3 October.
Jonathan Harker wrote in his diary at six o’clock in the evening. He felt very nervous. He needed to write to stay calm. Mina Harker was crying, but she was brave. She told Jonathan Harker to trust in God. Dr. Van Helsing and Dr. Seward returned from Renfield’s room. Renfield was dead. His face was crushed and his neck was broken.
The doctors spoke to the man who watched Renfield. The man heard Renfield shout the word "God" many times. Then he heard a loud noise. He found Renfield on the floor. Dr. Seward decided to tell the police it was an accident. He did not want to tell the truth. Nobody would believe a story about a vampire.
The group decided to tell Mina Harker everything. They did not want to hide secrets anymore. Mina Harker said she was not afraid for herself. But she said, "If I become a danger to the people I love, I will die." She meant she would kill herself to keep them safe.
Van Helsing was very serious. He told Mina Harker she must not die yet. If she died now, she would become undead (a dead body that moves like it is alive). She would become a vampire like Count Dracula. She must stay alive until the Count is destroyed. Mina Harker promised to try.
Van Helsing explained the plan. They needed to find all the Count’s boxes of earth. They must sterilise (to make something holy so a vampire cannot use it) the earth. They would use pieces of the Sacred Wafer (holy bread from a church). During the day, the Count is weak. He cannot change his shape or disappear. He must walk like a normal man.
Jonathan Harker wanted to go to the house in Piccadilly immediately. Van Helsing said they must be careful. They did not want the police to stop them. Van Helsing wanted to hire a locksmith (a person who makes and fixes locks). They would act like the owners of the house. They would open the door during the day when many people were in the street.
The men prepared to leave. Van Helsing wanted to protect Mina Harker while they were gone. He touched her forehead with a piece of the Sacred Wafer. Suddenly, Mina Harker screamed. The holy bread burned her skin like hot metal. It left a red scar on her forehead.
Mina Harker fell to her knees and cried. She felt like a sinner. She cried, "Unclean! Unclean!" Van Helsing told her not to despair. He said the scar was a sign of what happened. He promised the scar would disappear when Dracula was dead. The men all held hands and promised to help Mina Harker.
The men went to the house at Carfax first. They entered the old chapel. They found the large boxes of earth. They used tools to open the boxes. They put a piece of the Sacred Wafer in each box and closed them. Now, the Count could not sleep in those boxes. Jonathan Harker saw Mina in a window of the asylum. He waved to her, and she waved back.
Then the men went to Piccadilly. Lord Godalming and Quincey Morris found a locksmith. The locksmith opened the door of the Count's house. The house smelled terrible. It smelled like old earth and decay. They found eight boxes of earth in the dining room. They put the holy bread in each box.
But they were looking for nine boxes. One box was missing! They looked around the room. They found Dracula’s papers and a bunch of keys. Lord Godalming and Quincey Morris took the keys. They went to find the other houses in London. Jonathan Harker and the doctors stayed in the Piccadilly house. They waited for the Count to return.