登陆注册
4709600000117

第117章

DR. SEWARD'S DIARY

3 October.--The time seemed teribly long whilst we were waiting for the coming of Godalming and Quincey Morris.

The Professor tried to keep our minds active by using them all the time. I could see his beneficent purpose, by the side glances which he threw from time to time at Harker.

The poor fellow is overwhelmed in a misery that is appalling to see.

Last night he was a frank, happy-looking man, with strong, youthful face, full of energy, and with dark brown hair.

Today he is a drawn, haggard old man, whose white hair matches well with the hollow burning eyes and grief-written lines of his face.

His energy is still intact. In fact, he is like a living flame.

This may yet be his salvation, for if all go well, it will tide him over the despairing period. He will then, in a kind of way, wake again to the realities o f life.

Poor fellow, I thought my own trouble was bad enough, but his. . .!

The Professor knows this well enough, and is doing his best to keep his mind active. What he has been saying was, under the circumstances, of absorbing interest. So well as I can remember, here it is:

"I have studied, over and over again since they came into my hands, all the papers relating to this monster, and the more I have studied, the greater seems the necessity to utterly stamp him out.

All through there are signs of his advance. Not only of his power, but of his knowledge of it. As I learned from the researches of my friend Arminius of Buda-Pesth, he was in life a most wonderful man.

Soldier, statesman, and alchemist. Which latter was the highest development of the science knowledge of his time. He had a mighty brain, a learning beyond compare, and a heart that knew no fear and no remorse.

He dared even to attend the Scholomance, and there was no branch of knowledge of his time that he did not essay.

"Well, in him the brain powers survived the physical death.

Though it would seem that memory was not all complete.

In some faculties of mind he has been, and is, only a child.

But he is growing, and some things that were childish at the first are now of man's stature. He is experimenting, and doing it well.

And if it had not been that we have crossed his path he would be yet, he may be yet if we fail, the father or furtherer of a new order of beings, whose road must lead through Death, not Life."

Harker groaned and said, "And this is all arrayed against my darling!

But how is he experimenting? The knowledge may help us to defeat him!"

"He has all along, since his coming, been trying his power, slowly but surely. That big child-brain of his is working.

Well for us, it is as yet, a child-brain. For had he dared, at the first, to attempt certain things he would long ago have been beyond our power. However, he means to succeed, and a man who has centuries before him can afford to wait and to go slow.

Festina lente may well be his motto."

"I fail to understand," said Harker wearily. "Oh, do be more plain to me!

Perhaps grief and trouble are dulling my brain."

The Professor laid his hand tenderly on his shoulder as he spoke, "Ah, my child, I will be plain. Do you not see how, of late, this monster has been creeping into knowledge experimentally.

How he has been making use of the zoophagous patient to effect his entry into friend John's home. For your Vampire, though in all afterwards he can come when and how he will, must at the first make entry only when asked thereto by an inmate.

But these are not his most important experiments.

Do we not see how at the first all these so great boxes were moved by others. He knew not then but that must be so.

But all the time that so great child-brain of his was growing, and he began to consider whether he might not himself move the box. So he began to help. And then, when he found that this be all right, he try to move them all alone.

And so he progress, and he scatter these graves of him.

And none but he know where they are hidden.

"He may have intend to bury them deep in the ground.

So that only he use them in the night, or at such time as he can change his form, they do him equal well, and none may know these are his hiding place! But, my child, do not despair, this knowledge came to him just too late!

Already all of his lairs but one be sterilize as for him.

And before the sunset this shall be so. Then he have no place where he can move and hide. I delayed this morning that so we might be sure. Is there not more at stake for us than for him?

Then why not be more careful than him? By my clock it is one hour and already, if all be well, friend Arthur and Quincey are on their way to us. Today is our day, and we must go sure, if slow, and lose no chance. See! There are five of us when those absent ones return."

Whilst we were speaking we were startled by a knock at the hall door, the double postman's knock of the telegraph boy. We all moved out to the hall with one impulse, and Van Helsing, holding up his hand to us to keep silence, stepped to the door and opened it.

The boy handed in a dispatch. The Professor closed the door again, and after looking at the direction, opened it and read aloud.

"Look out for D. He has just now, 12:45, come from Carfax hurriedly and hastened towards the South. He seems to be going the round and may want to see you: Mina."

There was a pause, broken by Jonathan Harker's voice, "Now, God be thanked, we shall soon meet!"

Van Helsing turned to him quickly and said, "God will act in His own way and time. Do not fear, and do not rejoice as yet.

For what we wish for at the moment may be our own undoings."

"I care for nothing now," he answered hotly, "except to wipe out this brute from the face of creation. I would sell my soul to do it!"

"Oh, hush, hush, my child!" said Van Helsing. "God does not purchase souls in this wise, and the Devil, though he may purchase, does not keep faith.

同类推荐
  • 阳宅指南

    阳宅指南

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 西岩了慧禅师语录

    西岩了慧禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 洞玄灵宝道学科仪

    洞玄灵宝道学科仪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 脾胃论

    脾胃论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 禅林宝训

    禅林宝训

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 南窗纪谈

    南窗纪谈

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 管好自己的七个法则

    管好自己的七个法则

    本书总结了七个方面怎样管好自己,并列集为七个法则: 真正认识自我:首先给自己定位; 确立人生目标:明确奋斗方向; 人生必备的生存能力:是你生存的必要手段; 养成良好的习惯:好习惯使人一生受益无穷; 学会善待时间:不会利用时间将会一事无成; 学会为自己理财:打理她自己一生的财富,是走向成功的标志; 保持身心健康:拥着健康是最大的财富。 其实,人的一生,追求的很多,就看怎么支待。如果能管理好自己的一生,相信每个人都会业有所成。说到底,一个人的成功没有什么秘籍和宝典,只能是从自身做起,循序渐进走好自己的每一步,相信成功便指日可待。
  • 哥哥是只妖

    哥哥是只妖

    在H市里流传这样的一个传说:很久很久以前有一群与妖怪交合的而出生的人,来到这里,而之后所有继承那个血的家族都会十分繁荣。其中特别是深深继承妖怪之血的返祖,就是与那些祖先同日同时带着相同的属性降生的孩子。每个家族都把这些孩子当作祖先转世,全族人一起抚养。不过也因为将他们当做神明一样的养活方式,让他们失去了做为一个正常人应当有的亲情、爱情、友情的观念。他们将一直一个人孤单的生活下去,所以他……
  • 千古圣君:李世民

    千古圣君:李世民

    唐太宗李世民,是唐朝第二位皇帝,他名字的意思是“济世安民”。唐太宗开创了历史上的“贞观之治”,经过主动消灭各地割据势力,虚心纳谏、在国内厉行节约、使百姓休养生息,终于使得社会出现了国泰民安的局面,为后来全盛的开元盛世奠定了重要的基础,将中国传统农业社会推向鼎盛时期。本书介绍了千古圣君——李世民的传奇一生。
  • 古今医案按

    古今医案按

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 冷王狂妃御天下

    冷王狂妃御天下

    现代杀手女王误入陷阱,被心爱之人谋害,一朝穿越成为人人可欺的废材嫡小姐,异世重生,风云变幻即将掀开帷幕。斗莲花,虐渣男,只有你想不到没有她做不到。可是身边这只大尾巴狼是从哪里来的,我不需要你暖床,我要逍遥自在浪世界。某狼欲哭无泪啊……
  • 御天帝主

    御天帝主

    带着混沌宝塔重生异界,叶帝开启彪悍人生。别的驭兽师只能控制一只魔兽,而叶帝却可以控制成千上万只魔兽。依靠混沌宝塔特殊能力,还能将两只魔兽融合成全新魔兽。新书《狂暴平头哥》,求收藏,求推荐!!老书《惊世剑仙》,欢迎品鉴!!!
  • 梦里阑珊1995

    梦里阑珊1995

    讲述的是漫画家孟里在28岁事业有成的年纪痛失相伴多年的未婚妻然珊。在一次机缘下,遇见时光老头,思想穿越回到了平时时空还是14岁初中生的小孟里身上。没想到,14岁的孟里还是个发育未完全的又黑又胖的小胖子。在那场旧时光爱情里,情敌木风长着一张初恋男孩的模样,又高又帅,与然珊情投意合。孟里守护着然珊长大的同时忍受着她和其他男生谈情说爱。漫漫追妻之路,碰撞出许多令人啼笑皆非和怅然若失的故事。这是一场关于旧时光和你的爱情。
  • 爆萌小狂妃:专坑腹黑王爷

    爆萌小狂妃:专坑腹黑王爷

    她手握千军,脚踩万兽,白天,训兵训马训奶包。“王爷,王妃整日忙里忙外,你这么清闲真的好吗?”“你们哪只眼睛看本王很清闲?”众人鄙视望之:“……”他慵懒的眯了眯眼:“你们是没看到本王被训的筋疲力尽时!”他是冷酷无情的煞面王爷,却中了她的毒,今生只娶她一人,宠她一个。却不料,背后追来一群奶包子:“娘亲,宝宝饿饿,要吃奶。”“滚——”
  • 历代赋评注(宋金元卷)

    历代赋评注(宋金元卷)

    本书是目前篇幅最大的一部历代赋注评本。书中对入选作家的生平和作品的背景均作了介绍。第一卷开篇除以“总序”对赋的特质及其同汉语与中华文化的血肉关系、赋在中国和世界文学史上的地位作了概括论述之外,还在评注前撰文《赋体溯源与先秦赋概述》,以下各卷在评注前也都有“概述”,对该时期赋的主要作家、重要作品、创作成就和主要特色等有简略而精当的论述,以与书中的作者简介、各篇题解及品评形成点、线、面结合的关系,从而便于读者在阅读作品及评注过程中形成对该时期赋吏的整体认识。