Dracula Chapter 22

The whole of this chapter is from Jonathan Harker's journal. He notes that an attendant said that, before they found Renfield injured, he had been screaming 'God.' He also notes that they have decided to keep Mina informed of everything from now on.

Mina herself has decided to commit suicide if she becomes a threat to her friends. Van Helsing talks her out of it for the sake of her soul.

Topic Tracking: Religion/Religious Duty 11

They take stock of their resources, still committed to the fight. They have the rest of the day to sterilize his earth boxes to trap him in his human form, for he cannot change until sundown. They reason that Dracula's papers and keys would be in the most central location, Piccadilly. However, they cannot set out immediately, as breaking into the house would cause suspicion. Van Helsing decides that they should hire a locksmith and enter by the light of day, after breakfast.

The day's plan is formed. They will destroy the boxes at Carfax, then go to Piccadilly. Harker and the doctors will do the work there as Arthur and Quincey go off to attack the other lairs. In order to protect Mina while they are gone, they give her holy items. Unfortunately, even this brings a bad result. "As he [Van Helsing] placed the Wafer on Mina's forehead, it had seared it - had burned into the flesh as though it had been a piece of white hot metal." Chapter 22, pg. 327 Mina screams and laments her unclean status.

Topic Tracking: Religion/Religious Duty 12

The men enter Carfax and sterilize all of the boxes. They then go to Piccadilly, and Arthur, with Quincey, uses his status as a Lord to convince a respectable locksmith to open the house while the others wait in a park nearby. The ruse works, and a policeman walks by with no incident.

In the Piccadilly house, they find everything they need, except for the fact that there are only eight out of nine boxes. Arthur and Quincey take the keys and go off to sterilize the remaining boxes, meaning they have sterilized all the boxes but one.