We all hurried and took from our rooms the same things that we had when we entered the Count's houseThe Professor had his ready, and as we met in the corridor he pointed to them significantly as he said, "They never leave me, and they shall not till this unhappy business is overBe wise also, my friendsIt is no common enemy that we deal with Alas! Alas! That dear Madam Mina should suffer!" He stopped, his voice was breaking, and I do not know if rage or terror predominated in my own heart Outside the Harkers' door we pausedArt and Quincey held back, and the latter said, "Should we disturb her?" "We must," said Van Helsing grimly"If the door be locked, I shall break it in "May it not frighten her terribly? It is unusual to break into a lady's room!" Van Helsing said solemnly, "You are always rightBut this is life and deathAll chambers are alike to the doctorAnd even were they not they are all as one to me tonightFriend John, when I turn the handle, if the door does not open, do you put your shoulder down and shove; and you too, my friendsNow!" He turned the handle as he spoke, but the door did not yieldWe threw ourselves against itWith a crash it burst open, and we almost fell headlong into the roomThe Professor did actually fall, and I saw across him as he gathered himself up from hands and kneesWhat I saw appalled meI felt my hair rise like bristles on the back of my neck, and my heart seemed to stand still The moonlight was so bright that through the thick yellow blind the room was light enough to seeOn the bed beside the window lay Jonathan Harker, his face flushed and breathing heavily as though in a stuporKneeling on the near edge of the bed facing outwards was the white-clad figure of his wifeBy her side stood a tall, thin man, clad in blackHis face was turned from us, but the instant we saw we all recognized the Count, in every way, even to the scar on his foreheadWith his left hand he held both MrsHarker's hands, keeping them away with her arms at full tensionHis right hand gripped her by the back of the neck, forcing her face down on his bosomHer white nightdress was smeared with blood, and a thin stream trickled down the man's bare chest which was shown by his torn-open dressThe attitude of the two had a terrible resemblance to a child forcing a kitten's nose into a saucer of milk to compel it to drinkAs we burst into the room, the Count turned his face, and the hellish look that I had heard described seemed to leap into itHis eyes flamed red with devilish passionThe great nostrils of the white aquiline nose opened wide and quivered at the edge, and the white sharp teeth, behind the full lips of the blood dripping mouth, clamped together like those of a wild beastWith a wrench, which threw his victim back upon the bed as though hurled from a height, he turned and sprang at usBut by this time the Professor had gained his feet, and was holding towards him the envelope which contained the Sacred WaferThe Count suddenly stopped, just as poor Lucy had done outside the tomb, and cowered backFurther and further back he cowered, as we, lifting our crucifixes, advancedThe moonlight suddenly failed, as a great black cloud sailed across the skyAnd when the gaslight sprang up under Quincey's match, we saw nothing but a faint vapourThis, as we looked, trailed under the door, which with the recoil from its bursting open, had swung back to its old positionVan Helsing, Art, and I moved forward to MrsHarker, who by this time had drawn her breath and with it had given a scream so wild, so ear-piercing, so despairing that it seems to me now that it will ring in my ears till my dying shop day

Shelby sighed, and felt a heavy weight on her heart, at this allusionShe had felt uneasy, ever since she received her son?s letter, lest something should prove to be hidden behind the veil of silence which he had drawn ?Missis has got dem bills?? said Chloe, anxiously ??Cause I wants to show my old man dem very bills de perfectioner gave me?And,? say he, ?Chloe, I wish you?d stay longer ?Thank you, Mas?r,? says I, ?I would, only my old man?s coming home, and Missis,?she can?t do without me no longer There?s jist what I telled himBerry nice man, dat Mas?r Jones was Chloe had pertinaciously insisted that the very bills in which her wages had been paid should be preserved, to show her husband, in memorial of her capabilityShelby had readily consented to humor her in the request ?He won?t know Polly,?my old man won?tLaws, it?s five year since they tuck him! She was a baby den,?couldn?t but jist standRemember how tickled he used to be, cause she would keep a fallin? over, when she sot out to walkLaws a me!? The rattling of wheels now was heard ?Mas?r George!? said Aunt Chloe, starting to the windowShelby ran to the entry door, and was folded in the arms of her sonAunt Chloe stood anxiously straining her eyes out into the darkness ?O, poor Aunt Chloe!? said George, stopping compassionately, and taking her hard, black hand between both his; ?I?d have given all my fortune to have brought him with me, but he?s gone to a better country There was a passionate exclamation from MrsShelby, but Aunt Chloe said nothing The party entered the supper-roomThe money, of which Chloe was so proud, was still lying on the table ?Thar,? said she, gathering it up, and holding it, with a trembling hand, to her mistress, ?don?t never want to see nor hear on ?t againJist as I knew ?t would be,?sold, and murdered on dem ar? old plantations!? Chloe turned, and was walking proudly out of the roomShelby followed her softly, and took one of her hands, drew her down into a chair, and sat down by her ?My poor, good Chloe!? said she Chloe leaned her head on her mistress? shoulder, and sobbed out, ?O Missis! ?scuse me, my heart?s broke,?dat?s all!? ?I know it is,? said MrsShelby, as her tears fell fast; ?and I cannot heal it, but Jesus canHe healeth the broken hearted, and bindeth up their wounds There was a silence for some time, and all wept togetherAt last, George, sitting down beside the mourner, took her hand, and, with simple pathos, repeated the triumphant scene of her husband?s death, and his last messages of love About a month after this, one morning, all the servants of the Shelby estate were convened together in the great hall that ran through the house, to hear a few words from their young master To the surprise of all, he appeared among them with a bundle of papers in his hand, containing a certificate of freedom to every one on the place, which he read successively, and presented, amid the sobs and tears and shouts of all present Many, however, pressed around him, earnestly begging him not to send them away; and, with anxious faces, tendering back their free papers ?We don?t want to be no freer than we areWe?s allers had all we wantedWe don?t want to leave de ole place, and Mas?r and Missis, and de rest!? ?My good friends,? said George, as soon as he could get a silence, ?there?ll be no need for you to leave meThe place wants as many hands to work it as it did beforeWe need the same about the house that we did beforeBut, you are now free men and free shop women

Shelby sighed, and felt a heavy weight on her heart, at this allusionShe had felt uneasy, ever since she received her son?s letter, lest something should prove to be hidden behind the veil of silence which he had drawn ?Missis has got dem bills?? said Chloe, anxiously ??Cause I wants to show my old man dem very bills de perfectioner gave me?And,? say he, ?Chloe, I wish you?d stay longer ?Thank you, Mas?r,? says I, ?I would, only my old man?s coming home, and Missis,?she can?t do without me no longer There?s jist what I telled himBerry nice man, dat Mas?r Jones was Chloe had pertinaciously insisted that the very bills in which her wages had been paid should be preserved, to show her husband, in memorial of her capabilityShelby had readily consented to humor her in the request ?He won?t know Polly,?my old man won?tLaws, it?s five year since they tuck him! She was a baby den,?couldn?t but jist standRemember how tickled he used to be, cause she would keep a fallin? over, when she sot out to walkLaws a me!? The rattling of wheels now was heard ?Mas?r George!? said Aunt Chloe, starting to the windowShelby ran to the entry door, and was folded in the arms of her sonAunt Chloe stood anxiously straining her eyes out into the darkness ?O, poor Aunt Chloe!? said George, stopping compassionately, and taking her hard, black hand between both his; ?I?d have given all my fortune to have brought him with me, but he?s gone to a better country There was a passionate exclamation from MrsShelby, but Aunt Chloe said nothing The party entered the supper-roomThe money, of which Chloe was so proud, was still lying on the table ?Thar,? said she, gathering it up, and holding it, with a trembling hand, to her mistress, ?don?t never want to see nor hear on ?t againJist as I knew ?t would be,?sold, and murdered on dem ar? old plantations!? Chloe turned, and was walking proudly out of the roomShelby followed her softly, and took one of her hands, drew her down into a chair, and sat down by her ?My poor, good Chloe!? said she Chloe leaned her head on her mistress? shoulder, and sobbed out, ?O Missis! ?scuse me, my heart?s broke,?dat?s all!? ?I know it is,? said MrsShelby, as her tears fell fast; ?and I cannot heal it, but Jesus canHe healeth the broken hearted, and bindeth up their wounds There was a silence for some time, and all wept togetherAt last, George, sitting down beside the mourner, took her hand, and, with simple pathos, repeated the triumphant scene of her husband?s death, and his last messages of love About a month after this, one morning, all the servants of the Shelby estate were convened together in the great hall that ran through the house, to hear a few words from their young master To the surprise of all, he appeared among them with a bundle of papers in his hand, containing a certificate of freedom to every one on the place, which he read successively, and presented, amid the sobs and tears and shouts of all present Many, however, pressed around him, earnestly begging him not to send them away; and, with anxious faces, tendering back their free papers ?We don?t want to be no freer than we areWe?s allers had all we wantedWe don?t want to leave de ole place, and Mas?r and Missis, and de rest!? ?My good friends,? said George, as soon as he could get a silence, ?there?ll be no need for you to leave meThe place wants as many hands to work it as it did beforeWe need the same about the house that we did beforeBut, you are now free men and free shop women

"The advice is good!" said Van Helsing, so we said no moreGodalming and Morris hurried off in a cab, we following in anotherAt the corner of Arlington Street our contingent got out and strolled into the Green ParkMy heart beat as I saw the house on which so much of our hope was centred, looming up grim and silent in its deserted condition amongst its more lively and spruce-looking neighboursWe sat down on a bench within good view, and began to smoke cigars so as to attract as little attention as possibleThe minutes seemed to pass with leaden feet as we waited for the coming of the others At length we saw a four-wheeler drive upOut of it, in leisurely fashion, got Lord Godalming and MorrisAnd down from the box descended a thick-set working man with his rush-woven basket of toolsMorris paid the cabman, who touched his hat and drove awayTogether the two ascended the steps, and Lord Godalming pointed out what he wanted doneThe workman took off his coat leisurely and hung it on one of the spikes of the rail, saying something to a policeman who just then sauntered alongThe policeman nodded acquiescence, and the man kneeling down placed his bag beside himAfter searching through it, he took out a selection of tools which he proceeded to lay beside him in orderly fashionThen he stood up, looked in the keyhole, blew into it, and turning to his employers, made some remarkLord Godalming smiled, and the man lifted a good sized bunch of keysSelecting one of them, he began to probe the lock, as if feeling his way with itAfter fumbling about for a bit he tried a second, and then a thirdAll at once the door opened under a slight push from him, and he and the two others entered the hallMy own cigar burnt furiously, but Van Helsing's went cold altogetherWe waited patiently as we saw the workman come out and bring his bagThen he held the door partly open, steadying it with his knees, whilst he fitted a key to the lockThis he finally handed to Lord Godalming, who took out his purse and gave him somethingThe man touched his hat, took his bag, put on his coat and departedNot a soul took the slightest notice of the whole transaction When the man had fairly gone, we three crossed the street and knocked at the doorIt was immediately opened by Quincey Morris, beside whom stood Lord Godalming lighting a cigar "The place smells so vilely," said the latter as we came inIt did indeed smell vilelyLike the old chapel at CarfaxAnd with our previous experience it was plain to us that the Count had been using the place pretty freelyWe moved to explore the house, all keeping together in case of attack, for we knew we had a strong and wily enemy to deal with, and as yet we did not know whether the Count might not be in the house In the dining room, which lay at the back of the hall, we found eight boxes of earthEight boxes only out of the nine which we sought! Our work was not over, and would never be until we should have found the missing box First we opened the shutters of the window which looked out across a narrow stone flagged yard at the blank face of a stable, pointed to look like the front of a miniature houseThere were no windows in it, so we were not afraid of being overlookedWe did not lose any time in examining the chestsWith the tools which we had brought with us we opened them, one by one, and treated them as we had treated those others in the old chapelIt was evident to us that the Count was not at present in the house, and we proceeded to search for any of his effects After a cursory glance at the rest of the rooms, from basement to attic, we came to the conclusion that the dining room contained any effects which might belong to the shop Count

"The advice is good!" said Van Helsing, so we said no moreGodalming and Morris hurried off in a cab, we following in anotherAt the corner of Arlington Street our contingent got out and strolled into the Green ParkMy heart beat as I saw the house on which so much of our hope was centred, looming up grim and silent in its deserted condition amongst its more lively and spruce-looking neighboursWe sat down on a bench within good view, and began to smoke cigars so as to attract as little attention as possibleThe minutes seemed to pass with leaden feet as we waited for the coming of the others At length we saw a four-wheeler drive upOut of it, in leisurely fashion, got Lord Godalming and MorrisAnd down from the box descended a thick-set working man with his rush-woven basket of toolsMorris paid the cabman, who touched his hat and drove awayTogether the two ascended the steps, and Lord Godalming pointed out what he wanted doneThe workman took off his coat leisurely and hung it on one of the spikes of the rail, saying something to a policeman who just then sauntered alongThe policeman nodded acquiescence, and the man kneeling down placed his bag beside himAfter searching through it, he took out a selection of tools which he proceeded to lay beside him in orderly fashionThen he stood up, looked in the keyhole, blew into it, and turning to his employers, made some remarkLord Godalming smiled, and the man lifted a good sized bunch of keysSelecting one of them, he began to probe the lock, as if feeling his way with itAfter fumbling about for a bit he tried a second, and then a thirdAll at once the door opened under a slight push from him, and he and the two others entered the hallMy own cigar burnt furiously, but Van Helsing's went cold altogetherWe waited patiently as we saw the workman come out and bring his bagThen he held the door partly open, steadying it with his knees, whilst he fitted a key to the lockThis he finally handed to Lord Godalming, who took out his purse and gave him somethingThe man touched his hat, took his bag, put on his coat and departedNot a soul took the slightest notice of the whole transaction When the man had fairly gone, we three crossed the street and knocked at the doorIt was immediately opened by Quincey Morris, beside whom stood Lord Godalming lighting a cigar "The place smells so vilely," said the latter as we came inIt did indeed smell vilelyLike the old chapel at CarfaxAnd with our previous experience it was plain to us that the Count had been using the place pretty freelyWe moved to explore the house, all keeping together in case of attack, for we knew we had a strong and wily enemy to deal with, and as yet we did not know whether the Count might not be in the house In the dining room, which lay at the back of the hall, we found eight boxes of earthEight boxes only out of the nine which we sought! Our work was not over, and would never be until we should have found the missing box First we opened the shutters of the window which looked out across a narrow stone flagged yard at the blank face of a stable, pointed to look like the front of a miniature houseThere were no windows in it, so we were not afraid of being overlookedWe did not lose any time in examining the chestsWith the tools which we had brought with us we opened them, one by one, and treated them as we had treated those others in the old chapelIt was evident to us that the Count was not at present in the house, and we proceeded to search for any of his effects After a cursory glance at the rest of the rooms, from basement to attic, we came to the conclusion that the dining room contained any effects which might belong to the shop Count