Dracula - Chapter 20

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
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how you can volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording
by Paul S. Jenkins of the rev Up review Dracula

(00:24):
by Bram Stoker, Chapter twenty, Jonathan Harker's journal, first October
evening I found Thomas Snelling in his house at bethnal Green,
but unhappily, he was not in a condition to remember anything.

(00:46):
The very prospect of beer which my expected coming had
opened to him, had proved too much, and he had
begun too early on his expected debauch. I learned, however,
from his wife, who seemed a detail poor soul, that
he was only the assistant of Smollet, who of the
two mates was the responsible person. So off I drove

(01:09):
to Walworth and found mister Joseph Smollett at home and
in his shirt sleeves, taking a late tea out of
a saucer. He is a decent, intelligent fellow, distinctly a
good reliable type of workman, and with a head piece
of his own. He remembered all about the incident of
the boxes, and from a wonderful dogg eared notebook, which

(01:33):
he produced from some mysterious receptacle about the seat of
his trousers, and which had hieroglyphical entries in thick, half
obliterated pencil. He gave me the destinations of the boxes.
There were, he said, six in the cart load which
he took from Carfax and left at one hundred and
ninety seven Chicksand Street, Miland, New Town, and another six

(01:55):
which he deposited at Jamaica Lane, Bermondsey. If then the
Count meant to scatter these ghastly refuges of his over London,
these places were chosen as the first of delivery, so
that later he might distribute more fully. The systematic manner
in which this was done made me think that he
could not mean to confine himself to two sides of London.

(02:19):
He was now fixed on the far east, on the
northern shore, on the east of the southern shore, and
on the south. The north and west were surely never
meant to be left out of his diabolical scheme. Let
alone the city itself and the very heart of fashionable
London in the southwest and west. I went back to
Smollett and asked him if he could tell us if

(02:39):
any other boxes had been taken from Carfax. He replied, well, Governor,
you've treated me very handsome. I had given him half
a sovereign, and I'll tell yer all I know. I
heard a man by the name of Bloxam say, four
nights ago in the air and ounds in pincher alli
as how he and his mate had had a rare

(02:59):
dust job in an old house at Purfleet. There ain't
a many such jobs as this ere, and I'm thinkin
that maybe Sam Bloxam could tell ya summut, I asked
if he could tell me where to find him. I
told him that if he could get me the address,
it would be worth another half sovereign to him. So
he gulped down the rest of his tea and stood up,

(03:20):
saying that he was going to begin the search then
and there at the door, he stopped and said, look ere, guv'nor,
there ain't no sense in me a keepin you here.
I may find Sam soon or I mayn't. But anyhow
he ain't like to be in a way to tell
yo much to night. Sam's a rare one. When he
starts on the booze. If you can give me an

(03:42):
envelope with a stamp on it, and put your address
on it. I'll find out where Sam is to be
found and posted ya to night, but you'd better be
up arter him soon in the mornin'. Never mind the
booze the night afore, this was all practical. So one
of the children went off with a penny to buy
an envelope, a sheet of paper and to keep the change.

(04:03):
When she came back, I addressed the envelope and stamped it,
And when Smollett had again faithfully promised to post the
address when found, I took my way to home. We're
on the track anyhow. I am tired to night, and
I want to sleep. Mina is fast asleep and looks
a little too pale. Her eyes look as though she

(04:25):
had been crying. Poor dear, I've no doubt it frets
her to be kept in the dark, and it may
make her doubly anxious about me and the others, but
it is best as it is. It is better to
be disappointed and worried in such a way now than
to have her nerve broken. The doctors were quite right

(04:45):
to insist on her being kept out of this dreadful business.
I must be firm, for on me this particular burden
of silence must rest. I shall not ever enter on
the subject with her under any circumstances. Indeed, it may
not be a hard task after all, for she herself
has become reticent on the subject, and has not spoken

(05:08):
of the Count or his doings ever since we told
her of our decision. Second October evening, a long and
trying and exciting day. By the first post, I got
my directed envelope with a dirty scrap of paper enclosed
on which was written with a carpenter's pencil in a

(05:29):
sprawling hand. Sam Bloxam, Corkran's, four Poter's Court, Bartell Street,
Walworth ask for the depite. I got the letter in
bed and rose without waking Mina. She looked heavy and
sleepy and pale, and far from well. I determined not

(05:50):
to wake her, but that when I should return from
this new search, I would arrange for her going back
to Exeter. I think she would be happier in our
own home, with her daily tasks to interest her, than
in being here amongst us and in ignorance. I only
saw Doctor Seward for a moment and told him where
I was off to promising to come back and tell

(06:13):
the rest so soon as I should have found out anything,
I drove to Walworth and found with some difficulty Potter's Court.
Mister Smollet's spelling misled me as I asked for Poter's
Court instead of Potter's Court. However, when I had found
the court, I had no difficulty in discovering Corcoran's lodging house.

(06:34):
When I asked the man who came to the door
for the Depite, he shook his head and said, I
dunno im. There ain't no such person ere. I never
heard of im in all my blooming days. Don't believe
there ain't nobody o that kind livin Ere or anywher's.
I took out Smollet's letter, and as I read it
it seemed to me that the lesson of the spelling

(06:56):
of the name of the court might guide me. What
are you, I asked, I'm the Depity, he answered. I
saw at once that I was on the right track.
Phonetic spelling had again misled me. A half crowned tip
put the Deputy's knowledge at my disposal, and I learned
that mister Bloxam, who had slept off the remains of

(07:18):
his bier on the previous night at Corcoran's had left
for his work at Poplar at five o'clock that morning.
He could not tell me where the place of work
was situated, but he had a vague idea that it
was some kind of a new fangled wareus. And with
this slender clue I had to start for Poplar. It
was twelve o'clock before I got any satisfactory hint of

(07:40):
such a building, and this I got at a coffee
shop where some workmen were having their dinner. One of
them suggested that there was being erected at Cross Angels
Street a new cold storage building, and as this suited
the condition of a new fangled WAREUS, I at once
drove to it. An interview with a surly gate keeper

(08:02):
and a surlier foreman, both of whom were appeased with
the coin of the realm, put me on the track
of Bloxam. He was sent for on my suggestion that
I was willing to pay his day's wages to his
foreman for the privilege of asking him a few questions
on a private matter. He was a smart enough fellow,

(08:22):
though rough of speech and bearing. When I had promised
to pay for his information and given him an earnest.
He told me that he had made two journeys between
Carfax and a house in Piccadilly, and had taken from
this house to the latter nine great boxes, main heavy ones,
with a horse and cart hired by him for this purpose.

(08:45):
I asked him if he could tell me the number
of the house in Piccadilly, to which he replied, well, guv'nor,
I forget the number, but it was only a few
doors from a big white church or somethink of the kind,
not long built. It was a dusty old ouse too,
though nothing to the dustiness of the ouse we took
the blooming boxes from. How did you get in if

(09:07):
both houses were empty? There was the old party that
engaged me a waiting at the ouse at Purfleet. He
helped me to lift the boxes and put them in
the dray. Curse me, but he was the strongest chap
I ever struck, And him an old fellow with a
white mustache, one that thin you would think he couldn't
throw a shadder. How this phrase thrilled through me? Why

(09:28):
he took up his end of the boxes like they
was pounds of tea and me are puffing and a blowing,
afore I could up end mine anyhow, And I'm no
chicken neither. How did you get into the house in Piccadilly,
I asked? He was there too, He must have started
off and got there afore me. For when I rung
the bell, he came and opened the door itself and
helped me carry the boxes into the all the whole nine,

(09:52):
I asked. Yes, there was five in the first load
and four in the second. It was main dry work.
And I don't so well remember how I got home?
I interrupted him. Were the boxes left in the hall? Yes?
It was a big all, and there was nothing else
in it. I made one more attempt to further matters.

(10:13):
You didn't have any key, never used no key, nor nothing.
The old gent He opened the door hisself and shut
it again when I drove off. I don't remember the
last time, but that was the beer. And you can't
remember the number of the house? No, sir, but you
needn't have no difficulty about that. It's iron with a

(10:33):
stone front with a bow on it. An I steps
up to the door, I know them steps, having had
to carry the boxes up with three loafers that come
round to earn a copper. The old gent give them shillings,
and they seein they got so much they wanted more.
But he took one of them by the shoulder and
was like to throw him down the steps, till the
lot of them went away Cussin. I thought that with

(10:54):
this description I could find the house. So, having paid
my friend for his information, I started off for Piccadilly.
I had gained a new painful experience. The count could,
it was evident, handle the earth boxes himself. If so,
time was precious, for now that he had achieved a
certain amount of distribution, he could, by choosing his own time,

(11:17):
complete the task. Unobserved. At Piccadilly Circus, I discharged my
cab and walked westward beyond the Junior Constitutional. I came
across the house described and was satisfied that this was
the next of the lairs arranged by Dracula. The house
looked as though it had been long untenanted. The windows
were encrusted with dust and the shutters were up. All

(11:40):
the framework was black with time, and from the iron
the paint had mostly scaled away. It was evident that
up to lately there had been a large notice board
in front of the balcony. It had however, been roughly
torn away, the uprights which had supported it still remaining.
Behind the rails of the balcony, I saw there were

(12:01):
some loose boards whose raw edges looked white. I would
have given a good deal to have been able to
see the notice board intact, as it would perhaps have
given some clue to the ownership of the house. I
remembered my experience of the investigation and purchase of Carfax,
and I could not but feel that if I could
find the former owner, there might be some means discovered

(12:23):
of gaining access to the house. There was at present
nothing to be learned from the Piccadilly side, and nothing
could be done, so I went around the back to
see if anything could be gathered from this quarter. The
mews were active, the Piccadilly houses being mostly in occupation.
I asked one or two of the grooms and helpers

(12:44):
whom I saw around if they could tell me anything
about the empty house. One of them said that he
heard it had lately been taken, but he couldn't say
from whom. He told me. However, that up to very
lately there had been a notice board of for sale up,
and that perhaps mitchell Sons and Candy, the house agents,
could tell me something, as he thought he remembered seeing

(13:06):
the name of that firm on the board. I did
not wish to seem too eager or to let my
informant know or guess too much, so, thanking him in
the usual manner, I strolled away. It was now growing dusk,
and the autumn night was closing in, so I did
not lose any time. Having learned the address of Mitchell's,

(13:26):
Sons and Candy from a directory at the Berkeley, I
was soon at their office in Sackville Street. The gentleman
who saw me was particularly suave in manner, but uncommunicative
in equal proportion. Having once told me that the Piccadilly house,
which throughout our interview he called a mansion, was sold,

(13:47):
he considered my business as concluded. When I asked who
had purchased it, he opened his eyes a thought wider
and paused a few seconds before replying, it is sold, sir.
Pardon me, I said, with equal politeness, but I have
a special reason for wishing to know who purchased it. Again,

(14:09):
he paused longer and raised his eyebrows still more. It
is sold, Sir was again his laconic reply. Surely, I said,
you do not mind letting me know so much? But
I do mind, he answered, the affairs of their clients
are absolutely safe in the hands of Mitchell, Sons and Candy.

(14:32):
This was manifestly a prig of the first water, and
there was no use arguing with him. I thought I
had best meet him on his own ground. So I said,
your clients, Sir, are happy in having so resolute a
guardian of their confidence. I am myself a professional man
here I handed him my card. In this instance, I

(14:54):
am not prompted by curiosity. I act on the part
of Lord Godalming, who wishes to know something of the
property which was he understood lately for sale. These words
put a different complexion on affairs. He said, I would
like to oblige you if I could, mister Harker, and
especially would I like to oblige his Lordship. We once

(15:16):
carried out a small matter of renting some chambers for
him when he was the Honorable Arthur Holmewood. If you
will let me have his Lordship's address, I will consult
the house on the subject, and will in any case,
communicate with his Lordship by to night's post. It will
be a pleasure if we can so far deviate from
our rules as to give the required information to his Lordship.

(15:38):
I wanted to secure a friend and not make an enemy,
so I thanked him, gave the address at doctor Seward's,
and came away. It was now dark, and I was
tired and hungry. I got a cup of tea at
the Aerated Bread Company and came down to Purfleet by
the next train. I found all the others at home.

(15:59):
Mina was looking tired and pale, but she made a
gallant effort to be bright and cheerful. It wrung my
heart to think that I had had to keep anything
from her, and so caused her inquietude. Thank God, this
will be the last night of her looking on at
our conferences and feeling the sting of our not showing
our confidence. It took all my courage to hold to

(16:20):
the wise resolution of keeping her out of our grim task.
She seems somehow more reconciled or else. The very subject
seems to have become repugnant to her, for when any
accidental allusion is made, she actually shudders. I am glad
we made our resolution in time, as with such a
feeling as this, our growing knowledge would be torture to her.

(16:45):
I could not tell the others of the day's discovery
till we were alone. So after dinner, followed by a
little music, to save appearances even amongst ourselves, I took
Mina to her room and left her to go to bed.
The dear girl was more affectionate with me than ever,
and clung to me as though she would detain me.
But there was much to be talked of, and I

(17:06):
came away. Thank God, the ceasing of telling things has
made no difference between us. When I came down again,
I found the others all gathered round the fire in
the study in the train. I had written my diary
so far and simply read it off to them as
the best means of letting them get abreast of my
own information. When I had finished, Van Helsing said, this

(17:29):
has been a great day's work, friend, Jonathan. Doubtless we
are on the track of the missing boxes. If we
find them all in that house, then our work is
near the end. But if there be some missing, we
must search until we find them. Then shall we make
our final coup? And hunt the wretch to his real death.
We all sat silent awhile, and all at once mister

(17:52):
Norris spoke, say, how are we going to get into
that house we got into the other, answered Lord Godalming quickly.
But Art this is different. We broke house at Carfax,
but we had night and a walled park to protect us.
It will be a mighty different thing to commit burglary
in Piccadilly, either by day or night. I confess I

(18:13):
don't see how we are going to get in unless
that agency duck can find us a key of some sort.
Lord Godalming's brows contracted, and he stood up and walked
about the room. By and by he stopped and said,
turning from one to another, of us, Quincy's head is level.
This burglary business is getting serious. We got off once,

(18:34):
all right, but we have now a rare job on
hand unless we can find the count's key basket. As
nothing could well be done before morning, and as it
would be at least advisable to wait till Lord Godalming
should hear from Mitchell's, we decided not to take any
active step before breakfast time. For a good while we
sat and smoked discussing the matter in its various lights

(18:57):
and bearings. I took the opportunity here bringing this diary
right up to the moment. I am very sleepy and
shall go to bed just a line. Mina sleeps soundly,
and her breathing is regular. Her forehead is puckered up
into little wrinkles, as though she thinks. Even in her
sleep she is still too pale, but does not look

(19:20):
so haggard as she did this morning. Tomorrow, will I
hope mend all this? She will be herself at home
in Exeter. Oh, but I am sleepy. Doctor Seward's Diary,
first October. I am puzzled afresh about Renfield. His moods

(19:40):
change so rapidly that I find it difficult to keep
touch of them. And as they always mean something more
than his own well being, they form a more than
interesting study. This morning, when I went to see him
after his repulse of van Helsing, his manner was that
of a man commanding destiny. He was in fact commanding

(20:01):
destiny subjectively. He did not really care for any of
the things of mere earth. He was in the clouds
and looked down on all the weaknesses and wants of us.
Poor mortals. I thought I would improve the occasion and
learn something, So I asked him what about the flies
these times? He smiled on me in quite a superior

(20:23):
sort of way, such a smile as would have become
the face of Malvolio, as he answered me, the fly,
my dear sir, has one striking feature. Its wings are
typical of the aerial powers of the psychic faculties. The
ancients did well when they typified the soul as a butterfly.
I thought I would push his analogy to its utmost logically,

(20:46):
so I said, quickly, Oh, it is a soul you
are after, now, is it. His madness foiled his reason,
and a puzzled look spread over his face, as shaking
his head with a decision which I had but seldom
seen in him. He said, oh no, oh, no, I
want no souls. Life is all I want here, he

(21:07):
brightened up. I am pretty indifferent about it at present.
Life is all right. I have all I want. You
must get a new patient, doctor, if you wish to
study zoophagy. This puzzled me a little, so I drew
him on. Then you command life, you are a god,
I suppose. He smiled with an ineffably benign superiority. Oh, no,

(21:32):
far be it from me to arrogate to myself the
attributes of the deity. I am not even concerned in his,
especially spiritual doings. If I may state my intellectual position,
I am so far as concerns things purely terrestrial, somewhat
in the position which Enoch occupied spiritually. This was a
poser to me. I could not, at the moment recall

(21:55):
Enoch's appositeness, so I had to ask a simple question,
though I felt that by so doing I was lowering
myself in the eyes of the lunatic. And why with Enoch?
Because he walked with God. I could not see the analogy,
but did not like to admit it. So I harked
back to what he had denied. So, you don't care

(22:18):
about life, and you don't want souls? Why not? I
put my question quickly and somewhat sternly, on purpose to
disconcert him. The effort succeeded. For an instant. He unconsciously
relapsed into his old servile manner, bent low before me,
and actually fawned upon me as he replied, I don't

(22:38):
want any souls. Indeed, indeed, I don't I couldn't use them.
If I had them, there would be no manner of
use to me. I couldn't eat them or He suddenly stopped,
and the old cunning looks spread over his face, like
a wind sweep on the surface of the water. And Doctor,
as to life, what is it? After all? When you've
got all you require and you know that you will

(23:01):
never want, that is all. I have friends, good friends
like you, Doctor Seward. This was said with a leer
of inexpressible cunning. I know that I shall never lack
the means of life. I think that through the cloudiness
of his insanity, he saw some antagonism in me, for
he at once fell back on the last refuge of

(23:22):
such as he a dogged silence. After a short time,
I saw that for the present it was useless to
speak to him. He was sulky, and so I came away.
Later in the day he sent for me. Ordinarily I
would not have come without special reason, but just at
present I am so interested in him that I would

(23:42):
gladly make an effort. Besides, I am glad to have
anything to help pass the time. Harker is out following
up clues, and so are Lord Godalming and Quincey van
Helsing sits in my study, poring over the record repaired
by the Harkers. He seems to think that by accurate
knowledge of all details, he will light upon some clue.

(24:03):
He does not wish to be disturbed in the work
without cause. I would have taken him with me to
see the patient. Only I thought that after his last
repulse he might not care to go again. There was
also another reason Renfield might not speak so freely before
a third person, as when he and I were alone.

(24:24):
I found him sitting in the middle of the floor
on his stool, a pose which is generally indicative of
some mental energy on his part. When I came in,
he said at once, as though the question had been
waiting on his lips, what about souls? It was evident
then that my surmise had been correct. Unconscious cerebration was

(24:46):
doing its work even with the lunatic. I determined to
have the matter out. What about them yourself? I asked.
He did not reply for a moment, but looked all
around him and up and down, as though he expected
to find some inspiration for an answer. I don't want
any souls, he said, in a feeble apologetic way. The

(25:09):
matter seemed preying on his mind, and so I determined
to use it to be cruel, only to be kind.
So I said, you like life, and you want life? Oh, yes,
but that is all right. You needn't worry about that.
But I asked, how are we to get the life
without getting the soul? Also this seemed to puzzle him,

(25:32):
So I've followed it up A nice time. You'll have
some time when you're flying out there with the souls
of thousands of flies and spiders and birds and cats
buzzing and twittering and moaning all around you. You've got
their lives, you know, and you must put up with
their souls. Something seemed to affect his imagination, for he
put his fingers to his ears and shut his eyes,

(25:54):
screwing them up tightly, just as a small boy does
when his face is being soaped. There was something pathetic
in it that touched me. It also gave me a lesson,
for it seemed that before me was a child, only
a child. Though the features were worn and the stubble
on the jaws was white, it was evident that he
was undergoing some process of mental disturbance, and knowing how

(26:17):
his past moods had interpreted things seemingly foreign to himself.
I thought I would enter into his mind as well
as I could, and go with him. The first step
was to restore confidence, So I asked him, speaking pretty
loud so that he would hear me through his closed ears,
would you like some sugar to get your flies around again?

(26:38):
He seemed to wake up all at once and shook
his head with a laugh. He replied, not much. Flies
are poor things after all. After a pause, he added,
but I don't want their souls buzzing round me all
the same. Or spiders, I went on, blow spiders. What's
the use of spiders? There isn't anything in them to eat?

(26:58):
Or He stopped suddenly, as though reminded of a forbidden topic.
So so I thought to myself, this is the second
time he has suddenly stopped at the word drink. What
does it mean? Renfield seemed himself aware of having made
a lapse, for he hurried on, as though to distract
my attention from it. I don't take any stock at

(27:20):
all in such matters. Rats and mice and such small deer,
as Shakespeare has it, chicken feed of the larder. They
might be called I'm past all that sort of nonsense.
You might as well ask a man to eat molecules
with a pair of chopsticks as to try to interest
me about the less carnivora. When I know of what
is before me, I see, I said, you want big

(27:43):
things that you can make your teeth meet in. How
would you like to breakfast on an elephant? What ridiculous
nonsense you are talking? He was getting too wide awake,
so I thought I would press him hard. I wonder,
I said, reflectively, what an elephant's soul is like? The
effect I desired was obtained, for he at once fell

(28:03):
from his high horse and became a child again. I
don't want an elephant's soul, or any soul at all,
he said. For a few moments, he sat despondently. Suddenly
he jumped to his feet, with his eyes blazing and
all the signs of intense cerebral excitement. To hell with
you and your souls, he shouted, Why do you plague

(28:23):
me about souls? Haven't I got enough to worry and
pain to distract me already without thinking of souls. He
looked so hostile that I thought he was in for
another homicidal fit. So I blew my whistle. The instant
however that I did so, he became calm and said, apologetically,
forgive me, doctor, I forgot myself. You do not need

(28:44):
any help. I am so worried in my mind that
I am apt to be irritable. If you only knew
the problem I have to face, and that I am
working out, you would pity and tolerate and pardon me. Pray,
do not put me in a strait waistcoat. I want
to think, and I cannot think freely when my body
is confined. I am sure you will understand. He had

(29:06):
evidently self control. So when the attendants came, I told
them not to mind, and they Withdrew Renfield watched them go.
When the door was closed, he said, with considerable dignity
and sweetness, doctor Seward, you have been very considerate towards me.
Believe me that I am very very grateful to you.

(29:30):
I thought it well to leave him in this mood,
and so I came away. There is certainly something to
ponder over in this man's state. Several points seem to
make what the American interviewer calls a story, if one
could only get them in proper order. Here they are
will not mention drinking, fears the thought of being burdened

(29:51):
with the soul of anything, has no dread of wanting
life in the future, despises the meaner forms of lif
life altogether, though he dreads being haunted by their souls. Logically,
all these things point one way. He has assurance of
some kind that he will acquire some higher life. He

(30:13):
dreads the consequence the burden of a soul. Then it
is a human life he looks to, and the assurance
merciful God the count has been to him, and there
is some new scheme of terror afoot. Later I went
after my round to Van Helsing and told him of

(30:33):
my suspicion. He grew very grave, and after thinking the
matter over for a while, he asked me to take
him to Renfield. I did so. As we came to
the door, we heard the lunatic within singing gaily, as
he used to do in the time which now seems
so long ago. When we entered, we saw with amazement

(30:54):
that he had spread out his sugar as of old.
The flies, lethargic with the autumn, were beginning to buzz
into the room. We tried to make him talk of
the subject of our previous conversation, but he would not attend.
He went on with his singing, just as though we
had not been present. He had got a scrap of
paper and was folding it into a note book. We

(31:16):
had to come away as ignorant as we went in.
His is a curious case. Indeed we must watch him
to night. Letter mitchell Sons and Candy to Lord Godalming,
first October, My Lord, we are at all times only

(31:40):
too happy to meet your wishes. We beg with regard
to the desire of your Lordship expressed by mister Harker
on your behalf, to supply the following information concerning the
sale and purchase of number three hundred and forty seven Piccadilly.
The original vendors are the executors of the late mister
Archibald Winterfield. The purchaser is a foreign nobleman, Count de Ville,

(32:05):
who effected the purchase himself, paying the purchase money in
notes over the counter. If your Lordship will pardon us
using so vulgar an expression, beyond this we know nothing
whatever of him. We are, my Lord, your Lordship's humble servants.
Mitchell Sons and candy. Doctor Seward's diary, second October. I

(32:29):
placed a man in the corridor last night and told
him to make an accurate note of any sound he
might hear from Renfield's room, and gave him instructions that
if there should be anything strange, he was to call
me after dinner. When we had all gathered round the
fire in the study, missus Harker having gone to bed,
we discussed the attempts and discoveries of the day. Harker

(32:50):
was the only one who had any result, and we
are in great hopes that his clue may be an
important one. Before going to bed, I went round to
the patient's room and looked in through the observation trap.
He was sleeping soundly. His heart rose and fell with
regular respiration. This morning, the man on duty reported to

(33:11):
me that a little after midnight he was restless and
kept saying his prayers somewhat loudly. I asked him if
that was all. He replied that it was all he heard.
There was something about his manner so suspicious that I
asked him point blank if he had been asleep. He
denied sleep, but admitted to having dozed for a while.
It is too bad that men cannot be trusted unless

(33:33):
they are watched. To day, Harker is out following up
his clue, and Art and Quincey are looking after horses.
Godalming thinks that it will be well to have horses
always in readiness, for when we get the information which
we seek, there will be no time to lose. We
must sterilize all the imported earth between sunrise and sunset.

(33:56):
We shall thus catch the Count at his weakest, and
without a resift fuge to fly to. Van Helsing is
off to the British Museum, looking up some authorities on
ancient medicine. The old physicians took account of things which
their followers do not accept, and the professor is searching
for witch and demon cures which may be useful to
us later. I sometimes think we must be all mad,

(34:19):
and that we shall wake to sanity in strait waistcoats.
Later we have met again. We seem at last to
be on the track, and our work of to morrow
may be the beginning of the end. I wonder if
Renfield's quiet has anything to do with this. His moods
have so followed the doings of the Count that the

(34:39):
coming destruction of the monster may be carried to him
some subtle way. If we could only get some hint
as to what passed in his mind between the time
of my argument with him to day and his resumption
of fly catching, it might afford us a valuable clue.
He is now seemingly quiet for a spell. Is he

(35:00):
that wild yell seemed to come from his room? The
attendant came bursting into my room and told me that
Renfield had somehow met with some accident. He had heard
him yell, and when he went to him, found him
lying on his face on the floor, all covered with blood.
I must go at once. End of chapter twenty