I shall come in and tell you about it.’
A minute later he came in and said, ‘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.’
‘Did you hit it?’ asked Dr. Van Helsing.
‘I don’t know, I fancy not, for it flew away into the wood.’ Without saying any more he took his seat, and the Professor began to resume his statement.
‘We must trace each of these boxes, and when we are ready
