The careful Professor had replaced it where it had come from, lest on waking she should be alarmedHer eyes then lit on Van Helsing and on me too, and gladdenedThen she looked round the room, and seeing where she was, shudderedShe gave a loud cry, and put her poor thin hands before her pale face We both understood what was meant, that she had realized to the full her mother's deathSo we tried what we could to comfort herDoubtless sympathy eased her somewhat, but she was very low in thought and spirit, and wept silently and weakly for a long timeWe told her that either or both of us would now remain with her all the time, and that seemed to comfort herTowards dusk she fell into a dozeHere a very odd thing occurredWhilst still asleep she took the paper from her breast and tore it in twoVan Helsing stepped over and took the pieces from herAll the same, however, she went on with the action of tearing, as though the material were still in her handsFinally she lifted her hands and opened them as though scattering the fragmentsVan Helsing seemed surprised, and his brows gathered as if in thought, but he said nothing-All last night she slept fitfully, being always afraid to sleep, and something weaker when she woke from itThe Professor and I took in turns to watch, and we never left her for a moment unattendedQuincey Morris said nothing about his intention, but I knew that all night long he patrolled round and round the house When the day came, its searching light showed the ravages in poor Lucy's strengthShe was hardly able to turn her head, and the little nourishment which she could take seemed to do her no goodAt times she slept, and both Van Helsing and I noticed the difference in her, between sleeping and wakingWhilst asleep she looked stronger, although more haggard, and her breathing was softerHer open mouth showed the pale gums drawn back from the teeth, which looked positively longer and sharper than usualWhen she woke the softness of her eyes evidently changed the expression, for she looked her own self, although a dying oneIn the afternoon she asked for Arthur, and we telegraphed for himQuincey went off to meet him at the station When he arrived it was nearly six o'clock, and the sun was setting full and warm, and the red light streamed in through the window and gave more colour to the pale cheeksWhen he saw her, Arthur was simply choking with emotion, and none of us could speakIn the hours that had passed, the fits of sleep, or the comatose condition that passed for it, had grown more frequent, so that the pauses when conversation was possible were shortenedArthur's presence, however, seemed to act as a stimulantShe rallied a little, and spoke to him more brightly than she had done since we arrivedHe too pulled himself together, and spoke as cheerily as he could, so that the best was made of everything It is now nearly one o'clock, and he and Van Helsing are sitting with herI am to relieve them in a quarter of an hour, and I am entering this on Lucy's phonographUntil six o'clock they are to try to restI fear that tomorrow will end our watching, for the shock has been too greatThe poor child cannot rally LETTER MINA HARKER TO LUCY WESTENRA (Unopened by her) 17 September My dearest Lucy, "It seems an age since I heard from you, or indeed since I wroteYou will pardon me, I know, for all my faults when you have read all my budget of newsWell, I got my husband back all shop right

Clare saw and felt many things, but spoke nothing; and, as it grew darker, he took his child to her bed-room; and, when she was prepared for rest; he sent away the attendants, and rocked her in his arms, and sung to her till she was asleep Chapter 25 The Little Evangelist It was Sunday afternoonClare was stretched on a bamboo lounge in the verandah, solacing himself with a cigarMarie lay reclined on a sofa, opposite the window opening on the verandah, closely secluded, under an awning of transparent gauze, from the outrages of the mosquitos, and languidly holding in her hand an elegantly bound prayer-bookShe was holding it because it was Sunday, and she imagined she had been reading it,?though, in fact, she had been only taking a succession of short naps, with it open in her hand Miss Ophelia, who, after some rummaging, had hunted up a small Methodist meeting within riding distance, had gone out, with Tom as driver, to attend it; and Eva had accompanied them ?I say, Augustine,? said Marie after dozing a while, ?I must send to the city after my old Doctor Posey; I?m sure I?ve got the complaint of the heart ?Well; why need you send for him? This doctor that attends Eva seems skilful ?I would not trust him in a critical case,? said Marie; ?and I think I may say mine is becoming so! I?ve been thinking of it, these two or three nights past; I have such distressing pains, and such strange feelings ?O, Marie, you are blue; I don?t believe it?s heart complaint ?I dare say you don?t,? said Marie; ?I was prepared to expect thatYou can be alarmed enough, if Eva coughs, or has the least thing the matter with her; but you never think of me ?If it?s particularly agreeable to you to have heart disease, why, I?ll try and maintain you have it,? said StClare; ?I didn?t know it was ?Well, I only hope you won?t be sorry for this, when it?s too late!? said Marie; ?but, believe it or not, my distress about Eva, and the exertions I have made with that dear child, have developed what I have long suspected What the exertions were which Marie referred to, it would have been difficult to stateClare quietly made this commentary to himself, and went on smoking, like a hard-hearted wretch of a man as he was, till a carriage drove up before the verandah, and Eva and Miss Ophelia alighted Miss Ophelia marched straight to her own chamber, to put away her bonnet and shawl, as was always her manner, before she spoke a word on any subject; while Eva came, at St: Clare?s call, and was sitting on his knee, giving him an account of the services they had heard They soon heard loud exclamations from Miss Ophelia?s room, which, like the one in which they were sitting, opened on to the verandah and violent reproof addressed to somebody ?What new witchcraft has Tops been brewing?? asked St?That commotion is of her raising, I?ll be bound!? And, in a moment after, Miss Ophelia, in high indignation, came dragging the culprit along ?Come out here, now!? she said?I will tell your master!? ?What?s the case now?? asked Augustine ?The case is, that I cannot be plagued with this child, any longer! It?s past all bearing; flesh and blood cannot endure it! Here, I locked her up, and gave her a hymn to study; and what does she do, but spy out where I put my key, and has gone to my bureau, and got a bonnet-trimming, and cut it all to pieces to make dolls?jackets! I never saw anything like it, in my life!? ?I told you, Cousin,? said Marie, ?that you?d find out that these creatures can?t be brought up without severityIf I had my way, now,? she said, looking reproachfully at StClare, ?I?d send that child out, and have her thoroughly whipped; I?d have her whipped till she couldn?t stand!? ?I don?t doubt it,? said St?Tell me of the lovely rule of woman! I never saw above a dozen women that wouldn?t half kill a horse, or a servant, either, if they had their own way with them!?let alone a man ?There is no use in this shilly-shally way of yours, St?Cousin is a woman of sense, and she sees it now, as plain as I do Miss Ophelia had just the capability of indignation that belongs to the thorough-paced housekeeper, and this had been pretty actively roused by the artifice and wastefulness of the child; in fact, many of my lady readers must own that they should have felt just so in her circumstances; but Marie?s words went beyond her, and she felt less heat ?I wouldn?t have the child treated so, for the world,? she said; ?but, I am sure, Augustine, I don?t know what to doI?ve taught and taught; I?ve talked till I?m tired; I?ve whipped her; I?ve punished her in every way I can think of, and she?s just what she was at first ?Come here, Tops, you monkey!? said StClare, calling the child up to him Topsy came up; her round, hard eyes glittering and blinking with a mixture of apprehensiveness and their usual odd drollery ?What makes you behave so?? said StClare, who could not help being amused with the child?s expression ?Spects it?s my wicked heart,? said Topsy, demurely; ?Miss Feely says so ?Don?t you see how much Miss Ophelia has done for you? She says she has done everything she can think of ?Lor, yes, Mas?r! old Missis used to say so, shop too

Clare saw and felt many things, but spoke nothing; and, as it grew darker, he took his child to her bed-room; and, when she was prepared for rest; he sent away the attendants, and rocked her in his arms, and sung to her till she was asleep Chapter 25 The Little Evangelist It was Sunday afternoonClare was stretched on a bamboo lounge in the verandah, solacing himself with a cigarMarie lay reclined on a sofa, opposite the window opening on the verandah, closely secluded, under an awning of transparent gauze, from the outrages of the mosquitos, and languidly holding in her hand an elegantly bound prayer-bookShe was holding it because it was Sunday, and she imagined she had been reading it,?though, in fact, she had been only taking a succession of short naps, with it open in her hand Miss Ophelia, who, after some rummaging, had hunted up a small Methodist meeting within riding distance, had gone out, with Tom as driver, to attend it; and Eva had accompanied them ?I say, Augustine,? said Marie after dozing a while, ?I must send to the city after my old Doctor Posey; I?m sure I?ve got the complaint of the heart ?Well; why need you send for him? This doctor that attends Eva seems skilful ?I would not trust him in a critical case,? said Marie; ?and I think I may say mine is becoming so! I?ve been thinking of it, these two or three nights past; I have such distressing pains, and such strange feelings ?O, Marie, you are blue; I don?t believe it?s heart complaint ?I dare say you don?t,? said Marie; ?I was prepared to expect thatYou can be alarmed enough, if Eva coughs, or has the least thing the matter with her; but you never think of me ?If it?s particularly agreeable to you to have heart disease, why, I?ll try and maintain you have it,? said StClare; ?I didn?t know it was ?Well, I only hope you won?t be sorry for this, when it?s too late!? said Marie; ?but, believe it or not, my distress about Eva, and the exertions I have made with that dear child, have developed what I have long suspected What the exertions were which Marie referred to, it would have been difficult to stateClare quietly made this commentary to himself, and went on smoking, like a hard-hearted wretch of a man as he was, till a carriage drove up before the verandah, and Eva and Miss Ophelia alighted Miss Ophelia marched straight to her own chamber, to put away her bonnet and shawl, as was always her manner, before she spoke a word on any subject; while Eva came, at St: Clare?s call, and was sitting on his knee, giving him an account of the services they had heard They soon heard loud exclamations from Miss Ophelia?s room, which, like the one in which they were sitting, opened on to the verandah and violent reproof addressed to somebody ?What new witchcraft has Tops been brewing?? asked St?That commotion is of her raising, I?ll be bound!? And, in a moment after, Miss Ophelia, in high indignation, came dragging the culprit along ?Come out here, now!? she said?I will tell your master!? ?What?s the case now?? asked Augustine ?The case is, that I cannot be plagued with this child, any longer! It?s past all bearing; flesh and blood cannot endure it! Here, I locked her up, and gave her a hymn to study; and what does she do, but spy out where I put my key, and has gone to my bureau, and got a bonnet-trimming, and cut it all to pieces to make dolls?jackets! I never saw anything like it, in my life!? ?I told you, Cousin,? said Marie, ?that you?d find out that these creatures can?t be brought up without severityIf I had my way, now,? she said, looking reproachfully at StClare, ?I?d send that child out, and have her thoroughly whipped; I?d have her whipped till she couldn?t stand!? ?I don?t doubt it,? said St?Tell me of the lovely rule of woman! I never saw above a dozen women that wouldn?t half kill a horse, or a servant, either, if they had their own way with them!?let alone a man ?There is no use in this shilly-shally way of yours, St?Cousin is a woman of sense, and she sees it now, as plain as I do Miss Ophelia had just the capability of indignation that belongs to the thorough-paced housekeeper, and this had been pretty actively roused by the artifice and wastefulness of the child; in fact, many of my lady readers must own that they should have felt just so in her circumstances; but Marie?s words went beyond her, and she felt less heat ?I wouldn?t have the child treated so, for the world,? she said; ?but, I am sure, Augustine, I don?t know what to doI?ve taught and taught; I?ve talked till I?m tired; I?ve whipped her; I?ve punished her in every way I can think of, and she?s just what she was at first ?Come here, Tops, you monkey!? said StClare, calling the child up to him Topsy came up; her round, hard eyes glittering and blinking with a mixture of apprehensiveness and their usual odd drollery ?What makes you behave so?? said StClare, who could not help being amused with the child?s expression ?Spects it?s my wicked heart,? said Topsy, demurely; ?Miss Feely says so ?Don?t you see how much Miss Ophelia has done for you? She says she has done everything she can think of ?Lor, yes, Mas?r! old Missis used to say so, shop too

But I?m going to have oneI don?t want anything of your country, except to be let alone,?to go peaceably out of it; and when I get to Canada, where the laws will own me and protect me, that shall be my country, and its laws I will obeyBut if any man tries to stop me, let him take care, for I am desperateI?ll fight for my liberty to the last breath I breatheYou say your fathers did it; if it was right for them, it is right for me!? This speech, delivered partly while sitting at the table, and partly walking up and down the room,?delivered with tears, and flashing eyes, and despairing gestures,?was altogether too much for the good-natured old body to whom it was addressed, who had pulled out a great yellow silk pocket-handkerchief, and was mopping up his face with great energy ?Blast ?em all!? he suddenly broke out?Haven?t I always said so?the infernal old cusses! I hope I an?t swearing, nowWell! go ahead, George, go ahead; but be careful, my boy; don?t shoot anybody, George, unless?well?you?d better not shoot, I reckon; at least, I wouldn?t hit anybody, you knowWhere is your wife, George?? he added, as he nervously rose, and began walking the room ?Gone, sir gone, with her child in her arms, the Lord only knows where;?gone after the north star; and when we ever meet, or whether we meet at all in this world, no creature can tell ?Is it possible! astonishing! from such a kind family?? ?Kind families get in debt, and the laws of our country allow them to sell the child out of its mother?s bosom to pay its master?s debts,? said George, bitterly ?Well, well,? said the honest old man, fumbling in his pocket: ?I s?pose, perhaps, I an?t following my judgment,?hang it, I won?t follow my judgment!? he added, suddenly; ?so here, George,? and, taking out a roll of bills from his pocket-book, he offered them to George ?No, my kind, good sir!? said George, ?you?ve done a great deal for me, and this might get you into troubleI have money enough, I hope, to take me as far as I need it ?No; but you must, GeorgeMoney is a great help everywhere;?can?t have too much, if you get it honestlyTake it,?do take it, now,?do, my boy!? ?On condition, sir, that I may repay it at some future time, I will,? said George, taking up the money ?And now, George, how long are you going to travel in this way??not long or far, I hopeIt?s well carried on, but too boldAnd this black fellow,?who is he?? ?A true fellow, who went to Canada more than a year agoHe heard, after he got there, that his master was so angry at him for going off that he had whipped his poor old mother; and he has come all the way back to comfort her, and get a chance to get her away ?Has he got her?? ?Not yet; he has been hanging about the place, and found no chance yetMeanwhile, he is going with me as far as Ohio, to put me among friends that helped him, and then he will come back after her ?Dangerous, very dangerous!? said the old man George drew himself up, and smiled disdainfully The old gentleman eyed him from head to foot, with a sort of innocent wonder ?George, something has brought you out wonderfullyYou hold up your head, and speak and move like another man,? said Mr ?Because I?m a freeman!? said George, proudly?Yes, sir; I?ve said Mas?r for the last time to any manI?m free!? ?Take care! You are not sure,?you may be taken ?All men are free and equal in the grave, if it comes to that, Mr ?I?m perfectly dumb-founded with your boldness!? said MrWilson,??to come right here to the nearest tavern!? ?MrWilson, it is so bold, and this tavern is so near, that they will never think of it; they will look for me on ahead, and you yourself wouldn?t know meJim?s master don?t live in this county; he isn?t known in these partsBesides, he is given up; nobody is looking after him, and nobody will take me up from the advertisement, I think ?But the mark in your hand?? George drew off his glove, and showed a newly-healed scar in his hand ?That is a parting proof of MrHarris? regard,? he said, shop scornfully

Clare carried her in his arms into the parlor, and laid her on the sofa ?Henrique, you must be careful of Eva,? said he; ?you mustn?t ride fast with her ?I?ll take her under my care,? said Henrique, seating himself by the sofa, and taking Eva?s hand Eva soon found herself much betterHer father and uncle resumed their game, and the children were left together ?Do you know, Eva, I?m sorry papa is only going to stay two days here, and then I shan?t see you again for ever so long! If I stay with you, I?d try to be good, and not be cross to Dodo, and so onI don?t mean to treat Dodo ill; but, you know, I?ve got such a quick temperI?m not really bad to him, thoughI give him a picayune, now and then; and you see he dresses wellI think, on the whole, Dodo ?s pretty well off ?Would you think you were well off, if there were not one creature in the world near you to love you?? ?I??Well, of course not ?And you have taken Dodo away from all the friends he ever had, and now he has not a creature to love him;?nobody can be good that way ?Well, I can?t help it, as I know ofI can?t get his mother and I can?t love him myself, nor anybody else, as I know of ?Why can?t you?? said Eva ?Love Dodo! Why, Eva, you wouldn?t have me! I may like him well enough; but you don?t love your servants ?How odd!? ?Don?t the Bible say we must love everybody?? ?O, the Bible! To be sure, it says a great many such things; but, then, nobody ever thinks of doing them,?you know, Eva, nobody does Eva did not speak; her eyes were fixed and thoughtful for a few moments ?At any rate,? she said, ?dear Cousin, do love poor Dodo, and be kind to him, for my sake!? ?I could love anything, for your sake, dear Cousin; for I really think you are the loveliest creature that I ever saw!? And Henrique spoke with an earnestness that flushed his handsome faceEva received it with perfect simplicity, without even a change of feature; merely saying, ?I?m glad you feel so, dear Henrique! I hope you will remember The dinner-bell put an end to the interview 1 In August 1791, as a consequence of the French Revolution, the black slaves and mulattoes on Haiti rose in revolt against the whites, and in the period of turmoil that followed enormous cruelties were practised by both sidesThe ?Emperor? Dessalines, come to power in 1804, massacred all the whites on the islandHaitian bloodshed became an argument to show the barbarous nature of the Negro, a doctrine Wendell Phillips sought to combat in his celebrated lecture on Toussaint L?Ouverture Chapter 24 Foreshadowings Two days after this, Alfred StClare and Augustine parted; and Eva, who had been stimulated, by the society of her young cousin, to exertions beyond her strength, began to fail rapidlyClare was at last willing to call in medical advice,?a thing from which he had always shrunk, because it was the admission of an unwelcome truth But, for a day or two, Eva was so unwell as to be confined to the house; and the doctor was calledClare had taken no notice of the child?s gradually decaying health and strength, because she was completely absorbed in studying out two or three new forms of disease to which she believed she herself was a victimIt was the first principle of Marie?s belief that nobody ever was or could be so great a sufferer as herself; and, therefore, she always repelled quite indignantly any suggestion that any one around her could be sickShe was always sure, in such a case, that it was nothing but laziness, or want of energy; and that, if they had had the suffering she had, they would soon know the difference Miss Ophelia had several times tried to awaken her maternal fears about Eva; but to no avail ?I don?t see as anything ails the child,? she would say; ?she runs about, and plays ?But she has a cough ?Cough! you don?t need to tell me about a coughI?ve always been subject to a cough, all my daysWhen I was of Eva?s age, they thought I was in a consumptionNight after night, Mammy used to sit up with meO! Eva?s cough is not anything ?But she gets weak, and is shop short-breathed