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CHAPTER 13 `
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DR. SEWARD'S DIARY--cont. `
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The funeral was arranged for the next succeeding day, so that Lucy and `
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her mother might be buried together. I attended to all the ghastly `
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formalities, and the urbane undertaker proved that his staff was `
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afflicted, or blessed, with something of his own obsequious suavity. `
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Even the woman who performed the last offices for the dead remarked to `
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me, in a confidential, brother-professional way, when she had come out `
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from the death chamber, `
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"She makes a very beautiful corpse, sir. It's quite a privilege to `
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attend on her. It's not too much to say that she will do credit to `
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our establishment!" `
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I noticed that Van Helsing never kept far away. This was possible `
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from the disordered state of things in the household. There were no `
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relatives at hand, and as Arthur had to be back the next day to attend `
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at his father's funeral, we were unable to notify any one who should `
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have been bidden. Under the circumstances, Van Helsing and I took it `
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upon ourselves to examine papers, etc. He insisted upon looking over `
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Lucy's papers himself. I asked him why, for I feared that he, being a `
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foreigner, might not be quite aware of English legal requirements, and `
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so might in ignorance make some unnecessary trouble. `
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He answered me, "I know, I know. You forget that I am a lawyer as `
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well as a doctor. But this is not altogether for the law. You knew `
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that, when you avoided the coroner. I have more than him to avoid. `
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There may be papers more, such as this." `
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As he spoke he took from his pocket book the memorandum which had been `
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in Lucy's breast, and which she had torn in her sleep. `
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"When you find anything of the solicitor who is for the late Mrs. `
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Westenra, seal all her papers, and write him tonight. For me, I watch `
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here in the room and in Miss Lucy's old room all night, and I myself `
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search for what may be. It is not well that her very thoughts go into `
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the hands of strangers." `
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I went on with my part of the work, and in another half hour had found `
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the name and address of Mrs. Westenra's solicitor and had written to `
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him. All the poor lady's papers were in order. Explicit directions `
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regarding the place of burial were given. I had hardly sealed the `
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letter, when, to my surprise, Van Helsing walked into the room, `
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saying, `
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"Can I help you friend John? I am free, and if I may, my service is `
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to you." `
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"Have you got what you looked for?" I asked. `
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To which he replied, "I did not look for any specific thing. I only `
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hoped to find, and find I have, all that there was, only some letters `
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and a few memoranda, and a diary new begun. But I have them here, and `
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we shall for the present say nothing of them. I shall see that poor `
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lad tomorrow evening, and, with his sanction, I shall use some." `
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When we had finished the work in hand, he said to me, "And now, friend `
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John, I think we may to bed. We want sleep, both you and I, and rest `
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to recuperate. Tomorrow we shall have much to do, but for the tonight `
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there is no need of us. Alas!" `
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Before turning in we went to look at poor Lucy. The undertaker had `
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certainly done his work well, for the room was turned into a small `
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chapelle ardente. There was a wilderness of beautiful white flowers, `
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and death was made as little repulsive as might be. The end of the `
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winding sheet was laid over the face. When the Professor bent over `
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and turned it gently back, we both started at the beauty before us. `
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The tall wax candles showing a sufficient light to note it well. All `
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Lucy's loveliness had come back to her in death, and the hours that `
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had passed, instead of leaving traces of 'decay's effacing fingers', `
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had but restored the beauty of life, till positively I could not `
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believe my eyes that I was looking at a corpse. `
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The Professor looked sternly grave. He had not loved her as I had, `
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and there was no need for tears in his eyes. He said to me, "Remain `
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till I return," and left the room. He came back with a handful of `
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wild garlic from the box waiting in the hall, but which had not been `
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opened, and placed the flowers amongst the others on and around the `
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bed. Then he took from his neck, inside his collar, a little gold `
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crucifix, and placed it over the mouth. He restored the sheet to its `
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place, and we came away. `
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I was undressing in my own room, when, with a premonitory tap at the `
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door, he entered, and at once began to speak. `
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"Tomorrow I want you to bring me, before night, a set of post-mortem `
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knives." `
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"Must we make an autopsy?" I asked. `
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"Yes and no. I want to operate, but not what you think. Let me tell `
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you now, but not a word to another. I want to cut off her head and `
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take out her heart. Ah! You a surgeon, and so shocked! You, whom I `
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have seen with no tremble of hand or heart, do operations of life and `
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death that make the rest shudder. Oh, but I must not forget, my dear `
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friend John, that you loved her, and I have not forgotten it for is I `
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that shall operate, and you must not help. I would like to do it `
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tonight, but for Arthur I must not. He will be free after his `
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father's funeral tomorrow, and he will want to see her, to see it. `
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Then, when she is coffined ready for the next day, you and I shall `
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come when all sleep. We shall unscrew the coffin lid, and shall do `
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our operation, and then replace all, so that none know, save we `
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alone." `
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"But why do it at all? The girl is dead. Why mutilate her poor body `
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without need? And if there is no necessity for a post-mortem and `
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nothing to gain by it, no good to her, to us, to science, to human `
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knowledge, why do it? Without such it is monstrous." `
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For answer he put his hand on my shoulder, and said, with infinite `
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tenderness, "Friend John, I pity your poor bleeding heart, and I love `
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you the more because it does so bleed. If I could, I would take on `
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myself the burden that you do bear. But there are things that you `
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know not, but that you shall know, and bless me for knowing, though `
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they are not pleasant things. John, my child, you have been my friend `
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now many years, and yet did you ever know me to do any without good `
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cause? I may err, I am but man, but I believe in all I do. Was it `
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not for these causes that you send for me when the great trouble `
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came? Yes! Were you not amazed, nay horrified, when I would not let `
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Arthur kiss his love, though she was dying, and snatched him away by `
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all my strength? Yes! And yet you saw how she thanked me, with her `
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so beautiful dying eyes, her voice, too, so weak, and she kiss my `
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rough old hand and bless me? Yes! And did you not hear me swear `
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promise to her, that so she closed her eyes grateful? Yes! `
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"Well, I have good reason now for all I want to do. You have for many `
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years trust me. You have believe me weeks past, when there be things `
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so strange that you might have well doubt. Believe me yet a little, `
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friend John. If you trust me not, then I must tell what I think, and `
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that is not perhaps well. And if I work, as work I shall, no matter `
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trust or no trust, without my friend trust in me, I work with heavy `
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heart and feel oh so lonely when I want all help and courage that may `
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be!" He paused a moment and went on solemnly, "Friend John, there are `
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strange and terrible days before us. Let us not be two, but one, that `
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so we work to a good end. Will you not have faith in me?" `
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I took his hand, and promised him. I held my door open as he went `
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away, and watched him go to his room and close the door. As I stood `
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without moving, I saw one of the maids pass silently along the `
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passage, she had her back to me, so did not see me, and go into the `
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room where Lucy lay. The sight touched me. Devotion is so rare, and `
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we are so grateful to those who show it unasked to those we love. Here `
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was a poor girl putting aside the terrors which she naturally had of `
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death to go watch alone by the bier of the mistress whom she loved, so `
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that the poor clay might not be lonely till laid to eternal rest. `
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I must have slept long and soundly, for it was broad daylight when Van `
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Helsing waked me by coming into my room. He came over to my bedside `
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and said, "You need not trouble about the knives. We shall not do `
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it." `
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"Why not?" I asked. For his solemnity of the night before had `
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greatly impressed me. `
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"Because," he said sternly, "it is too late, or too early. See!" `
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Here he held up the little golden crucifix. `
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"This was stolen in the night." `
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"How stolen," I asked in wonder, "since you have it now?" `
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"Because I get it back from the worthless wretch who stole it, from `
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the woman who robbed the dead and the living. Her punishment will `
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surely come, but not through me. She knew not altogether what she `
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did, and thus unknowing, she only stole. Now we must wait." He went `
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away on the word, leaving me with a new mystery to think of, a new `
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puzzle to grapple with. `
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The forenoon was a dreary time, but at noon the solicitor came, Mr. `
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Marquand, of Wholeman, Sons, Marquand & Lidderdale. He was very `
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genial and very appreciative of what we had done, and took off our `
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hands all cares as to details. During lunch he told us that Mrs. `
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Westenra had for some time expected sudden death from her heart, and `
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had put her affairs in absolute order. He informed us that, with the `
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exception of a certain entailed property of Lucy's father which now, `
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in default of direct issue, went back to a distant branch of the `
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family, the whole estate, real and personal, was left absolutely to `
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Arthur Holmwood. When he had told us so much he went on, `
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"Frankly we did our best to prevent such a testamentary disposition, `
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and pointed out certain contingencies that might leave her daughter `
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either penniless or not so free as she should be to act regarding a `
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matrimonial alliance. Indeed, we pressed the matter so far that we `
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almost came into collision, for she asked us if we were or were not `
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prepared to carry out her wishes. Of course, we had then no `
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alternative but to accept. We were right in principle, and `
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ninety-nine times out of a hundred we should have proved, by the logic `
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of events, the accuracy of our judgment. `
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"Frankly, however, I must admit that in this case any other form of `
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disposition would have rendered impossible the carrying out of her `
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wishes. For by her predeceasing her daughter the latter would have `
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come into possession of the property, and, even had she only survived `
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her mother by five minutes, her property would, in case there were no `
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will, and a will was a practical impossibility in such a case, have `
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been treated at her decease as under intestacy. In which case Lord `
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Godalming, though so dear a friend, would have had no claim in the `
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world. And the inheritors, being remote, would not be likely to `
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