We ran over and saw him spring unhurt from the ground. He, rushing up the steps, crossed the flagged yard, and pushed open the stable door.
There he turned and spoke to us.
"You think to baffle me, you with your pale faces all in a row, like sheep in a butcher's. You shall be sorry yet, each one of you!
You think you have left me without a place to rest, but I have more.
My revenge is just begun! I spread it over centuries, and time is on my side. Your girls that you all love are mine already.
And through them you and others shall yet be mine, my creatures, to do my bidding and to be my jackals when I want to feed. Bah!"
With a contemptuous sneer, he passed quickly through the door, and we heard the rusty bolt creak as he fastened it behind him.
A door beyond opened and shut. The first of us to speak was the Professor.
Realizing the difficulty of following him through the stable, we moved toward the hall.
"We have learnt something. . .much! Notwithstanding his brave words, he fears us. He fears time, he fears want!
For if not, why he hurry so? His very tone betray him, or my ears deceive. Why take that money? You follow quick.
You are hunters of the wild beast, and understand it so.
For me, I make sure that nothing here may be of use to him, if so that he returns."
As he spoke he put the money remaining in his pocket, took the title deeds in the bundle as Harker had left them, and swept the remaining things into the open fireplace, where he set fire to them with a match.
Godalming and Morris had rushed out into the yard, and Harker had lowered himself from the window to follow the Count.
He had, however, bolted the stable door, and by the time they had forced it open there was no sign of him.
Van Helsing and I tried to make inquiry at the back of the house.
But the mews was deserted and no one had seen him depart.
It was now late in the afternoon, and sunset was not far off.
We had to recognize that our game was up. With heavy hearts we agreed with the Professor when he said, "Let us go back to Madam Mina.
Poor, poor dear Madam Mina. All we can do just now is done, and we can there, at least, protect her. But we need not despair.
There is but one more earth box, and we must try to find it.
When that is done all may yet be well."
I could see that he spoke as bravely as he could to comfort Harker.
The poor fellow was quite broken down, now and again he gave a low groan which he could not suppress. He was thinking of his wife.
With sad hearts we came back to my house, where we found Mrs. Harker waiting us, with an appearance of cheerfulness which did honor to her bravery and unselfishness.
When she saw our faces, her own became as pale as death.
For a second or two her eyes were closed as if she were in secret prayer.
And then she said cheerfully, "I can never thank you all enough.
Oh, my poor darling!"
As she spoke, she took her husband's grey head in her hands and kissed it.
"Lay your poor head here and rest it. All will yet be well, dear! God will protect us if He so will it in His good intent." The poor fellow groaned.
There was no place for words in his sublime misery.
We had a sort of perfunctory supper together, and I think it cheered us all up somewhat. It was, perhaps, the mere animal heat of food to hungry people, for none of us had eaten anything since breakfast, or the sense of companionship may have helped us, but anyhow we were all less miserable, and saw the morrow as not altogether without hope.
True to our promise, we told Mrs. Harker everything which had passed.
And although she grew snowy white at times when danger had seemed to threaten her husband, and red at others when his devotion to her was manifested she listened bravely and with calmness.
When we came to the part where Harker had rushed at the Count so recklessly, she clung to her husband's arm, and held it tight as though her clinging could protect him from any harm that might come.
She said nothing, however, till the narration was all done, and matters had been brought up to the present time.
Then without letting go her husband's hand she stood up amongst us and spoke. Oh, that I could give any idea of the scene.
Of that sweet, sweet, good, good woman in all the radiant beauty of her youth and animation, with the red scar on her forehead, of which she was conscious, and which we saw with grinding of our teeth, remembering whence and how it came. Her loving kindness against our grim hate. Her tender faith against all our fears and doubting.
And we, knowing that so far as symbols went, she with all her goodness and purity and faith, was outcast from God.
"Jonathan," she said, and the word sounded like music on her lips it was so full of love and tenderness, "Jonathan dear, and you all my true, true friends, I want you to bear something in mind through all this dreadful time. I know that you must fight.
That you must destroy even as you destroyed the false Lucy so that the true Lucy might live hereafter. But it is not a work of hate.
That poor soul who has wrought all this misery is the saddest case of all.
Just think what will be his joy when he, too, is destroyed in his worser part that his better part may have spiritual immortality.
You must be pitiful to him, too, though it may not hold your hands from his destruction."
As she spoke I could see her husband's face darken and draw together, as though the passion in him were shriveling his being to its core.
Instinctively the clasp on his wife's hand grew closer, till his knuckles looked white. She did not flinch from the pain which I knew she must have suffered, but looked at him with eyes that were more appealing than ever.
As she stopped speaking he leaped to his feet, almost tearing his hand from hers as he spoke.
"May God give him into my hand just for long enough to destroy that earthly life of him which we are aiming at.
If beyond it I could send his soul forever and ever to burning hell I would do it!"
"Oh, hush! Oh, hush in the name of the good God.
