At last there came a time when it was evident that the patient was sinking fastHe might die at any momentI looked up at the Professor and caught his eyes fixed on mineHis face was sternly set as he spoke, "There is no time to loseHis words may be worth many livesI have been thinking so, as I stood hereIt may be there is a soul at stake! We shall operate just above the ear Without another word he made the operationFor a few moments the breathing continued to be stertorousThen there came a breath so prolonged that it seemed as though it would tear open his chestSuddenly his eyes opened, and became fixed in a wild, helpless stareThis was continued for a few moments, then it was softened into a glad surprise, and from his lips came a sigh of reliefHe moved convulsively, and as he did so, said, "I'll be quiet, DoctorTell them to take off the strait waistcoatI have had a terrible dream, and it has left me so weak that I cannot moveWhat's wrong with my face? It feels all swollen, and it smarts dreadfully He tried to turn his head, but even with the effort his eyes seemed to grow glassy again so I gently put it backThen Van Helsing said in a quiet grave tone, "Tell us your dream, Mr As he heard the voice his face brightened, through its mutilation, and he said, "That is DrHow good it is of you to be hereGive me some water, my lips are dry, and I shall try to tell youI dreamed?" He stopped and seemed faintingI called quietly to Quincey, "The brandy, it is in my study, quick!" He flew and returned with a glass, the decanter of brandy and a carafe of waterWe moistened the parched lips, and the patient quickly revived It seemed, however, that his poor injured brain had been working in the interval, for when he was quite conscious, he looked at me piercingly with an agonized confusion which I shall never forget, and said, "I must not deceive myselfIt was no dream, but all a grim reality Then his eyes roved round the roomAs they caught sight of the two figures sitting patiently on the edge of the bed he went on, "If I were not sure already, I would know from them For an instant his eyes closed, not with pain or sleep but voluntarily, as though he were bringing all his faculties to bearWhen he opened them he said, hurriedly, and with more energy than he had yet displayed, "Quick, Doctor, quick, I am dying! I feel that I have but a few minutes, and then I must go back to death, or worse! Wet my lips with brandy againI have something that I must say before I dieOr before my poor crushed brain dies anyhowThank you! It was that night after you left me, when I implored you to let me go awayI couldn't speak then, for I felt my tongue was tiedBut I was as sane then, except in that way, as I am nowI was in an agony of despair for a long time after you left me, it seemed hoursThen there came a sudden peace to meMy brain seemed to become cool again, and I realized where I wasI heard the dogs bark behind our house, but not where He was!" As he spoke, Van Helsing's eyes never blinked, but his hand came out and met mine and gripped it hardHe did not, however, betray shop himself

I'm afraid my body can't hold up much longer, and I may be the cause of a lifetime of regret for Miss ChouI hope you, Father, will extend to me your understanding and sympathy and tactfully sever the ties that bindDo not get angry and reject my plea and thus help bring me everlasting woe Since he felt the wording of the letter was sad and entreating enough to move a heart of stone, he was quite unprepared for the express letter which came from his fatherIt gave him a severe scolding: I did not begrudge the expense of sending you hundreds of miles away to studyIf you devoted yourself to your studies as you should, would you still have the leisure to look in a mirror? You are not a woman, so what need do you have of a mirror? That sort of thing is for actors 9 onlyA real man who gazes at himself in the mirror will only be scorned by societyNever had I thought once you parted from me that you would pick up such base habitsMost deplorable and disgusting! Moreover, it is said that "When one's parents are still living, a son should not speak of getting old You have no consideration for your parents, who hold you dearly in their hearts, but frighten them with the talk of deathThis is certainly neglect of filial duties to the extreme! It can only be the result of your attending a coeducational school-seeing women around has put ideas in your headThe sight of girls has made you think of changeThough you make excuses about "autumnal melan choly," I know full well that what ails you are the "yearnings of spring time11 Nothing can escape this old-timer's sharp eyeIf you carry on with this foolishness, I will cut off your funds and order you to discontinue your studies and return homeNext year you will get married at the same time as your brotherGive careful thought to my words and take them to heart Fang Hung-chien was shaken to the core, never expecting his father to be quite so shrewdHe wasted no time in getting off a reply begging forgiveness and explained that the mirror was his roommate's and not something he had bought himselfWithin the last few days, after taking some American cod liver oil pills and German vitamin tablets, his health and spirits had taken a turn for the better, and his face had filled out, he assured his father, except that the high cost of medicine had been more than he could affordAs for his marriage, he would like to ask that it be postponed until after his graduationFor one thing, it would interfere with his schooling; for another he was still unable to support a family and would not feel right about adding to his fa ther's responsibilities When his father received the letter, which proved that the father's au thority had reached across several hundred miles, his father was extremely gratifiedIn high spirits, his father sent him a sum of money so he could buy tonic medicineFrom then on, he buried his feelings and dared not indulge in vain hopesHe began reading Schopenhauer and would often say wisely to his classmates, "Where is romantic love in the world? It's entirely the repro ductive urge In no time at all he was a senior in college and was to marry the year following his graduation One day an express letter came from his fatherIt read as follows: "I have just received a telegram from your father-in-lawI was greatly shocked to learn that Shu-ying was stricken with typhoid fever, and due to the negli gence of a Western-trained doctor, she passed away at four o'clock in the afternoon on the thirteenth of this monthMarriage was so close at hand; all good things have unexpected setbacksIt is all due to your lack of good fortune The postscript read: "This may be a blessing in disguise'2 If you had married three years earlier, this would have cost us a large sum of money But with a family of such virtue as ours, if the marriage had taken place earlier, perhaps Shuying would have been spared this calamity and lived a long lifeOne's marriage is predestined, and you have no cause to be overly grievedYou should, however, send a letter of condolence to your father-in- law Fang Hung-czhien read this with the joy of a pardoned criminalBut for the girl whose life had been cut short he felt a tinge of pityWhile exulting in his own freedom, he wanted to help lessen others' shop grief

For it was the ground fought over for centuries by the Wallachian, the Saxon, and the TurkWhy, there is hardly a foot of soil in all this region that has not been enriched by the blood of men, patriots or invadersIn the old days there were stirring times, when the Austrian and the Hungarian came up in hordes, and the patriots went out to meet them, men and women, the aged and the children too, and waited their coming on the rocks above the passes, that they might sweep destruction on them with their artificial avalanchesWhen the invader was triumphant he found but little, for whatever there was had been sheltered in the friendly soil "But how," said I, "can it have remained so long undiscovered, when there is a sure index to it if men will but take the trouble to look?" The Count smiled, and as his lips ran back over his gums, the long, sharp, canine teeth showed out strangelyHe answered: "Because your peasant is at heart a coward and a fool! Those flames only appear on one night, and on that night no man of this land will, if he can help it, stir without his doorsAnd, dear sir, even if he did he would not know what to doWhy, even the peasant that you tell me of who marked the place of the flame would not know where to look in daylight even for his own workEven you would not, I dare be sworn, be able to find these places again?" "There you are right," I said"I know no more than the dead where even to look for them Then we drifted into other matters "Come," he said at last, "tell me of London and of the house which you have procured for me With an apology for my remissness, I went into my own room to get the papers from my bagWhilst I was placing them in order I heard a rattling of china and silver in the next room, and as I passed through, noticed that the table had been cleared and the lamp lit, for it was by this time deep into the darkThe lamps were also lit in the study or library, and I found the Count lying on the sofa, reading, of all things in the world, an English Bradshaw's GuideWhen I came in he cleared the books and papers from the table, and with him I went into plans and deeds and figures of all sortsHe was interested in everything, and asked me a myriad questions about the place and its surroundingsHe clearly had studied beforehand all he could get on the subject of the neighbourhood, for he evidently at the end knew very much more than I didWhen I remarked this, he answered "Well, but, my friend, is it not needful that I should? When I go there I shall be all alone, and my friend Harker Jonathan, nay, pardon meI fall into my country's habit of putting your patronymic first, my friend Jonathan Harker will not be by my side to correct and aid meHe will be in Exeter, miles away, probably working at papers of the law with my other friend, Peter HawkinsSo!" We went thoroughly into the business of the purchase of the estate at PurfleetWhen I had told him the facts and got his signature to the necessary papers, and had written a letter with them ready to post to MrHawkins, he began to ask me how I had come across so suitable a placeI read to him the notes which I had made at the time, and which I inscribe here "At Purfleet, on a byroad, I came across just such a place as seemed to be required, and where was displayed a dilapidated notice that the place was for saleIt was surrounded by a high wall, of ancient structure, built of heavy stones, and has not been repaired for a large number of yearsThe closed gates are of heavy old oak and iron, all eaten with rust "The estate is called Carfax, no doubt a corruption of the old Quatre Face, as the house is four sided, agreeing with the cardinal points of the compassIt contains in all some twenty acres, quite surrounded by the solid stone wall above mentionedThere are many trees on it, which make it in places gloomy, and there is a deep, dark-looking pond or small lake, evidently fed by some springs, as the water is clear and flows away in a fair-sized streamThe house is very large and of all periods back, I should say, to mediaeval times, for one part is of stone immensely thick, with only a few windows high up and heavily barred with ironIt looks like part of a keep, and is close to an old chapel or churchI could not enter it, as I had not the key of the door leading to it from the house, but I have taken with my Kodak views of it from various pointsThe house had been added to, but in a very straggling way, and I can only guess at the amount of ground it covers, which must be very greatThere are but few houses close at hand, one being a very large house only recently added to and formed into a private lunatic asylumIt is not, however, visible from the grounds When I had finished, he said, "I am glad that it is old and bigI myself am of an old family, and to live in a new house would kill shop me

Some 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 be Well, my dear, number One came just before lunchI told you of him, DrJohn Seward, the lunatic asylum man, with the strong jaw and the good foreheadHe was very cool outwardly, but was nervous all the sameHe had evidently been schooling himself as to all sorts of little things, and remembered them, but he almost managed to sit down on his silk hat, which men don't generally do when they are cool, and then when he wanted to appear at ease he kept playing with a lancet in a way that made me nearly screamHe spoke to me, Mina, very straightforwardlyHe told me how dear I was to him, though he had known me so little, and what his life would be with me to help and cheer himHe was going to tell me how unhappy he would be if I did not care for him, but when he saw me cry he said he was a brute and would not add to my present troubleThen he broke off and asked if I could love him in time, and when I shook my head his hands trembled, and then with some hesitation he asked me if I cared already for any one elseHe put it very nicely, saying that he did not want to wring my confidence from me, but only to know, because if a woman's heart was free a man might have hopeAnd then, Mina, I felt a sort of duty to tell him that there was some oneI only told him that much, and then he stood up, and he looked very strong and very grave as he took both my hands in his and said he hoped I would be happy, and that If I ever wanted a friend I must count him one of my best Oh, Mina dear, I can't help crying, and you must excuse this letter being all blottedBeing proposed to is all very nice and all that sort of thing, but it isn't at all a happy thing when you have to see a poor fellow, whom you know loves you honestly, going away and looking all broken hearted, and to know that, no matter what he may say at the moment, you are passing out of his lifeMy dear, I must stop here at present, I feel so miserable, though I am so happy Arthur has just gone, and I feel in better spirits than when I left off, so I can go on telling you about the day Well, my dear, number Two came after lunchHe is such a nice fellow, an American from Texas, and he looks so young and so fresh that it seems almost impossible that he has been to so many places and has such adventuresI sympathize with poor Desdemona when she had such a stream poured in her ear, even by a black manI suppose that we women are such cowards that we think a man will save us from fears, and we marry himI know now what I would do if I were a man and wanted to make a girl love meNo, I don't, for there was MrMorris telling us his stories, and Arthur never told any, and yet? My dear, I am somewhat previousMorris found me aloneIt seems that a man always does find a girl aloneNo, he doesn't, for Arthur tried twice to make a chance, and I helping him all I could, I am not ashamed to say it nowI must tell you beforehand that MrMorris doesn't always speak slang, that is to say, he never does so to strangers or before them, for he is really well educated and has exquisite manners, but he found out that it amused me to hear him talk American slang, and whenever I was present, and there was no one to be shocked, he said such funny thingsI am afraid, my dear, he has to invent it all, for it fits exactly into whatever else he has to sayBut this is a way slang hasI do not know myself if I shall ever speak slangI do not know if Arthur likes it, as I have never heard him use any as yetMorris sat down beside me and looked as happy and jolly as he could, but I could see all the same that he was very shop nervous

In a few more weeks you will see me no more?? Here the child was interrupted by bursts of groans, sobs, and lamentations, which broke from all present, and in which her slender voice was lost entirelyShe waited a moment, and then, speaking in a tone that checked the sobs of all, she said, ?If you love me, you must not interrupt me soI want to speak to you about your soulsMany of you, I am afraid, are very carelessYou are thinking only about this worldI want you to remember that there is a beautiful world, where Jesus isI am going there, and you can go thereIt is for you, as much as meBut, if you want to go there, you must not live idle, careless, thoughtless livesYou must be ChristiansYou must remember that each one of you can become angels, and be angels foreverIf you want to be Christians, Jesus will help youYou must pray to him; you must read?? The child checked herself, looked piteously at them, and said, sorrowfully, ?O dear! you can?t read?poor souls!? and she hid her face in the pillow and sobbed, while many a smothered sob from those she was addressing, who were kneeling on the floor, aroused her ?Never mind,? she said, raising her face and smiling brightly through her tears, ?I have prayed for you; and I know Jesus will help you, even if you can?t readTry all to do the best you can; pray every day; ask Him to help you, and get the Bible read to you whenever you can; and I think I shall see you all in heaven ?Amen,? was the murmured response from the lips of Tom and Mammy, and some of the elder ones, who belonged to the Methodist churchThe younger and more thoughtless ones, for the time completely overcome, were sobbing, with their heads bowed upon their knees ?I know,? said Eva, ?you all love me ?Yes; oh, yes! indeed we do! Lord bless her!? was the involuntary answer of all ?Yes, I know you do! There isn?t one of you that hasn?t always been very kind to me; and I want to give you something that, when you look at, you shall always remember me, I?m going to give all of you a curl of my hair; and, when you look at it, think that I loved you and am gone to heaven, and that I want to see you all there It is impossible to describe the scene, as, with tears and sobs, they gathered round the little creature, and took from her hands what seemed to them a last mark of her loveThey fell on their knees; they sobbed, and prayed, and kissed the hem of her garment; and the elder ones poured forth words of endearment, mingled in prayers and blessings, after the manner of their susceptible race As each one took their gift, Miss Ophelia, who was apprehensive for the effect of all this excitement on her little patient, signed to each one to pass out of the apartment At last, all were gone but Tom and Mammy ?Here, Uncle Tom,? said Eva, ?is a beautiful one for youO, I am so happy, Uncle Tom, to think I shall see you in heaven,?for I?m sure I shall; and Mammy,?dear, good, kind Mammy!? she said, fondly throwing her arms round her old nurse,??I know you?ll be there, too ?O, Miss Eva, don?t see how I can live without ye, no how!? said the faithful creature??Pears like it?s just taking everything off the place to oncet!? and Mammy gave way to a passion of grief Miss Ophelia pushed her and Tom gently from the apartment, and thought they were all gone; but, as she turned, Topsy was standing there ?Where did you start up from?? she said, suddenly ?I was here,? said Topsy, wiping the tears from her eyes?O, Miss Eva, I?ve been a bad girl; but won?t you give me one, too?? ?Yes, poor Topsy! to be sure, I willThere?every time you look at that, think that I love you, and wanted you to be a good girl!? ?O, Miss Eva, I is tryin!? said Topsy, earnestly; ?but, Lor, it?s so hard to be good! ?Pears like I an?t used to it, no ways!? ?Jesus knows it, Topsy; he is sorry for you; he will help you Topsy, with her eyes hid in her apron, was silently passed from the apartment by Miss Ophelia; but, as she went, she hid the precious curl in her bosom All being gone, Miss Ophelia shut the doorThat worthy lady had wiped away many tears of her own, during the scene; but concern for the consequence of such an excitement to her young charge was uppermost in her mindClare had been sitting, during the whole time, with his hand shading his eyes, in the same attitude When they were all gone, he sat so still ?Papa!? said Eva, gently, laying her hand on his He gave a sudden start and shiver; but made no shop answer