Dracula. Bram Stoker
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all over the town, sometimes in rows where the streets
are, and sometimes singly; they run right up the Esk and die
away in the curve of the valley. To my left the view is cut off
by a black line of roof of the old house next the abbey. The sheep
and lambs are bleating in the fields away behind me, and there
is a clatter of a donkey’s hoofs up the paved road below. The
band on the pier is playing a harsh waltz in good time, and
further along the quay there is a Salvation Army meeting in a
back street. Neither of the bands hears the other, but up here I
hear and see them both. I wonder where Jonathan is and if he is
thinking of me! I wish he were here.
Dr. Seward’s Diary.
5 June. The case of Renfield grows more interesting the more
I get to understand the man. He has certain qualities very largely
developed; selfishness, secrecy, and purpose. I wish I could get
at what is the object of the latter. He seems to have some settled
scheme of his own, but what it is I do not yet know. His redeem-
ing quality is a love of animals, though, indeed, he has such
curious turns in it that I sometimes imagine he is only abnorm-
ally cruel. His pets are of odd sorts. Just now his hobby is catch-
ing flies. He has at present such a quantity that I have had
myself to expostulate. To my astonishment, he did not break
out into a fury, as I expected, but took the matter in simple
seriousness. He thought for a moment, and then said: «May I
have three days? I shall clear them away.» Of course, I said that
would do. I must watch him.
18 June. He has turned his mind now to spiders, and has got
several very big fellows in a box. He keeps feeding them with his
Mina Murray’s Journal 65
flies, and the number of the latter is becoming sensibly dimin-
ished, although he has used half his food in attracting more flies
from outside to his room.
j July. His spiders are now becoming as great a nuisance as
his flies, and to-day I told him that he must get rid of them. He
looked very sad at this, so I said that he must clear out some of
them, at all events. He cheerfully acquiesced in this, and I gave
him the same time as before for reduction. He disgusted me much
while with him, for when a horrid blow-fly, bloated with some
carrion food, buzzed into the room, he caught it, held it exult-
antly for a few moments between his finger and thumb, and,
before I knew what he was going to do, put it in his mouth and
ate it. I scolded him for it, but he argued quietly that it was very
good and very wholesome; that it was life, strong life, and gave
fife to him. This gave me an idea, or the rudiment of one. I must
watch how he gets rid of his spiders. He has evidently some deep
problem in his mind, for he keeps a little note-book in which he
is always jotting down something. Whole pages of it are filled
with masses of figures, generally single numbers added up in
batches, and then the totals added in batches again, as though he
were «focussing» some account, as the auditors put it.
8 Jiily. There is a method in his madness, and the rudimen-
tary idea in my mind is growing. It will be a whole idea soon, and
then, oh, unconscious cerebration! you will have to give the
wall to your conscious brother. I kept away from my friend for
a few days, so that I might notice if there were any change.
Things remain as they were except that he has parted with
some of his pets and got a new one. He has managed to get a
sparrow, and has already partially tamed it. His means of taming
is simple, for already the spiders have diminished. Those that
do remain, however, are well fed, for he still brings in the flies
by tempting them with his food.
ig July. We are progressing. My friend has now a whole
colony of sparrows, and his flies and spiders are almost obliter-
ated. When I came in he ran to me and said he wanted to ask
me a great favour a very, very great favour; and as he spoke he
fawned on me like a dog. I asked him what it was, and he said,
with a sort of rapture in his voice and bearing:
«A kitten, a nice little, sleek playful kitten, that I can play
with, and teach, and feed and feed and feed!» I was not
66 Dracula
unprepared for this request, for I had noticed how his pets wef. t
on increasing in size and vivacity, but I did not care that his
pretty family of tame sparrows should be wiped out in the same
manner as the flies and the spiders; so I said I would see about it,
and asked him if he would not rather have a cat than a kitten.
His eagerness betrayed him as he answered:
«Oh, yes, I would like a cat! I only asked for a kitten lest you
should refuse me a cat. No one would refuse me a kitten, would
they?» I shook my head, and said that at present I feared it
would not be possible, but that I would see about it. His face
fell, and I could see a warning of danger in it, for there was a
sudden fierce, sidelong look which meant killing. The man is an
undeveloped homicidal maniac. I shall test him with his present
craving and see how it will work out; then I shall know more.
10 p. m. I have visited him again and found him sitting in a
corner brooding. When I came in he threw himself on his knees
before me and implored me to let him have a cat; that his salva-
tion depended upon it. I was firm, however, and told him that
he could not have it, whereupon he went without a word, and
sat down, gnawing his fingers, in the corner where I had found
him. I shall see him in the morning early.
20 July. Visited Renfield very early, before the attendant
went his rounds. Found him up and humming a tune. He was
spreading out his