We continued to talk for some time, and seeing that he was seemingly quite reasonable, she ventured, looking at me questioningly as she began, to lead him to his favourite topic.  I was again astonished, for he addressed himself to the question with the impartiality of the completest sanity.  He even took himself as an example when he mentioned certain things.

“Why, I myself am an instance of a man who had a strange belief.  Indeed, it was no wonder that my friends were alarmed, and insisted on my being put under control.  I used to fancy that life was a positive and perpetual entity, and that by consuming a multitude of live things, no matter how low in the scale of creation, one might indefinitely prolong life.  At times I held the belief so strongly that I actually tried to take human life.  The doctor here will bear me out that on one occasion I tried to kill him for the purpose of strengthening my vital powers by the assimilation with my own body of his life through the medium of his blood, relying of course, upon the Scriptural phrase, ‘For the blood is the life.’  Though, indeed, the vendor of a certain nostrum has vulgarized the truism to the very point of contempt.  Isn’t that true, doctor?”

I nodded assent, for I was so amazed that I hardly knew what to either think or say, it was hard to imagine that I had seen him eat up his spiders and flies not five minutes before.  Looking at my watch, I saw that I should go to the station to meet Van Helsing, so I told Mrs. Harker that it was time to leave.

She came at once, after saying pleasantly to Mr. Renfield, “Goodbye, and I hope I may see you often, under auspices pleasanter to yourself.”

To which, to my astonishment, he replied, “Goodbye, my dear.  I pray God I may never see your sweet face again.  May He bless and keep you!”

When I went to the station to meet Van Helsing I left the boys behind me.  Poor Art seemed more cheerful than he has been since Lucy first took ill, and Quincey is more like his own bright self than he has been for many a long day.

Van Helsing stepped from the carriage with the eager nimbleness of a boy.  He saw me at once, and rushed up to me, saying, “Ah, friend John, how goes all?  Well?  So!  I have been busy, for I come here to stay if need be.  All affairs are settled with me, and I have much to tell.  Madam Mina is with you?  Yes.  And her so fine husband?  And Arthur and my friend Quincey, they are with you, too?  Good!”

As I drove to the house I told him of what had passed, and of how my own diary had come to be of some use through Mrs. Harker’s suggestion, at which the Professor interrupted me.