When he arrived it was nearly six o’clock, and the sun was setting full and warm, and the red light streamed in through the window and gave more colour to the pale cheeks.  When he saw her, Arthur was simply choking with emotion, and none of us could speak.  In the hours that had passed, the fits of sleep, or the comatose condition that passed for it, had grown more frequent, so that the pauses when conversation was possible were shortened.  Arthur’s presence, however, seemed to act as a stimulant.  She rallied a little, and spoke to him more brightly than she had done since we arrived.  He too pulled himself together, and spoke as cheerily as he could, so that the best was made of everything.

It is now nearly one o’clock, and he and Van Helsing are sitting with her.  I am to relieve them in a quarter of an hour, and I am entering this on Lucy’s phonograph.  Until six o’clock they are to try to rest.  I fear that tomorrow will end our watching, for the shock has been too great.  The poor child cannot rally.  God help us all.

LETTER MINA HARKER TO LUCY WESTENRA

(Unopened by her)

17 September

My dearest Lucy,

“It seems an age since I heard from you, or indeed since I wrote.  You will pardon me, I know, for all my faults when you have read all my budget of news.  Well, I got my husband back all right.  When we arrived at Exeter there was a carriage waiting for us, and in it, though he had an attack of gout, Mr. Hawkins.  He took us to his house, where there were rooms for us all nice and comfortable, and we dined together.  After dinner Mr. Hawkins said,

“’My dears, I want to drink your health and prosperity, and may every blessing attend you both.  I know you both from children, and have, with love and pride, seen you grow up.  Now I want you to make your home here with me.  I have left to me neither chick nor child.  All are gone, and in my will I have left you everything.’  I cried, Lucy dear, as Jonathan and the old man clasped hands.  Our evening was a very, very happy one.

“So here we are, installed in this beautiful old house, and from both my bedroom and the drawing room I can see the great elms of the cathedral close, with their great black stems standing out against the old yellow stone of the cathedral, and I can hear the rooks overhead cawing and cawing and chattering and chattering and gossiping all day, after the manner of rooks—­and humans.  I am busy, I need not tell you, arranging things and housekeeping.  Jonathan and Mr. Hawkins are busy all day, for now that Jonathan is a partner, Mr. Hawkins wants to tell him all about the clients.