fact; tell me all that has been. I told him exactly what had happened,
and he listened with seeming impassiveness; but his nostrils twitched
and his eyes blazed as I told how the ruthless hands of the Count had
held his wife in that terrible and horrid position, with her mouth to
the open wound in his breast. It interested me, even at that moment, to
see, that, whilst the face of white set passion worked convulsively over
the bowed head, the hands tenderly and lovingly stroked the ruffled
hair. Just as I had finished, Quincey and Godalming knocked at the door.
They entered in obedience to our summons. Van Helsing looked at me
questioningly. I understood him to mean if we were to take advantage of
their coming to divert if possible the thoughts of the unhappy husband
and wife from each other and from themselves; so on nodding acquiescence
to him he asked them what they had seen or done. To which Lord Godalming
answered:--
I could not see him anywhere in the passage, or in any of our rooms. I
looked in the study but, though he had been there, he had gone. He had,
however---- He stopped suddenly, looking at the poor drooping figure on
the bed. Van Helsing said gravely:--
Go on, friend Arthur. We want here no more concealments. Our hope now
is in knowing all. Tell freely! So Art went on:--
He had been there, and though it could only have been for a few
seconds, he made rare hay of the place. All the manuscript had been
burned, and the blue flames were flickering amongst the white ashes; the
cylinders of your phonograph too were thrown on the fire, and the wax
had helped the flames. Here I interrupted. Thank God there is the
other copy in the safe! His face lit for a moment, but fell again as he
went on: I ran downstairs then, but could see no sign of him. I looked
into Renfield s room; but there was no trace there except----! Again he
paused. Go on, said Harker hoarsely; so he bowed his head and
moistening his lips with his tongue, added: except that the poor fellow
is dead. Mrs. Harker raised her head, looking from one to the other of
us she said solemnly:--
God s will be done! I could not but feel that Art was keeping back
something; but, as I took it that it was with a purpose, I said nothing.
Van Helsing turned to Morris and asked:--
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