were two thirty in the afternoon when the doorbell rang. I plucked up heart, and waited. Shortly after Mary opened the door and announced "Dr. Van Helsing."
I stood up and gave a nod and he came up to me, is a man of average weight, stocky, shoulders back, chest broad and deep seated neck on the trunk as the head on the neck. His head struck me at once as indicative of strength of thought and intelligence, the head is noble, fair-sized, large, and large behind the ears.
The face, clean-shaven, shows a hard, square chin, a long mouth resolute, a nosethe poor dear child Lucy Westenra. Madam Mina, on behalf of the dead come.
"Sir," I said, you could have no better letter must have been a friend and helper of Lucy Westenra.
And I held your hand. He took it and said tenderly:
- Oh, Madam Mina, I know that the friend of that poor girl must be good, but had yet to learn ...
finished his speech with a courtly bow. I asked him what I wanted to see, so he at once began
"I read his letters to Miss Lucy. Excuse me, but I had to begin to inquire somewhere, and there was nobody to ask. I know you were with her at Whitby. She algsometimes kept a diary, you need not look surprised, Madam Mina, it started after you had been and was an imitation of you, and in that diary she traces by inference certain things to a sleep walking, and write you saved her. In great perplexity then I come to you, and I ask you, abusing their great kindness to tell me everything you can remember about that.
"I think I can say to you, Dr. Van Helsing, all that happened.
- Ah! Then you have a good memory for facts, for details! Not always so with young ladies.
"No, doctor, but I wrote everything that happened. I can show it if you want.
-. What you would do me the honor to help me read this? Ay! I do not know shorthand.
By that time my little joke was over, and I was almost ashamed so I took the typewritten copy from my work basket and handed it.
"Forgive me, I said I could not help, but I had been thinking that it was of dear Lucy that you wished to ask, and you do not have long to wait, not me, but because I I know that time must be precious to you, I have written this machine for you.
took it and his eyes glistened.
"You are very kind," he said. "I can read it now? I may want to ask some questions after reading it.
"By all means," I said, "I read everything in order lunch, and then you can ask me whatever you want, while we eat.
He bowed and sat in a chair with his back to the light, and absorbed in the papers, while I went to check on food, mainly to let him read at home. When I returned I found him walking hurriedly up and down the room, his face all ablaze with excitement. He rushed up to me and took me by both hands.
- Oh, Madam Mina "He said, how I can tell you what I owe? This role is clear as the sun. It opens the gate. I'm stunned, dazzled by so much light, and yet clouds roll in behind the light. But that uCIO suddenly overwhelm. The pity for Jonathan, the horror I had experienced, the whole fearful mystery of his diary, and the fear that had been haunting me ever since, all came in a tumult. I suppose I was hysterical, as I knelt and lifted my hands to him, imploring him to heal my husband and let him healthy again.
He took my hands and lifted me and made me sit on the couch, and sat by my side, I grabbed her hands in his, and said with infinite sweetness,
"My life is barren and lonely, and so full of work that I have not had much time for friendship, but since I've been called here by my friend John Seward I have known so many good people and Iseen such nobility that I feel more than ever, and it has grown with my advancing years, the loneliness of my life. Believe me, then I come here full of respect for you, and you've given me hope ... Hope, not what I'm looking for, but there are still good women to make life happy ... Good women, whose lives and whose truths may make good lesson for men of tomorrow. I'm glad, glad to be useful to you, because if your husband suffer, he suffer within the range of my studies and experiences. I promise you that I will gladly do everything we can for him, all I can to make your life harder, and that the life of you are happy. Now you must eat. Are you exhausted and perhaps excited. Your Wifenot like seeing her so pale, and what you dislike about the lover, not good for him. Therefore, for his sake you must eat and smile. And you told me about Lucy, so now we will not talk about it, lest it distress. I stay in Exeter tonight, I want to think much about what you told me, and when you thought I will ask you questions, if I may. And, also you will tell me her husband's problems as much as possible, but not yet. You must eat now will speak at length.
After dinner, when we went back to the room, he said,
"Now, tell me about it.
When he was about to start talking to this great man, empECE afraid that he would think me a weak fool, and Jonathan a madman (that journal is so strange), and I hesitated to continue. But he was so sweet and kind, and he had promised to help, so I had confidence in him, and said
-Doctor Van Helsing, what I have to tell you is very rare, but you do not should laugh at me or my husband. Since yesterday I've been in a kind of fever of doubt you must have patience with me, and not think I'm stupid for having believed some very strange things.
He reassured me by his manner and his words when he said:
- Oh, my dear, if you know how strange is the matter for which I am here, andS o you who would laugh. I learned not to think badly of anyone's beliefs, no matter how strange they are. I tried to keep an open mind and not the ordinary things of life that could close, but the strange things, extraordinary things, things that make one doubt if they are mad or sane.
- Thank you, thank you thousand times! You have taken a weight off my mind. If you will permit me, I will give a paper to read. It is long, but I've typed. It is my trouble and Jonathan. Is a copy of his journal when he was out of the country and everything that happened. I dare not say anything about it. You should read it for yourself and judge. And after watching it,perhaps you kindly tell me what you think about it.
"I promise," he said, while I gave him the papers, in the morning, as soon as you can, come to see you and your husband, if I may.
-Jonathan will be here at half past eleven, and you must come to lunch with us and see him then you could take the quick 3:34 train, which will leave you at Paddington before eight.
He was surprised at my knowledge of trains, but do not know that I have memorized all trains to and from Exeter, so that I may help Jonathan in case he is in a hurry.
So he took the papers with him and went, and I sat
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