Page 494 - DRACULA

Dracula

He dreads the consequence, the burden
of a soul. Then it is a human life he looks
to!

And the assurance …?
Merciful God! The Count has been to him, and there is
some new scheme of terror afoot!
Later.—I went after my round to Van Helsing and told
him my suspicion. He grew very grave, and after thinking
the matter over for a while asked me to take him to
Renfield. I did so. As we came to the door we heard the
lunatic within singing gaily, as he used to do in the time
which now seems so long ago.
When we entered we saw with amazement that he had
spread out his sugar as of old. The flies, lethargic with the
autumn, were beginning to buzz into the room. We tried
to make him talk of the subject of our previous
conversation, but he would not attend. He went on with
his singing, just as though we had not been present. He
had got a scrap of paper and was folding it into a
notebook. We had to come away as ignorant as we went

in.
His is a curious case indeed. We must watch him
tonight.

493 of 684