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

"I found Miss Westenra in seemingly gay spirits. Her mother was
present, and in a few seconds I made up my mind that she was trying
all she knew to mislead her mother and prevent her from being anxious.
I have no doubt she guesses, if she does not know, what need of
caution there is. We lunched alone, and as we all exerted ourselves to
be cheerful, we got, as some kind of reward for our labours, some real
cheerfulness amongst us. Then Mrs. Westenra went to lie down, and Lucy
was left with me. We went into her boudoir, and till we got there
her gaiety remained, for the servants were coming and going. As soon
as the door was closed, however, the mask fell from her face, and
she sank down into a chair with a great sigh, and hid her eyes with
her hand. When I saw that her high spirits had failed, I at once
took advantage of her reaction to make a diagnosis. She said to me
very sweetly:

"'I cannot tell you how I loathe talking about myself.' I reminded
her that a doctor's confidence was sacred, but that you were
grievously anxious about her. She caught on to my meaning at once, and
settled that matter in a word. 'Tell Arthur everything you choose. I
do not care for myself, but all for him!' So I am quite free.

"I could easily see that she is somewhat bloodless, but I could
not see the usual anaemic signs, and by a chance I was actually able
to test the quality of her blood, for in opening a window which was
stiff a cord gave way, and she cut her hand slightly with broken
glass. It was a slight matter in itself, but it gave me an evident
chance, and I secured a few drops of the blood and have analysed them.
The qualitative analysis gives a quite normal condition, and shows,
I should infer, in itself a vigorous state of health. In other
physical matters I was quite satisfied that there is no need for
anxiety; but as there must be a cause somewhere, I have come to the
conclusion that it must be something mental. She complains of
difficulty in breathing satisfactorily at times, and of heavy,
lethargic sleep, with dreams that frighten her, but regarding which
she can remember nothing. She says that as a child she used to walk in
her sleep, and that when in Whitby the habit came back, and that
once she walked out in the night and went to the East Cliff, where
Miss Murray found her; but she assures me that of late the habit has
not returned. I am in doubt, and so have done the best thing I know
of, I have written to my old friend and master, Professor Van Helsing,
of Amsterdam, who knows as much about obscure diseases as any one in
the world. I have asked him to come over, and as you told me that
all things were to be at your charge, I have mentioned to him who
you are and your relations to Miss Westenra. This, my dear fellow,
is in obedience to your wishes, for I am only too proud and happy to
do anything I can for her. Van Helsing would, I know, do anything
for me for a personal reason. So, no matter on what ground he comes,
we must accept his wishes. He is a seemingly arbitrary man, but this
is because he knows what he is talking about better than any one else.