Atlas Nightshade

Day 73

Lord Godalming stood up. "I can be of some use here," he said. "I shall

wire to my people to have horses and carriages where they will be most

convenient."

"Look here, old fellow," said Morris, "it is a capital idea to have all

ready in case we want to go horsebacking; 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 neighbourhood we are going to."

"Friend Quincey is right!" said the Professor. "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."

Mina took a growing interest in everything and I was rejoiced to see

that the exigency of affairs was helping her to forget for a time the

terrible experience of the night. She was very, very pale--almost

ghastly, and so thin that her lips were drawn away, showing her teeth in

somewhat of prominence. I did not mention this last, lest it should give

her needless pain; but it made my blood run cold in my veins to think of

what had occurred with poor Lucy when the Count had sucked her blood. As

yet there was no sign of the teeth growing sharper; but the time as yet

was short, and there was time for fear.

When we came to the discussion of the sequence of our efforts and of the

disposition of our forces, there were new sources of doubt. It was

finally agreed that before starting for Piccadilly we should destroy the

Count's lair close at hand. In case he should find it out too soon, we

should thus be still ahead of him in our work of destruction; and his

presence in his purely material shape, and at his weakest, might give us

some new clue.

As to the disposal of forces, it was suggested by the Professor that,

after our visit to Carfax, we should all enter the house in Piccadilly;

that the two doctors and I should remain there, whilst Lord Godalming

and Quincey found the lairs at Walworth and Mile End and destroyed them.

It was possible, if not likely, the Professor urged, that the Count

might appear in Piccadilly during the day, and that if so we might be

able to cope with him then and there. At any rate, we might be able to

follow him in force. To this plan I strenuously objected, and so far as

my going was concerned, for I said that I intended to stay and protect

Mina, I thought that my mind was made up on the subject; but Mina would

not listen to my objection. She said that there might be some law matter

in which I could be useful; that amongst the Count's papers might be

some clue which I could understand out of my experience in Transylvania;

and that, as it was, all the strength we could muster was required to

cope with the Count's extraordinary power. I had to give in, for Mina's

resolution was fixed; she said that it was the last hope for _her_ that

we should all work together. "As for me," she said, "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." So I

started up crying out: "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."

"Not so!" said Van Helsing, holding up his hand.

"But why?" I asked.