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.He took with him a bag in which were many instruments and drugs, ‘the ghastly paraphernalia of our beneficial trade,’ as he once called, in one of his lectures, the equipment of a professor of the healing craft.When we were shown in, Mrs Westenra met us.She was alarmed, but not nearly so much as I expected to find her.Nature in one of her beneficent moods has ordained that even death has some antidote to its own terrors.Here, in a case where any shock may prove fatal, matters are so ordered that, from some cause or other, the things not personal—even the terrible change in her daughter to whom she is so attached—do not seem to reach her.It is something like the way Dame Nature gathers round a foreign body an envelope of some insensitive tissue which can protect from evil that which it would otherwise harm by contact.If this be an ordered selfishness, then we should pause before we condemn any one for the vice of egoism, for there may be deeper roots for its causes than we have knowledge of.I used my knowledge of this phase of spiritual pathology, and laid down a rule that she should not be present with Lucy or think of her illness more than was absolutely required.She assented readily, so readily that I saw again the hand of Nature fighting for life.Van Helsing and I were shown up to Lucy’s room.If I was shocked when I saw her yesterday, I was horrified when I saw her today.She was ghastly, chalkily pale; the red seemed to have gone even from her lips and gums, and the bones of her face stood out prominently; her breathing was painful to see or hear.Van Helsing’s face grew set as marble, and his eyebrows converged till they almost touched over his nose.Lucy lay motionless and did not seem to have strength to speak, so for a while we were all silent.Then Van Helsing beckoned to me, and we went gently out of the room.The instantwe had closed the door he stepped quickly along the passage to the next door, which was open.Then he pulled me quickly in with him and closed the door.‘My God!’ he said; ‘this is dreadful.There is no time to be lost.She will die for sheer want of blood to keep the heart’s action as it should be.There must be transfusion of blood at once.Is it you or me?’‘I am younger and stronger, Professor.It must be me.’‘Then get ready at once.I will bring up my bag.I am prepared.’I went downstairs with him, and as we were going there was a knock at the hall door.When we reached the hall the maid had just opened the door, and Arthur was stepping quickly in.He rushed up to me, saying in an eager whisper:—‘Jack, I was so anxious.I read between the lines of your letter, and have been in an agony.The dad was better, so I ran down here to see for myself.Is not that gentleman Dr Van Helsing? I am so thankful to you, sir, for coming.’ When first the Professor’s eye had lit upon him he had been angry at any interruption at such a time; but now, as he took in his stalwart proportions and recognized the strong young manhood which seemed to emanate from him, his eyes gleamed.Without a pause he said to him gravely as he held out his hand:—‘Sir, you have come in time.You are the lover of our dear miss.She is bad, very, very bad.Nay, my child, do not go like that.’ For he suddenly grew pale and sat down in a chair almost fainting.‘You are to help her.You can do more than any that live, and your courage is your best help.’‘What can I do?’ asked Arthur hoarsely.‘Tell me, and I shall do it.My life is hers, and I would give the last drop of blood in my body for her.’ The Professor has a strongly humorous side, and I could from old knowledge detect a trace of its origin in his answer:—‘My young sir, I do not ask so much as that—not the last!’‘What shall I do?’ There was fire in his eyes, and his open nostril quivered with intent.Van Helsing slapped him on the shoulder.‘Come!’ he said.‘You are a man, and it is a man we want.You are better than me, better than my friend John.’ Arthur looked bewildered, and the Professor went on by explaining in a kindly way:—‘Young miss is bad, very bad.She wants blood, and blood she must have or die.My friend John and I have consulted; and we are about to perform what we call transfusion of blood—to transfer from full veins of one to the empty veins which pine for him [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]