📝 您未登录，登录后完成练习可保存成绩、查看最佳记录。
总字符
0
正确字符
0
错误字符
0
错误率
0.00%
耗时(秒)
0
速度 WPM
0
0 / 67
1"It would comfort me, my husband!" was all she said; and he began to read when she had got the book ready. "How can
2I--how could any one--tell of that strange scene, its solemnity, its gloom, its sadness, its horror; and, withal, its
3sweetness. Even a sceptic, who can see nothing but a travesty of bitter truth in anything holy or emotional, would have
4been melted to the heart had he seen that little group of loving and devoted friends kneeling round that stricken and
5sorrowing lady; or heard the tender passion of her husband's voice, as in tones so broken with emotion that often he had
6to pause, he read the simple and beautiful service from the Burial of the Dead. I--I cannot go
7on--words--and--v-voice--f-fail m-me!" She was right in her instinct. Strange as it all was, bizarre as it may hereafter
8seem even to us who felt its potent influence at the time, it comforted us much; and the silence, which showed Mrs.
9Harker's coming relapse from her freedom of soul, did not seem so full of despair to any of us as we had dreaded.
10Jonathan Harker's Journal. 15 October, Varna.--We left Charing Cross on the morning of the 12th, got to Paris the same
11night, and took the places secured for us in the Orient Express. We travelled night and day, arriving here at about five
12o'clock. Lord Godalming went to the Consulate to see if any telegram had arrived for him, whilst the rest of us came on
13to this hotel--"the Odessus." The journey may have had incidents; I was, however, too eager to get on, to care for them.
14Until the Czarina Catherine comes into port there will be no interest for me in anything in the wide world. Thank God!
15Mina is well, and looks to be getting stronger; her colour is coming back. She sleeps a great deal; throughout the
16journey she slept nearly all the time. Before sunrise and sunset, however, she is very wakeful and alert; and it has
17become a habit for Van Helsing to hypnotise her at such times. At first, some effort was needed, and he had to make many
18passes; but now, she seems to yield at once, as if by habit, and scarcely any action is needed. He seems to have power
19at these particular moments to simply will, and her thoughts obey him. He always asks her what she can see and hear. She
20answers to the first:-- "Nothing; all is dark." And to the second:-- "I can hear the waves lapping against the ship, and
21the water rushing by. Canvas and cordage strain and masts and yards creak. The wind is high--I can hear it in the
22shrouds, and the bow throws back the foam." It is evident that the Czarina Catherine is still at sea, hastening on her
23way to Varna. Lord Godalming has just returned. He had four telegrams, one each day since we started, and all to the
24same effect: that the Czarina Catherine had not been reported to Lloyd's from anywhere. He had arranged before leaving
25London that his agent should send him every day a telegram saying if the ship had been reported. He was to have a
26message even if she were not reported, so that he might be sure that there was a watch being kept at the other end of
27the wire. We had dinner and went to bed early. To-morrow we are to see the Vice-Consul, and to arrange, if we can, about
28getting on board the ship as soon as she arrives. Van Helsing says that our chance will be to get on the boat between
29sunrise and sunset. The Count, even if he takes the form of a bat, cannot cross the running water of his own volition,
30and so cannot leave the ship. As he dare not change to man's form without suspicion--which he evidently wishes to
31avoid--he must remain in the box. If, then, we can come on board after sunrise, he is at our mercy; for we can open the
32box and make sure of him, as we did of poor Lucy, before he wakes. What mercy he shall get from us will not count for
33much. We think that we shall not have much trouble with officials or the seamen. Thank God! this is the country where
34bribery can do anything, and we are well supplied with money. We have only to make sure that the ship cannot come into
35port between sunset and sunrise without our being warned, and we shall be safe. Judge Moneybag will settle this case, I
36think! 16 October.--Mina's report still the same: lapping waves and rushing water, darkness and favouring winds. We are
37evidently in good time, and when we hear of the Czarina Catherine we shall be ready. As she must pass the Dardanelles we
38are sure to have some report. 17 October.--Everything is pretty well fixed now, I think, to welcome the Count on his
39return from his tour. Godalming told the shippers that he fancied that the box sent aboard might contain something
40stolen from a friend of his, and got a half consent that he might open it at his own risk. The owner gave him a paper
41telling the Captain to give him every facility in doing whatever he chose on board the ship, and also a similar
42authorisation to his agent at Varna. We have seen the agent, who was much impressed with Godalming's kindly manner to
43him, and we are all satisfied that whatever he can do to aid our wishes will be done. We have already arranged what to
44do in case we get the box open. If the Count is there, Van Helsing and Seward will cut off his head at once and drive a
45stake through his heart. Morris and Godalming and I shall prevent interference, even if we have to use the arms which we
46shall have ready. The Professor says that if we can so treat the Count's body, it will soon after fall into dust. In
47such case there would be no evidence against us, in case any suspicion of murder were aroused. But even if it were not,
48we should stand or fall by our act, and perhaps some day this very script may be evidence to come between some of us and
49a rope. For myself, I should take the chance only too thankfully if it were to come. We mean to leave no stone unturned
50to carry out our intent. We have arranged with certain officials that the instant the Czarina Catherine is seen, we are
51to be informed by a special messenger. 24 October.--A whole week of waiting. Daily telegrams to Godalming, but only the
52same story: "Not yet reported." Mina's morning and evening hypnotic answer is unvaried: lapping waves, rushing water,
53and creaking masts. Telegram, October 24th. Rufus Smith, Lloyd's, London, to Lord Godalming, care of H. B. M.
54Vice-Consul, Varna. "Czarina Catherine reported this morning from Dardanelles." Dr. Seward's Diary. 25 October.--How I
55miss my phonograph! To write diary with a pen is irksome to me; but Van Helsing says I must. We were all wild with
56excitement yesterday when Godalming got his telegram from Lloyd's. I know now what men feel in battle when the call to
57action is heard. Mrs. Harker, alone of our party, did not show any signs of emotion. After all, it is not strange that
58she did not; for we took special care not to let her know anything about it, and we all tried not to show any excitement
59when we were in her presence. In old days she would, I am sure, have noticed, no matter how we might have tried to
60conceal it; but in this way she is greatly changed during the past three weeks. The lethargy grows upon her, and though
61she seems strong and well, and is getting back some of her colour, Van Helsing and I are not satisfied. We talk of her
62often; we have not, however, said a word to the others. It would break poor Harker's heart--certainly his nerve--if he
63knew that we had even a suspicion on the subject. Van Helsing examines, he tells me, her teeth very carefully, whilst
64she is in the hypnotic condition, for he says that so long as they do not begin to sharpen there is no active danger of
65a change in her. If this change should come, it would be necessary to take steps!... We both know what those steps would
66have to be, though we do not mention our thoughts to each other. We should neither of us shrink from the task--awful
67though it be to contemplate. "Euthanasia" is an excellent and a comforting word! I am grateful to whoever invented it.
🎉 全部完成！共 67 行