?Yer a brave gal, now, whoever ye ar!? said the man, with an oath Eliza recognized the voice and face for a man who owned a farm not far from her old homeSymmes!?save me?do save me?do hide me!? said Elia ?Why, what?s this?? said the man?Why, if ?tan?t Shelby?s gal!? ?My child!?this boy!?he?d sold him! There is his Mas?r,? said she, pointing to the Kentucky shoreSymmes, you?ve got a little boy!? ?So I have,? said the man, as he roughly, but kindly, drew her up the steep bank?Besides, you?re a right brave galI like grit, wherever I see it When they had gained the top of the bank, the man paused ?I?d be glad to do something for ye,? said he; ?but then there?s nowhar I could take yeThe best I can do is to tell ye to go thar,? said he, pointing to a large white house which stood by itself, off the main street of the village?Go thar; they?re kind folksThar?s no kind o? danger but they?ll help you,?they?re up to all that sort o? thing ?The Lord bless you!? said Eliza, earnestly ?No ?casion, no ?casion in the world,? said the man?What I?ve done?s of no ?count ?And, oh, surely, sir, you won?t tell any one!? ?Go to thunder, gal! What do you take a feller for? In course not,? said the man?Come, now, go along like a likely, sensible gal, as you areYou?ve arnt your liberty, and you shall have it, for all me The woman folded her child to her bosom, and walked firmly and swiftly awayThe man stood and looked after her ?Shelby, now, mebbe won?t think this yer the most neighborly thing in the world; but what?s a feller to do? If he catches one of my gals in the same fix, he?s welcome to pay backSomehow I never could see no kind o? critter a strivin? and pantin?, and trying to clar theirselves, with the dogs arter ?em and go agin ?emBesides, I don?t see no kind of ?casion for me to be hunter and catcher for other folks, neither So spoke this poor, heathenish Kentuckian, who had not been instructed in his constitutional relations, and consequently was betrayed into acting in a sort of Christianized manner, which, if he had been better situated and more enlightened, he would not have been left to do Haley had stood a perfectly amazed spectator of the scene, till Eliza had disappeared up the bank, when he turned a blank, inquiring look on Sam and Andy ?That ar was a tolable fair stroke of business,? said Sam ?The gal ?s got seven devils in her, I believe!? said Haley?How like a wildcat she jumped!? ?Wal, now,? said Sam, scratching his head, ?I hope Mas?r?ll ?scuse us trying dat ar roadDon?t think I feel spry enough for dat ar, no way!? and Sam gave a hoarse chuckle ?You laugh!? said the trader, with a growl ?Lord bless you, Mas?r, I couldn?t help it now,? said Sam, giving way to the long pent-up delight of his soul?She looked so curi?s, a leapin? and springin??ice a crackin??and only to hear her,?plump! ker chunk! ker splash! Spring! Lord! how she goes it!? and Sam and Andy laughed till the tears rolled down their cheeks ?I?ll make ye laugh t? other side yer mouths!? said the trader, laying about their heads with his riding-whip Both ducked, and ran shouting up the bank, and were on their horses before he was up ?Good-evening, Mas?r!? said Sam, with much gravity?I berry much spect Missis be anxious ?bout JerryMas?r Haley won?t want us no longerMissis wouldn?t hear of our ridin? the critters over Lizy?s bridge tonight;? and, with a facetious poke into Andy?s ribs, he started off, followed by the latter, at full speed,?their shouts of laughter coming faintly on the wind Chapter 8 Eliza?s Escape Eliza made her desperate retreat across the river just in the dusk of shop twilight

All three had brilliant white teeth that shone like pearls against the ruby of their voluptuous lipsThere was something about them that made me uneasy, some longing and at the same time some deadly fearI felt in my heart a wicked, burning desire that they would kiss me with those red lipsIt is not good to note this down, lest some day it should meet Mina's eyes and cause her pain, but it is the truthThey whispered together, and then they all three laughed, such a silvery, musical laugh, but as hard as though the sound never could have come through the softness of human lipsIt was like the intolerable, tingling sweetness of waterglasses when played on by a cunning handThe fair girl shook her head coquettishly, and the other two urged her on One said, "Go on! You are first, and we shall followYours is the right to begin The other added, "He is young and strongThere are kisses for us all I lay quiet, looking out from under my eyelashes in an agony of delightful anticipationThe fair girl advanced and bent over me till I could feel the movement of her breath upon meSweet it was in one sense, honey-sweet, and sent the same tingling through the nerves as her voice, but with a bitter underlying the sweet, a bitter offensiveness, as one smells in blood I was afraid to raise my eyelids, but looked out and saw perfectly under the lashesThe girl went on her knees, and bent over me, simply gloatingThere was a deliberate voluptuousness which was both thrilling and repulsive, and as she arched her neck she actually licked her lips like an animal, till I could see in the moonlight the moisture shining on the scarlet lips and on the red tongue as it lapped the white sharp teethLower and lower went her head as the lips went below the range of my mouth and chin and seemed to fasten on my throatThen she paused, and I could hear the churning sound of her tongue as it licked her teeth and lips, and I could feel the hot breath on my neckThen the skin of my throat began to tingle as one's flesh does when the hand that is to tickle it approaches nearer, nearerI could feel the soft, shivering touch of the lips on the super sensitive skin of my throat, and the hard dents of two sharp teeth, just touching and pausing thereI closed my eyes in languorous ecstasy and waited, waited with beating heart But at that instant, another sensation swept through me as quick as lightningI was conscious of the presence of the Count, and of his being as if lapped in a storm of furyAs my eyes opened involuntarily I saw his strong hand grasp the slender neck of the fair woman and with giant's power draw it back, the blue eyes transformed with fury, the white teeth champing with rage, and the fair cheeks blazing red with passionBut the Count! Never did I imagine such wrath and fury, even to the demons of the pitHis eyes were positively blazingThe red light in them was lurid, as if the flames of hell fire blazed behind themHis face was deathly pale, and the lines of it were hard like drawn wiresThe thick eyebrows that met over the nose now seemed like a heaving bar of white-hot metalWith a fierce sweep of his arm, he hurled the woman from him, and then motioned to the others, as though he were beating them backIt was the same imperious gesture that I had seen used to the wolvesIn a voice which, though low and almost in a whisper seemed to cut through the air and then ring in the room he said, "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 The fair girl, with a laugh of ribald coquetry, turned to answer him"You yourself never lovedYou never love!" On this the other women joined, and such a mirthless, hard, soulless laughter rang through the room that it almost made me faint to hearIt seemed like the pleasure of fiends Then the Count turned, after looking at my face attentively, and said in a soft whisper, "Yes, I too can loveYou yourselves can tell it from the pastIs it not so? Well, now I promise you that when I am done with him you shall kiss him at your shop will

Then, recollecting the utter uselessness of contention with such a nature, she shut her lips resolutely, gathered herself up, and walked out of the room It was hard to go back and tell Rosa that she could do nothing for her; and, shortly after, one of the man-servants came to say that her mistress had ordered him to take Rosa with him to the whipping-house, whither she was hurried, in spite of her tears and entreaties A few days after, Tom was standing musing by the balconies, when he was joined by Adolph, who, since the death of his master, had been entirely crest-fallen and disconsolateAdolph knew that he had always been an object of dislike to Marie; but while his master lived he had paid but little attention to itNow that he was gone, he had moved about in daily dread and trembling, not knowing what might befall him nextMarie had held several consultations with her lawyer; after communicating with StClare?s brother, it was determined to sell the place, and all the servants, except her own personal property, and these she intended to take with her, and go back to her father?s plantation ?Do ye know, Tom, that we?ve all got to be sold?? said Adolph, and go back to her father?s plantation ?How did you hear that?? said Tom ?I hid myself behind the curtains when Missis was talking with the lawyerIn a few days we shall be sent off to auction, Tom ?The Lord?s will be done!? said Tom, folding his arms and sighing heavily ?We?ll never get another such a master, said Adolph, apprehensively; ?but I?d rather be sold than take my chance under Missis Tom turned away; his heart was fullThe hope of liberty, the thought of distant wife and children, rose up before his patient soul, as to the mariner shipwrecked almost in port rises the vision of the church-spire and loving roofs of his native village, seen over the top of some black wave only for one last farewellHe drew his arms tightly over his bosom, and choked back the bitter tears, and tried to prayThe poor old soul had such a singular, unaccountable prejudice in favor of liberty, that it was a hard wrench for him; and the more he said, ?Thy will be done,? the worse he felt He sought Miss Ophelia, who, ever since Eva?s death, had treated him with marked and respectful kindness ?Miss Feely,? he said, ?Mas?r StClare promised me my freedomHe told me that he had begun to take it out for me; and now, perhaps, if Miss Feely would be good enough to speak bout it to Missis, she would feel like goin? on with it, was it as Mas?r St ?I?ll speak for you, Tom, and do my best,? said Miss Ophelia; ?but, if it depends on MrsClare, I can?t hope much for you;?nevertheless, I will try This incident occurred a few days after that of Rosa, while Miss Ophelia was busied in preparations to return north Seriously reflecting within herself, she considered that perhaps she had shown too hasty a warmth of language in her former interview with Marie; and she resolved that she would now endeavor to moderate her zeal, and to be as conciliatory as possibleSo the good soul gathered herself up, and, taking her knitting, resolved to go into Marie?s room, be as agreeable as possible, and negotiate Tom?s case with all the diplomatic skill of which she was mistress She found Marie reclining at length upon a lounge, supporting herself on one elbow by pillows, while Jane, who had been out shopping, was displaying before her certain samples of thin black stuffs ?That will do,? said Marie, selecting one; ?only I?m not sure about its being properly mourning ?Laws, Missis,? said Jane, volubly, ?MrsGeneral Derbennon wore just this very thing, after the General died, last summer; it makes up lovely!? ?What do you think?? said Marie to Miss Ophelia ?It?s a matter of custom, I suppose,? said Miss Ophelia?You can judge about it better than I ?The fact is,? said Marie, ?that I haven?t a dress in the world that I can wear; and, as I am going to break up the establishment, and go off, next week, I must decide upon something ?Are you going so soon?? ?YesClare?s brother has written, and he and the lawyer think that the servants and furniture had better be put up at auction, and the place left with our lawyer ?There?s one thing I wanted to speak with you about,? said Miss Ophelia?Augustine promised Tom his liberty, and began the legal forms necessary to itI hope you will use your influence to have it perfected ?Indeed, I shall do no such thing!? said Marie, sharply?Tom is one of the most valuable servants on the place,?it couldn?t be afforded, any shop way

At 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 vifHer long sleep all day have refresh and restore her, for now she is all sweet and bright as everAt sunset I try to hypnotize her, but alas! with no effectThe power has grown less and less with each day, and tonight it fail me altogetherWell, God's will be done, whatever it may be, and whithersoever it may lead! Now to the historical, for as Madam Mina write not in her stenography, I must, in my cumbrous old fashion, that so each day of us may not go unrecorded We got to the Borgo Pass just after sunrise yesterday morningWhen I saw the signs of the dawn I got ready for the hypnotismWe stopped our carriage, and got down so that there might be no disturbanceI made a couch with furs, and Madam Mina, lying down, yield herself as usual, but more slow and more short time than ever, to the hypnotic shop sleep

Buda-Pesth seems a wonderful place, from the glimpse which I got of it from the train and the little I could walk through the streetsI feared to go very far from the station, as we had arrived late and would start as near the correct time as possible The impression I had was that we were leaving the West and entering the East; the most western of splendid bridges over the Danube, which is here of noble width and depth, took us among the traditions of Turkish rule We left in pretty good time, and came after nightfall to KlausenburghHere I stopped for the night at the Hotel RoyaleI had for dinner, or rather supper, a chicken done up some way with red pepper, which was very good but thirsty I asked the waiter, and he said it was called "paprika hendl," and that, as it was a national dish, I should be able to get it anywhere along the Carpathians I found my smattering of German very useful here, indeed, I don't know how I should be able to get on without it Having had some time at my disposal when in London, I had visited the British Museum, and made search among the books and maps in the library regarding Transylvania; it had struck me that some foreknowledge of the country could hardly fail to have some importance in dealing with a nobleman of that country I find that the district he named is in the extreme east of the country, just on the borders of three states, Transylvania, Moldavia, and Bukovina, in the midst of the Carpathian mountains; one of the wildest and least known portions of Europe I was not able to light on any map or work giving the exact locality of the Castle Dracula, as there are no maps of this country as yet to compare with our own Ordance Survey Maps; but I found that Bistritz, the post town named by Count Dracula, is a fairly well-known placeI shall enter here some of my notes, as they may refresh my memory when I talk over my travels with Mina In the population of Transylvania there are four distinct nationalities: Saxons in the South, and mixed with them the Wallachs, who are the descendants of the Dacians; Magyars in the West, and Szekelys in the East and NorthI am going among the latter, who claim to be descended from Attila and the HunsThere was a dog howling all night under my window, which may have had something to do with it; or it may have been the paprika, for I had to drink up all the water in my carafe, and was still thirstyTowards morning I slept and was wakened by the continuous knocking at my door, so I guess I must have been sleeping soundly then I had for breakfast more paprika, and a sort of porridge of maize flour which they said was "mamaliga", and egg-plant stuffed with forcemeat, a very excellent dish, which they call "impletata" get recipe for this also I had to hurry breakfast, for the train started a little before eight, or rather it ought to have done so, for after rushing to the station at 7:30 I had to sit in the carriage for more than an hour before we began to move It seems to me that the further east you go the more unpunctual are the trainsWhat ought they to be in China? All day long we seemed to dawdle through a country which was full of beauty of every kindSometimes we saw little towns or castles on the top of steep hills such as we see in old missals; sometimes we ran by rivers and streams which seemed from the wide stony margin on each side of them to be subject to great floodsIt takes a lot of water, and running strong, to sweep the outside edge of a river clear At every station there were groups of people, sometimes crowds, and in all sorts of attireSome of them were just like the peasants at home or those I saw coming through France and Germany, with short jackets, and round hats, and home-made trousers; but others were very picturesque The women looked pretty, except when you got near them, but they were very clumsy about the waistThey had all full white sleeves of some kind or other, and most of them had big belts with a lot of strips of something fluttering from them like the dresses in a ballet, but of course there were petticoats under them The strangest figures we saw were the Slovaks, who were more barbarian than the rest, with their big cow-boy hats, great baggy dirty-white trousers, white linen shirts, and enormous heavy leather belts, nearly a foot wide, all studded over with brass nailsThey wore high boots, with their trousers tucked into them, and had long black hair and heavy black moustachesThey are very picturesque, but do not look prepossessingOn the stage they would be set down at once as some old Oriental band of brigandsThey are, however, I am told, very harmless and rather wanting in natural self-assertion It was on the dark side of twilight when we got to Bistritz, which is a very interesting old placeBeing practically on the frontier--for the Borgo Pass leads from it into Bukovina--it has had a very stormy existence, and it certainly shows marks of itFifty years ago a series of great fires took place, which made terrible havoc on five separate occasionsAt the very beginning of the seventeenth century it underwent a siege of three weeks and lost 13,000 people, the casualties of war proper being assisted by famine and disease Count Dracula had directed me to go to the Golden Krone Hotel, which I found, to my great delight, to be thoroughly old-fashioned, for of course I wanted to see all I could of the ways of the country I was evidently expected, for when I got near the door I faced a cheery-looking elderly woman in the usual peasant dress--white undergarment with a long double apron, front, and back, of coloured stuff fitting almost too tight for modestyWhen I came close she bowed and said, "The Herr Englishman?" "Yes," I said, "Jonathan Harker She smiled, and gave some message to an elderly man in white shirtsleeves, who had followed her to the shop door