The slave-dealer collects his gang in Virginia or Kentucky, and drives them to some convenient, healthy place,?often a watering place,?to be fattenedHere they are fed full daily; and, because some incline to pine, a fiddle is kept commonly going among them, and they are made to dance daily; and he who refuses to be merry?in whose soul thoughts of wife, or child, or home, are too strong for him to be gay?is marked as sullen and dangerous, and subjected to all the evils which the ill will of an utterly irresponsible and hardened man can inflict upon himBriskness, alertness, and cheerfulness of appearance, especially before observers, are constantly enforced upon them, both by the hope of thereby getting a good master, and the fear of all that the driver may bring upon them if they prove unsalable ?What dat ar nigger doin here?? said Sambo, coming up to Tom, after MrSkeggs had left the roomSambo was a full black, of great size, very lively, voluble, and full of trick and grimace ?What you doin here?? said Sambo, coming up to Tom, and poking him facetiously in the side?Meditatin?, eh?? ?I am to be sold at the auction, tomorrow!? said Tom, quietly ?Sold at auction,?haw! haw! boys, an?t this yer fun? I wish?t I was gwine that ar way!?tell ye, wouldn?t I make em laugh? But how is it,?dis yer whole lot gwine tomorrow?? said Sambo, laying his hand freely on Adolph?s shoulder ?Please to let me alone!? said Adolph, fiercely, straightening himself up, with extreme disgust ?Law, now, boys! dis yer?s one o? yer white niggers,?kind o? cream color, ye know, scented!? said he, coming up to Adolph and snuffing?O Lor! he?d do for a tobaccer-shop; they could keep him to scent snuff! Lor, he?d keep a whole shope agwine,?he would!? ?I say, keep off, can?t you?? said Adolph, enraged ?Lor, now, how touchy we is,?we white niggers! Look at us now!? and Sambo gave a ludicrous imitation of Adolph?s manner; ?here?s de airs and gracesWe?s been in a good family, I specs ?Yes,? said Adolph; ?I had a master that could have bought you all for old truck!? ?Laws, now, only think,? said Sambo, ?the gentlemens that we is!? ?I belonged to the StClare family,? said Adolph, proudly ?Lor, you did! Be hanged if they ar?n?t lucky to get shet of yeSpects they?s gwine to trade ye off with a lot o? cracked tea-pots and sich like!? said Sambo, with a provoking grin Adolph, enraged at this taunt, flew furiously at his adversary, swearing and striking on every side of himThe rest laughed and shouted, and the uproar brought the keeper to the door ?What now, boys? Order,?order!? he said, coming in and flourishing a large whip All fled in different directions, except Sambo, who, presuming on the favor which the keeper had to him as a licensed wag, stood his ground, ducking his head with a facetious grin, whenever the master made a dive at him ?Lor, Mas?r, ?tan?t us,?we ?s reglar stiddy,?it?s these yer new hands; they ?s real aggravatin?,?kinder pickin? at us, all time!? The keeper, at this, turned upon Tom and Adolph, and distributing a few kicks and cuffs without much inquiry, and leaving general orders for all to be good boys and go to sleep, left the apartment While this scene was going on in the men?s sleeping-room, the reader may be curious to take a peep at the corresponding apartment allotted to the womenStretched out in various attitudes over the floor, he may see numberless sleeping forms of every shade of complexion, from the purest ebony to white, and of all years, from childhood to old age, lying now asleepHere is a fine bright girl, of ten years, whose mother was sold out yesterday, and who tonight cried herself to sleep when nobody was looking at herHere, a worn old negress, whose thin arms and callous fingers tell of hard toil, waiting to be sold tomorrow, as a cast-off article, for what can be got for her; and some forty or fifty others, with heads variously enveloped in blankets or articles of clothing, lie stretched around themBut, in a corner, sitting apart from the rest, are two females of a more interesting appearance than commonOne of these is a respectably-dressed mulatto woman between forty and fifty, with soft eyes and a gentle and pleasing physiognomyShe has on her head a high-raised turban, made of a gay red Madras handkerchief, of the first quality, her dress is neatly fitted, and of good material, showing that she has been provided for with a careful handBy her side, and nestling closely to her, is a young girl of fifteen,?her daughterShe is a quadroon, as may be seen from her fairer complexion, though her likeness to her mother is quite discernibleShe has the same soft, dark eye, with longer lashes, and her curling hair is of a luxuriant brownShe also is dressed with great neatness, and her white, delicate hands betray very little acquaintance with servile toilThese two are to be sold tomorrow, in the same lot with the StClare servants; and the gentleman to whom they belong, and to whom the money for their sale is to be transmitted, is a member of a Christian church in New York, who will receive the money, and go thereafter to the sacrament of his Lord and theirs, and think no more of it These two, whom we shall call Susan and Emmeline, had been the personal attendants of an amiable and pious lady of New Orleans, by whom they had been carefully and piously instructed and trainedThey had been taught to read and write, diligently instructed in the truths of religion, and their lot had been as happy an one as in their condition it was possible to beBut the only son of their protectress had the management of her property; and, by carelessness and extravagance involved it to a large amount, and at last failedOne of the largest creditors was the respectable firm of shop B

The slave-dealer collects his gang in Virginia or Kentucky, and drives them to some convenient, healthy place,?often a watering place,?to be fattenedHere they are fed full daily; and, because some incline to pine, a fiddle is kept commonly going among them, and they are made to dance daily; and he who refuses to be merry?in whose soul thoughts of wife, or child, or home, are too strong for him to be gay?is marked as sullen and dangerous, and subjected to all the evils which the ill will of an utterly irresponsible and hardened man can inflict upon himBriskness, alertness, and cheerfulness of appearance, especially before observers, are constantly enforced upon them, both by the hope of thereby getting a good master, and the fear of all that the driver may bring upon them if they prove unsalable ?What dat ar nigger doin here?? said Sambo, coming up to Tom, after MrSkeggs had left the roomSambo was a full black, of great size, very lively, voluble, and full of trick and grimace ?What you doin here?? said Sambo, coming up to Tom, and poking him facetiously in the side?Meditatin?, eh?? ?I am to be sold at the auction, tomorrow!? said Tom, quietly ?Sold at auction,?haw! haw! boys, an?t this yer fun? I wish?t I was gwine that ar way!?tell ye, wouldn?t I make em laugh? But how is it,?dis yer whole lot gwine tomorrow?? said Sambo, laying his hand freely on Adolph?s shoulder ?Please to let me alone!? said Adolph, fiercely, straightening himself up, with extreme disgust ?Law, now, boys! dis yer?s one o? yer white niggers,?kind o? cream color, ye know, scented!? said he, coming up to Adolph and snuffing?O Lor! he?d do for a tobaccer-shop; they could keep him to scent snuff! Lor, he?d keep a whole shope agwine,?he would!? ?I say, keep off, can?t you?? said Adolph, enraged ?Lor, now, how touchy we is,?we white niggers! Look at us now!? and Sambo gave a ludicrous imitation of Adolph?s manner; ?here?s de airs and gracesWe?s been in a good family, I specs ?Yes,? said Adolph; ?I had a master that could have bought you all for old truck!? ?Laws, now, only think,? said Sambo, ?the gentlemens that we is!? ?I belonged to the StClare family,? said Adolph, proudly ?Lor, you did! Be hanged if they ar?n?t lucky to get shet of yeSpects they?s gwine to trade ye off with a lot o? cracked tea-pots and sich like!? said Sambo, with a provoking grin Adolph, enraged at this taunt, flew furiously at his adversary, swearing and striking on every side of himThe rest laughed and shouted, and the uproar brought the keeper to the door ?What now, boys? Order,?order!? he said, coming in and flourishing a large whip All fled in different directions, except Sambo, who, presuming on the favor which the keeper had to him as a licensed wag, stood his ground, ducking his head with a facetious grin, whenever the master made a dive at him ?Lor, Mas?r, ?tan?t us,?we ?s reglar stiddy,?it?s these yer new hands; they ?s real aggravatin?,?kinder pickin? at us, all time!? The keeper, at this, turned upon Tom and Adolph, and distributing a few kicks and cuffs without much inquiry, and leaving general orders for all to be good boys and go to sleep, left the apartment While this scene was going on in the men?s sleeping-room, the reader may be curious to take a peep at the corresponding apartment allotted to the womenStretched out in various attitudes over the floor, he may see numberless sleeping forms of every shade of complexion, from the purest ebony to white, and of all years, from childhood to old age, lying now asleepHere is a fine bright girl, of ten years, whose mother was sold out yesterday, and who tonight cried herself to sleep when nobody was looking at herHere, a worn old negress, whose thin arms and callous fingers tell of hard toil, waiting to be sold tomorrow, as a cast-off article, for what can be got for her; and some forty or fifty others, with heads variously enveloped in blankets or articles of clothing, lie stretched around themBut, in a corner, sitting apart from the rest, are two females of a more interesting appearance than commonOne of these is a respectably-dressed mulatto woman between forty and fifty, with soft eyes and a gentle and pleasing physiognomyShe has on her head a high-raised turban, made of a gay red Madras handkerchief, of the first quality, her dress is neatly fitted, and of good material, showing that she has been provided for with a careful handBy her side, and nestling closely to her, is a young girl of fifteen,?her daughterShe is a quadroon, as may be seen from her fairer complexion, though her likeness to her mother is quite discernibleShe has the same soft, dark eye, with longer lashes, and her curling hair is of a luxuriant brownShe also is dressed with great neatness, and her white, delicate hands betray very little acquaintance with servile toilThese two are to be sold tomorrow, in the same lot with the StClare servants; and the gentleman to whom they belong, and to whom the money for their sale is to be transmitted, is a member of a Christian church in New York, who will receive the money, and go thereafter to the sacrament of his Lord and theirs, and think no more of it These two, whom we shall call Susan and Emmeline, had been the personal attendants of an amiable and pious lady of New Orleans, by whom they had been carefully and piously instructed and trainedThey had been taught to read and write, diligently instructed in the truths of religion, and their lot had been as happy an one as in their condition it was possible to beBut the only son of their protectress had the management of her property; and, by carelessness and extravagance involved it to a large amount, and at last failedOne of the largest creditors was the respectable firm of shop B

Then there was the sound of a struggle, and I knew that the attendants were dealing with himI was so frightened that I crept into bed, and pulled the clothes over my head, putting my fingers in my earsI was not then a bit sleepy, at least so I thought, but I must have fallen asleep, for except dreams, I do not remember anything until the morning, when Jonathan woke meI think that it took me an effort and a little time to realize where I was, and that it was Jonathan who was bending over meMy dream was very peculiar, and was almost typical of the way that waking thoughts become merged in, or continued in, dreams I thought that I was asleep, and waiting for Jonathan to come backI was very anxious about him, and I was powerless to act, my feet, and my hands, and my brain were weighted, so that nothing could proceed at the usual paceAnd so I slept uneasily and thoughtThen it began to dawn upon me that the air was heavy, and dank, and coldI put back the clothes from my face, and found, to my surprise, that all was dim aroundThe gaslight which I had left lit for Jonathan, but turned down, came only like a tiny red spark through the fog, which had evidently grown thicker and poured into the roomThen it occurred to me that I had shut the window before I had come to bedI would have got out to make certain on the point, but some leaden lethargy seemed to chain my limbs and even my willI lay still and endured, that was allI closed my eyes, but could still see through my eyelids(It is wonderful what tricks our dreams play us, and how conveniently we can imagine The mist grew thicker and thicker and I could see now how it came in, for I could see it like smoke, or with the white energy of boiling water, pouring in, not through the window, but through the joinings of the doorIt got thicker and thicker, till it seemed as if it became concentrated into a sort of pillar of cloud in the room, through the top of which I could see the light of the gas shining like a red eyeThings began to whirl through my brain just as the cloudy column was now whirling in the room, and through it all came the scriptural words "a pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night Was it indeed such spiritual guidance that was coming to me in my sleep? But the pillar was composed of both the day and the night guiding, for the fire was in the red eye, which at the thought got a new fascination for me, till, as I looked, the fire divided, and seemed to shine on me through the fog like two red eyes, such as Lucy told me of in her momentary mental wandering when, on the cliff, the dying sunlight struck the windows of StSuddenly the horror burst upon me that it was thus that Jonathan had seen those awful women growing into reality through the whirling mist in the moonlight, and in my dream I must have fainted, for all became black darknessThe last conscious effort which imagination made was to show me a livid white face bending over me out of the mist I must be careful of such dreams, for they would unseat one's reason if there were too much of themSeward to prescribe something for me which would make me sleep, only that I fear to alarm themSuch a dream at the present time would become woven into their fears for meTonight I shall strive hard to sleep naturallyIf I do not, I shall tomorrow night get them to give me a dose of chloral, that cannot hurt me for once, and it will give me a good night's sleepLast night tired me more than if I had not slept at all 2 October 10 P-Last night I slept, but did not dreamI must have slept soundly, for I was not waked by Jonathan coming to bed, but the sleep has not refreshed me, for today I feel terribly weak and spiritlessI spent all yesterday trying to read, or lying down dozingRenfield asked if he might see mePoor man, he was very gentle, and when I came away he kissed my hand and bade God bless meSome way it affected me muchI am crying when I think of himThis is a new weakness, of which I must be carefulJonathan would be miserable if he knew I had been cryingHe and the others were out till dinner time, and they all came in tiredI did what I could to brighten them up, and I suppose that the effort did me good, for I forgot how tired I shop was

But even if it were not, we should stand or fall by our act, and perhaps some day this very script may be evidence to come between some of us and a ropeFor myself, I should take the chance only too thankfully if it were to comeWe mean to leave no stone unturned to carry out our intentWe have arranged with certain officials that the instant the Czarina Catherine is seen, we are to be informed by a special messenger-A whole week of waitingDaily telegrams to Godalming, but only the same story Mina's morning and evening hypnotic answer is unvariedLapping waves, rushing water, and creaking masts TELEGRAM, OCTOBER 24TH RUFUS SMITH, LLOYD'S, LONDON, TO LORD GODALMING, CARE OF HVICE CONSUL, VARNA "Czarina Catherine reported this morning from DardanellesSEWARD'S DIARY 25 October-How I miss my phonograph! To write a diary with a pen is irksome to me! But Van Helsing says I mustWe were all wild with excitement yesterday when Godalming got his telegram from Lloyd'sI know now what men feel in battle when the call to action is heardHarker, alone of our party, did not show any signs of emotionAfter all, it is not strange that she did not, for we took special care not to let her know anything about it, and we all tried not to show any excitement when we were in her presenceIn old days she would, I am sure, have noticed, no matter how we might have tried to conceal itBut in this way she is greatly changed during the past three weeksThe lethargy grows upon her, and though she seems strong and well, and is getting back some of her colour, Van Helsing and I are not satisfiedWe have not, however, said a word to the othersIt would break poor Harker's heart, certainly his nerve, if he knew that we had even a suspicion on the subjectVan Helsing examines, he tells me, her teeth very carefully, whilst she is in the hypnotic condition, for he says that so long as they do not begin to sharpen there is no active danger of a change in herIf this change should come, it would be necessary to take steps! We both know what those steps would have to be, though we do not mention our thoughts to each otherWe should neither of us shrink from the task, awful though it be to contemplate"Euthanasia" is an excellent and a comforting word! I am grateful to whoever invented it It is only about 24 hours' sail from the Dardanelles to here, at the rate the Czarina Catherine has come from LondonShe should therefore arrive some time in the morning, but as she cannot possibly get in before noon, we are all about to retire earlyWe shall get up at one o'clock, so as to be ready 25 October, Noon-No news yet of the ship's arrivalHarker's hypnotic report this morning was the same as usual, so it is possible that we may get news at any momentWe men are all in a fever of excitement, except Harker, who is calmHis hands are cold as ice, and an hour ago I found him whetting the edge of the great Ghoorka knife which he now always carries with himIt will be a bad lookout for the Count if the edge of that "Kukri" ever touches his throat, driven by that stern, ice-cold hand! Van Helsing and I were a little alarmed about MrsAbout noon she got into a sort of lethargy which we did not likeAlthough we kept silence to the others, we were neither of us happy about itShe had been restless all the morning, so that we were at first glad to know that she was sleepingWhen, however, her husband mentioned casually that she was sleeping so soundly that he could not wake her, we went to her room to see for ourselvesShe was breathing naturally and looked so well and peaceful that we agreed that the sleep was better for her than anything elsePoor girl, she has so much to forget that it is no wonder that sleep, if it brings oblivion to her, does her shop good

I shall tell him that we have days before us, and he must not break down when most of all his strength will be needed? All is ready 2 November, morning-I was successful, and we took turns driving all nightNow the day is on us, bright though coldThere is a strange heaviness in the airI say heaviness for want of a better wordI mean that it oppresses us bothIt is very cold, and only our warm furs keep us comfortableAt dawn Van Helsing hypnotized meHe says I answered "darkness, creaking wood and roaring water," so the river is changing as they ascendI do hope that my darling will not run any chance of danger, more than need be, but we are in God's hands 2 November, night-All day long drivingThe country gets wilder as we go, and the great spurs of the Carpathians, which at Veresti seemed so far from us and so low on the horizon, now seem to gather round us and tower in frontWe both seem in good spiritsI think we make an effort each to cheer the other, in the doing so we cheer ourselvesVan Helsing says that by morning we shall reach the Borgo PassThe houses are very few here now, and the Professor says that the last horse we got will have to go on with us, as we may not be able to changeHe got two in addition to the two we changed, so that now we have a rude four-in-handThe dear horses are patient and good, and they give us no troubleWe are not worried with other travellers, and so even I can driveWe shall get to the Pass in daylightWe do not want to arrive beforeSo we take it easy, and have each a long rest in turnOh, what will tomorrow bring to us? We go to seek the place where my poor darling suffered so muchGod grant that we may be guided aright, and that He will deign to watch over my husband and those dear to us both, and who are in such deadly perilAs for me, I am not worthy in His sightAlas! I am unclean to His eyes, and shall be until He may deign to let me stand forth in His sight as one of those who have not incurred His wrath MEMORANDUM BY ABRAHAM VAN HELSING 4 November-This to my old and true friend John Seward, M of Purfleet, London, in case I may not see himIt is morning, and I write by a fire which all the night I have kept alive, Madam Mina aiding meSo cold that the grey heavy sky is full of snow, which when it falls will settle for all winter as the ground is hardening to receive itIt seems to have affected Madam MinaShe has been so heavy of head all day that she was not like herselfShe sleeps, and sleeps, and sleeps! She who is usual so alert, have done literally nothing all the dayShe even have lost her appetiteShe make no entry into her little diary, she who write so faithful at every pauseSomething whisper to me that all is not wellHowever, tonight she is more shop vif