"stoker-dracula-168" - читать интересную книгу автора (Stoker Bram)

her neck. The last words he said to her were:-

"Take care you do not disturb it; and even if the room feel close,
do not to-night open the window or the door."

"I promise," said Lucy,- "and thank you both a thousand times for
all your kindness to me! Oh, what have I done to be blessed with such
friends?"

As we left the house in my fly, which was waiting, Van Helsing
said:-

"To-night I can sleep in peace, and sleep I want- two nights of
travel, much reading in the day between, and much anxiety on the day
to follow, and a night to sit up, without to wink. To-morrow in the
morning early you call for me, and we come together to see our
pretty miss, so much more strong for my 'spell' which I have work. Ho!
ho!"

He seemed so confident that I, remembering my own confidence two
nights before and with the baneful result, felt awe and vague
terror. It must have been my weakness that made me hesitate to tell it
to my friend, but I felt it all the more, like unshed tears.

CHAPTER XI.

LETTERS, ETC.- continued.

Lucy Westenra's Diary.

12 September.- How good they all are to me. I quite love that dear
Dr. Van Helsing. I wonder why he was so anxious about these flowers.
He positively frightened me, he was so fierce. And yet he must have
been right, for I feel comfort from them already. Somehow, I do not
dread being alone to-night, and I can go to sleep without fear. I
shall not mind any flapping outside the window. Oh, the terrible
struggle that I have had against sleep so often of late; the pain of
the sleeplessness, or the pain of the fear of sleep, with such unknown
horrors as it has for me! How blessed are some people, whose lives
have no fears, no dreads; to whom sleep is a blessing that comes
nightly, and brings nothing but sweet dreams. Well, here I am
to-night, hoping for sleep, and lying like Ophelia in the play, with
"virgin crants and maiden strewments." I never liked garlic before,
but to-night it is delightful! There is peace in its smell; I feel
sleep coming already. Good-night, everybody.

Dr. Seward's Diary.

13 September.- Called at the Berkeley and found Van Helsing, as
usual, up to time. The carriage ordered from the hotel was waiting.