W hen I found that I was a prisoner, a sort of wild feeling came over me. I rushed up and down the stairs, trying every door and peering out of every window I could find, but after a little while the conviction of my helplessness overpowered all other feelings. I sat down quietly and began to think over what was best to be done.

So far as I can see, my only plan will be to keep my knowledge and my fears to myself, and my eyes open. I shall need all my brains to get through.

Shortly thereafter , I heard the great door below shut, and knew that the Count had returned. He did not come at once into the library, so I went cautiously to my own room and found him making the bed. This was odd, but only confirmed what I had all along thought, that there are no servants in the house.

If he does himself all these household jobs, surely it is proof that there is no one else in the castle, and it must have been the Count himself who was the driver of the coach that brought me here.

This is a terrible thought, for if so, what does it mean that he could control the wolves, as he did, by only holding up his hand for silence? Bless that good, good woman who hung the cross round my neck! For it is a comfort and a strength to me whenever I touch it.

I must find out all I can about Count Dracula, as it may help me to understand. Tonight he may talk of himself, if I turn the conversation that way. I must be very careful, however, not to awake his suspicion.

Midnight. I have had a long talk with the Count. I asked him a few questions on Transylvania, and he warmed up to the subject wonderfully. In his speaking of things and people,and especially of long battles of his country, he spoke as if he had been present at them all. I wish I could put down all he said exactly as he said it, for to me it was most fascinating. It seemed to have in it a whole history of the country.

He grew excited as he spoke, and walked about the room pulling his great white moustache and grasping anything on which he laid his hands as though he would crush it by main strength.

“The Dracula family has a long line; long and great, greater than any other family. But the warlike days are over. Blood is too precious a thing in these days of dishonorable peace, and the glories of the great races are as a tale that is told.”

Just as he reached this fever pitch, he once again realized that morning was close at hand and immediately left me to go to bed.

12 May

Last evening, when the Count came from his room, he began by asking me questions on legal matters and on the doing of certain kinds of business. There was a certain method in the Count's inquiries, so I shall try to put them down in sequence.The knowledge may somehow or sometime be useful to me.

First, he asked if a man in England might have two solicitors or more. I told him he might have a dozen if he wished.

“Such is often done by men of business, who do not like the whole of their affairs to be known by any one person,” I added.

“Good!” he said, and then went on to ask about the means of finding solicitors and the forms to be gone through, and of all sorts of difficulties which might arise, but by forethought could be guarded against.

I explained all these things to him to the best of my ability,and he certainly left me under the impression that he would have made a wonderful solicitor, for there was nothing that he did not think of or foresee.

He then suddenly stood up and said, “Have you written to your boss, Mr. Peter Hawkins, or to any other?”

It was with some bitterness in my heart that I answered that I had not, that as yet I had not seen any opportunity of sending letters to anybody.

“Then write now, my young friend,” he said, laying a heavy hand on my shoulder, “write to our friends and say, if it will please you, that you shall stay with me until a month from now.”

“Do you wish me to stay so long?” I asked, for my heart grew cold at the thought.

“I desire it much. No, I will take no refusal.”

What could I do but bow acceptance? It was Mr. Hawkins'interest, not mine, and I had to think of him, not myself; and besides, while Count Dracula was speaking, there was that in his eyes and in his bearing which made me remember that I was a prisoner, and that if I wished it I could have no choice.

He handed me three sheets of notepaper and three envelopes. They were all of the thinnest foreign post; and looking at them, then at him, and noticing his quiet smile, with the sharp teeth lying over the red lower lip, I understood as well as if he had spoken that I should be more careful what I wrote, for he would be able to read it.

So I determined to write only formal notes now, but to write fully to Mr. Hawkins in secret, and also to my darling Mina; but to her I could write shorthand , which would puzzle the Count, if he did see it.

When I had written my two letters I sat quiet, reading a book while the Count wrote several notes, referring as he wrote them to some books on his table. Then he took up my two and placed them with his own, and put by his writing materials, after which, the instant the door had closed behind him, I leaned over and looked at the letters, which were face down on the table.

One of the letters was directed to Samuel F. Billington, No. 7,The Crescent, Whitby; another to Herr Leutner, Varna; the third was to Coutts & Co, London; and the fourth to Herren Klopstock & Billreuth, bankers , Budepest. The second and fourth were unsealed . I was just about to look at them when I saw the door handle move.

I sank back in my seat, having just had time to resume my book before the Count, holding still another letter in his hand,entered the room.

Taking up the letters from the table, he said, “I trust you will forgive me, but I have much work to do in private this evening. You will, I hope, find all things as you wish.”

At the door he turned, and after a moment's pause said,“Let me advise you, my dear young friend. No, let me warn you with all seriousness, that should you leave these rooms, you will not by any chance go to sleep in any other part of the castle. It is old, and has many memories, and there are bad dreams for those who sleep unwisely . Be warned!”

Later. When he left me I went to my room. After a little while, not hearing any sound, I came out and went up the stone stair to where I could look out towards the South. As I leaned from the window, my eye was caught by something moving one floor below me, and somewhat to my left, where I imagined,from the order of the rooms, that the windows of the Count's own room would look out.

With horror I saw the Count slowly emerge from the window and begin to crawl down the castle wall, face down, with his cloak spreading out around him like great wings. At first I could not believe my eyes.

What manner of man is this, or what manner of creature?I feel the dread of this horrible place overpowering me. I am in fear, in awful fear, and there is no escape for me.

15 May

Once more, I have seen the Count go out in this fashion.He vanished into some hole or window. When his head had disappeared, I leaned out to try and see more, but without avail . I knew he had left the castle now, and thought to use the opportunity to explore more than I had dared to do as yet.

I went back to the room, and taking a lamp, tried all the doors. They were all locked, as I had expected, and the locks were comparatively new. I went down the stone stairs to the hall where I had entered originally . There I found I could pull back the bolts easily enough and unhook the great chains. But the door was locked, and the key was gone! That key must be in the Count's room. I must watch should his door be unlocked , so that I may get it and escape.

I went on to make a thorough examination of the various stairs and passages, and to try the doors that opened from them. I found one door at the top of the stairway which, though it seemed locked, gave a little under pressure. I exerted myself,and with many efforts, forced it back so that I could enter.

I was now in a wing of the castle further to the right than the rooms I knew and a floor lower down. From the windows I could see that the suite of rooms lay along to the south of the castle, the windows of the end room looking out both west and south. The castle was built on the corner of a great rock, so that on three sides it was quite unapproachable .

This was evidently the portion of the castle occupied by the ladies in past days, for the furniture had more an air of comfort than any I had seen. The room, though very gloomy, makes me feel calmer than I had since my arrival to the castle. It is here,at a little desk, that I currently am writing this entry.

Later: The morning of 16 May

God preserve my strength. Safety and the assurance of safety are things of the past. Whilst I live on here there is but one thing to hope for, that I may not go mad, if, indeed, I am not mad already.

If I am sane , then surely it is maddening to think that, of all the foul things that live in this hateful place, the Count is the least dreadful to me, that to him alone I can look for safety, even though this should be only while I can serve his purpose. Great God!

When I had written in my diary and had fortunately replaced the book and pen in my pocket I felt sleepy. The Count's warning came into my mind, but I took pleasure in disobeying it.

I drew a great couch out of its place near the corner, so that, as I lay, I could look at the lovely view to east and south,and unthinking of and uncaring for the dust, composed myself for sleep.

I suppose I must have fallen asleep. I hope so, but I fear,for all that followed was startlingly real, so real that now sitting here in the broad, full sunlight of the morning, I cannot in the least believe that it was all sleep.

I was not alone. In the moonlight opposite me were three young women, ladies by their dress and manner. I thought at the time that I must be dreaming when I saw them. They threw no shadow on the floor. They came close to me, and looked at me for some time, and then whispered together.

Two were dark, and had high noses, like the Count, and great dark, piercing eyes that seemed to be almost red when contrasted with the pale yellow moon. The other was fair, as fair as can be. All three had brilliant white teeth that shone like pearls against the redness of their lips. There was something about them that made me uneasy, some longing and at the same time some deadly fear. I felt in my heart a wicked, burning desire that they would kiss me with those red lips.

The fair girl shook her head somewhat shyly, and the other two urged her on. One said, “Go on! You are first, and we shall follow.” The other added, “He is young and strong. There are kisses for us all.”

I lay quiet, looking out from under my eyelashes in an agony of delightful anticipation . The fair girl advanced and bent over me till I could feel the movement of her breath upon me.Sweet it was in one sense, honey-sweet, and sent the same tingling through the nerves as her voice, but with a bitter underlying the sweet, a bitter offensiveness , as one smells in blood. I was afraid to raise my eyelids , but looked out and saw perfectly under the lashes . The girl went on her knees, and bent over me. As she arched her neck she actually licked her lips like an animal, till I could see in the moonlight the moisture shining on the red lips and on the red tongue as it lapped the white sharp teeth.

Lower and lower went her head as the lips went below the range of my mouth and chin and seemed to fasten on my throat.I could feel the hot breath on my neck. Then the skin of my throat began to tingle as one's flesh does when the hand that is to tickle it approaches nearer, nearer.

I closed my eyes in sleepy ecstasy and waited, waited with beating heart. But at that instant, another sensation swept through me as quick as lightning. I was conscious of the presence of the Count, and of his being as if lapped in a storm of fury. As my eyes opened involuntarily I saw his strong hand grasp the slender neck of the fair woman, and with a giant's power draw it back, the blue eyes transformed with fury, the white teeth biting the air with rage, and the fair cheeks blazing red with passion.

But the Count! His eyes were positively blazing. His face was deathly pale, and the lines of it were hard like drawn wires.With a fierce sweep of his arm, he hurled the woman from him,and then motioned to the others, as though he were beating them back. It was the same authoritative gesture that I had seen used to the wolves.

“How dare you touch him, any of you?” he shouted. “How dare you cast eyes on him when I had forbidden it? This man belongs to me!” Then softening a moment, “I promise you that when I am done with him you shall kiss him at your will. Now go! I must awaken him, for there is work to be done.”

“Are we to have nothing tonight?” said one of them, with a low laugh, as she pointed to a bag which he had thrown upon the floor, and which moved as though there were some living thing within it.

For answer he nodded his head. One of the women jumped forward and opened it. If my ears did not deceive me, there was a gasp and a low wail , as of a half- smothered child.

The women closed round, but as I looked, they disappeared,and with them the dreadful bag. Then the horror overcame me,and I sank down unconscious .

overpower /ˌəʊvəˈpaʊə/ vt. 制服，压倒

thereafter /ðeərˈɑ:ftə/ adv. 其后，从那时以后

surely /ˈʃʊəlɪ/ adv. 肯定地，确认地

warlike /ˈwɔ:laɪk/ adj. 战乱的，战争的

forethought /ˈfɔ:θɔ:t/ n. 预想，先见

notepaper /ˈnəʊtpeɪpə/ n. 信纸，便条用纸

shorthand /ˈʃɔ:thænd/ n. 速记，简略的表示方法

banker /ˈbæŋkə/ n. 银行家

unsealed /ʌnˈsi:ld/ adj. 未密封的，打开的

unwisely /ˌʌnˈwaɪzlɪ/ adv. 不明智地，愚笨地

cloak /kləʊk/ n. 斗篷；掩护

dread /dred/ n. 恐惧，可怕

vanish /ˈvænɪʃ/ vi. 消失，突然不见

avail /əˈveɪl/ n. 效用，利益

originally /əˈrɪdʒɪnəlɪ/ adv. 原先，最初

unhook /ˌʌnˈhʊk/ vt. 解开，取下

unlocked /ʌnˈlɒkt/ adj. 未上锁的

stairway /ˈsteəweɪ/ n. 楼梯

unapproachable / ˌ ʌnəprəʊ ˈ t ʃ ə b l / adj. 不可接近的；无法匹敌的

assurance /əˈʃʊərəns/ n. 保证，确信

sane /seɪn/ adj. 健全的；明智的

maddening /ˈmædənɪŋ/ adj. 发狂的

foul /faʊl/ adj. 邪恶的，肮脏的

hateful /ˈheɪtfʊl/ adj. 可恨的，讨厌的

unthinking /ˌʌnˈθɪŋkɪŋ/ adj. 不留心的，未加思虑的

uncaring /ˌʌnˈkeərɪŋ/ adj. 不予关注的

startlingly /ˈstɑ:tlɪŋlɪ/ adv. 令人吃惊地

eyelash /ˈaɪlæʃ/ n. 睫毛

delightful /dɪˈlaɪtfʊl/ adj. 令人愉快的，可喜的

anticipation / æ n ˌ tɪsɪˈpeɪʃən/ n . 预期，预料

tingling /ˈtɪŋɡlɪŋ/ n. 刺痛感；兴奋感

underlie /ˌʌndəˈlaɪ/ vt. 在……下面，成为……的基础

ofensiveness /əˈfensɪvnəs/ n. 讨厌，攻击性

eyelid /ˈaɪlɪd/ n. 眼皮，眼睑

lash /læʃ/ n. 睫毛；鞭子

tingle /ˈtɪŋɡl/ vi. 刺痛；兴奋

tickle /ˈtɪkl/ vt. 使发痒，逗笑

ecstasy /ˈekstəsɪ/ n. 入迷

sensation /senˈseɪʃən/ n. 感觉，感情

involuntarily /ɪnˈvɒləntrəlɪ/ adv. 不知不觉地，无心地

deathly /ˈdeθlɪ/ adv. 像死一样地

hurl /hɜ:l/ vt. 用力投掷，丢下

soften /ˈsɒfən/ vi. 变柔和

gasp /ɡɑ:sp/ n. 短促或剧烈地吸气，屏气

wail /weɪl/ n. 哀号，悲叹

smother /ˈsmʌðə/ vt. 使窒息

unconscious /ˌʌnˈkɒnʃəs/ adj. 不省人事的，无意识的 Zz6P8eY5QL8BsHDGUSxyuCbh5oCU5WeO6Tic8BBxt92zYh/PCitBwIRk3sCaB7DD