The Mammoth Book of Dracula Read Online Free PDF Page A

only chance is to prolong my opportunities. Something may occur which will give me a chance to escape.
     
    ENTER DRACULA.
     
    DRACULA: Posts are few and uncertain, and your writing now would ensure
ease of mind to your friends. Your letters will be held over at Bistritz until due time in case chance would admit of your prolonging your stay.
     
    HARKER: (Aside) To oppose him would be to create new suspicion.
     
(Aloud) What dates shall I put on the letters?
     
    DRACULA: The first should be June 12, the second June 19, and the third June
    29.
     
    EXIT DRACULA.
     
    HARKER: (Aside) I know now the span of my life, God help me!
     
There is a chance of escape, or at any rate of being able to send word home. A band of Szagany have come to the castle, and are encamped in the courtyard.
     
I shall write some letters home, and shall try to get them to have them posted. I have already spoken to them through my window to begin an acquaintanceship. They take their hats off and make obeisance and many signs, which, however, I cannot understand any more than I can their spoken language ... I have written the letters. Mina’s is in shorthand, and I simply ask Mr. Hawkins to communicate with her. To her I have explained my situation, but without the horrors which I may only surmise. It would shock and frighten her to death were I to expose my heart to her. Should the letters not carry, then the Count shall not yet know my secret or the extent of my knowledge ... I give the letters; I throw them through the bars of my window with a gold piece, and make what signs I can to have them posted. The man who takes them puts them to his heart and bows, and then presses them in his cap. I can do no more.
     
    ENTER DRACULA.
     
    HARKER: Steady, the Count has come.
     
    DRACULA: The Szagany has given me two letters, of which, though I know not
whence they come, I shall, of course, take care. See! -One is from you, and to my friend Peter Hawkins; the other— (Sees shorthand—anger) other is a vile thing, an outrage upon friendship and hospitality! It is not named. Well! so it cannot matter to us. The letter to Hawkins—that I shall, of course, send on, since it is yours. Your letters are sacred to me. Your pardon, my friend, that unknowingly I did break the seal. Will you not cover it again?
     
    HARKER WRITES ENVELOPE.
     
    DRACULA: So, my friend, you are tired? Get to bed. There is the surest rest. I
may not have the pleasure to talk to-night, since there are many labours to me; but you will sleep!
     
    EXIT DRACULA.
     
    HARKER: I hear without, a cracking of whips and pounding and scraping of
horses’ feet up the rocky path beyond the courtyard. I must hurry to the window. I see drive into the yard two great leiter-wagons, each drawn by eight sturdy horses, and at the head of each pair a Slovak. I shall go to them. (Tries door).
     
My door is fastened on the outside. I run to the window and cry to them. They look up at me stupidly and point, but the “hetman” of the Szagany comes out and seeing them pointing to my window, says something, at which they laugh. They turn away. The leiter-wagons contained great, square boxes, with handles of thick rope; these are evidently empty by the ease with which the Slovaks handle them and by their resonance as they are roughly moved. They are all unloaded and packed in a great heap in one corner of the yard; the Slovaks are given some money by the Szagany, and spitting on it for luck, lazily go each to his horse’s head. The cracking of their whips die away in the distance. The Szagany are quartered somewhere in the castle, and are doing work of some kind. I know it, for now and then I hear a far-away, muffled sound as of mattock and spade, and, whatever it is, it must be to the end of some ruthless villainy.
     
I see something coming out of the Count’s window. He has on the suit of clothes which I had worn whilst travelling here and slung over his shoulder the terrible bag which I had seen the