The Mammoth Book of Dracula Read Online Free Page B

that you will not discourse of
things other than business in your letters. It will doubtless please your friends to know that you are well, and that you look forward to getting home to them. Is it not so?
     
    DRACULA AND HARKER EACH WRITE NOTES. COUNT GOES AWAY FOR A MOMENT AND HARKER READS ENVELOPES OF HIS LETTERS LEFT ON TABLE.
     
    HARKER: (Reads) “Samuel F. Billington, No. 7, The Crescent, Whitby; to Herr
Leutner, Varna; Coutts & Co., London; Herren Klopstock & Billreuth, bankers, Buda-Pesth.”
     
    ENTER DRACULA.
     
    DRACULA: I trust you will forgive me, but I have much work to do in private
    this evening. You will, I hope, find all things as you wish.
     
Let me advise you, my dear young friend, nay, let me warn you with all seriousness, that should you leave these rooms you will not by any chance go to sleep in any other part of the castle. It is old, and has many memories, and there are bad dreams for those who sleep unwisely. Be warned! Should sleep now or ever overcome you, or be like to do, then haste to your own chamber or to these rooms, for your rest will then be safe. But if you be not careful in this respect, then -
     
    HE MOTIONS WITH HIS HANDS AS IF HE IS WASHING THEM. EXIT COUNT.
     
    HARKER: The castle is a veritable prison and I am a prisoner. I shall try to
    watch him to-night.
     
    ~ * ~
     
    Scene 4
     
    THE CASTLE WALL.
     
    HARKER IS SEEN LOOKING OUT OF AN UPPER NARROW WINDOW. COUNT’S HEAD IS SEEN COMING OUT OF LOWER WINDOW. GRADUALLY THE WHOLE MAN EMERGES AND CLIMBS DOWN THE WALL FACE DOWN AND DISAPPEARS GOING SIDEWAYS.
     
    HARKER: What manner of man is this, or what manner of creature is it in the
semblance of man? I feel the dread of this horrible place overpowering me; I am in fear, in awful fear, and there is no escape for me; I am encompassed about with terrors that I dare not think of...
     
    ~ * ~
     
    Scene 5
     
    THE LADIES’ HALL.
     
    A LARGE ROOM WITH BIG WINDOWS THROUGH WHICH MOONLIGHT STREAMS—SPLENDID OLD FURNITURE ALL IN RAGS AND COVERED WITH DUST. HARKER LIES ON SOFA.
     
    HARKER: Here I can rest. It was lucky that the door to this wing was not really
    locked but only appeared to be.
     
    DOZES.
     
    FIGURES OF THREE YOUNG WOMEN MATERIALIZE FROM THE MOONLIGHT AND SURROUND HIM.
     
    FIRST WOMAN: Go on! You are first, and we shall follow; yours is the right to
    begin.
     
    SECOND WOMAN: He is young and strong; there are kisses for us all.
     
    COUNT SUDDENLY APPEARS BESIDE THEM, AND TAKING WOMAN WHO IS JUST FASTENING HER LIPS ON HARKER’S THROAT, BY THE NECK HURLS HER AWAY.
     
    DRACULA: How dare you touch him, any of you? How dare you cast eyes on
him when I had forbidden it? Back, I tell you all! This man belongs to me. Beware how you meddle with him, or you’ll have to deal with me.
     
    THIRD WOMAN: You yourself never loved; you never love!
     
    DRACULA: Yes, I too can love; you yourselves can tell it from the past. Is it not
so? Well, now I promise you when I am done with him you shall kiss him at your will. Now go! Go! I must awaken him, for there is work to be done.
     
    FIRST WOMAN: Are we to have nothing to-night?
     
    COUNT POINTS TO BAG WHICH HE HAS THROWN ON FLOOR AND WHICH MOVES AND A CHILD’S WAIL IS HEARD. WOMEN SEIZE BAG AND DISAPPEAR ALL AT ONCE. COUNT LIFTS UP HARKER WHO HAS FAINTED AND CARRIES HIM OFF. DARKNESS.
     
    ~ * ~
     
    Scene 6
     
    THE LIBRARY—HARKER DISCOVERED.
     
    HARKER: Last night the Count told me to write three letters, one saying that my
work here was nearly done, and that I should start for home within a few days; another that I was starting on the next morning from the time of the letter, and the third that I had left the castle and arrived at Bistritz. In the present state of things it would be madness to openly quarrel with the Count whilst I am so absolutely in his power, and to refuse would be to excite his suspicion and to arouse his anger. He knows that I know too much, and that I must not live, lest I be dangerous to him; my