No More Learning

He had arranged before leaving London that his agent should
send him every day a telegram saying if the ship had been reported. He
was to have a message even if she were not reported, so that he might be
sure that there was a watch being kept at the other end of the wire.

We had dinner and went to bed early. To-morrow we are to see the
Vice-Consul, and to arrange, if we can, about getting on board the ship
as soon as she arrives. Van Helsing says that our chance will be to get
on board between sunrise and sunset. The Count, even if he takes the
form of a bat, cannot cross the running water of his own volition, and
so cannot leave the ship. As he dare not change to man's form without
suspicion--which he evidently wishes to avoid--he must remain in the
box. If, then, we can come on board after sunrise, he is at our mercy;
for we can open the box and make sure of him, as we did of poor Lucy,
before he wakes. What mercy he will get from us will not count for much.
We think that we shall not have much trouble with officials or the
seamen. Thank God! this is the country where bribery can do anything,
and we are well supplied with money. We have only to make sure that the
ship cannot come into port between sunset and sunrise without our being
warned, and we shall be safe. Judge Moneybag will settle this case, I
think!

_16 October. _--Mina's report still the same: lapping waves and rushing
water, darkness and favouring winds. We are evidently in good time, and
when we hear of the _Czarina Catherine_ we shall be ready. As she must
pass the Dardanelles we are sure to have some report.

* * * * *

_17 October. _--Everything is pretty well fixed now, I think, to welcome
the Count on his return from his tour. Godalming told the shippers that
he fancied that the box sent aboard might contain something stolen from
a friend of his, and got a half consent that he might open it at his
own risk. The owner gave him a paper telling the captain to give him
every facility in doing whatever he chose on board the ship, and also
a similar authorisation to his agent at Varna. We have seen the agent,
who was much impressed with Godalming's kindly manner to him, and we
are all satisfied that whatever he can do to aid our wishes will be
done. We have already arranged what to do in case we get the box open.
If the Count is there, Van Helsing and Seward will cut off his head at
once and drive a stake through his heart. Morris and Godalming and I
shall prevent interference, even if we have to use the arms which we
shall have ready. The Professor says that if we can so treat the Count's
body, it will soon after fall into dust. In such case there would be no
evidence against us, in case any suspicion of murder were aroused. But
even if it were not, we should stand or fall by our act, and perhaps
some day this very script may be evidence to come between some of us
and a rope. For myself, I should take the chance only too thankfully
if it were to come. We mean to leave no stone unturned to carry out
our intent. We have arranged with certain officials that the instant
the _Czarina Catherine_ is seen, we are to be informed by a special
messenger.

_24 October. _--A whole week of waiting. Daily telegrams to Godalming,
but only the same story: "Not yet reported. " Mina's morning and evening
hypnotic answer is unvaried: lapping waves, rushing water, and creaking
masts.


_Telegram, October 24th. _

_Rufus Smith, Lloyd's, London, to Lord Godalming, care of H. B. M.
Vice-Consul, Varna_

"_Czarina Catherine_ reported this morning from Dardanelles. "


_Dr. Seward's Diary. _

_24 October. _--How I miss my phonograph! To write diary with a pen
is irksome to me; but Van Helsing says I must. We were all wild with
excitement to-day when Godalming got his telegram from Lloyd's. I know
now what men feel in battle when the call to action is heard. Mrs.
Harker, alone of our party, did not show any signs of emotion. After
all, it is not strange that she did not; for we took special care not
to let her know anything about it, and we all tried not to show any
excitement when we were in her presence. In old days she would, I am
sure, have noticed, no matter how we might have tried to conceal it;
but in this way she is greatly changed during the past three weeks. The
lethargy grows upon her, and though she seems strong and well, and is
getting back some of her colour, Van Helsing and I are not satisfied. We
talk of her often; we have not, however, said a word to the others. It
would break poor Harker's heart--certainly his nerve--if he knew that
we had even a suspicion on the subject. Van Helsing examines, he tells
me, her teeth very carefully, whilst she is in the hypnotic condition,
for he says that so long as they do not begin to sharpen there is no
active danger of a change in her. If this change should come, it would
be necessary to take steps! . . . We both know what those steps would have
to be, though we do not mention our thoughts to each other. We should
neither of us shrink from the task--awful though it be to contemplate.
"Euthanasia" is an excellent and a comforting word! I am grateful to
whoever invented it.

It is only about 24 hours' sail from the Dardanelles to here, at the
rate the _Czarina Catherine_ has come from London. She should therefore
arrive some time in the morning; but as she cannot possibly get in
before then, we are all about to retire early. We shall get up at one
o'clock, so as to be ready.

_25 October, Noon. _--No news yet of the ship's arrival. Mrs. Harker's
hypnotic report this morning was the same as usual, so it is possible
that we may get news at any moment. We men are all in a fever of
excitement, except Harker, who is calm; his hands are as cold as ice,
and an hour ago I found him whetting the edge of the great Ghoorka knife
which he now always carries with him. It will be a bad look out for the
Count if the edge of that "Kukri" ever touches his throat, driven by
that stern, ice-cold hand!

Van Helsing and I were a little alarmed about Mrs. Harker to-day. About
noon she got into a sort of lethargy which we did not like; although we
kept silent to the others, we were neither of us happy about it. She had
been restless all the morning, so that we were at first glad to know
that she was sleeping. When, however, her husband mentioned casually
that she was sleeping so soundly that he could not wake her, we went to
her room to see for ourselves. She was breathing naturally and looked so
well and peaceful that we agreed that the sleep was better for her than
anything else. Poor girl, she has so much to forget that it is no wonder
that sleep, if it brings oblivion to her, does her good.

_Later. _--Our opinion was justified, for when after a refreshing sleep
of some hours she woke up, she seemed brighter and better than she has
been for days. At sunset she made the usual hypnotic report. Wherever he
may be in the Black Sea, the Count is hurrying to his destination. To
his doom, I trust!

_26 October. _--Another day and no tidings of the _Czarina Catherine_.
She ought to be here by now. That she is still journeying _somewhere_
is apparent, for Mrs. Harker's hypnotic report at sunrise was still the
same. It is possible that the vessel may be lying by, at times, for fog;
some of the steamers which came in last evening reported patches of fog
both to north and south of the port. We must continue our watching, as
the ship may now be signalled any moment.

_27 October, Noon. _--Most strange; no news yet of the ship we wait for.
Mrs. Harker reported last night and this morning as usual: "lapping
waves and rushing water," though she added that "the waves were very
faint. " The telegrams from London have been the same: "no further
report. " Van Helsing is terribly anxious, and told me just now that he
fears the Count is escaping us. He added significantly:--

"I did not like that lethargy of Madam Mina's. Souls and memories can do
strange things during trance. " I was about to ask him more, but Harker
just then came in, and he held up a warning hand. We must try to-night,
at sunset, to make her speak more fully when in her hypnotic state.


_28 October. _--Telegram. _Rufus Smith, London, to Lord Godalming, care
of H. B. M. Vice-Consul, Varna_

"_Czarina Catherine_ reported entering Galatz at one o'clock to-day. "


_Dr. Seward's Diary. _

_28 October. _--When the telegram came announcing the arrival in Galatz
I do not think it was such a shock to any of us as might have been
expected. True, we did not know whence, or how, or when, the bolt would
come; but I think we all expected that something strange would happen.
The delay of arrival at Varna made us individually satisfied that things
would not be just as we had expected; we only waited to learn where the
change would occur. None the less, however, was it a surprise. I suppose
that nature works on such a hopeful basis that we believe against
ourselves that things will be as they ought to be, not as we should
know that they will be. Transcendentalism is a beacon to the angels,
even if it be a will-o'-the-wisp to man. It was an odd experience, and
we all took it differently. Van Helsing raised his hands over his head
for a moment, as though in remonstrance with the Almighty; but he said
not a word, and in a few seconds stood up with his face sternly set.
Lord Godalming grew very pale, and sat breathing heavily. I was myself
half stunned and looked in wonder at one after another. Quincey Morris
tightened his belt with that quick movement which I knew so well; in our
old wandering days it meant "action. " Mrs. Harker grew ghastly white, so
that the scar on her forehead seemed to burn, but she folded her hands
meekly and looked up in prayer. Harker smiled--actually smiled--the dark
bitter smile of one who is without hope; but at the same time his action
belied his words, for his hands instinctively sought the hilt of the
great Kukri knife and rested there. "When does the next train start for
Galatz? " said Van Helsing to us generally.

"At 6. 30 to-morrow morning! " We all stared, for the answer came from
Mrs. Harker.

"How on earth do you know? " said Art.

"You forget--or perhaps you do not know, though Jonathan does and so
does Dr. Van Helsing--that I am the train fiend. At home in Exeter
I always used to make up the time-tables, so as to be helpful to my
husband. I found it so useful sometimes, that I always make a study of
the time-tables now. I knew that if anything were to take us to Castle
Dracula we should go by Galatz, or at any rate through Bucharest, so I
learned the times very carefully. Unhappily there are not many to learn,
as the only train to-morrow leaves as I say. "

"Wonderful woman! " murmured the Professor.

"Can't we get a special? " asked Lord Godalming. Van Helsing shook his
head: "I fear not. This land is very different from yours or mine; even
if we did have a special, it would probably not arrive as soon as our
regular train. Moreover, we have something to prepare. We must think.
Now let us organize. You, friend Arthur, go to the train and get the
tickets and arrange that all be ready for us to go in the morning. Do
you, friend Jonathan, go to the agent of the ship and get from him
letters to the agent in Galatz, with authority to make search the ship
just as it was here. Quincey Morris, you see the Vice-Consul, and get
his aid with his fellow in Galatz and all he can do to make our way
smooth, so that no times be lost when over the Danube. John will stay
with Madam Mina and me, and we shall consult. For so if time be long you
may be delayed; and it will not matter when the sun set, since I am here
with Madam to make report. "

"And I," said Mrs. Harker brightly, and more like her old self than she
had been for many a long day, "shall try to be of use in all ways, and
shall think and write for you as I used to do. Something is shifting
from me in some strange way, and I feel freer than I have been of late! "
The three younger men looked happier at the moment as they seemed to
realise the significance of her words; but Van Helsing and I, turning to
each other, met each a grave and troubled glance. We said nothing at the
time, however.

When the three men had gone out to their tasks Van Helsing asked Mrs.
Harker to look up the copy of the diaries and find him the part of
Harker's journal at the castle. She went away to get it; when the door
was shut upon her he said to me:--

"We mean the same! speak out! "

"There is some change. It is a hope that makes me sick, for it may
deceive us. "

"Quite so. Do you know why I asked her to get the manuscript? "

"No! " said I, "unless it was to get an opportunity of seeing me alone. "

"You are in part right, friend John, but only in part. I want to tell
you something. And oh, my friend, I am taking a great--a terrible--risk;
but I believe it is right. In the moment when Madam Mina said those
words that arrest both our understanding, an inspiration come to me. In
the trance of three days ago the Count sent her his spirit to read her
mind; or more like he took her to see him in his earth-box in the ship
with water rushing, just as it go free at rise and set of sun. He learn
then that we are here; for she have more to tell in her open life with
eyes to see and ears to hear than he, shut, as he is, in his coffin-box.
Now he make his most effort to escape us. At present he want her not.
He is sure with his so great knowledge that she will come at his call;
but he cut her off--take her, as he can do, out of his own power, that
so she come not to him. Ah! there I have hope that our man-brains that
have been of man so long and that have not lost the grace of God, will
come higher than his child-brain that he in his tomb for centuries, that
grow not yet to our stature, and that do only work selfish and therefore
small. Here comes Madam Mina; not a word to her of her trance! She know
it not; and it would overwhelm her and make despair just when we want
all her hope, all her courage; when most we want all her great brain
which is trained like man's brain, but is of sweet woman and have a
special power which the Count give her, and which he may not take away
altogether--though he think not so. Hush! let me speak, and you shall
learn. Oh, John, my friend, we are in awful straits. I fear, as I never
feared before. We can only trust the good God. Silence! here she comes! "

I thought that the Professor was going to break down and have hysterics,
just as he had when Lucy died, but with a great effort he controlled
himself and was at perfect nervous poise when Mrs. Harker tripped into
the room, bright and happy-looking and, in the doing of work, seemingly
forgetful of her misery. As she came in, she handed a number of sheets
of typewriting to Van Helsing. He looked over them gravely, his face
brightening up as he read. Then, holding the pages between his finger
and thumb, he said:--

"Friend John, to you with so much of experience already--and you too,
dear Madam Mina, that are young--here is a lesson: do not fear ever to
think. A half-thought has been buzzing often in my brain, but I fear to
let him loose his wings. Here now, with more knowledge, I go back to
where that half-thought come from, and I find that he be no half-thought
at all; that he be a whole thought, though so young that he is not yet
strong to use his little wings. Nay, like the "Ugly Duck" of my friend
Hans Andersen, he be no duck-thought at all, but a big swan-thought that
sail nobly on big wings, when the time come for him to try them. See I
read here what Jonathan have written:--

"That other of his race who, in a later age, again and again, brought
his forces over the Great River into Turkey Land; who, when he was
beaten back, came again, and again, and again, though he had to come
alone from the bloody field where his troops were being slaughtered,
since he knew that he alone could ultimately triumph. "

"What does this tell us? Not much! no!
The Count's child-thought see
nothing; therefore he speak so free. Your man-thought see nothing; my
man-thought see nothing, till just now. No! But there comes another
word from some one who speak without thought because she too know not
what it mean--what it _might_ mean. Just as there are elements which
rest, yet when in nature's course they move on their way and they
touch--then pouf! and there comes a flash of light, heaven's wide,
that blind and kill and destroy some; but that show up all earth
below for leagues and leagues. Is it not so? Well, I shall explain.
To begin, have you ever study the philosophy of crime? 'Yes' and
'No. ' You, John, yes; for it is a study of insanity. You, no, Madam
Mina; for crime touch you not--not but once. Still, your mind works
true, and argues not _a particulari ad universale_. There is this
peculiarity in criminals. It is so constant, in all countries and
at all times, that even police, who know not much from philosophy,
come to know it empirically, that _it is_. That is to be empiric. The
criminal always work at one crime--that is the true criminal who seems
predestinate to crime, and who will of none other. This criminal has
not full man-brain. He is clever and cunning and resourceful; but
he be not of man-stature as to brain. He be of child-brain in much.
Now this criminal of ours is predestinate to crime also; he too have
child-brain, and it is of the child to do what he have done. The little
bird, the little fish, the little animal learn not by principle, but
empirically; and when he learn to do, then there is to him the ground
to start from to do more. '_Dos pou sto_,' said Archimedes. 'Give me
a fulcrum, and I shall move the world! ' To do once, is the fulcrum
whereby child-brain become man-brain; and until he have the purpose to
do more, he continue to do the same again every time, just as he have
done before! Oh, my dear, I see that your eyes are opened, and that to
you the lightning flash show all the leagues," for Mrs. Harker began to
clap her hands, and her eyes sparkled. He went on:--

"Now you shall speak. Tell us two dry men of science what you see with
those so bright eyes. " He took her hand and held it whilst she spoke.
His finger and thumb closed on her pulse, as I thought instinctively and
unconsciously, as she spoke:--

"The Count is a criminal and of criminal type. Nordau and Lombroso
would so classify him, and _qua_ criminal he is of imperfectly formed
mind. Thus, in a difficulty he has to seek resource in habit. His past
is a clue, and the one page of it that we know--and that from his own
lips--tells that once before, when in what Mr. Morris would call a
'tight place,' he went back to his own country from the land he had
tried to invade, and thence, without losing purpose, prepared himself
for a new effort. He came again, better equipped for his work; and won.
So he came to London to invade a new land. He was beaten, and when all
hope of success was lost, and his existence in danger, he fled back over
the sea to his home; just as formerly he had fled back over the Danube
from Turkey land. "

"Good, good! oh, you so clever lady! " said Van Helsing,
enthusiastically, as he stooped and kissed her hand. A moment later
he said to me, as calmly as though we had been having a sick-room
consultation:--

"Seventy-two only; and in all this excitement. I have hope. " Turning to
her again, he said with keen expectation:--

"But go on. Go on! there is more to tell if you will. Be not afraid;
John and I know. I do in any case, and shall tell you if you are right.
Speak, without fear! "

"I will try to; but you will forgive me if I seem egotistical. "

"Nay! fear not, you must be egotist, for it is of you that we think. "

"Then, as he is criminal he is selfish; and as his intellect is small
and his action is based on selfishness, he confines himself to one
purpose. That purpose is remorseless. As he fled back over the Danube,
leaving his forces to be cut to pieces, so now he is intent on being
safe, careless of all. So, his own selfishness frees my soul somewhat of
the terrible power which he acquired over me on that dreadful night. I
felt it, Oh! I felt it. Thank God for His great mercy! My soul is freer
than it has been since that awful hour; and all that haunts me is a
fear lest in some trance or dream he may have used my knowledge for his
ends. " The Professor stood up:--

"He has so used your mind; and by it he has left us here in Varna,
whilst the ship that carried him rushed through enveloping fog up to
Galatz, where, doubtless, he had made preparation for escaping from
us. But his child-mind only saw so far; and it may be that, as ever is
in God's Providence, the very thing that the evil doer most reckoned
on for his selfish good, turns out to be his chiefest harm. The hunter
is taken in his own snare, as the great Psalmist says. For now that he
think he is free from every trace of us all, and that he has escaped us
with so many hours to him, then his selfish child-brain will whisper him
to sleep. He think, too, that as he cut himself off from knowing your
mind, there can be no knowledge of him to you; there is where he fail!
That terrible baptism of blood which he give you makes you free to go to
him in spirit, as you have as yet done in your times of freedom, when
the sun rise and set. At such times you go by my volition and not by
his; and this power to good of you and others, you have won from your
suffering at his hands. This is now all more precious that he know it
not, and to guard himself have even cut himself off from his knowledge
of our where. We, however, are not all selfish, and we believe that God
is with us through all this blackness, and these many dark hours. We
shall follow him; and we shall not flinch; even if we peril ourselves
that we become like him. Friend John, this has been a great hour; and it
have done much to advance us on our way. You must be scribe and write
him all down, so that when the others return from their work you can
give it to them; then they shall know as we do. "

And so I have written it whilst we wait their return, and Mrs. Harker
has written with her typewriter all since she brought the MS. to us.




CHAPTER XXVI.

/Dr. Seward's Diary. /


_29 October. _--This is written in the train from Varna to Galatz. Last
night we all assembled a little before the time of sunset. Each of us
had done his work as well as he could; so far as thought, and endeavour,
and opportunity go, we are prepared for the whole of our journey, and
for our work when we get to Galatz. When the usual time came round Mrs.
Harker prepared herself for her hypnotic effort; and after a longer and
more strenuous effort on the part of Van Helsing than has been usually
necessary, she sank into the trance. Usually she speaks on a hint; but
this time the Professor had to ask her questions, and to ask them pretty
resolutely, before we could learn anything; at last her answer came:--

"I can see nothing; we are still; there are no waves lapping, but only
a steady swirl of water softly running against the hawser. I can hear
men's voices calling, near and far, and the roll and creak of oars in
the rowlocks. A gun is fired somewhere; the echo of it seems far away.
There is tramping of feet overhead, and ropes and chains are dragged
along. What is this? There is a gleam of light; I can feel the air
blowing upon me. "

Here she stopped. She had risen, as if impulsively, from where she lay
on the sofa, and raised both her hands, palms upwards, as if lifting
a weight. Van Helsing and I looked at each other with understanding.
Quincey raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at her intently, whilst
Harker's hand instinctively closed round the hilt of his kukri. There
was a long pause. We all knew that the time when she could speak was
passing; but we felt that it was useless to say anything. Suddenly she
sat up, and, as she opened her eyes, said sweetly:--

"Would none of you like a cup of tea? You must all be so tired! " We
could only make her happy, and so acquiesced. She bustled off to get
tea; when she had gone Van Helsing said:--

"You see, my friends. _He_ is close to land; he has left his
earth-chest. But he has yet to get on shore. In the night he may lie
hidden somewhere; but if he be not carried on shore, or if the ship do
not touch it, he cannot achieve the land. In such case he can, if it be
in the night, change his form and can jump or fly on shore, as he did at
Whitby. But if the day come before he get on shore, then, unless he be
carried he cannot escape. And if he be carried, then the customs men may
discover what the box contains. Thus, in fine, if he escape not on shore
to-night, or before dawn, there will be the whole day lost to him. We
may then arrive in time; for if he escape not at night we shall come on
him in daytime, boxed up and at our mercy; for he dare not be his true
self, awake and visible, lest he be discovered. "

There was no more to be said, so we waited in patience until the dawn;
at which time we might learn more from Mrs. Harker.

Early this morning we listened, with breathless anxiety, for her
response in her trance. The hypnotic stage was even longer in coming
than before; and when it came the time remaining until full sunrise
was so short that we began to despair. Van Helsing seemed to throw his
whole soul into the effort; at last, in obedience to his will she made
reply:--

"All is dark. I hear lapping water, level with me, and some creaking as
of wood on wood. " She paused, and the red sun shot up. We must wait till
to-night.

And so it is that we are travelling towards Galatz in an agony of
expectation. We are due to arrive between two and three in the morning;
but already, at Bucharest, we are three hours late, so we cannot
possibly get in till well after sun-up. Thus we shall have two more
hypnotic messages from Mrs. Harker; either or both may possibly throw
more light on what is happening.

_Later. _--Sunset has come and gone. Fortunately it came at a time
when there was no distraction; for had it occurred whilst we were at a
station, we might not have secured the necessary calm and isolation.
Mrs. Harker yielded to the hypnotic influence even less readily than
this morning. I am in fear that her power of reading the Count's
sensations may die away, just when we want it most. It seems to me that
her imagination is beginning to work. Whilst she has been in the trance
hitherto she has confined herself to the simplest of facts. If this goes
on it may ultimately mislead us. If I thought that the Count's power
over her would die away equally with her power of knowledge it would be
a happy thought; but I am afraid that it may not be so. When she did
speak, her words were enigmatical:--

"Something is going out; I can feel it pass me like a cold wind. I can
hear, far off, confused sounds--as of men talking in strange tongues,
fierce-falling water, and the howling of wolves. " She stopped, and a
shudder ran through her, increasing in intensity for a few seconds,
till, at the end, she shook as though in a palsy. She said no more, even
in answer to the Professor's imperative questioning. When she woke from
the trance, she was cold, and exhausted, and languid; but her mind was
all alert. She could not remember anything, but asked what she had said;
when she was told, she pondered over it deeply for a long time and in
silence.

_30 October, 7 a. m. _--We are near Galatz now, and I may not have time to
write later. Sunrise this morning was anxiously looked for by us all.
Knowing of the increasing difficulty of procuring the hypnotic trance,
Van Helsing began his passes earlier than usual. They produced no
effect, however, until the regular time, when she yielded with a still
greater difficulty, only a minute before the sun rose. The Professor
lost no time in his questioning; her answer came with equal quickness:--

"All is dark. I hear the water swirling by, level with my ears, and the
creaking of wood on wood. Cattle low far off. There is another sound, a
queer one like--" she stopped and grew white, and whiter still.

"Go on; Go on! Speak, I command you! " said Van Helsing in an agonized
voice. At the same time there was despair in his eyes, for the risen
sun was reddening even Mrs. Harker's pale face. She opened her eyes,
and we all started as she said, sweetly and seemingly with the utmost
concern:--

"Oh, Professor, why ask me to do what you know I can't? I don't remember
anything. " Then, seeing the look of amazement on our faces, she said,
turning from one to the other with a troubled look:--

"What have I said? What have I done? I know nothing, only that I was
lying here, half asleep, and I heard you say 'go on! speak, I command
you! ' It seemed so funny to hear you order me about, as if I were a bad
child! "

"Oh, Madam Mina," he said sadly, "it is proof, if proof be needed,
of how I love and honour you, when a word for your good, spoken more
earnest than ever, can seem so strange because it is to order her whom I
am proud to obey! "

The whistles are sounding; we are nearing Galatz. We are on fire with
anxiety and eagerness.


_Mina Harker's Journal. _

_30 October. _--Mr. Morris took me to the hotel where our rooms had been
ordered by telegraph, he being the one who could best be spared, since
he does not speak any foreign language. The forces were distributed
much as they had been at Varna, except that Lord Godalming went to the
Vice-Consul as his rank might serve as an immediate guarantee of some
sort to the official, we being in extreme hurry. Jonathan and the two
doctors went to the shipping agent to learn particulars of the arrival
of the _Czarina Catherine_.

_Later. _--Lord Godalming has returned. The Consul is away, and the
Vice-Consul sick; so the routine work has been attended to by a clerk.
He was very obliging, and offered to do anything in his power.


_Jonathan Harker's Journal. _

_30 October. _--At nine o'clock Dr. Van Helsing, Dr. Seward, and I
called on Messrs Mackenzie & Steinkoff, the agents of the London firm
of Hapgood. They had received a wire from London, in answer to Lord
Godalming's telegraphed request, asking them to show us any civility
in their power. They were more than kind and courteous, and took us
at once on board the _Czarina Catherine_, which lay at anchor out in
the river harbour. There we saw the captain, Donelson by name, who told
us of his voyage. He said that in all his life he had never had so
favourable a run.

"Man! " he said, "but it made us afeared, for we expeckit that we should
have to pay for it wi' some rare piece o' ill luck, so as to keep up the
average. It's no canny to run frae London to the Black Sea wi' a wind
ahint ye, as though the Deil himself were blawin' on yer sail for his
ain purpose. An' a' the time we could no speer a thing. Gin we were nigh
a ship, or a port, or a headland, a fog fell on us and travelled wi' us,
till when after it had lifted and we looked out, the deil a thing could
we see. We ran by Gibraltar wi'oot bein' able to signal; an' till we
came to the Dardanelles and had to wait to get our permit to pass, we
never were within hail o' aught. At first I inclined to slack off sail
and beat about till the fog was lifted; but whiles, I thocht that if
the Deil was minded to get us into the Black Sea quick, he was like to
do it whether we would or no. If we had a quick voyage it would be no
to our miscredit wi' the owners, or no hurt to our traffic; an' the Old
Mon who had served his ain purpose wad be decently grateful to us for no
hinderin' him. " This mixture of simplicity and cunning, of superstition
and commercial reasoning, aroused Van Helsing, who said:--

"Mine friend, that Devil is more clever than he is thought by some; and
he know when he meet his match! " The skipper was not displeased with the
compliment, and went on:--

"When we got past the Bosphorus the men began to grumble; some o' them,
the Roumanians, came and asked me to heave overboard a big box which had
been put on board by a queer-lookin' old man just before we had started
frae London. I had seen them speer at the fellow, and put out their twa
fingers when they saw him, to guard against the evil eye. Man! but the
supersteetion of foreigners is pairfectly rideeculous! I sent them aboot
their business pretty quick; but as just after a fog closed in on us,
I felt a wee bit as they did anent something, though I wouldn't say it
was agin the big box. Well, on we went, and as the fog didn't let up
for five days I joost let the wind carry us; for if the Deil wanted to
get somewheres--well, he would fetch it up a'reet. An' if he didn't,
well, we'd keep a sharp look out anyhow. Sure enuch, we had a fair way
and deep water all the time; and two days ago, when the mornin' sun
came through the fog, we found ourselves just in the river opposite
Galatz. The Roumanians were wild, and wanted me right or wrong to take
out the box and fling it in the river. I had to argy wi' them aboot it
wi' a handspike; an' when the last o' them rose off the deck, wi' his
head in his hand, I had convinced them that, evil eye or no evil eye,
the property and the trust of my owners were better in my hands than in
the river Danube. They had, mind ye, taken the box on the deck ready to
fling in, and as it was marked Galatz _via_ Varna, I thocht I'd let it
lie till we discharged in the port an' get rid o't athegither. We didn't
do much clearin' that day, an' had to remain the nicht at anchor; but in
the mornin', braw an' airly, an hour before sun-up, a man came aboord
wi' an order, written to him from England, to receive a box marked for
one Count Dracula.