Dracula by Bram Stoker, read by Mike Bennett. Bannett.

Episode 12.

Chapter 12. Dr. Stewart's diary.

18th September.

I drove at once to Hillingham and arrived early.

Keeping my cab at the gate, I went up the avenue alone. I knocked gently and rang as quietly as possible, for I feared to disturb Lucy or her mother, and hoped to only bring a servant to the door. After a while, finding no response, I knocked and rang again,

still no answer. I cursed the laziness of the servants that they should lie a bed at such an hour, for it was now ten o'clock, and so rang and knocked again, but more impatiently, but still without response.

Hitherto I had blamed only the servants, but now a terrible fear began

to sail me. Was this desolation but another link in the chain of doom which seemed

drawing tight around us? Was it indeed a house of death to which I had come too late? I knew that minutes, even seconds of delay might mean hours of danger to Lucy if she had had again one of those frightful

relapses and I went round the house to try if I could find by chance an entry anywhere. I could find no means of ingress. Every window and door was fastened and locked, and I returned baffled to the porch. As I did so, I heard the rapid pit pat of a swiftly driven

horse's feet. They stopped at the gate and a few seconds later I met Van Helsing running up the avenue. When he saw me he gasped out.

Then it was you, you just arrived. How is she? Are we too late? Did you get my telegram?

I answered as quickly and coherently as I could that I had only

got his telegram early in the morning and had not lost a minute in coming here and that I could not

make anyone in the house hear me.

He paused and raised his hat as he said solemnly.

Then I fear we are too late.

God's will be done."

With his usual recuperative energy he went on,

Come, if there be no way open to get in, we must make one.

Time is all in all to us now.

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