find out later on. To-night he will not speak.Even the offer of a kitten or even a full-grown cat will not tempt him.He will only say: “I don’t take any stock in cats.I have more to think of now, and I can wait; I can wait.”
After a while I left him.The attendant tells me that he was quiet until just before dawn,and that then he began to get uneasy,and at length violent,until at last he fell into a paroxysm which exhausted him so that he swooned into a sort of coma.
* * * * *
... Three nights has the same thing happened--violent all day then quiet from moonrise to sunrise. I wish I could get some clue to the cause. It would almost seem as if there was some influence which came and went. Happy thought!We shall to-night play sane wits against mad ones.He escaped before without our help;to-night he shall escape with it.We shall give him a chance,and have the men ready to follow in case they are required....
* * * * *
_23 August._--“The unexpected always happens.” How well Disraeli knew life.Our bird when he found the cage open would not fly,so all our subtle arrangements were for nought.At any rate, we have proved one thing;that the spells of quietness last a reasonable time.We shall in future be able to ease his bonds for a few hours each day.I have given orders to the night attendant merely to shut him in the padded room, when once he is quiet, until an hour before sunrise. The poor soul’s body will enjoy the relief even if his mind cannot appreciate it. Hark!The unexpected again!I am called; the patient has once more escaped.
* * * * *
_Later._--Another night adventure.Renfield artfully waited until the attendant was entering the room to inspect.Then he dashed out past him and flew down the passage.I sent word for the attendants to follow.Again he went into the grounds of the deserted house,and we found him in the same place,pressed against the old chapel door.When he saw me he became furious,and had not the attendants seized him in time,he would have tried to kill me.As we were holding him a strange thing happened.He suddenly redoubled his efforts,and then as suddenly grew calm.I looked round instinctively, but could see nothing.Then I caught the patient’s eye and followed it,but could trace nothing as it looked into the moonlit sky except a big bat,which was flapping its silent and ghostly way to the west.Bats usually wheel and flit about,but this one seemed to go straight on,as if it knew where it was bound for or had some intention of its own.The patient grew calmer every instant,and presently said:--
“You needn’t tie me; I shall go quietly!” Without trouble we came back to the house.I feel there is something ominous in his calm,and shall not forget this night....
_Lucy Westenra’s Diary_
_Hillingham, 24 August._--I must imitate Mina,and keep writing things down.Then we can have long talks when we do meet.I wonder when it will be.I wish she were with me again, for I feel so unhappy.Last night I seemed to be dreaming again just as I was at Whitby.Perhaps it is the change of air, or getting home again.It is all dark and horrid to me,for I can remember nothing;but I am full of vague fear,and I feel so weak and worn out.When Arthur came to lunch he looked quite grieved when he saw me,and I hadn’t the spirit to try to be cheerful.I wonder if I could sleep in mother’s room to-night.I shall make an excuse and try.
* * * * *
_25 August._--Another bad night.Mother did not seem to take to my proposal.She seems not too well herself,and doubtless she fears to worry me.I tried to keep awake, and succeeded for a while;but when the clock struck twelve it waked me from a doze,so I must have been falling asleep.There was a sort of scratching or flapping at the window,but I did not mind it, and as I remember no more,I suppose I must then have fallen asleep.More bad dreams. I wish I could remember them.This morning I am horribly weak.My face is ghastly pale, and my throat pains me.It must be something wrong with my lungs,for I don’t seem ever to get air enough.I shall try to cheer up when Arthur comes,or else I know he will be miserable to see me so.
_Letter, Arthur Holmwood to Dr. Seward._
“_Albemarle Hotel, 31 August._
“My dear Jack,--