CHAPTER XXIV.
/Dr. Seward's Phonograph Diary, Spoken by Van Helsing./
This to Jonathan Harker.
You are to stay with your dear Madam Mina. We shall go to make oursearch--if I can call it so, for it is not search but knowing, and weseek confirmation only. But do you stay and take care of her to-day.This is your best and most holiest office. This day nothing can find himhere. Let me tell you that so you will know what we four know already,for I have tell them. He, our enemy, have gone away; he have gone backto his Castle in Transylvania. I know it so well, as if a great hand offire wrote it on the wall. He have prepare for this in some way, andthat last earth-box was ready to ship somewheres. For this he took themoney; for this he hurry at the last, lest we catch him before the sungo down. It was his last hope, save that he might hide in the tomb thathe think poor Miss Lucy, being as he thought like him, keep open to him.But there was not of time. When that fail he make straight for his lastresource--his last earthwork I might say did I wish _double entente_. Heis clever, oh, so clever! he know that his game here was finish; and sohe decide he go back home. He find ship going by the route he came, andhe go in it. We go off now to find what ship, and whither bound; when wehave discover that, we come back and tell you all. Then we will comfortyou and poor dear Madam Mina with new hope. For it will be hope when youthink it over: that all is not lost. This very creature that we pursue,he take hundreds of years to get so far as London; and yet in one day,when we know of the disposal of him we drive him out. He is finite,though he is powerful to do much harm and suffers not as we do. But weare strong, each in our purpose; and we are all more strong together.Take heart afresh dear husband of Madam Mina. This battle is but begun,and in the end we shall win--so sure as that God sits on high to watchover His children. Therefore be of much comfort till we return.
/Van Helsing./
_Jonathan Harker's Journal._
_4 October._--When I read to Mina, Van Helsing's message in thephonograph, the poor girl brightened up considerably. Already thecertainty that the Count is out of the country has given her comfort;and comfort is strength to her. For my own part, now that this horribledanger is not face to face with us, it seems almost impossible tobelieve in it. Even my own terrible experiences in Castle Dracula seemlike a long-forgotten dream. Here in the crisp autumn air, in the brightsunlight--
Alas! how can I disbelieve! In the midst of my thought my eye fell onthe red scar on my poor darling's white forehead. Whilst that lasts,there can be no disbelief. And afterwards the very memory of it willkeep faith crystal clear. Mina and I fear to be idle, so we have beenover all the diaries again and again. Somehow, although the realityseems greater each time, the pain and the fear seem less. There issomething of a guiding purpose manifest throughout, which is comforting.Mina says that perhaps we are the instruments of ultimate good. It maybe! I shall try to think as she does. We have never spoken to each otheryet of the future. It is better to wait till we see the Professor andthe others after their investigations.
The day is running by more quickly than I ever thought a day could runfor me again. It is now three o'clock.
_Mina Harker's Journal_
_5 October, 5 p.m._--Our meeting for report. Present: Professor VanHelsing, Lord Godalming, Dr. Seward, Mr. Quincey Morris, JonathanHarker, Mina Harker.
Dr. Van Helsing described what steps were taken during the day todiscover on what boat and whither bound Count Dracula made his escape:--
"As I knew that he wanted to get back to Transylvania, I felt sure thathe must go by the Danube mouth; or by somewhere in the Black Sea, sinceby that way he come. It was a dreary blank that was before us. _Omneignotum pro magnifico_; and so with heavy hearts we start to find whatships leave for the Black Sea last night. He was in sailing ship, sinceMadam Mina tell of sails being set. These not so important as to go inyour list of the shipping in the _Times_, and so we go, by suggestionof my Lord Godalming, to your Lloyd's, where are note of all ships thatsail, however so small. There we find that only one Black-Sea-boundship go out with the tide. She is the _Czarina Catherine_, and she sailfrom Doolittle's Wharf for Varna, and thence on to other parts and upthe Danube. 'Soh!' said I, 'this is the ship whereon is the Count.' Sooff we go to Doolittle's Wharf, and there we find a man in an officeof wood so small that the man look bigger than the office. From him weinquire of the goings of the _Czarina Catherine_. He swear much, and hered face and loud of voice, but he good fellow all the same; and whenQuincey give him something from his pocket which crackle as he roll itup, and put it in a so small bag which he have hid deep in his clothing,he still better fellow and humble servant to us. He come with us, andask many men who are rough and hot; these be better fellows too whenthey have been no more thirsty. They say much of blood and bloom andof others which I comprehend not, though I guess what they mean; butnevertheless they tell us all things which we want to know.
"They make known to us among them, how last afternoon at about fiveo'clock comes a man so hurry. A tall man, thin and pale, with highnose and teeth so white, and eyes that seem to be burning. That he beall in black, except that he have a hat of straw which suit not him orthe time. That he scatter his money in making quick inquiry as to whatship sails for the Black Sea and for where. Some took him to the officeand then to the ship, where he will not go aboard but halt at shoreend of gang-plank, and ask that the captain come to him. The captaincome, when told that he will be pay well; and though he swear much atthe first he agree to term. Then the thin man go and some one tell himwhere horse and cart can be hired. He go there, and soon he come again,himself driving cart on which is a great box; this he himself liftdown, though it take several to put it on truck for the ship. He givemuch talk to captain as to how and where his box is to be place; butthe captain like it not and swear at him in many tongues, and tell himthat if he like he can come and see where it shall be. But he say 'no;'that he come not yet, for that he have much to do. Whereupon the captaintell him that he had better be quick--with blood--for that his ship willleave the place--of blood--before the turn of the tide--with blood. Thenthe thin man smile, and say that of course he must go when he thinkfit; but he will be surprise if he go quite so soon. The captain swearagain, polyglot, and the thin man make him bow, and thank him, and saythat he will so far intrude on his kindness as to come aboard before thesailing. Final the captain, more red than ever, and in more tongues,tell him that he doesn't want no Frenchmen--with bloom upon them andalso with blood--in his ship--with blood on her also. And so, afterasking where there might be close at hand a ship where he might purchaseships forms, he departed.
"No one knew where he went 'or bloomin' well cared,' as they said, forthey had something else to think of--well with blood again; for it soonbecame apparent to all that the _Czarina Catherine_ would not sail aswas expected. A thin mist began to creep up from the river, and itgrew, and grew; till soon a dense fog enveloped the ship and all aroundher. The captain swore polyglot--very polyglot--polyglot with bloom andblood; but he could do nothing. The water rose and rose; and he beganto fear that he would lose the tide altogether. He was in no friendlymood, when just at full tide, the thin man came up the gang-plankagain and asked to see where his box had been stowed. Then the captainreplied that he wished that he and his box--old and with much bloom andblood--were in hell. But the thin man did not be offend, and went downwith the mate and saw where it was place, and came up and stood awhileon deck in fog. He must have come off by himself, for none notice him.Indeed they thought not of him; for soon the fog begin to melt away,and all was clear again. My friends of the thirst and the languagethat was of bloom and blood laughed, as they told how the captain'sswears exceeded even his usual polyglot, and was more than ever full ofpicturesque, when on questioning other mariners who were in movement upand down the river that hour, he found that few of them had seen any offog at all, except where it lay round the wharf. However the ship wentout on the ebb tide; and was doubtless by morning far down the rivermouth. She was by then, when they
told us, well out to sea.
"And so, my dear Madam Mina, it is that we have to rest for a time,for our enemy is on the sea, with the fog at his command, on his wayto the Danube mouth. To sail a ship takes time, go she never so quick;and when we start we go on land more quick, and we meet him there.Our best hope is to come on him when in the box between sunrise andsunset; for then he can make no struggle, and we may deal with him aswe should. There are days for us in which we can make ready our plan.We know all about where he go; for we have seen the owner of the ship,who have shown us invoices and all papers that can be. The box we seekis to be landed in Varna, and to be given to an agent, one Ristics whowill there present his credentials; and so our merchant friend willhave done his part. When he ask if there be any wrong, for that so, hecan telegraph and have inquiry made at Varna, we say 'no;' for what isto be done is not for police or of the customs. It must be done by usalone and in our own way."
When Dr. Van Helsing had done speaking, I asked him if it were certainthat the Count had remained on board the ship. He replied: "We havethe best proof of that: your own evidence, when in the hypnotic trancethis morning." I asked him again if it were really necessary that theyshould pursue the Count, for oh! I dread Jonathan leaving me, and Iknow that he would surely go if the others went. He answered in growingpassion, at first quietly. As he went on, however, he grew more angryand more forceful, till in the end we could not but see wherein was atleast some of that personal dominance which made him so long a masteramongst men:--
"Yes, it is necessary--necessary--necessary! For your sake in the first,and then for the sake of humanity. This monster has done much harmalready, in the narrow scope where he find himself, and in the shorttime when as yet he was only as a body groping his so small measure indarkness and not knowing. All this have I told these others; you, mydear Madam Mina, will learn it in the phonograph of my friend John, orin that of your husband. I have told them how the measure of leaving hisown barren land--barren of peoples--and coming to a new land where lifeof man teems till they are like the multitude of standing corn, was thework of centuries. Were another of the Un-Dead, like him, to try to dowhat he has done, perhaps not all the centuries of the world that havebeen, or that will be, could aid him. With this one, all the forces ofnature that are occult and deep and strong must have worked together insome wondrous way. The very place where he have been alive, Un-Dead forall these centuries, is full of strangeness of the geologic and chemicalworld. There are deep caverns and fissures that reach none know whither.There have been volcanoes, some of whose openings still send out watersof strange properties, and gases that kill or make to vivify. Doubtless,there is something magnetic or electric in some of these combinationsof occult forces which work for physical life in strange way; and inhimself were from the first some great qualities. In a hard and warliketime he was celebrate that he have more iron nerve, more subtle brain,more braver heart, than any man. In him some vital principle have instrange way found their utmost; and as his body keep strong and grow andthrive, so his brain grow too. All this without that diabolic aid whichis surely to him; for it have to yield to the powers that come from, andare, symbolic of good. And now this is what he is to us. He have infectyou--oh, forgive me, my dear, that I must say such; but it is for goodof you that I speak. He infect you in such wise, that even if he do nomore, you have only to live--to live in your own old, sweet way; and soin time, death, which is of man's common lot and with God's sanction,shall make you like to him. This must not be! We have sworn togetherthat it must not. Thus are we ministers of God's own wish: that theworld, and men for whom His Son die, will not be given over to monsters,whose very existence would defame Him. He have allowed us to redeem onesoul already, and we go out as the old knights of the Cross to redeemmore. Like them we shall travel towards the sunrise; and like them, ifwe fall, we fall in good cause." He paused and I said:--
"But will not the Count take his rebuff wisely? Since he has been drivenfrom England, will he not avoid it, as a tiger does the village fromwhich he has been hunted?"
"Aha!" he said, "your simile of the tiger good, for me, and I shalladopt him. Your man-eater, as they of India call the tiger who hasonce taste blood of the human, care no more for other prey, but prowlunceasing till he get him. This that we hunt from our village is atiger, too, a man-eater, and he never cease to prowl. Nay, in himself heis not one to retire and stay afar. In his life, his living life, he goover the Turkey frontier and attack his enemy on his own ground; he bebeaten back, but did he stay? No! He come again, and again, and again.Look at his persistence and endurance. With the child-brain that wasto him he have long since conceive the idea of coming to a great city.What does he do? He find out the place of all the world most of promisefor him. Then he deliberately set himself down to prepare for the task.He find in patience just how is his strength, and what are his powers.He study new tongues. He learn new social life; new environment of oldways, the politic, the law, the finance, the science, the habit of anew land and a new people who have come to be since he was. His glimpsethat he have had, whet his appetite only and enkeen his desire. Nay, ithelp him to grow as to his brain; for it all prove to him how right hewas at the first in his surmises. He have done this alone; all alone!from a ruin tomb in a forgotten land. What more may he not do when thegreater world of thought is open to him? He that can smile at death, aswe know him; who can flourish in the midst of diseases that kill offwhole peoples. Oh! if such an one was to come from God, and not theDevil, what a force for good might he not be in this old world of ours.But we are pledged to set the world free. Our toil must be in silence,and our efforts all in secret; for this enlightened age, when menbelieve not even what they see, the doubting of wise men would be hisgreatest strength. It would be at once his sheath and his armour, andhis weapons to destroy us, his enemies, who are willing to peril evenour own souls for the safety of one we love--for the good of mankind,and for the honour and glory of God."
After a general discussion it was determined that for to-night nothingbe definitely settled; that we should all sleep on the facts, and try tothink out the proper conclusions. To-morrow at breakfast we are to meetagain, and, after making our conclusions known to one another, we shalldecide on some definite course of action.
* * * * *
I feel a wonderful peace and rest to-night. It is as if some hauntingpresence were removed from me. Perhaps....
My surmise was not finished, could not be; for I caught sight in themirror of the red mark upon my forehead; and I knew that I was stillunclean.
_Dr. Seward's Diary._
_5 October._--We all rose early, and I think that sleep did much foreach and all of us. When we met at early breakfast there was moregeneral cheerfulness than any of us had ever expected to experienceagain.
It is really wonderful how much resilience there is in human nature.Let any obstructing cause, no matter what, be removed in any way--evenby death--and we fly back to first principles of hope and enjoyment.More than once as we sat around the table, my eyes opened in wonderwhether the whole of the past days had not been a dream. It was onlywhen I caught sight of the red blotch on Mrs. Harker's forehead thatI was brought back to reality. Even now, when I am gravely resolvingthe matter, it is almost impossible to realise that the cause of allour trouble is still existent. Even Mrs. Harker seems to lose sight ofher trouble for whole spells; it is only now and again, when somethingrecalls it to her mind, that she thinks of her terrible scar. We areto meet here in my study in half an hour and decide on our course ofaction. I see only one immediate difficulty, I know it by instinctrather than reason: we shall all have to speak frankly; and yet I fearthat in some mysterious way poor Mrs. Harker's tongue is tied. I _know_that she forms conclusions of her own, and from all that has been I canguess how brilliant and how true they must be; but she will not, orcannot, give them utterance. I have mentioned this to Van Helsing, andhe and I are to talk it over when we are alone. I suppose it is some ofthat horrid poison whic
h has got into her veins beginning to work. TheCount had his own purposes when he gave her what Van Helsing called "theVampire's baptism of blood." Well, there may be a poison that distilsitself out of good things; in an age when the existence of ptomaines isa mystery we should not wonder at anything! One thing I know: that if myinstinct be true regarding poor Mrs. Harker's silences, then there is aterrible difficulty--an unknown danger--in the work before us. The samepower that compels her silence may compel her speech. I dare not thinkfurther; for so I should in my thoughts dishonour a noble woman!
Van Helsing is coming to my study a little before the others. I shalltry to open the subject with him.
_Later._--When the Professor came in, we talked over the state ofthings. I could see that he had something on his mind which he wantedto say, but felt some hesitancy about broaching the subject. Afterbeating about the bush a little, he said suddenly:--
"Friend John, there is something that you and I must talk of alone,just at the first at any rate. Later, we may have to take the othersinto our confidence;" then he stopped, so I waited; he went on:--
"Madam Mina, our poor, dear Madam Mina, is changing." A cold shiverran through me to find my worst fears thus endorsed. Van Helsingcontinued:--
"With the sad experience of Miss Lucy, we must this time be warnedbefore things go too far. Our task is now in reality more difficult thanever, and this new trouble makes every hour of the direst importance. Ican see the characteristics of the vampire coming in her face. It is nowbut very, very slight; but it is to be seen if we have eyes to noticewithout to prejudge. Her teeth are some sharper, and at times her eyesare more hard. But these are not all, there is to her the silence nowoften; as so it was with Miss Lucy. She did not speak, even when shewrote that which she wished to be known later. Now my fear is this. Ifit be that she can, by our hypnotic trance, tell what the Count see andhear, is it not more true that he who have hypnotise her first, and whohave drink of her very blood and make her drink of his, should, if hewill, compel her mind to disclose to him that which she know?" I noddedacquiescence; he went on:--
"Then what we must do is to prevent this; we must keep her ignorant ofour intent, and so she cannot tell what she know not. This is a painfultask! Oh! so painful that it heartbreak me to think of; but it must be.When to-day we meet, I must tell her that for reason which we will notto speak she must not more be of our council, but be simply guarded byus." He wiped his forehead, which had broken out in profuse perspirationat the thought of the pain which he might have to inflict upon the poorsoul already so tortured. I knew that it would be some sort of comfortto him if I told him that I also had come to the same conclusion; forat any rate it would take away the pain of doubt. I told him, and theeffect was as I expected.
It is now close to the time of our general gathering. Van Helsing hasgone away to prepare for the meeting, and his painful part of it. Ireally believe his purpose is to be able to pray alone.
_Later._--At the very outset of our meeting a great personal reliefwas experienced by both Van Helsing and myself. Mrs. Harker had sent amessage by her husband to say that she would not join us at present, asshe thought it better that we should be free to discuss our movementswithout her presence to embarrass us. The Professor and I looked ateach other for an instant, and somehow we both seemed relieved. For myown part, I thought that if Mrs. Harker realised the danger herself, itwas much pain as well as much danger averted. Under the circumstanceswe agreed, by a questioning look and answer, with finger on lip, topreserve silence of our suspicions, until we should have been able toconfer alone again. We went at once into our Plan of Campaign. VanHelsing roughly put the facts before us first:--
"The _Czarina Catherine_ left the Thames yesterday morning. It willtake her at the quickest speed she has ever made at least three weeksto reach Varna; but we can travel overland to the same place in threedays. Now, if we allow for two days less for the ship's voyage, owingto such weather influences as we know that the Count can bring to bear;and if we allow a whole day and night for any delays which may occurto us, then we have a margin of nearly two weeks. Thus, in order to bequite safe, we must leave here on 17th at latest. Then we shall at anyrate be in Varna a day before the ship arrives, and able to make suchpreparations as may be necessary. Of course we shall all go armed--armedagainst evil things, spiritual as well as physical." Here Quincey Morrisadded:--
"I understand that the Count comes from a wolf country, and it may bethat he will get there before us. I propose that we add Winchesters toour armament. I have a kind of belief in a Winchester when there is anytrouble of that sort around. Do you remember, Art, when we had the packafter us at Tobolsk? What wouldn't we have given then for a repeaterapiece!"
"Good!" said Van Helsing. "Winchesters it shall be. Quincey's headis level at all times, but most so when there is to hunt, though mymetaphor be more dishonour to science than wolves be of danger to man.In the meantime we can do nothing here; and as I think that Varna is notfamiliar to any of us, why not go there more soon? It is as long to waithere as there. To-night and to-morrow we can get ready, and then, if allbe well, we four can set out on our journey."
"We four?" said Harker interrogatively, looking from one to another ofus.
"Of course!" answered the Professor quickly. "You must remain to takecare of your so sweet wife!" Harker was silent for a while and then saidin a hollow voice:--
"Let us talk of that part of it in the morning. I want to consult withMina." I thought that now was the time for Van Helsing to warn him notto disclose our plans to her; but he took no notice. I looked at himsignificantly and coughed. For answer he put his finger on his lip andturned away.
/Jonathan Harker's Journal./
_5 October, afternoon._--For some time after our meeting this morning Icould not think. The new phases of things leave my mind in a state ofwonder which allows no room for active thought. Mina's determinationnot to take any part in the discussion set me thinking; and as I couldnot argue the matter with her, I could only guess. I am as far as everfrom a solution now. The way the others received it, too, puzzled me;the last time we talked of the subject we agreed that there was to be nomore concealment of anything amongst us. Mina is sleeping now, calmlyand sweetly like a little child. Her lips are curved and her face beamswith happiness. Thank God there are such moments still for her.
_Later._--How strange it all is. I sat watching Mina's happy sleep, andcame as near to being happy myself as I suppose I shall ever be. As theevening drew on, and the earth took its shadows from the sun sinkinglower, the silence of the room grew more and more solemn to me. All atonce Mina opened her eyes, and looking at me tenderly, said:--
"Jonathan, I want you to promise me something on your word of honour.A promise made to me, but made holily in God's hearing, and not to bebroken though I should go down on my knees and implore you with bittertears. Quick, you must make it to me at once."
"Mina," I said, "a promise like that, I cannot make at once. I may haveno right to make it."
"But, dear one," she said, with such spiritual intensity that her eyeswere like pole stars, "it is I who wish it; and it is not for myself.You can ask Dr. Van Helsing if I am not right; if he disagrees you maydo as you will. Nay, more, if you all agree, later, you are absolvedfrom the promise."
"I promise!" I said, and for a moment she looked supremely happy; thoughto me all happiness for her was denied by the red scar on her forehead.She said:--
"Promise me that you will not tell me anything of the plans formedfor the campaign against the Count. Not by word, or inference, orimplication; not at any time whilst this remains to me!" and shesolemnly pointed to the scar. I saw that she was in earnest, and saidsolemnly:--
"I promise!" and as I said it I felt that from that instant a door hadbeen shut between us.
_Later, midnight._--Mina has been bright and cheerful all the evening.So much so that all the rest seemed to take courage, as if infectedsomewhat with her gaiety; as a result even I myself felt as if the pallof gloo
m which weighs us down were somewhat lifted. We all retiredearly. Mina is now sleeping like a little child; it is a wonderful thingthat her faculty of sleep remains to her in the midst of her terribletrouble. Thank God for it, for then at least she can forget her care.Perhaps her example may affect me as her gaiety did to-night. I shalltry it. Oh! for a dreamless sleep.
_6 October, morning._--Another surprise. Mina woke me early, about thesame time as yesterday, and asked me to bring Dr. Van Helsing. I thoughtthat it was another occasion for hypnotism, and without question wentfor the Professor. He had evidently expected some such call, for I foundhim dressed in his room. His door was ajar, so that he could hear theopening of the door of our room. He came at once; as he passed into theroom, he asked Mina if the others might come too.
"No," she said quite simply, "it will not be necessary. You can tellthem just as well. I must go with you on your journey."
Dr. Van Helsing was as startled as I was. After a moment's pause heasked:--
"But why?"
"You must take me with you. I am safer with you, and you shall be safertoo."
"But why, dear Madam Mina? You know that your safety is our solemnestduty. We go into danger, to which you are, or may be, more liable thanany of us from--from circumstances--things that have been." He pausedembarrassed.
As she replied, she raised her finger and pointed to her forehead:--
"I know. That is why I must go. I can tell you now, whilst the sun iscoming up; I may not be able again. I know that when the Count wills meI must go. I know that if he tells me to come in secret, I must come bywile; by any device to hoodwink--even Jonathan." God saw the look thatshe turned on me as she spoke, and if there be indeed a Recording Angelthat look is noted to her everlasting honour. I could only clasp herhand. I could not speak; my emotion was too great for even the relief oftears. She went on:--
"You men are brave and strong. You are strong in your numbers, for youcan defy that which would break down the human endurance of one who hadto guard alone. Besides, I may be of service, since you can hypnotise meand so learn that which even I myself do not know." Dr. Van Helsing saidvery gravely:--
"Madam Mina, you are, as always, most wise. You shall with us come; andtogether we shall do that which we go forth to achieve." When he hadspoken, Mina's long spell of silence made me look at her. She had fallenback on her pillow asleep; she did not even wake when I had pulled upthe blind and let in the sunlight which flooded the room. Van Helsingmotioned to me to come with him quietly. We went to his room, and withina minute Lord Godalming, Dr. Seward, and Mr. Morris were with us also.He told them what Mina had said, and went on:--
"In the morning we shall leave for Varna. We have now to deal with a newfactor: Madam Mina. Oh, but her soul is true. It is to her an agony totell us so much as she has done; but it is most right, and we are warnedin time. There must be no chance lost, and in Varna we must be ready toact the instant when that ship arrives."
"What shall we do exactly?" asked Mr. Morris laconically. The Professorpaused before replying:--
"We shall at the first board that ship; then, when we have identifiedthe box, we shall place a branch of the wild rose on it. This we shallfasten, for when it is there none can emerge; so at least says thesuperstition. And to superstition must we trust at the first; it wasman's faith in the early, and it have its root in faith still. Then,when we get the opportunity that we seek, when none are near to see, weshall open the box, and--and all will be well."
"I shall not wait for any opportunity," said Morris. "When I see the boxI shall open it and destroy the monster, though there were a thousandmen looking on, and if I am to be wiped out for it the next moment!" Igrasped his hand instinctively and found it as firm as a piece of steel.I think he understood my look; I hope he did.
"Good boy," said Dr. Van Helsing. "Brave boy. Quincey is all man, Godbless him for it. My child, believe me none of us shall lag behind orpause from any fear. I do but say what we may do--what we must do. But,indeed, indeed we cannot say what we shall do. There are so many thingswhich may happen, and their ways and their ends are so various thatuntil the moment we may not say. We shall all be armed, in all ways;and when the time for the end has come, our effort shall not be lack.Now let us to-day put all our affairs in order. Let all things whichtouch on others dear to us, and who on us depend, be complete; for noneof us can tell what, or when, or how, the end may be. As for me, my ownaffairs are regulate; and as I have nothing else to do, I shall go makearrangement for the travel. I shall have all tickets and so forth forour journey."
There was nothing further to be said, and we parted. I shall now settleup all my affairs of earth, and be ready for whatever may come....
_Later._--It is all done; my will is made, and all complete. Mina if shesurvive is my sole heir. If it should not be so, then the others whohave been so good to us will have remainder.
It is now drawing towards the sunset; Mina's uneasiness calls myattention to it. I am sure that there is something on her mind whichthe time of exact sunset will reveal. These occasions are becomingharrowing times for us all, for each sunrise and sunset opens up somenew danger--some new pain, which, however, may in God's will be means toa good end. I write all these things in the diary since my darling mustnot hear them now; but if it may be that she can see them again, theyshall be ready.
She is calling to me.