rning, as soon as I 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 catch the quick 3:34 train, which
will leave you at Paddington before eight." He was surprised at my
knowledge of the trains offhand, but he does not know that I have made
up all the 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 away, and I sit here thinking,
thinking I don't know what.
LETTER (by hand), VAN HELSING TO MRS. HARKER
25 September, 6 o'clock
"Dear Madam Mina,
"I have read your husband's so wonderful diary. You may
sleep without doubt. Strange and terrible as it is, it is
true! I will pledge my life on it. It may be worse for
others, but for him and you there is no dread. He is a
noble fellow, and let me tell you from experience of men,
that one who would do as he did in going down that wall and
to that room, aye, and going a second time, is not one to
be injured in permanence by a shock. His brain and his
heart are all right, this I swear, before I have even seen
him, so be at rest. I shall have much to ask him of other
things. I am blessed that today I come to see you, for I
have learn all at once so much that again I am dazzled,
dazzled more than ever, and I must think.
"Yours the most faithful,
"Abraham Van Helsing."
LETTER, MRS. HARKER TO VAN HELSING
25 September, 6:30 P.M.
"My dear Dr. Van Helsing,
"A thousand thanks for your kind letter, which has taken a
great weight off my mind. And yet, if it be true, what
terrible things there are in the world, and what an awful
thing if that man, that monster, be really in London! I
fear to think. I have this moment, whilst writing, had a
wire from Jonathan, saying that he leaves by the 6:25 tonight
from Launceston and will be here at 10:18, so that I shall have
no fear tonight. Will you, therefore, instead of lunching with
us, please come to breakfast at eight o'clock, if this be not too
early for you? You can get away, if you are in a hurry, by the
10:30 train, which will bring you to Paddington by 2:35. Do not
answer this, as I shall take it that, if I do not hear, you will
come to breakfast.
"Believe me,
"Your faithful and grateful friend,
"Mina Harker."
JONATHAN HARKER'S JOURNAL
26 September.--I thought never to write in this diary aga
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