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18 September.--I sat up all night with Lucy. The opiate worked itself off towards dusk, and she waked naturally; she
2looked a different being from what she had been before the operation. Her spirits even were good, and she was full of a
3happy vivacity, but I could see evidences of the absolute prostration which she had undergone. When I told Mrs. Westenra
4that Dr. Van Helsing had directed that I should sit up with her she almost pooh-poohed the idea, pointing out her
5daughter's renewed strength and excellent spirits. I was firm, however, and made preparations for my long vigil. When
6her maid had prepared her for the night I came in, having in the meantime had supper, and took a seat by the bedside.
7She did not in any way make objection, but looked at me gratefully whenever I caught her eye. After a long spell she
8seemed sinking off to sleep, but with an effort seemed to pull herself together and shook it off. This was repeated
9several times, with greater effort and with shorter pauses as the time moved on. It was apparent that she did not want
10to sleep, so I tackled the subject at once:-- "You do not want to go to sleep?" "No; I am afraid." "Afraid to go to
11sleep! Why so? It is the boon we all crave for." "Ah, not if you were like me--if sleep was to you a presage of horror!"
12"A presage of horror! What on earth do you mean?" "I don't know; oh, I don't know. And that is what is so terrible. All
13this weakness comes to me in sleep; until I dread the very thought." "But, my dear girl, you may sleep to-night. I am
14here watching you, and I can promise that nothing will happen." "Ah, I can trust you!" I seized the opportunity, and
15said: "I promise you that if I see any evidence of bad dreams I will wake you at once." "You will? Oh, will you really?
16How good you are to me. Then I will sleep!" And almost at the word she gave a deep sigh of relief, and sank back,
17asleep. All night long I watched by her. She never stirred, but slept on and on in a deep, tranquil, life-giving,
18health-giving sleep. Her lips were slightly parted, and her breast rose and fell with the regularity of a pendulum.
19There was a smile on her face, and it was evident that no bad dreams had come to disturb her peace of mind. In the early
20morning her maid came, and I left her in her care and took myself back home, for I was anxious about many things. I sent
21a short wire to Van Helsing and to Arthur, telling them of the excellent result of the operation. My own work, with its
22manifold arrears, took me all day to clear off; it was dark when I was able to inquire about my zoöphagous patient. The
23report was good; he had been quite quiet for the past day and night. A telegram came from Van Helsing at Amsterdam
24whilst I was at dinner, suggesting that I should be at Hillingham to-night, as it might be well to be at hand, and
25stating that he was leaving by the night mail and would join me early in the morning. 9 September.--I was pretty tired
26and worn out when I got to Hillingham. For two nights I had hardly had a wink of sleep, and my brain was beginning to
27feel that numbness which marks cerebral exhaustion. Lucy was up and in cheerful spirits. When she shook hands with me
28she looked sharply in my face and said:-- "No sitting up to-night for you. You are worn out. I am quite well again;
29indeed, I am; and if there is to be any sitting up, it is I who will sit up with you." I would not argue the point, but
30went and had my supper. Lucy came with me, and, enlivened by her charming presence, I made an excellent meal, and had a
31couple of glasses of the more than excellent port. Then Lucy took me upstairs, and showed me a room next her own, where
32a cozy fire was burning. "Now," she said, "you must stay here. I shall leave this door open and my door too. You can lie
33on the sofa for I know that nothing would induce any of you doctors to go to bed whilst there is a patient above the
34horizon. If I want anything I shall call out, and you can come to me at once." I could not but acquiesce, for I was
35"dog-tired," and could not have sat up had I tried. So, on her renewing her promise to call me if she should want
36anything, I lay on the sofa, and forgot all about everything. Lucy Westenra's Diary. 9 September.--I feel so happy
37to-night. I have been so miserably weak, that to be able to think and move about is like feeling sunshine after a long
38spell of east wind out of a steel sky. Somehow Arthur feels very, very close to me. I seem to feel his presence warm
39about me. I suppose it is that sickness and weakness are selfish things and turn our inner eyes and sympathy on
40ourselves, whilst health and strength give Love rein, and in thought and feeling he can wander where he wills. I know
41where my thoughts are. If Arthur only knew! My dear, my dear, your ears must tingle as you sleep, as mine do waking. Oh,
42the blissful rest of last night! How I slept, with that dear, good Dr. Seward watching me. And to-night I shall not fear
43to sleep, since he is close at hand and within call. Thank everybody for being so good to me! Thank God! Good-night,
44Arthur. Dr. Seward's Diary. 10 September.--I was conscious of the Professor's hand on my head, and started awake all in
45a second. That is one of the things that we learn in an asylum, at any rate. "And how is our patient?" "Well, when I
46left her, or rather when she left me," I answered. "Come, let us see," he said. And together we went into the room. The
47blind was down, and I went over to raise it gently, whilst Van Helsing stepped, with his soft, cat-like tread, over to
48the bed. As I raised the blind, and the morning sunlight flooded the room, I heard the Professor's low hiss of
49inspiration, and knowing its rarity, a deadly fear shot through my heart. As I passed over he moved back, and his
50exclamation of horror, "Gott in Himmel!" needed no enforcement from his agonised face. He raised his hand and pointed to
51the bed, and his iron face was drawn and ashen white. I felt my knees begin to tremble. There on the bed, seemingly in a
52swoon, lay poor Lucy, more horribly white and wan-looking than ever. Even the lips were white, and the gums seemed to
53have shrunken back from the teeth, as we sometimes see in a corpse after a prolonged illness. Van Helsing raised his
54foot to stamp in anger, but the instinct of his life and all the long years of habit stood to him, and he put it down
55again softly. "Quick!" he said. "Bring the brandy." I flew to the dining-room, and returned with the decanter. He wetted
56the poor white lips with it, and together we rubbed palm and wrist and heart. He felt her heart, and after a few moments
57of agonising suspense said:--
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