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1I took his hand, and promised him. I held my door open as he went away, and watched him go into his room and close the
2door. As I stood without moving, I saw one of the maids pass silently along the passage--she had her back towards me, so
3did not see me--and go into the room where Lucy lay. The sight touched me. Devotion is so rare, and we are so grateful
4to those who show it unasked to those we love. Here was a poor girl putting aside the terrors which she naturally had of
5death to go watch alone by the bier of the mistress whom she loved, so that the poor clay might not be lonely till laid
6to eternal rest.... I must have slept long and soundly, for it was broad daylight when Van Helsing waked me by coming
7into my room. He came over to my bedside and said:-- "You need not trouble about the knives; we shall not do it." "Why
8not?" I asked. For his solemnity of the night before had greatly impressed me. "Because," he said sternly, "it is too
9late--or too early. See!" Here he held up the little golden crucifix. "This was stolen in the night." "How, stolen," I
10asked in wonder, "since you have it now?" "Because I get it back from the worthless wretch who stole it, from the woman
11who robbed the dead and the living. Her punishment will surely come, but not through me; she knew not altogether what
12she did and thus unknowing, she only stole. Now we must wait." He went away on the word, leaving me with a new mystery
13to think of, a new puzzle to grapple with. The forenoon was a dreary time, but at noon the solicitor came: Mr. Marquand,
14of Wholeman, Sons, Marquand & Lidderdale. He was very genial and very appreciative of what we had done, and took off our
15hands all cares as to details. During lunch he told us that Mrs. Westenra had for some time expected sudden death from
16her heart, and had put her affairs in absolute order; he informed us that, with the exception of a certain entailed
17property of Lucy's father's which now, in default of direct issue, went back to a distant branch of the family, the
18whole estate, real and personal, was left absolutely to Arthur Holmwood. When he had told us so much he went on:--
19"Frankly we did our best to prevent such a testamentary disposition, and pointed out certain contingencies that might
20leave her daughter either penniless or not so free as she should be to act regarding a matrimonial alliance. Indeed, we
21pressed the matter so far that we almost came into collision, for she asked us if we were or were not prepared to carry
22out her wishes. Of course, we had then no alternative but to accept. We were right in principle, and ninety-nine times
23out of a hundred we should have proved, by the logic of events, the accuracy of our judgment. Frankly, however, I must
24admit that in this case any other form of disposition would have rendered impossible the carrying out of her wishes. For
25by her predeceasing her daughter the latter would have come into possession of the property, and, even had she only
26survived her mother by five minutes, her property would, in case there were no will--and a will was a practical
27impossibility in such a case--have been treated at her decease as under intestacy. In which case Lord Godalming, though
28so dear a friend, would have had no claim in the world; and the inheritors, being remote, would not be likely to abandon
29their just rights, for sentimental reasons regarding an entire stranger. I assure you, my dear sirs, I am rejoiced at
30the result, perfectly rejoiced." He was a good fellow, but his rejoicing at the one little part--in which he was
31officially interested--of so great a tragedy, was an object-lesson in the limitations of sympathetic understanding. He
32did not remain long, but said he would look in later in the day and see Lord Godalming. His coming, however, had been a
33certain comfort to us, since it assured us that we should not have to dread hostile criticism as to any of our acts.
34Arthur was expected at five o'clock, so a little before that time we visited the death-chamber. It was so in very truth,
35for now both mother and daughter lay in it. The undertaker, true to his craft, had made the best display he could of his
36goods, and there was a mortuary air about the place that lowered our spirits at once. Van Helsing ordered the former
37arrangement to be adhered to, explaining that, as Lord Godalming was coming very soon, it would be less harrowing to his
38feelings to see all that was left of his fiancée quite alone. The undertaker seemed shocked at his own stupidity and
39exerted himself to restore things to the condition in which we left them the night before, so that when Arthur came such
40shocks to his feelings as we could avoid were saved. Poor fellow! He looked desperately sad and broken; even his
41stalwart manhood seemed to have shrunk somewhat under the strain of his much-tried emotions. He had, I knew, been very
42genuinely and devotedly attached to his father; and to lose him, and at such a time, was a bitter blow to him. With me
43he was warm as ever, and to Van Helsing he was sweetly courteous; but I could not help seeing that there was some
44constraint with him. The Professor noticed it, too, and motioned me to bring him upstairs. I did so, and left him at the
45door of the room, as I felt he would like to be quite alone with her, but he took my arm and led me in, saying
46huskily:-- "You loved her too, old fellow; she told me all about it, and there was no friend had a closer place in her
47heart than you. I don't know how to thank you for all you have done for her. I can't think yet...." Here he suddenly
48broke down, and threw his arms round my shoulders and laid his head on my breast, crying:-- "Oh, Jack! Jack! What shall
49I do! The whole of life seems gone from me all at once, and there is nothing in the wide world for me to live for." I
50comforted him as well as I could. In such cases men do not need much expression. A grip of the hand, the tightening of
51an arm over the shoulder, a sob in unison, are expressions of sympathy dear to a man's heart. I stood still and silent
52till his sobs died away, and then I said softly to him:-- "Come and look at her." Together we moved over to the bed, and
53I lifted the lawn from her face. God! how beautiful she was. Every hour seemed to be enhancing her loveliness. It
54frightened and amazed me somewhat; and as for Arthur, he fell a-trembling, and finally was shaken with doubt as with an
55ague. At last, after a long pause, he said to me in a faint whisper:-- "Jack, is she really dead?" I assured him sadly
56that it was so, and went on to suggest--for I felt that such a horrible doubt should not have life for a moment longer
57than I could help--that it often happened that after death faces became softened and even resolved into their youthful
58beauty; that this was especially so when death had been preceded by any acute or prolonged suffering. It seemed to quite
59do away with any doubt, and, after kneeling beside the couch for a while and looking at her lovingly and long, he turned
60aside. I told him that that must be good-bye, as the coffin had to be prepared; so he went back and took her dead hand
61in his and kissed it, and bent over and kissed her forehead. He came away, fondly looking back over his shoulder at her
62as he came. I left him in the drawing-room, and told Van Helsing that he had said good-bye; so the latter went to the
63kitchen to tell the undertaker's men to proceed with the preparations and to screw up the coffin. When he came out of
64the room again I told him of Arthur's question, and he replied:-- "I am not surprised. Just now I doubted for a moment
65myself!" We all dined together, and I could see that poor Art was trying to make the best of things. Van Helsing had
66been silent all dinner-time; but when we had lit our cigars he said-- "Lord----"; but Arthur interrupted him:-- "No, no,
67not that, for God's sake! not yet at any rate. Forgive me, sir: I did not mean to speak offensively; it is only because
68my loss is so recent."
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