Buda-Pesth, 24 August.
My dearest Lucy,
I am in Buda-Pesth now. I traveled by boat and train to get here. I only wanted to see Jonathan. He is very thin and pale. He looks very weak. He does not look like himself. He does not remember what happened to him. I will not ask him about it.
Jonathan had a terrible shock. I do not want to make him sick again. Sister Agatha is a very good nurse. She said Jonathan talked about scary things when he was sick. She did not tell me the secrets of a sick man. But she said Jonathan is a good man. He did nothing wrong.
Jonathan asked for his notebook. He was very serious. He said there are no secrets between a husband and wife. He told me he had a big shock. He does not know if his memories are real or if he was mad. He gave me the book. He told me to keep it.
Jonathan told me, "Do not tell me what is in the book. Only read it if you must." I put the book under his pillow. Then I kissed him. We decided to get married immediately.
The sisters sent for a chaplain. We were married in the hospital. Jonathan sat up in bed. He said "I will" in a strong voice. I was very happy.
After the wedding, I took the book. I wrapped it in white paper. I tied it with a blue ribbon. I used my wedding ring to seal the paper with wax. I told Jonathan it is a sign of our trust. He took my hand and said he was happy. I am the happiest woman in the world.
Goodbye, Lucy. I hope you are happy too.
Your friend,
MINA HARKER.
Letter from Lucy Westenra to Mina Harker.
Whitby, 30 August.
My dearest Mina,
I am very happy for you. I hope you come home soon. I feel much better now. The air in Whitby is very good for me. I eat well and I sleep well. I stopped walking in my sleep. I stay in my bed all night.
Arthur is here. We go for walks and we play tennis. I love him very much. My mother is a little better too. Arthur and I will marry on 28 September.
Love,
LUCY WESTENRA.
Dr. Seward’s Diary.
20 August.
Sometimes Renfield is quiet now. For one week, he was very violent. Then one night the moon rose and he became calm. He said, "Now I can wait." I went to see him. He was in the padded room. His eyes looked gentle.
The guards were afraid of Renfield. But Renfield whispered to me, "They think I will hurt you. I will never hurt you." I do not know why he said that. He does not want cats or flies now. He says he has other things to think about.
Just before the sun rose, Renfield became angry again. He screamed until he was very tired. This happened for three nights. He is quiet when the moon is in the sky. He is violent during the day.
23 August.
Renfield escaped again. He waited for the guard to open the door. Then he ran past him. He went to the empty house called Carfax. We found him at the door of the old chapel. He tried to kill me.
Suddenly, Renfield became very calm. I looked up and saw a large bat. The bat flew toward the west. Renfield watched the bat. Then he said, "I will go back quietly."
Lucy Westenra’s Diary.
Hillingham, 24 August.
I am starting a diary like Mina. I feel very unhappy. Last night, I had bad dreams again. I am home from Whitby, but the dreams followed me. I feel very weak. Arthur was sad when he saw me today. I want to sleep in my mother’s room tonight.
25 August.
I had another bad night. I tried to stay awake. At midnight, I heard something at the window. It sounded like scratching. Then I fell asleep. I had more bad dreams. This morning, I am very pale. My throat hurts. I cannot get enough air.
Letter from Arthur Holmwood to Dr. Seward.
31 August.
My dear Jack Seward,
Please help me. Lucy is very ill. She looks terrible and she is getting worse. Her mother is also very sick. Mrs. Westenra has a weak heart. She will die soon. I do not want to worry her. Please come to lunch tomorrow and look at Lucy.
ARTHUR HOLMWOOD.
Letter from Dr. Seward to Arthur Holmwood.
2 September.
My dear Arthur,
I saw Lucy today. She tried to look happy for her mother. When we were alone, she became very sad. I examined her. She is very pale, but her blood is healthy. She has no physical sickness. I think the problem is in her mind.
Lucy cannot breathe well. She has scary dreams. I sent a letter to my old teacher. His name is Professor Van Helsing. He is a famous scientist. He lives in Amsterdam. He knows about strange diseases. He is very smart and kind. I asked him to come here immediately.
JOHN SEWARD.
Letter from Professor Van Helsing to Dr. Seward.
2 September.
My good friend John,
I am coming now. I want to help you and your friend. You once saved my life. You sucked poison from a wound on my hand. Now I will help you. Please get a room for me at a hotel. I will see the young lady tomorrow.
VAN HELSING.
Letter from Dr. Seward to Arthur Holmwood.
3 September.
My dear Arthur,
Professor Van Helsing came to see Lucy. He examined her very carefully. He is very worried. He said this is a matter of life and death.
He was very kind to Lucy. He made her laugh. He told her, "We will help you." Then he spoke to me alone. He said Lucy lost a lot of blood. But she is not anemic. He does not know why the blood is gone.
Professor Van Helsing went back to Amsterdam to think. I must send him a telegram every day.
Dr. Seward’s Diary.
4 September.
Renfield is acting strange again. At noon today, he became very violent. It took many men to hold him. He screamed for five minutes. Then he became very sad.
Later, he was happy. He was catching flies again. He apologized for his bad behavior. He said, "He deserted me. There is no hope now." He wanted more sugar for his flies.
This evening, I heard Renfield yelling again. I went to his room. The sun was going down. As the sun disappeared, Renfield became quiet. He fell on the floor.
Then he stood up. He cleaned the sugar from the window. He threw away his box of flies. He said, "I am sick of that rubbish." I think the sun and the moon control his mind.
Telegrams from Dr. Seward to Professor Van Helsing.
4 September.—The patient is better today.
5 September.—The patient is much better. She is eating and sleeping.
6 September.—There is a terrible change. She is much worse. Please come immediately!