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world. And the inheritors, being remote, would not be likely to `
`
abandon their just rights, for sentimental reasons regarding an entire `
`
stranger. I assure you, my dear sirs, I am rejoiced at the result, `
`
perfectly rejoiced." `
`
`
`
He was a good fellow, but his rejoicing at the one little part, in `
`
which he was officially interested, of so great a tragedy, was an `
`
object-lesson in the limitations of sympathetic understanding. `
`
`
`
He did not remain long, but said he would look in later in the day and `
`
see Lord Godalming. His coming, however, had been a certain comfort `
`
to us, since it assured us that we should not have to dread hostile `
`
criticism as to any of our acts. Arthur was expected at five o'clock, `
`
so a little before that time we visited the death chamber. It was so `
`
in very truth, for now both mother and daughter lay in it. The `
`
undertaker, true to his craft, had made the best display he could of `
`
his goods, and there was a mortuary air about the place that lowered `
`
our spirits at once. `
`
`
`
Van Helsing ordered the former arrangement to be adhered to, `
`
explaining that, as Lord Godalming was coming very soon, it would be `
`
less harrowing to his feelings to see all that was left of his fiancee `
`
quite alone. `
`
`
`
The undertaker seemed shocked at his own stupidity and exerted himself `
`
to restore things to the condition in which we left them the night `
`
before, so that when Arthur came such shocks to his feelings as we `
`
could avoid were saved. `
`
`
`
Poor fellow! He looked desperately sad and broken. Even his stalwart `
`
manhood seemed to have shrunk somewhat under the strain of his `
`
much-tried emotions. He had, I knew, been very genuinely and `
`
devotedly attached to his father, and to lose him, and at such a time, `
`
was a bitter blow to him. With me he was warm as ever, and to Van `
`
Helsing he was sweetly courteous. But I could not help seeing that `
`
there was some constraint with him. The professor noticed it too, and `
`
motioned me to bring him upstairs. I did so, and left him at the door `
`
of the room, as I felt he would like to be quite alone with her, but `
`
he took my arm and led me in, saying huskily, `
`
`
`
"You loved her too, old fellow. She told me all about it, and there `
`
was no friend had a closer place in her heart than you. I don't know `
`
how to thank you for all you have done for her. I can't think `
`
yet . . ." `
`
`
`
Here he suddenly broke down, and threw his arms round my shoulders and `
`
laid his head on my breast, crying, "Oh, Jack! Jack! What shall I `
`
do? The whole of life seems gone from me all at once, and there is `
`
nothing in the wide world for me to live for." `
`
`
`
I comforted him as well as I could. In such cases men do not need `
`
much expression. A grip of the hand, the tightening of an arm over `
`
the shoulder, a sob in unison, are expressions of sympathy dear to a `
`
man's heart. I stood still and silent till his sobs died away, and `
`
then I said softly to him, "Come and look at her." `
`
`
`
Together we moved over to the bed, and I lifted the lawn from her `
`
face. God! How beautiful she was. Every hour seemed to be enhancing `
`
her loveliness. It frightened and amazed me somewhat. And as for `
`
Arthur, he fell to trembling, and finally was shaken with doubt as `
`
with an ague. At last, after a long pause, he said to me in a faint `
`
whisper, "Jack, is she really dead?" `
`
`
`
I assured him sadly that it was so, and went on to suggest, for I felt `
`
that such a horrible doubt should not have life for a moment longer `
`
than I could help, that it often happened that after death faces `
`
become softened and even resolved into their youthful beauty, that `
`
this was especially so when death had been preceded by any acute or `
`
prolonged suffering. I seemed to quite do away with any doubt, and `
`
after kneeling beside the couch for a while and looking at her `
`
lovingly and long, he turned aside. I told him that that must be `
`
goodbye, as the coffin had to be prepared, so he went back and took `
`
her dead hand in his and kissed it, and bent over and kissed her `
`
forehead. He came away, fondly looking back over his shoulder at her `
`
as he came. `
`
`
`
I left him in the drawing room, and told Van Helsing that he had said `
`
goodbye, so the latter went to the kitchen to tell the undertaker's `
`
men to proceed with the preparations and to screw up the coffin. When `
`
he came out of the room again I told him of Arthur's question, and he `
`
replied, "I am not surprised. Just now I doubted for a moment `
`
myself!" `
`
`
`
We all dined together, and I could see that poor Art was trying to `
`
make the best of things. Van Helsing had been silent all dinner time, `
`
but when we had lit our cigars he said, "Lord . . ." but Arthur `
`
interrupted him. `
`
`
`
"No, no, not that, for God's sake! Not yet at any rate. Forgive me, `
`
sir. I did not mean to speak offensively. It is only because my loss `
`
is so recent." `
`
`
`
The Professor answered very sweetly, "I only used that name because I `
`
was in doubt. I must not call you 'Mr.' and I have grown to love you, `
`
yes, my dear boy, to love you, as Arthur." `
`
`
`
Arthur held out his hand, and took the old man's warmly. "Call me `
`
what you will," he said. "I hope I may always have the title of a `
`
friend. And let me say that I am at a loss for words to thank you for `
`
your goodness to my poor dear." He paused a moment, and went on, "I `
`
know that she understood your goodness even better than I do. And if `
`
I was rude or in any way wanting at that time you acted so, you `
`
remember"--the Professor nodded--"you must forgive me." `
`
`
`
He answered with a grave kindness, "I know it was hard for you to `
`
quite trust me then, for to trust such violence needs to understand, `
`
and I take it that you do not, that you cannot, trust me now, for you `
`
do not yet understand. And there may be more times when I shall want `
`
you to trust when you cannot, and may not, and must not yet `
`
understand. But the time will come when your trust shall be whole and `
`
complete in me, and when you shall understand as though the sunlight `
`
himself shone through. Then you shall bless me from first to last for `
`
your own sake, and for the sake of others, and for her dear sake to `
`
whom I swore to protect." `
`
`
`
"And indeed, indeed, sir," said Arthur warmly. "I shall in all ways `
`
trust you. I know and believe you have a very noble heart, and you `
`
are Jack's friend, and you were hers. You shall do what you like." `
`
`
`
The Professor cleared his throat a couple of times, as though about to `
`
speak, and finally said, "May I ask you something now?" `
`
`
`
"Certainly." `
`
`
`
"You know that Mrs. Westenra left you all her property?" `
`
`
`
"No, poor dear. I never thought of it." `
`
`
`
"And as it is all yours, you have a right to deal with it as you will. `
`
I want you to give me permission to read all Miss Lucy's papers and `
`
letters. Believe me, it is no idle curiosity. I have a motive of `
`
which, be sure, she would have approved. I have them all here. I `
`
took them before we knew that all was yours, so that no strange hand `
`
might touch them, no strange eye look through words into her soul. I `
`
shall keep them, if I may. Even you may not see them yet, but I shall `
`
keep them safe. No word shall be lost, and in the good time I shall `
`
give them back to you. It is a hard thing that I ask, but you will do `
`
it, will you not, for Lucy's sake?" `
`
`
`
Arthur spoke out heartily, like his old self, "Dr. Van Helsing, you `
`
may do what you will. I feel that in saying this I am doing what my `
`
dear one would have approved. I shall not trouble you with questions `
`
till the time comes." `
`
`
`
The old Professor stood up as he said solemnly, "And you are right. `
`
There will be pain for us all, but it will not be all pain, nor will `
`
this pain be the last. We and you too, you most of all, dear boy, `
`
will have to pass through the bitter water before we reach the sweet. `
`
But we must be brave of heart and unselfish, and do our duty, and all `
`
will be well!" `
`
`
`
I slept on a sofa in Arthur's room that night. Van Helsing did not go `
`
to bed at all. He went to and fro, as if patroling the house, and was `
`
never out of sight of the room where Lucy lay in her coffin, strewn `
`
with the wild garlic flowers, which sent through the odour of lily and `
`
rose, a heavy, overpowering smell into the night. `
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
MINA HARKER'S JOURNAL `
`
`
`
22 September.--In the train to Exeter. Jonathan sleeping. It seems `
`
only yesterday that the last entry was made, and yet how much between `
`
then, in Whitby and all the world before me, Jonathan away and no news `
`
of him, and now, married to Jonathan, Jonathan a solicitor, a partner, `
`
rich, master of his business, Mr. Hawkins dead and buried, and `
`
Jonathan with another attack that may harm him. Some day he may ask `
`
me about it. Down it all goes. I am rusty in my shorthand, see what `
`
unexpected prosperity does for us, so it may be as well to freshen it `
`
up again with an exercise anyhow. `
`
`
`
The service was very simple and very solemn. There were only `
`
ourselves and the servants there, one or two old friends of his from `
`
Exeter, his London agent, and a gentleman representing Sir John `
`
Paxton, the President of the Incorporated Law Society. Jonathan and I `
`
stood hand in hand, and we felt that our best and dearest friend was `
`
gone from us. `
`
`
`
We came back to town quietly, taking a bus to Hyde Park Corner. `
`
Jonathan thought it would interest me to go into the Row for a while, `
`
so we sat down. But there were very few people there, and it was `
`
sad-looking and desolate to see so many empty chairs. It made us `
`
think of the empty chair at home. So we got up and walked down `
`
Piccadilly. Jonathan was holding me by the arm, the way he used to in `
`
the old days before I went to school. I felt it very improper, for `
`
you can't go on for some years teaching etiquette and decorum to other `
`
girls without the pedantry of it biting into yourself a bit. But it `
`
was Jonathan, and he was my husband, and we didn't know anybody who `
`
saw us, and we didn't care if they did, so on we walked. I was `
`
looking at a very beautiful girl, in a big cart-wheel hat, sitting in `
`
a victoria outside Guiliano's, when I felt Jonathan clutch my arm so `
`
tight that he hurt me, and he said under his breath, "My God!" `
`
`
`
I am always anxious about Jonathan, for I fear that some nervous fit `
`
may upset him again. So I turned to him quickly, and asked him what `
`
it was that disturbed him. `
`
`
`
He was very pale, and his eyes seemed bulging out as, half in terror `
`
and half in amazement, he gazed at a tall, thin man, with a beaky nose `
`
and black moustache and pointed beard, who was also observing the `
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