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on the ground beside me as I stood close to a great door, old and `
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studded with large iron nails, and set in a projecting doorway of `
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massive stone. I could see even in the dim light that the stone was `
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massively carved, but that the carving had been much worn by time and `
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weather. As I stood, the driver jumped again into his seat and shook `
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the reins. The horses started forward, and trap and all disappeared `
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down one of the dark openings. `
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I stood in silence where I was, for I did not know what to do. Of `
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bell or knocker there was no sign. Through these frowning walls and `
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dark window openings it was not likely that my voice could penetrate. `
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The time I waited seemed endless, and I felt doubts and fears crowding `
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upon me. What sort of place had I come to, and among what kind of `
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people? What sort of grim adventure was it on which I had embarked? `
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Was this a customary incident in the life of a solicitor's clerk sent `
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out to explain the purchase of a London estate to a foreigner? `
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Solicitor's clerk! Mina would not like that. Solicitor, for just `
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before leaving London I got word that my examination was successful, `
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and I am now a full-blown solicitor! I began to rub my eyes and pinch `
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myself to see if I were awake. It all seemed like a horrible `
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nightmare to me, and I expected that I should suddenly awake, and find `
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myself at home, with the dawn struggling in through the windows, as I `
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had now and again felt in the morning after a day of overwork. But my `
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flesh answered the pinching test, and my eyes were not to be `
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deceived. I was indeed awake and among the Carpathians. All I could `
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do now was to be patient, and to wait the coming of morning. `
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`
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Just as I had come to this conclusion I heard a heavy step approaching `
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behind the great door, and saw through the chinks the gleam of a `
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coming light. Then there was the sound of rattling chains and the `
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clanking of massive bolts drawn back. A key was turned with the loud `
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grating noise of long disuse, and the great door swung back. `
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`
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Within, stood a tall old man, clean shaven save for a long white `
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moustache, and clad in black from head to foot, without a single speck `
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of colour about him anywhere. He held in his hand an antique silver `
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lamp, in which the flame burned without a chimney or globe of any `
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kind, throwing long quivering shadows as it flickered in the draught `
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of the open door. The old man motioned me in with his right hand with `
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a courtly gesture, saying in excellent English, but with a strange `
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intonation. `
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`
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"Welcome to my house! Enter freely and of your own free will!" He `
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made no motion of stepping to meet me, but stood like a statue, as `
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though his gesture of welcome had fixed him into stone. The instant, `
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however, that I had stepped over the threshold, he moved impulsively `
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forward, and holding out his hand grasped mine with a strength which `
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made me wince, an effect which was not lessened by the fact that it `
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seemed cold as ice, more like the hand of a dead than a living man. `
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Again he said, `
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`
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"Welcome to my house! Enter freely. Go safely, and leave something `
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of the happiness you bring!" The strength of the handshake was so `
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much akin to that which I had noticed in the driver, whose face I had `
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not seen, that for a moment I doubted if it were not the same person `
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to whom I was speaking. So to make sure, I said interrogatively, `
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"Count Dracula?" `
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He bowed in a courtly way as he replied, "I am Dracula, and I bid you `
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welcome, Mr. Harker, to my house. Come in, the night air is chill, `
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and you must need to eat and rest." As he was speaking, he put the lamp `
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on a bracket on the wall, and stepping out, took my luggage. He had `
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carried it in before I could forestall him. I protested, but he `
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insisted. `
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`
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"Nay, sir, you are my guest. It is late, and my people are not `
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available. Let me see to your comfort myself." He insisted on carrying `
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my traps along the passage, and then up a great winding stair, and `
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along another great passage, on whose stone floor our steps rang `
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heavily. At the end of this he threw open a heavy door, and I `
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rejoiced to see within a well-lit room in which a table was spread for `
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supper, and on whose mighty hearth a great fire of logs, freshly `
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replenished, flamed and flared. `
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`
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The Count halted, putting down my bags, closed the door, and crossing `
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the room, opened another door, which led into a small octagonal room `
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lit by a single lamp, and seemingly without a window of any sort. `
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Passing through this, he opened another door, and motioned me to `
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enter. It was a welcome sight. For here was a great bedroom well `
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lighted and warmed with another log fire, also added to but lately, `
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for the top logs were fresh, which sent a hollow roar up the wide `
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chimney. The Count himself left my luggage inside and withdrew, `
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saying, before he closed the door. `
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`
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"You will need, after your journey, to refresh yourself by making your `
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toilet. I trust you will find all you wish. When you are ready, come `
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into the other room, where you will find your supper prepared." `
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`
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The light and warmth and the Count's courteous welcome seemed to have `
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dissipated all my doubts and fears. Having then reached my normal `
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state, I discovered that I was half famished with hunger. So making a `
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hasty toilet, I went into the other room. `
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`
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I found supper already laid out. My host, who stood on one side of `
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the great fireplace, leaning against the stonework, made a graceful `
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wave of his hand to the table, and said, `
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`
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"I pray you, be seated and sup how you please. You will I trust, `
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excuse me that I do not join you, but I have dined already, and I do `
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not sup." `
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`
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I handed to him the sealed letter which Mr. Hawkins had entrusted to `
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me. He opened it and read it gravely. Then, with a charming smile, `
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he handed it to me to read. One passage of it, at least, gave me a `
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thrill of pleasure. `
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`
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"I must regret that an attack of gout, from which malady I am a `
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constant sufferer, forbids absolutely any travelling on my part for `
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some time to come. But I am happy to say I can send a sufficient `
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substitute, one in whom I have every possible confidence. He is a `
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young man, full of energy and talent in his own way, and of a very `
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faithful disposition. He is discreet and silent, and has grown into `
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manhood in my service. He shall be ready to attend on you when you `
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will during his stay, and shall take your instructions in all `
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matters." `
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`
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The count himself came forward and took off the cover of a dish, and I `
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fell to at once on an excellent roast chicken. This, with some cheese `
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and a salad and a bottle of old tokay, of which I had two glasses, was `
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my supper. During the time I was eating it the Count asked me many `
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questions as to my journey, and I told him by degrees all I had `
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experienced. `
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`
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By this time I had finished my supper, and by my host's desire had `
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drawn up a chair by the fire and begun to smoke a cigar which he `
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offered me, at the same time excusing himself that he did not smoke. `
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I had now an opportunity of observing him, and found him of a very `
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marked physiognomy. `
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`
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His face was a strong, a very strong, aquiline, with high bridge of `
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the thin nose and peculiarly arched nostrils, with lofty domed `
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forehead, and hair growing scantily round the temples but profusely `
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elsewhere. His eyebrows were very massive, almost meeting over the `
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nose, and with bushy hair that seemed to curl in its own profusion. `
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The mouth, so far as I could see it under the heavy moustache, was `
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fixed and rather cruel-looking, with peculiarly sharp white teeth. `
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These protruded over the lips, whose remarkable ruddiness showed `
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astonishing vitality in a man of his years. For the rest, his ears `
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were pale, and at the tops extremely pointed. The chin was broad and `
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strong, and the cheeks firm though thin. The general effect was one `
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of extraordinary pallor. `
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Hitherto I had noticed the backs of his hands as they lay on his knees `
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in the firelight, and they had seemed rather white and fine. But `
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seeing them now close to me, I could not but notice that they were `
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rather coarse, broad, with squat fingers. Strange to say, there were `
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hairs in the centre of the palm. The nails were long and fine, and `
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cut to a sharp point. As the Count leaned over me and his hands `
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touched me, I could not repress a shudder. It may have been that his `
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breath was rank, but a horrible feeling of nausea came over me, which, `
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do what I would, I could not conceal. `
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`
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The Count, evidently noticing it, drew back. And with a grim sort of `
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smile, which showed more than he had yet done his protruberant teeth, `
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sat himself down again on his own side of the fireplace. We were both `
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silent for a while, and as I looked towards the window I saw the first `
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dim streak of the coming dawn. There seemed a strange stillness over `
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everything. But as I listened, I heard as if from down below in the `
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valley the howling of many wolves. The Count's eyes gleamed, and he `
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said. `
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`
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"Listen to them, the children of the night. What music they make!" `
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Seeing, I suppose, some expression in my face strange to him, he `
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added, "Ah, sir, you dwellers in the city cannot enter into the `
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feelings of the hunter." Then he rose and said. `
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`
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"But you must be tired. Your bedroom is all ready, and tomorrow you `
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shall sleep as late as you will. I have to be away till the `
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afternoon, so sleep well and dream well!" With a courteous bow, he `
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opened for me himself the door to the octagonal room, and I entered my `
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bedroom. `
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`
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I am all in a sea of wonders. I doubt. I fear. I think strange `
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things, which I dare not confess to my own soul. God keep me, if only `
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for the sake of those dear to me! `
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`
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7 May.--It is again early morning, but I have rested and enjoyed the `
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last twenty-four hours. I slept till late in the day, and awoke of my `
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own accord. When I had dressed myself I went into the room where we `
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had supped, and found a cold breakfast laid out, with coffee kept hot `
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by the pot being placed on the hearth. There was a card on the table, `
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on which was written--"I have to be absent for a while. Do not wait `
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for me. D." I set to and enjoyed a hearty meal. When I had done, I `
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looked for a bell, so that I might let the servants know I had `
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finished, but I could not find one. There are certainly odd `
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deficiencies in the house, considering the extraordinary evidences of `
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wealth which are round me. The table service is of gold, and so `
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beautifully wrought that it must be of immense value. The curtains `
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and upholstery of the chairs and sofas and the hangings of my bed are `
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of the costliest and most beautiful fabrics, and must have been of `
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fabulous value when they were made, for they are centuries old, though `
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in excellent order. I saw something like them in Hampton Court, but `
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they were worn and frayed and moth-eaten. But still in none of the `
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rooms is there a mirror. There is not even a toilet glass on my `
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table, and I had to get the little shaving glass from my bag before I `
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could either shave or brush my hair. I have not yet seen a servant `
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anywhere, or heard a sound near the castle except the howling of `
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wolves. Some time after I had finished my meal, I do not know whether `
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to call it breakfast or dinner, for it was between five and six `
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o'clock when I had it, I looked about for something to read, for I did `
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