There was silence until he asked again, "And when in the tomb?" "To open the coffin "This is too much!" he said, angrily rising again"I am willing to be patient in all things that are reasonable, but in this, this desecration of the grave, of one who?" He fairly choked with indignation The Professor looked pityingly at him"If I could spare you one pang, my poor friend," he said, "God knows I wouldBut this night our feet must tread in thorny paths, or later, and for ever, the feet you love must walk in paths of flame!" Arthur looked up with set white face and said, "Take care, sir, take care!" "Would it not be well to hear what I have to say?" said Van Helsing"And then you will at least know the limit of my purposeShall I go on?" "That's fair enough," broke in Morris After a pause Van Helsing went on, evidently with an effort, "Miss Lucy is dead, is it not so? Yes! Then there can be no wrong to herBut if she be not dead?" Arthur jumped to his feet, "Good God!" he cried"What do you mean? Has there been any mistake, has she been buried alive?" He groaned in anguish that not even hope could soften "I did not say she was alive, my childI go no further than to say that she might be UnDead "UnDead! Not alive! What do you mean? Is this all a nightmare, or what is it?" "There are mysteries which men can only guess at, which age by age they may solve only in partBelieve me, we are now on the verge of oneMay I cut off the head of dead Miss Lucy?" "Heavens and earth, no!" cried Arthur in a storm of passion"Not for the wide world will I consent to any mutilation of her dead bodyVan Helsing, you try me too farWhat have I done to you that you should torture me so? What did that poor, sweet girl do that you should want to cast such dishonour on her grave? Are you mad, that you speak of such things, or am I mad to listen to them? Don't dare think more of such a desecrationI shall not give my consent to anything you doI have a duty to do in protecting her grave from outrage, and by God, I shall do it!" Van Helsing rose up from where he had all the time been seated, and said, gravely and sternly, "My Lord Godalming, I too, have a duty to do, a duty to others, a duty to you, a duty to the dead, and by God, I shall do it! All I ask you now is that you come with me, that you look and listen, and if when later I make the same request you do not be more eager for its fulfillment even than I am, then, I shall do my duty, whatever it may seem to meAnd then, to follow your Lordship's wishes I shall hold myself at your disposal to render an account to you, when and where you will His voice broke a little, and he went on with a voice full of pity "But I beseech you, do not go forth in anger with meIn a long life of acts which were often not pleasant to do, and which sometimes did wring my heart, I have never had so heavy a task as nowBelieve me that if the time comes for you to change your mind towards me, one look from you will wipe away all this so sad hour, for I would do what a man can to save you from sorrowFor why should I give myself so much labor and so much of sorrow? I have come here from my own land to do what I can of good, at the first to please my friend John, and then to help a sweet young lady, whom too, I come to loveFor her, I am ashamed to say so much, but I say it in kindness, I gave what you gave, the blood of my veinsI gave it, I who was not, like you, her lover, but only her physician and her friendI gave her my nights and days, before death, after death, and if my death can do her good even now, when she is the dead UnDead, she shall have it freely He said this with a very grave, sweet pride, and Arthur was much affected by it He took the old man's hand and said in a broken voice, "Oh, it is hard to think of it, and I cannot understand, but at least I shall go with you and wait CHAPTER 16 DRSEWARD'S DIARY--cont It was just a quarter before twelve o'clock when we got into the churchyard over the low wallThe night was dark with occasional gleams of moonlight between the dents of the heavy clouds that scudded across the skyWe all kept somehow close together, with Van Helsing slightly in front as he led the wayWhen we had come close to the tomb I looked well at Arthur, for I feared the proximity to a place laden with so sorrowful a memory would upset him, but he bore himself wellI took it that the very mystery of the proceeding was in some way a counteractant to his griefThe Professor unlocked the door, and seeing a natural hesitation amongst us for various reasons, solved the difficulty by entering first shop himself

I alone,?and gave him all his medicine, and did everything for him; and then he called me his good angel, and said I?d saved his lifeWe had two beautiful childrenThe first was a boy, and we called him HenryHe was the image of his father,?he had such beautiful eyes, such a forehead, and his hair hung all in curls around it; and he had all his father?s spirit, and his talent, tooLittle Elise, he said, looked like meHe used to tell me that I was the most beautiful woman in Louisiana, he was so proud of me and the childrenHe used to love to have me dress them up, and take them and me about in an open carriage, and hear the remarks that people would make on us; and he used to fill my ears constantly with the fine things that were said in praise of me and the childrenO, those were happy days! I thought I was as happy as any one could be; but then there came evil timesHe had a cousin come to New Orleans, who was his particular friend,?he thought all the world of him;?but, from the first time I saw him, I couldn?t tell why, I dreaded him; for I felt sure he was going to bring misery on usHe got Henry to going out with him, and often he would not come home nights till two or three o?clockI did not dare say a word; for Henry was so high spirited, I was afraid toHe got him to the gaming-houses; and he was one of the sort that, when he once got a going there, there was no holding backAnd then he introduced him to another lady, and I saw soon that his heart was gone from meHe never told me, but I saw it,?I knew it, day after day,?I felt my heart breaking, but I could not say a word! At this, the wretch offered to buy me and the children of Henry, to clear off his gamblng debts, which stood in the way of his marrying as he wished;?and he sold usHe told me, one day, that he had business in the country, and should be gone two or three weeksHe spoke kinder than usual, and said he should come back; but it didn?t deceive meI knew that the time had come; I was just like one turned into stone; I couldn?t speak, nor shed a tearHe kissed me and kissed the children, a good many times, and went outI saw him get on his horse, and I watched him till he was quite out of sight; and then I fell down, and fainted ?Then he came, the cursed wretch! he came to take possessionHe told me that he had bought me and my children; and showed me the papersI cursed him before God, and told him I?d die sooner than live with him ??Just as you please,? said he; ?but, if you don?t behave reasonably, I?ll sell both the children, where you shall never see them again He told me that he always had meant to have me, from the first time he saw me; and that he had drawn Henry on, and got him in debt, on purpose to make him willing to sell meThat he got him in love with another woman; and that I might know, after all that, that he should not give up for a few airs and tears, and things of that sort ?I gave up, for my hands were tiedHe had my children;?whenever I resisted his will anywhere, he would talk about selling them, and he made me as submissive as he desiredO, what a life it was! to live with my heart breaking, every day,?to keep on, on, on, loving, when it was only misery; and to be bound, body and soul, to one I hatedI used to love to read to Henry, to play to him, to waltz with him, and sing to him; but everything I did for this one was a perfect drag,?yet I was afraid to refuse anythingHe was very imperious, and harsh to the childrenElise was a timid little thing; but Henry was bold and high-spirited, like his father, and he had never been brought under, in the least, by any oneHe was always finding fault, and quarrelling with him; and I used to live in daily fear and dreadI tried to make the child respectful;?I tried to keep them apart, for I held on to those children like death; but it did no goodHe sold both those childrenHe took me to ride, one day, and when I came home, they were nowhere to be found! He told me he had sold them; he showed me the money, the price of their bloodThen it seemed as if all good forsook meI raved and cursed,?cursed God and man; and, for a while, I believe, he really was afraid of meBut he didn?t give up soHe told me that my children were sold, but whether I ever saw their faces again, depended on him; and that, if I wasn?t quiet, they should smart for itWell, you can do anything with a woman, when you?ve got her shop children

We must watch him tonight LETTER, MITCHELL, SONS

?Some folks don?t believe there is pious niggers Shelby,? said Haley, with a candid flourish of his hand, ?but I doI had a fellow, now, in this yer last lot I took to Orleans??t was as good as a meetin, now, really, to hear that critter pray; and he was quite gentle and quiet likeHe fetched me a good sum, too, for I bought him cheap of a man that was ?bliged to sell out; so I realized six hundred on himYes, I consider religion a valeyable thing in a nigger, when it?s the genuine article, and no mistake ?Well, Tom?s got the real article, if ever a fellow had,? rejoined the other?Why, last fall, I let him go to Cincinnati alone, to do business for me, and bring home five hundred dollars?Tom,? says I to him, ?I trust you, because I think you?re a Christian?I know you wouldn?t cheat Tom comes back, sure enough; I knew he wouldSome low fellows, they say, said to him?Tom, why don?t you make tracks for Canada?? ?Ah, master trusted me, and I couldn?t,??they told me about itI am sorry to part with Tom, I must sayYou ought to let him cover the whole balance of the debt; and you would, Haley, if you had any conscience ?Well, I?ve got just as much conscience as any man in business can afford to keep,?just a little, you know, to swear by, as ?t were,? said the trader, jocularly; ?and, then, I?m ready to do anything in reason to ?blige friends; but this yer, you see, is a leetle too hard on a fellow?a leetle too hard The trader sighed contemplatively, and poured out some more brandy ?Well, then, Haley, how will you trade?? said MrShelby, after an uneasy interval of silence ?Well, haven?t you a boy or gal that you could throw in with Tom?? ?Hum!?none that I could well spare; to tell the truth, it?s only hard necessity makes me willing to sell at allI don?t like parting with any of my hands, that?s a fact Here the door opened, and a small quadroon boy, between four and five years of age, entered the roomThere was something in his appearance remarkably beautiful and engagingHis black hair, fine as floss silk, hung in glossy curls about his round, dimpled face, while a pair of large dark eyes, full of fire and softness, looked out from beneath the rich, long lashes, as he peered curiously into the apartmentA gay robe of scarlet and yellow plaid, carefully made and neatly fitted, set off to advantage the dark and rich style of his beauty; and a certain comic air of assurance, blended with bashfulness, showed that he had been not unused to being petted and noticed by his master ?Hulloa, Jim Crow!? said MrShelby, whistling, and snapping a bunch of raisins towards him, ?pick that up, now!? The child scampered, with all his little strength, after the prize, while his master laughed ?Come here, Jim Crow,? said heThe child came up, and the master patted the curly head, and chucked him under the chin ?Now, Jim, show this gentleman how you can dance and sing The boy commenced one of those wild, grotesque songs common among the negroes, in a rich, clear voice, accompanying his singing with many comic evolutions of the hands, feet, and whole body, all in perfect time to the music ?Bravo!? said Haley, throwing him a quarter of an orange ?Now, Jim, walk like old Uncle Cudjoe, when he has the rheumatism,? said his master Instantly the flexible limbs of the child assumed the appearance of deformity and distortion, as, with his back humped up, and his master?s stick in his hand, he hobbled about the room, his childish face drawn into a doleful pucker, and spitting from right to left, in imitation of an old man Both gentlemen laughed uproariously ?Now, Jim,? said his master, ?show us how old Elder Robbins leads the psalm The boy drew his chubby face down to a formidable length, and commenced toning a psalm tune through his nose, with imperturbable gravity ?Hurrah! bravo! what a young ?un!? said Haley; ?that chap?s a case, I?ll promiseTell you what,? said he, suddenly clapping his hand on MrShelby?s shoulder, ?fling in that chap, and I?ll settle the business?I willCome, now, if that ain?t doing the thing up about the rightest!? At this moment, the door was pushed gently open, and a young quadroon woman, apparently about twenty-five, entered the room There needed only a glance from the child to her, to identify her as its motherThere was the same rich, full, dark eye, with its long lashes; the same ripples of silky black hairThe brown of her complexion gave way on the cheek to a perceptible flush, which deepened as she saw the gaze of the strange man fixed upon her in bold and undisguised shop admiration

Just fancy! He is only nine-and twenty, and he has an immense lunatic asylum all under his own careHolmwood introduced him to me, and he called here to see us, and often comes nowI think he is one of the most resolute men I ever saw, and yet the most calmHe seems absolutely imperturbableI can fancy what a wonderful power he must have over his patientsHe has a curious habit of looking one straight in the face, as if trying to read one's thoughtsHe tries this on very much with me, but I flatter myself he has got a tough nut to crackI know that from my glass Do you ever try to read your own face? I do, and I can tell you it is not a bad study, and gives you more trouble than you can well fancy if you have never tried it He says that I afford him a curious psychological study, and I humbly think I doI do not, as you know, take sufficient interest in dress to be able to describe the new fashionsThat is slang again, but never mindArthur says that every day There, it is all out, Mina, we have told all our secrets to each other since we were childrenWe have slept together and eaten together, and laughed and cried together, and now, though I have spoken, I would like to speak moreOh, Mina, couldn't you guess? I love himI am blushing as I write, for although I think he loves me, he has not told me so in wordsBut, oh, Mina, I love himI love him! There, that does me good I wish I were with you, dear, sitting by the fire undressing, as we used to sit, and I would try to tell you what I feelI do not know how I am writing this even to youI am afraid to stop, or I should tear up the letter, and I don't want to stop, for I do so want to tell you allLet me hear from you at once, and tell me all that you think about itMina, pray for my happiness-I need not tell you this is a secret LETTER, LUCY WESTENRA TO MINA MURRAY 24 May My dearest Mina, Thanks, and thanks, and thanks again for your sweet letterIt was so nice to be able to tell you and to have your sympathy My dear, it never rains but it poursHow true the old proverbs areHere am I, who shall be twenty in September, and yet I never had a proposal till today, not a real proposal, and today I had threeJust fancy! Three proposals in one day! Isn't it awful! I feel sorry, really and truly sorry, for two of the poor fellowsOh, Mina, I am so happy that I don't know what to do with myselfAnd three proposals! But, for goodness' sake, don't tell any of the girls, or they would be getting all sorts of extravagant ideas, and imagining themselves injured and slighted if in their very first day at home they did not get six at leastSome girls are so vain! You and I, Mina dear, who are engaged and are going to settle down soon soberly into old married women, can despise vanityWell, I must tell you about the three, but you must keep it a secret, dear, from every one except, of course, JonathanYou will tell him, because I would, if I were in your place, certainly tell ArthurA woman ought to tell her husband everythingDon't you think so, dear? And I must be fairMen like women, certainly their wives, to be quite as fair as they areAnd women, I am afraid, are not always quite as fair as they should shop be