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

only in his night-gear, and cannot be far off. The attendant thought
it would be more useful to watch where he should go than to follow
him, as he might lose sight of him whilst getting out of the
building by the door. He is a bulky man, and couldn't get through
the window. I am thin, so, with his aid, I got out, but feet foremost,
and, as we were only a few feet above ground, landed unhurt. The
attendant told me the patient had gone to the left, and had taken a
straight line, so I ran as quickly as I could. As I got through the
belt of trees I saw a white figure scale the high wall which separates
our grounds from those of the deserted house.

I ran back at once, told the watchman to get three or four men
immediately and follow me into the grounds of Carfax, in case our
friend might be dangerous. I got a ladder myself, and crossing the
wall, dropped down on the other side. I could see Renfield's figure
just disappearing behind the angle of the house, so I ran after him.
On the far side of the house I found him pressed close against the old
iron-bound oak door of the chapel. He was talking, apparently to
some one, but I was afraid to go near enough to hear what he was
saying, lest I might frighten him, and he should run off. Chasing an
errant swarm of bees is nothing to following a naked lunatic, when the
fit of escaping is upon him! After a few minutes, however, I could see
that he did not take note of anything around him, and so ventured to
draw nearer to him- the more so as my men had now crossed the wall and
were closing him in. I heard him say:-

"I am here to do Your bidding, Master. I am Your slave, and You will
reward me, for I shall be faithful. I have worshipped You long and
afar off. Now that You are near, I await Your commands, and You will
not pass me by, will You, dear Master, in Your distribution of good
things?"

He is a selfish old beggar anyhow. He thinks of the loaves and
fishes even when he believes he is in a Real Presence. His manias make
a startling combination. When we closed in on him he fought like a
tiger. He is immensely strong, and he was more like a wild beast
than a man. I never saw a lunatic in such a paroxysm of rage before;
and I hope I shall not again. It is a mercy that we have found out his
strength and his danger in good time. With strength, and determination
like his, he might have done wild work before he was caged. He is safe
now at any rate. Jack Sheppard himself couldn't get free from the
strait-waistcoat that keeps him restrained, and he's chained to the
wall in the padded room. His cries are at times awful, but the
silences that follow are more deadly still, for he means murder in
every turn and movement.

Just now he spoke coherent words for the first time:-

"I shall be patient, Master. It is coming- coming- coming!"