SCENE 3: SANITY
Seward's Meeting Room; Renfield's Cell
| Van Helsing, Mina, Seward, Jonathan, Quincey and Arthur are gathered about a table. Mina is sitting next to Van Helsing, taking notes.
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| VAN HELSING: | I may, I suppose, take it that we are all acquainted with the facts that are in these papers. Then it were, I think, good that I tell you something of the kind of enemy with which; we have to deal. There are such beings as vampires; some of us have evidence that they exist. Even had we not the proof of our own unhappy experience, the teachings and records of the past give proof enough for sane peoples. I admit that at the first I was skeptic. Were it not that through long years I have train myself to keep an open mind, I could not have believe until such time as what fact thunder on my own ear.
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| Van Helsing looks around the room.
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| VAN HELSING: | My friends, this is much; it is a terrible task that we undertake, and there may be consequence to make the brave man shudder. For if we fail in this our fight, he must surely win. Life is nothings; I heed him not. But to fail here, is not mere life or death. It is that we become as him; that we henceforth become foul things of the night like him - without heart or conscience, preying on the bodies and the souls of those we love best. But we are face to face with duty; and in such cases must we shrink? For me, I say no; but then I am old, and life, with his sunshine, his fair places, his song of birds, his music, and his love, lie far behind. You others are young. Some have seen sorrow; but there are fair days yet in store. What say you?
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| Mina and Jonathan have taken hands, looking into each others eyes tenderly.
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| JONATHAN: | I answer for Mina and myself.
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| QUINCEY: | Count me in, Professor.
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| ARTHUR: | I am with you for Lucy's sake, if for no other reason.
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| Dr. Seward nods his head. Van Helsing holds up a cross. All people join hands in the middle of the table to seal the promise.
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| VAN HELSING: | All we have to go upon are traditions and superstitions: The vampire can live on, and cannot die by mere passing of the time; he can flourish when that he can fatten on the blood of the living. He can see in the dark - no small power this, in a world which is one half shut from the light. He can do all these things, yet he is not free. Nay, he is even more prisoner than the slave of the galley, than the madman in his cell. He may not enter anywhere at the first, unless there be someone of the household who bid him to come; though afterwards he can come as he please. His powers ceases, as does that of all evil things, with the coming of the day. Then there are things which so afflict him that he has no power, as the garlic that we know of; and as for things sacred, as this symbol, my crucifix, that was amongst us even how we resolve, to them he is nothing, but in their presence he take his place far off and silent with respect.
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| During this speech, Quincey stares intensely out the window. Perhaps, outline of bat is seen a window, scratching/beating sound gently heard. At this point, he leaves the room. Van Helsing notices, but continues.
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| VAN HELSING: | And now we must settle what we do. We have here much data, and we must proceed to lay out our campaign. We know from the inquiry of Jonathan that from the castle to Whitby came many boxes of earth, all of which were delivered at Carfax; we also know that at least some of these boxes have been removed. It seems to me, that our first step should be to ascertain whether all the rest remain in the house beyond that wall where we look to-day; or whether any more have been removed. If the latter, we must trace
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| A shot reverberates. Mina shrieks, and everyone jumps to their feet. Arthur runs to the window and throws it open. Quincey's voice is heard from outside.
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| QUINCEY: | (voice) Sorry! I fear I have alarmed you. I shall come in and tell you about it.
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| Quincey re-enters the room
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| QUINCEY: | It was an idiotic thing of me to do, and I ask your pardon, Mrs. Harker, most sincerely; I fear I must have frightened you terribly. But the fact is that whilst the Professor was talking there came a big bat and sat on the window-sill. I have got such a horror of the damned brutes from recent events that I cannot stand them, and I went out to have a shot, as I have been doing of late of evenings whenever I have seen one. You used to laugh at me for it then, Art.
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| VAN HELSING: | Did you hit it?
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| QUINCEY: | I don't know; I fancy not, for it flew away into the wood.
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| VAN HELSING: | We must trace each of these boxes, and when we are ready, we must either capture or kill this monster in his lair; or we must, so to speak, sterilize the earth, so that no more he can seek safety in it. Thus in the end we may land him in his form of man between the hours of noon and sunset and so engage with him when he is at his most weak.
(Turns to Mina) And now for you, Madam Mina, this night is the end until all be well. You are too precious to us to gave such risk. When we part tonight, you no more must question. We shall tell you all in good time. We are men, and are able to bear; but you must be our star and our hope, and we shall act all the more free that you are not in the danger, such as we are.
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| All the men nod in agreement. Mina opens her mouth to complain, then shuts it and nods her head, doubtfully.
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| QUINCEY: | As there is not time to lose, I vote we have a look at his house right now. Time is everything with him; and swift action on our part may save another victim.
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| The men stand up and leave, leaving Mina still sitting at the table, resigned, looking over her notes. Fade out on Mina - lights in hallway. Outside, all the men have gathered. An attendant rushes up to Dr. Seward with a message.
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| ATTENDANT: | Sir, sorry to bother you at this time, but Renfield insists that you receive this message.
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| SEWARD: | Now this is peculiar. This is a note from Renfield, asking if I would see him at once as he has something of the utmost importance to say to me.
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| ATTENDANT: | He seems very importunate, sir. I have never seen him so eager. I don't know but what, if you don't see him soon, he will have one of his violent fits.
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| SEWARD: | All right; I'll go now.
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| VAN HELSING: | Take me with you, friend John. His case in your diary interests me much, and it had bearing, too, now and again on our case. I should much like to see him, and especial when his mind is disturbed.
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| ARTHUR: | May I come also?
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| QUINCEY: | Me too?
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| Seward nods his consent, leading them to Renfield's cell. Renfield is, indeed, in a state of great agitation, pacing back and forth, nervously watching the door for Seward's arrival.
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| RENFIELD: | You must release me at once from the asylum and send me home. I have completely recovered my sanity. I appeal to your friends; they will, perhaps, not mind sitting in judgment on my case. By the way, you have not introduced me.
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| SEWARD: | Lord Godalming; Professor Van Helsing; Mr. Quincey Morris, of Texas; Mr. Renfield.
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| RENFIELD: | Lord Godalming, I had the honor of seconding your father at the Windham; I grieve to know, by your holding the title, that he is no more. Mr. Morris, you should be proud of your great state. Its reception into the Union was a precedent which may have far reaching effects hereafter, when the Pole and the Tropics may hold allegiance to the Stars and the Stripes. What shall any man say of his pleasure at meeting Van Helsing? When an individual has revolutionized therapeutics by his discovery of the continuous evolution of brain-matter, conventional forms are unfitting, since they would seem to limit him to one of a class.
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| Everyone is suitably impressed with Renfield's knowledge.
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| RENFIELD: | You gentlemen, who by nationality, by heredity, or by the possession of natural gifts, are fitted to hold your respective places in the moving world, I take to witness that I am as sane as at least the majority of men who are in full possession of their liberties. And I am sure that you, Dr. Seward, humanitarian and medicojurist as well as scientist, will deem it a moral duty to deal with me as one to be considered as under exceptional circumstances.
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| Van Helsing, Seward, Quincey and Arthur all register surprise. Seward looks about ready to agree, but then changes his mind.
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| SEWARD: | You do indeed seem to be improving very rapidly, Renfield; will have a longer chat with you in the morning and see what I can do in the direction of meeting your wishes.
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| RENFIELD: | But I fear, Dr. Seward, that you hardly apprehend my wish. I desire to go at once - here - now - this very hour - this very moment, if I may. Time presses, and in our implied agreement with the old scytheman it is of essence of the contract. I am sure it is only necessary to put before so admirable a wish, to ensure its fulfillment
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| Renfield stares intensely into Seward's face - not finding what he wants. This is a desperate man; he knows he will die tonight if he's not released. Looks pleadingly at everyone else.
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| RENFIELD: | Is it possible that I have erred in my supposition?
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| SEWARD: | You have.
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| RENFIELD: | Then I suppose I must only shift my ground of request. Let me ask for this concession - boon, privilege, what you will. I am content to implore in such a case, not on personal grounds, but for the sake of others. Could you look, sir, into my heart, you would approve to the full the sentiments which animate me. May more, you would count me amongst the best and truest of friend.
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| VAN HELSING: | Can you not tell us frankly your real reason for wishing to be free tonight? I will undertake that if you will satisfy even me - a stranger, without prejudice, and with the habit of keeping an open mind - Dr. Seward will give you, at his own risk and on his own responsibility, the privilege you seek.
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| Renfield shakes his head slowly, with regret. The hold of Dracula is strong.
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| VAN HELSING: | Come sir, bethink yourself. You claim the privilege of reason in the highest degree, since you seek to impress us with your complete reasonableness. You do this, whose sanity we have reason to doubt, since you are not yet released from medical treatment for this very defect. If you will not help us in our effort to choose the wisest course, how can we perform the duty which you yourself put upon us? Be wise, and help us, and if we can we shall aid you to achieve your wish.
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| RENFIELD: | Dr. Van Helsing, I have nothing to say. Your argument is complete, and if I were free to speak I should not hesitate a moment; but I am not my own master in the matter. I can only ask you to trust me. If I am refused, the responsibility does not rest with me.
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| SEWARD: | Come, my friends, we have work to do. Good-night.
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| RENFIELD: | Let me entreat you, Dr. Seward, oh, let me implore you, to let me out of this house at once! Send me away how you will; send keepers with me with whips and chains; let them take me in a strait-waistcoat, manacled and leg-ironed, even to a gaol; but let me go out of this! You from the depths of my heart - of my very soul. You don't know whom you wrong, or how; and I may not tell. Woe is me! Dear - (to Arthur) by your love that is lost - (to Jonathan) you your hope that lives - (to Van Helsing) for the sake of the Almighty, take me out of this and save my soul from guilt! Can't you hear me, man? Can't you understand? Will you never learn? Don't you know that I am sane and earnest now; that I am no lunatic in a mad fit, but a sane man fighting for his soul? Oh, hear me! hear me! Let me go! let me go! let me go!
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| SEWARD: | Come, no more of this; we have had quite enough already. Get to your bed and try to behave more discreetly.
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| Renfield stops, looks at Seward intently. Stands, goes and sits on bed, staring out the window, silently. Van Helsing, Quincey, and Arthur start to file out. As Seward, who is last departs, Renfield speaks.
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| RENFIELD: | You will, I trust, Dr. Seward, do me the justice to bear in mind, later on, that I did what I could to convince you tonight.
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SCENE 4: INTRUSION
Mina's Bedroom |
| Mina is sitting at her desk, in her night robe, writing another entry in her journal. Action and sound effects are occurring simultaneously. Red light from lamp in corner of room.
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| MINA: | I can't quite remember how I fell asleep last night. I remember hearing the sudden barking of the dogs and a lot of queer sounds, like praying on a very tumultuous scale, from Mr. Renfield's room, which is under this. And then there was silence over everything, silence so profound that it startled me, and I got up and looked out of the window.
(Mina stands, and approaches window)
All was dark and silent, the black shadows thrown by the moonlight seeming full of a silent mystery of their own. Not a thing seemed to be stirring, but all to be grim and fixed as death or fate, so that a thin streak of white mist that crept with almost imperceptible slowness across the grass towards the house, seemed to have a life of its own.
(turns back to journal and desk)
I thought that I was asleep, and waiting for Jonathan to come back. I was very anxious about him, and I was powerless to act; my feet, and my hands, and my brain were weighted, so that nothing could proceed at the usual pace.
(approaches bed, lies down)
And so I slept uneasily and thought. Then it began to dawn upon me that the air was heavy, and dank, and cold.
(sits up; leaves bed. Cue: fog)
I put back the clothes from my face, and found, to my surprise, that all was dim around me. The gas-light which I had left lit for Jonathan, but turned down, came only . like a tiny red spark through the fog, which had evidently grown thicker and poured into the room.
The mist grew thicker and thicker, and I could see now how it came in, for I could see it like smoke - or with the white energy of boiling water - pouring in, not through the window, but through the joining of the door.
(Mina focuses on point in room, as if seeing Dracula there)
It got thicker and thicker, till is seemed as if it became concentrated into a sort of pillar and cloud in the room, through the top of which I could see the light of the gas shining like a red eye.
(pauses; resumes writing in journal)
Suddenly the horror burst upon me that it was thus that Jonathan had seen those awful women growing into reality through the whirling mist in the moonlight, and in my dream I must have fainted, for all became black darkness. The last conscious effort which imagination made was to show me a livid white face bending over me in the mist.
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SCENE 5: BETRAYAL
Renfield's Cell |
| Attendant burst into library where Seward is writing in his journal. Seward looks up, inquisitively.
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| ATTENDANT: | Dr. Seward, Renfield has met with a terrible accident!
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| Seward starts; runs to Renfield's cell. Renfield is Iying on the floor in a pool of blood. Apparently, he has suffered some great accident. Face a mass of bruises, body at awkward angle.
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| ATTENDANT: | I think, sir, his back is broken. See, both his right arm and leg and the whole side of his face are paralyzed. I can't understand the two things. He could mark his face like that by beating his own head on the ground. I saw a young woman do it once at the Eversfield Asylum before anyone could lay hands on her. And I suppose he might have broke his back falling out of bed, if he got in an awkward kink. But for the life of me, I can't imagine how the two things occurred. If his back was broke, he couldn't beat his head; and if his face was like that before the fall out of bed, there would be marks on it.
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| SEWARD: | Go to Dr. Van Helsing, and ask him to kindly come here at once. I want him without an instants delay.
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| Attendant leaves, returning with Van Helsing.
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| VAN HELSING: | Ah, a sad accident! He will need very careful watching, and much attention. I shall stay with you myself; send the attendant away. We must be alone with him when he becomes conscious, after the operation.
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| SEWARD: | I think that will do now, Simmons. We have done all that we can at present. You had better go your round, and Dr. Van Helsing will operate. Let me know instantly if there be anything unusual anywhere.
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| ATTENDANT: | Yes, sir. (exits)
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| VAN HELSING: | We must reduce the pressure and get back to normal conditions, as far as can be; the rapidity of the suffusion shows the terrible nature of his injury. The whole motor area seems affected. The suffusion of the brain will so we must trephine at once or it may be too late.
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| Van Helsing takes out trepanning equipment. Starts preparing Renfield's head for the operation. Tapping at the door. Enter Arthur and Quincey, both in pajamas.
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| ARTHUR: | I heard your man call up Dr. Van Helsing and tell him of an accident. So I woke Quincey, or rather called for him as he was not asleep. Things are moving too quickly and too strangely for sound sleep for any of us these times. I've been thinking that tomorrow night will not see things as they have been. We'll have to look back - and forward a little more than we have done. May we come in?
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| Seward nods, holds door open for both of them, and closes it.
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| QUINCEY: | My God! What had happened to him? Poor, poor devil!
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| VAN HELSING: | We shall wait just long enough to fix the best spot for trepanning so that we may most quickly and perfectly remove the blood clot; for it is evident that the hemorrhage is increasing.There is no time to lose. His word s may be worth many lives; I have been thinking so, as I stood here. It may be there is a soul at stake! We shall operate just above the ear.
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| RENFIELD: | I'll be quiet, Doctor. Tell them to take off the strait-waistcoat. I have had a terrible dream, and it has left me so weak that I cannot move. What's wrong with my face? It feels all swollen, and it smarts dreadfully.
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| VAN HELSING: | Tell us your dream, Mr. Renfield.
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| RENFIELD: | That is Dr. Van Helsing. How good it is of you to be here. Give me some water, my lips are dry; and I shall try to tell you. I dreamed - (starts to faint)
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| SEWARD: | The brandy - it is in my study - quick!
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| Quincey exits, returning with the brandy.
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| RENFIELD: | I must not deceive myself; it was no dream, but all a grim reality. If I were not sure already, I would know from them. Quick, doctor, quick. I am dying! I feel that I have but a few minutes; and then I must go back to death - or worse Wet my lips with brandy again. I have something that must say before I die; or before my poor crushed brain dies, anyhow. |
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(Seward offers Renfield brandy)
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| RENFIELD: | Thank you. It was after you left me. I couldn't speak then, for I felt my tongue was tied; but I was as sane then, except in that way, as I am now. I was in an agony of despair for a long time after you left me; it seemed hours. Then there came a sudden peace to me. My brain seemed to become cool again, and I realized where I was. I heard the dogs bark behind our house, but not where He was!
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| VAN HELSING: | Go on.
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| RENFIELD: | He came up to the window in the mist, as I had seen him often before; but he was solid then - not a ghost, and his eyes were fierce like a man's when angry. He was laughing with his red mouth; the sharp, white teeth glinted in the moonlight when he turned to look back over the belt of trees, to where the dogs were barking. I wouldn't ask him to come in at first, though I knew he wanted to - just as he had wanted all along. Then he began promising me things - not in words but by doing them.
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| VAN HELSING: | How?
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| RENFIELD: | By making them happen; just as he used to send in the flies when the sun was shining. Great big fat ones with steel and sapphire on their wings; and big moths, in the night, with skull and cross-bones on their backs.
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| VAN HELSING: | The Acherontia atropos of the Sphinges - what you call the 'Death's-head moth!'
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| RENFIELD: | Then he began to whisper: 'Rats, rats, rats ! Hundreds, thousands, millions of them, and every one a life; and dogs to eat them, and cats too. All lives! I thought He seemed to be saying: "All these lives will I give you, aye, and many more and greater, through countless ages, if you will fall down and worship me!" And then a red cloud like the color of blood, seemed to close over my eyes; and before I knew what I was doing, I found myself opening the sash and saying to Him: 'Come in, Lord and Master'. The rats were all gone, but He slid into the room through the sash, though it was only open an inch wide - just as the Moon herself has often come in through the tiniest crack, and has stood before me in all her size and splendor.
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| VAN HELSING: | (to Seward) Let him go on. Do not interrupt him; he cannot go back, and my be could not proceed at all if once he lost the thread of his thoughts.
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| RENFIELD: | All day I waited to hear from him, but he did not send me anything, not even a blow-fly, and when the moon got up I was pretty angry with him. When he slid through the window, though it was shut, and did not even knock, I got mad with him. He sneered at me, and his white face looked out of the mist with his red eyes gleaming, and he went on as though he owned the whole place, and I was no one. He did not even smell the same as he went by me. I couldn't hold him. I thought that, somehow, Mrs. Harker had come in the room.
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| Quincey and Arthur move closer. Van Helsing begins quivering.
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| RENFIELD: | When Mrs. Harker came in to see me this afternoon she wasn't the same; it was like tea after the teapot had been watered.
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| Everyone looks nervously a each other, and at Mina's room.
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| RENFIELD: | I didn't know she was here until she spoke; and she didn't look the same. I don't care for the pale people; I like them with lots of blood in them, and hers had all seemed to run out. So when he came in tonight, I was ready for Him. I saw the mist stealing in, I grabbed it tight. I had heard that madmen have unnatural strength; and I know I was a madman - at times, anyhow - I resolved to use my power. Aye, and He felt it too, for He had to come out of the mist to struggle with me. I held him tight; and I thought I was going to win, for I didn't mean Him to take any more of her life, till I saw His eyes. They burned into me, and my strength became water. He slipped through it, and when I tried to cling to Him, He raised me up and flung me down. There was a red cloud before me, and a noise like thunder, and the mist seemed to steal away under the door (Renfield slumps back into pile)
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| VAN HELSING: | We know the worst now. He is here, and we know his purpose. It may not be too late. Let us be armed - the same as we were the other night, but lose no time; there is not an instant to spare.
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SCENE 6: SEDUCTION
Mina's Bedroom |
| Van Helsing, Seward, Quincey, and Arthur burst into the room. Jonathan is lying on the bed by the window, asleep. His face is flushed, and he is having a hard time breathing. Mina is kneeling in the middle of the room. Dracula is holding both of Mina's arms in his left hand, while shoving her face down on his bosom with his right hand. Dracula's shirt has been torn open, and there is a gash on his chest that he is trying to get Mina to drink from. As Stoker puts it, "his 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 drink." The Count turns to face the men when they enter, and bares his blood-soaked teeth to them. He flings Mina forcefully onto the bed.
Van Helsing takes out a cross. Dracula reacts violently, cowering back. Cowers until he comes to a window, and then disappears into a black cloud. Arthur and Quincey run out of the room. Everyone turns to Mina, who is pale and has red blood trailing from her mouth to her nightgown. Mina starts to scream. Places her head in her hands, wails with grief. Van Helsing pulls covers over her.
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| VAN HELSING: | Jonathan is in a stupor such as we know the vampire can produce. We can do nothing with poor Madam Mina for a few moments till she recovers herself; I must wake him!
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| Van Helsing flicks water onto Jonathan. He starts to groan. Mina turns to him, with her hands outstretched and instantly draws them in again, putting her elbows together and hands covering her face, shuddering and shaking head.
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| JONATHAN: | In God's name what does this mean? Dr. Seward, Dr. Van Helsing, what is it? What has happened? What is wrong? Mina, dear, what is it? What does that blood mean? My God, my god! Has it come to this? Dr. Van Helsing, you love Mina, I know. Oh, do something to save her. It cannot have gone too far yet. Guard her while I look for him!
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| MINA: | No! no! Jonathan, you must not leave me. I have suffered enough tonight, God knows, without the dread of his harming you. You must stay with me. Stay with these friends who will watch over you!
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| VAN HELSING: | Do not fear, my dear. We are here; (holds up crucifix) and whilst this is close to you no foul thing can approach. You are safe for tonight; and we must calm and take counsel together.
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| Mina lets her head fall. Notices the blood dripping from her lips.
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| MINA: | Unclean, unclean! I must touch him or kiss him no more. Oh, that it should be that it is I who am not his worst enemy, and whom he may have most cause to fear.
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| Enter Arthur and Quincey, looking depressed.
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| JONATHAN: | Nonsense, Mina. It is a shame to me to hear such a word. I would not hear it of you; and I shall not hear it from you. May God judge me by my desserts, and punish me with more bitter suffering than ever come between us! And now, Dr. Seward, tell me all about it. Too well I know the broad fact; tell me all that has been.
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| Seward sits on the other side of Jonathan, speaking quietly, so as no to startle him. Van Helsing approaches Quincey and Seward.
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| VAN HELSING: | What did you see or do?
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| ARTHUR: | I could not see him anywhere in the passage, or in any of our rooms. I looked in the study but, though he had been there, he had gone. He had, however - (looks at Mina, pityingly)
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| VAN HELSING: | Go on, friend Arthur. We want here no more concealment's. Our hope now is knowing all. Tell freely
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| ARTHUR: | He had been there, and though it could only have been for a few seconds, he made rare hay of the place. All the manuscripts had been burned, and the blue flames were flickering amongst the white ashes; the cylinders of your phonograph too were thrown on the fire, and the wax had helped the flame.
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| SEWARD: | Thank God there is the other copy in the safe!
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| ARTHUR: | I ran down stairs then, but could see no sign of him. I looked into Renfield's room; but there was no trace there except...
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| JONATHAN: | Go on.
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| ARTHUR: | ...except that the poor fellow is dead.
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| MINA: | God's will be done!
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| VAN HELSING: | And you, friend Quincey, have you any to tell?
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| QUINCEY: | A little. It may be much eventually, but at the present I can't say. I thought it well to know if possible where the Count would go when he left the house. I did not see him; but I saw a bat rise from Renfield's window, and flap westward. I expected to see him in some shape go back to Carfax; but he evidently sought some other lair. He will not be back tonight; for the sky is reddening in the east, and the dawn is close. We must work tomorrow.
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| VAN HELSING: | And now, Madam Mina - poor, dear, dear Madam Mina - tell us exactly what happened. God knows that I do not want that you be pained; but it is need that we know all. For now more than ever has all work to be done quick and sharp, and in deadly earnest. The day is close to us that must end all, if it may so be; and now is the chance that we may live and learn.
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| MINA: | I took the sleeping draught which you had so kindly given me, but for a long time it did not act. Well, I say I must try to help the medicine to its work with my will, if it was to do me any good, and I resolutely set myself to sleep. Sure enough, sleep must soon have come to me, for I remember no more. Jonathan coming in had not waked me, for he lay by my side when I next remember.
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| All the action on stage freezes as Mina relives her experience. This will be acted to, while Mina continues on heedlessly.
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| MINA: | There was in the room the same thin white mist that I had before noticed. I turned to wake Jonathan, but found that he slept so soundly that it seemed as if it was he who had taken the sleeping draught, and not I. This caused me great fear, and I looked around terrified. Then, indeed, my heart sank with me: beside the bed, as if he had stepped out of the mist - or rather as if the mist had turned into his figure, for it had entirely disappeared - stood a tall thin man, all in black.
(enter Dracula)
I knew him at once from the description of the others. For an instant my heart stood still, and I would have screamed out, only that I was paralyzed. In the pause he spoke in a sort of keen, cutting whisper, pointing as he spoke to Jonathan.
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| DRACULA: | Silence! If you make a sound I shall take him and dash his brains out before your very eyes.
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| Dracula crosses to Mina, placing his hand on her shoulder. Holding her tight, he bares her throat with the other.
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| DRACULA: | First, a little refreshment to reward my exertions. You may as well be quiet; it is not the first time, or the second, that your veins have appeased my thirst!
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| MINA: | Oh, my God, my God, pity me!
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| Dracula places lips on Mina's throat. Mina is swooning, seduced. Feeds for a long time. When he finally withdraws, his lips are fresh with blood.
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| DRACULA: | And so you, like the others, would play your brains against mine. You would help these men to hunt me and frustrate me in my designs! You know now, and they know in part already, and will know in full before long, what it is to cross my path. They should have kept their energies for use closer to home. Whilst they played wits against me - against me who commanded nations, and intrigued for them, and fought for them, hundreds of years before they were born - I was countermanding them. And you, their best beloved one, are now to me, flesh of my flesh; blood of my blood; kin of my kin; and shall be later on my companion and my helper. You shall be avenged in turn; for not one of them but shall minister to your needs. But as yet you are to be punished for what you have done. You have aided in thwarting me; now you shall come to my call. When my brain says 'Come!' to you, you shall cross land or sea to do my bidding; and with that end thirst
(pulls open shirt; takes fingernail and gashes at his own breast. Holds Mina in same position as start of scene).
Dracula flees; Mina returns to the men, finishing the story.
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| MINA: | When his blood began to spurt out, he took my hands in one of his, holding them tight and with the other seized my neck and pressed my mouth to the wound, so that I must either suffocate or swallow some of the - Oh my God! my God What have I done? What have I done to deserve such a fate, I who have tried to walk in meekness and righteousness all my days. God pity me! Look down on a poor soul in worse than mortal peril; and in mercy pity those to whom she is dear! (starts rubbing lips frantically).
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SCENE 7: SCARRING
Seward's Place |
| Mina, Van Helsing, Seward, Jonathan, Quincey, and Arthur are gathered around he table, trying to figure out how best to proceed. Jonathan and Mina are sitting; Jonathan has his arm comfortingly around Mina.
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| MINA: | There must be no more concealment. Alas! we have had too much already. And besides, there is nothing in all the world that can give me more pain than I have already endured - than I suffer now! Whatever may happen, it must be of new hope or of new courage to me!
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| VAN HELSING: | But dear Madam Mina, are you not afraid; not for yourself, but for others from yourself, after what has happened?
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| MINA: | Ah no! For my mind is made up
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| VAN HELSING: | To what!
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| MINA: | Because if I find in myself - and I shall watch keenly for it - a sign of harm to any that I love, I shall die.
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| VAN HELSING: | You would not kill yourself?
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| MINA: | I would; if there were no friend who loved me, who would save me such a pain, and so desperate an effort!
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| VAN HELSING: | My child, there is such an one if it were for your good. For myself, I could hold it in my account with God to find such an euthanasia for you, even at this moment if it were best. Nay, were it safe! But my child - there are here some who would stand between you and death. You must not die. You must not die by any hand; but least of all by your own. Until the other, who has fouled you sweet life, is true dead you must not die; fir if he is still with the quick Un-dead, your death would make you even live, though death would seem a boon unspeakable.
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| MINA: | I promise you, my dear friend, that if God will let me live, I shall strive to do so; till, if it may be in His good time, this horror may have passed away from me.
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| SEWARD: | My dear, you are to have all the papers or diaries and phonographs we might hereafter use; and to keep the record as you have done before.
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| VAN HELSING: | Today, then, is ours; and in it rests our hope. The sun that rose on our sorrow this morning guards us in its course. Until it sets tonight, that monster must retain whatever form he now has. He is confined within the limitations of his earthly envelope. He cannot melt into thin air nor disappear through cracks or chinks or crannies.
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| JONATHAN: | Listen, sir! Minutes and seconds so preciously laden with Mina's life and happiness are flying from us, since whilst we talk, action is possible.
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| VAN HELSING: | Nay, friend Jonathan, in this, the quickest way home is the longest way, so your proverbs say. We shall all act, and act with desperate quick, when the time has come. But think, in all probable the key of the situation is in that house in Piccadilly. The Count may have many houses purchase, keys and other things. He will have paper that he write on; he will have his book of cheques. There are many belongings that he must have somewhere; why not in this place so central, so quiet, where he come and go by the front or back at all hour, when in the very vast of the traffic there is none to notice? We shall go there and do what our friend Arthur call, in his phrases of hunt, 'stop the earth and so we run down our old fox- so? Is it not?
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| ARTHUR: | I can be of some use here. I shall wire to my people to have horses and carriages where they will be most convenient.
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| QUINCEY: | (to Arthur) Look here, old fellow, it is a capital idea to have all ready in case we want to go horseback riding; but don't you think that one of your snappy carriages with its heraldic adornments in a byway of Walworth or Mile-End would attract too much attention for our purposes? It seems to me that we ought to take cabs when we go south or east; and even leave them somewhere near the neighborhood we are going to.
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| VAN HELSING: | Friend Quincey is right! His head is what you call in plane with the horizon. It is a difficult thing that we go to do, and we do not want no peoples to watch us if so it may.
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| JONATHAN: | I wish to stay here and protect Mina.
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| MINA: | My last hope is that you all work together. As for me, I have no fear. Things have been as bad as they can be; and whatever may happen must have in it some element of hope or comfort. Go my husband! God can, if He wishes it, guard me as well alone as with any one present.
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| JONATHAN: | Then in God's name let us come at once, for we are losing time. The Count may come to Piccadilly earlier than we think!
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| VAN HELSING: | Not so!
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| JONATHAN: | But why?
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| VAN HELSING: | Do you forget that he banqueted heavily, and will sleep later?
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| Mina clutches her face with her hands, and begins moaning again. Van Helsing is horrified about forgetting, and tries to comfort her.
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| VAN HELSING: | Oh Madam Mina! Dear, dear Madam Mina, alas! that I of all who so reverence you, should have said anything so forgetful. These stupid old lips of mine and this stupid old head do not deserve so; but you will forget it, will you not?
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| MINA: | No, I shall not forget, for it is well that I remember; and with it I have so much in memory of you that is sweet, that I take it all together. Now, you must all be going soon. Breakfast is ready, and we must all eat that we may be strong.
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| VAN HELSING: | My dear friends, we go forth to our terrible enterprise. Are we all armed, as we were on that night when first we visited our enemy's lair; armed against ghostly as well as carnal attack?
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| All the men nod.
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| VAN HELSING: | Then it is well. Now, Madam Mina, you are in any case quite safe here until the sunset; and before then we shall return - if - we shall return! But before we go let me see you are armed against personal attack. I have myself, since you came down, prepared your chamber by the placing of the things of which we know, so that He may not enter. Now let me guard yourself.
(shuffles through bag - takes out a wafer)
On your forehead I touch this piece of Sacred Wafer in the name of the Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost
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| As Van Helsing places the wafer on Mina's forehead, she screams as though it were white-hot metal; Jonathan quickly stands up. Van Helsing takes the wafer away, and there is a severe burn on her forehead. Mina sinks to the floor, on her knees, and pulls the hair over her face.
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| MINA: | Unclean! Unclean! Even the Almighty shuns my polluted flesh ! I must bear this mark of shame upon my forehead until the Judgment Day.
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| Jonathan sinks beside her and places his arms around her.
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| VAN HELSING: | It may be that you have to bear that mark till God himself see fit, as He most surely shall, on the Judgment Day to redress- all wrongs of the earth and of his children that He has places thereon. And oh, Madam Mina, my dear, my dear, may we who love you be there to see, when that red scar, the sign of God's knowledge of what has been, shall pass away and leave your forehead as pure as the heart we know. For so surely as we live, that scar shall pass away when God sees right to lift the burden that is hard upon us. Till then, we must bear our Cross, as His Son did in obedience to His will.
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