?My good boy,? said he, ?the Lord knows you say but the truth; and if I was able to help it, all the world shouldn?t buy you ?And sure as I am a Christian woman,? said MrsShelby, ?you shall be redeemed as soon as I can any bring together meansSir,? she said to Haley, ?take good account of who you sell him to, and let me know ?Lor, yes, for that matter,? said the trader, ?I may bring him up in a year, not much the wuss for wear, and trade him back ?I?ll trade with you then, and make it for your advantage,? said Mrs ?Of course,? said the trader, ?all ?s equal with me; li?ves trade ?em up as down, so I does a good businessAll I want is a livin?, you know, ma?am; that?s all any on us wants, I, s?poseShelby both felt annoyed and degraded by the familiar impudence of the trader, and yet both saw the absolute necessity of putting a constraint on their feelingsThe more hopelessly sordid and insensible he appeared, the greater became MrsShelby?s dread of his succeeding in recapturing Eliza and her child, and of course the greater her motive for detaining him by every female artificeShe therefore graciously smiled, assented, chatted familiarly, and did all she could to make time pass imperceptibly At two o?clock Sam and Andy brought the horses up to the posts, apparently greatly refreshed and invigorated by the scamper of the morning Sam was there new oiled from dinner, with an abundance of zealous and ready officiousnessAs Haley approached, he was boasting, in flourishing style, to Andy, of the evident and eminent success of the operation, now that he had ?farly come to it ?Your master, I s?pose, don?t keep no dogs,? said Haley, thoughtfully, as he prepared to mount ?Heaps on ?em,? said Sam, triumphantly; ?thar?s Bruno?he?s a roarer! and, besides that, ?bout every nigger of us keeps a pup of some natur or uther ?Poh!? said Haley,?and he said something else, too, with regard to the said dogs, at which Sam muttered, ?I don?t see no use cussin? on ?em, no way ?But your master don?t keep no dogs (I pretty much know he don?t) for trackin? out niggers Sam knew exactly what he meant, but he kept on a look of earnest and desperate simplicity ?Our dogs all smells round considable sharpI spect they?s the kind, though they han?t never had no practiceThey ?s far dogs, though, at most anything, if you?d get ?em startedHere, Bruno,? he called, whistling to the lumbering Newfoundland, who came pitching tumultuously toward them ?You go hang!? said Haley, getting up Sam tumbled up accordingly, dexterously contriving to tickle Andy as he did so, which occasioned Andy to split out into a laugh, greatly to Haley?s indignation, who made a cut at him with his riding-whip ?I ?s ?stonished at yer, Andy,? said Sam, with awful gravity?This yer?s a seris bisness, AndyYer mustn?t be a makin? gameThis yer an?t no way to help Mas?r ?I shall take the straight road to the river,? said Haley, decidedly, after they had come to the boundaries of the estate?I know the way of all of ?em,?they makes tracks for the underground ?Sartin,? said Sam, ?dat?s de ideeMas?r Haley hits de thing right in de middleNow, der?s two roads to de river,?de dirt road and der pike,?which Mas?r mean to take?? Andy looked up innocently at Sam, surprised at hearing this new geographical fact, but instantly confirmed what he said, by a vehement reiteration ?Cause,? said Sam, ?I?d rather be ?clined to ?magine that Lizy ?d take de dirt road, bein? it?s the least travelled Haley, notwithstanding that he was a very old bird, and naturally inclined to be suspicious of chaff, was rather brought up by this view of the case ?If yer warn?t both on yer such cussed liars, now!? he said, contemplatively as he pondered a moment The pensive, reflective tone in which this was spoken appeared to amuse Andy prodigiously, and he drew a little behind, and shook so as apparently to run a great risk of failing off his horse, while Sam?s face was immovably composed into the most doleful gravity ?Course,? said Sam, ?Mas?r can do as he?d ruther, go de straight road, if Mas?r thinks best,?it?s all one to shop us

?My good boy,? said he, ?the Lord knows you say but the truth; and if I was able to help it, all the world shouldn?t buy you ?And sure as I am a Christian woman,? said MrsShelby, ?you shall be redeemed as soon as I can any bring together meansSir,? she said to Haley, ?take good account of who you sell him to, and let me know ?Lor, yes, for that matter,? said the trader, ?I may bring him up in a year, not much the wuss for wear, and trade him back ?I?ll trade with you then, and make it for your advantage,? said Mrs ?Of course,? said the trader, ?all ?s equal with me; li?ves trade ?em up as down, so I does a good businessAll I want is a livin?, you know, ma?am; that?s all any on us wants, I, s?poseShelby both felt annoyed and degraded by the familiar impudence of the trader, and yet both saw the absolute necessity of putting a constraint on their feelingsThe more hopelessly sordid and insensible he appeared, the greater became MrsShelby?s dread of his succeeding in recapturing Eliza and her child, and of course the greater her motive for detaining him by every female artificeShe therefore graciously smiled, assented, chatted familiarly, and did all she could to make time pass imperceptibly At two o?clock Sam and Andy brought the horses up to the posts, apparently greatly refreshed and invigorated by the scamper of the morning Sam was there new oiled from dinner, with an abundance of zealous and ready officiousnessAs Haley approached, he was boasting, in flourishing style, to Andy, of the evident and eminent success of the operation, now that he had ?farly come to it ?Your master, I s?pose, don?t keep no dogs,? said Haley, thoughtfully, as he prepared to mount ?Heaps on ?em,? said Sam, triumphantly; ?thar?s Bruno?he?s a roarer! and, besides that, ?bout every nigger of us keeps a pup of some natur or uther ?Poh!? said Haley,?and he said something else, too, with regard to the said dogs, at which Sam muttered, ?I don?t see no use cussin? on ?em, no way ?But your master don?t keep no dogs (I pretty much know he don?t) for trackin? out niggers Sam knew exactly what he meant, but he kept on a look of earnest and desperate simplicity ?Our dogs all smells round considable sharpI spect they?s the kind, though they han?t never had no practiceThey ?s far dogs, though, at most anything, if you?d get ?em startedHere, Bruno,? he called, whistling to the lumbering Newfoundland, who came pitching tumultuously toward them ?You go hang!? said Haley, getting up Sam tumbled up accordingly, dexterously contriving to tickle Andy as he did so, which occasioned Andy to split out into a laugh, greatly to Haley?s indignation, who made a cut at him with his riding-whip ?I ?s ?stonished at yer, Andy,? said Sam, with awful gravity?This yer?s a seris bisness, AndyYer mustn?t be a makin? gameThis yer an?t no way to help Mas?r ?I shall take the straight road to the river,? said Haley, decidedly, after they had come to the boundaries of the estate?I know the way of all of ?em,?they makes tracks for the underground ?Sartin,? said Sam, ?dat?s de ideeMas?r Haley hits de thing right in de middleNow, der?s two roads to de river,?de dirt road and der pike,?which Mas?r mean to take?? Andy looked up innocently at Sam, surprised at hearing this new geographical fact, but instantly confirmed what he said, by a vehement reiteration ?Cause,? said Sam, ?I?d rather be ?clined to ?magine that Lizy ?d take de dirt road, bein? it?s the least travelled Haley, notwithstanding that he was a very old bird, and naturally inclined to be suspicious of chaff, was rather brought up by this view of the case ?If yer warn?t both on yer such cussed liars, now!? he said, contemplatively as he pondered a moment The pensive, reflective tone in which this was spoken appeared to amuse Andy prodigiously, and he drew a little behind, and shook so as apparently to run a great risk of failing off his horse, while Sam?s face was immovably composed into the most doleful gravity ?Course,? said Sam, ?Mas?r can do as he?d ruther, go de straight road, if Mas?r thinks best,?it?s all one to shop us

I determined not to return tonight to the gloom-haunted rooms, but to sleep here, where, of old, ladies had sat and sung and lived sweet lives whilst their gentle breasts were sad for their menfolk away in the midst of remorseless warsI 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 sleepI suppose I must have fallen asleepI 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 sleepThe room was the same, unchanged in any way since I came into itI could see along the floor, in the brilliant moonlight, my own footsteps marked where I had disturbed the long accumulation of dustIn the moonlight opposite me were three young women, ladies by their dress and mannerI thought at the time that I must be dreaming when I saw them, they threw no shadow on the floorThey came close to me, and looked at me for some time, and then whispered togetherTwo were dark, and had high aquiline noses, like the Count, and great dark, piercing eyes, that seemed to be almost red when contrasted with the pale yellow moonThe other was fair, as fair as can be, with great masses of golden hair and eyes like pale sapphiresI seemed somehow to know her face, and to know it in connection with some dreamy fear, but I could not recollect at the moment how or whereAll three had brilliant white teeth that shone like pearls against the ruby of their voluptuous lipsThere was something about them that made me uneasy, some longing and at the same time some deadly fearI felt in my heart a wicked, burning desire that they would kiss me with those red lipsIt is not good to note this down, lest some day it should meet Mina's eyes and cause her pain, but it is the truthThey whispered together, and then they all three laughed, such a silvery, musical laugh, but as hard as though the sound never could have come through the softness of human lipsIt was like the intolerable, tingling sweetness of waterglasses when played on by a cunning handThe fair girl shook her head coquettishly, and the other two urged her on One said, "Go on! You are first, and we shall followYours is the right to begin The other added, "He is young and strongThere are kisses for us all I lay quiet, looking out from under my eyelashes in an agony of delightful anticipationThe fair girl advanced and bent over me till I could feel the movement of her breath upon meSweet 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 lashesThe girl went on her knees, and bent over me, simply gloatingThere was a deliberate voluptuousness which was both thrilling and repulsive, and 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 scarlet lips and on the red tongue as it lapped the white sharp teethLower and lower went her head as the lips went below the range of my mouth and chin and seemed to fasten on my throatThen she paused, and I could hear the churning sound of her tongue as it licked her teeth and lips, and I could feel the hot breath on my neckThen the skin of my throat began to tingle as one's flesh does when the hand that is to tickle it approaches nearer, nearerI could feel the soft, shivering touch of the lips on the super sensitive skin of my throat, and the hard dents of two sharp teeth, just touching and pausing thereI closed my eyes in languorous ecstasy and waited, waited with beating heart But at that instant, another sensation swept through me as quick as lightningI was conscious of the presence of the Count, and of his being as if lapped in a storm of furyAs my eyes opened involuntarily I saw his strong hand grasp the slender neck of the fair woman and with giant's power draw it back, the blue eyes transformed with fury, the white teeth champing with rage, and the fair cheeks blazing red with passionBut the Count! Never did I imagine such wrath and fury, even to the demons of the pitHis eyes were positively blazingThe red light in them was lurid, as if the flames of hell fire blazed behind shop them

She laid her head on his bosom, and said, ?It?s all no use, papa, to keep it to myself any longerThe time is coming that I am going to leave youI am going, and never to come back!? and Eva sobbed ?O, now, my dear little Eva!? said StClare, trembling as he spoke, but speaking cheerfully, ?you?ve got nervous and low-spirited; you mustn?t indulge such gloomy thoughtsSee here, I?ve bought a statuette for you!? ?No, papa,? said Eva, putting it gently away, ?don?t deceive yourself!?I am not any better, I know it perfectly well,?and I am going, before longI am not nervous,?I am not low-spiritedIf it were not for you, papa, and my friends, I should be perfectly happyI want to go,?I long to go!? ?Why, dear child, what has made your poor little heart so sad? You have had everything, to make you happy, that could be given you ?I had rather be in heaven; though, only for my friends? sake, I would be willing to liveThere are a great many things here that make me sad, that seem dreadful to me; I had rather be there; but I don?t want to leave you,?it almost breaks my heart!? ?What makes you sad, and seems dreadful, Eva?? ?O, things that are done, and done all the timeI feel sad for our poor people; they love me dearly, and they are all good and kind to meI wish, papa, they were all free ?Why, Eva, child, don?t you think they are well enough off now?? ?O, but, papa, if anything should happen to you, what would become of them? There are very few men like you, papaUncle Alfred isn?t like you, and mamma isn?t; and then, think of poor old Prue?s owners! What horrid things people do, and can do!? and Eva shuddered ?My dear child, you are too sensitiveI?m sorry I ever let you hear such stories ?O, that?s what troubles me, papaYou want me to live so happy, and never to have any pain,?never suffer anything,?not even hear a sad story, when other poor creatures have nothing but pain and sorrow, an their lives;?it seems selfishI ought to know such things, I ought to feel about them! Such things always sunk into my heart; they went down deep; I?ve thought and thought about themPapa, isn?t there any way to have all slaves made free?? ?That?s a difficult question, dearestThere?s no doubt that this way is a very bad one; a great many people think so; I do myself I heartily wish that there were not a slave in the land; but, then, I don?t know what is to be done about it!? ?Papa, you are such a good man, and so noble, and kind, and you always have a way of saying things that is so pleasant, couldn?t you go all round and try to persuade people to do right about this? When I am dead, papa, then you will think of me, and do it for my sakeI would do it, if I could ?When you are dead, Eva,? said St?O, child, don?t talk to me so! You are all I have on earth ?Poor old Prue?s child was all that she had,?and yet she had to hear it crying, and she couldn?t help it! Papa, these poor creatures love their children as much as you do meO! do something for them! There?s poor Mammy loves her children; I?ve seen her cry when she talked about themAnd Tom loves his children; and it?s dreadful, papa, that such things are happening, all the time!? ?There, there, darling,? said StClare, soothingly; ?only don?t distress yourself, don?t talk of dying, and I will do anything you wish ?And promise me, dear father, that Tom shall have his freedom as soon as??she stopped, and said, in a hesitating tone??I am gone!? ?Yes, dear, I will do anything in the world,?anything you could ask me to ?Dear papa,? said the child, laying her burning cheek against his, ?how I wish we could go together!? ?Where, dearest?? said St ?To our Saviour?s home; it?s so sweet and peaceful there?it is all so loving there!? The child spoke unconsciously, as of a place where she had often been?Don?t you want to go, papa?? she saidClare drew her closer to him, but was silent ?You will come to me,? said the child, speaking in a voice of calm certainty which she often used unconsciously ?I shall come after youI shall not forget you The shadows of the solemn evening closed round them deeper and deeper, as StClare sat silently holding the little frail form to his bosomHe saw no more the deep eyes, but the voice came over him as a spirit voice, and, as in a sort of judgment vision, his whole past life rose in a moment before his eyes: his mother?s prayers and hymns; his own early yearnings and aspirings for good; and, between them and this hour, years of worldliness and scepticism, and what man calls respectable shop living

Then, when we get the opportunity that we seek, when none are near to see, we shall open the box, and? and all will be well "I shall not wait for any opportunity," said Morris"When I see the box I shall open it and destroy the monster, though there were a thousand men looking on, and if I am to be wiped out for it the next moment!" I grasped his hand instinctively and found it as firm as a piece of steelI think he understood my look "Good boy," said DrMy child, believe me none of us shall lag behind or pause from any fearI do but say what we may do? what we must doBut, indeed, indeed we cannot say what we may doThere are so many things which may happen, and their ways and their ends are so various that until the moment we may not sayWe shall all be armed, in all waysAnd when the time for the end has come, our effort shall not be lackNow let us today put all our affairs in orderLet all things which touch on others dear to us, and who on us depend, be completeFor none of us can tell what, or when, or how, the end may beAs for me, my own affairs are regulate, and as I have nothing else to do, I shall go make arrangements for the travelI shall have all tickets and so forth for our journey There was nothing further to be said, and we partedI shall now settle up all my affairs of earth, and be ready for whatever may comeMy will is made, and all completeMina if she survive is my sole heirIf it should not be so, then the others who have been so good to us shall have remainder It is now drawing towards the sunsetMina's uneasiness calls my attention to itI am sure that there is something on her mind which the time of exact sunset will revealThese occasions are becoming harrowing times for us allFor each sunrise and sunset opens up some new danger, some new pain, which however, may in God's will be means to a good endI write all these things in the diary since my darling must not hear them nowBut if it may be that she can see them again, they shall be ready CHAPTER 25 DRSEWARD'S DIARY 11 October, Evening-Jonathan Harker has asked me to note this, as he says he is hardly equal to the task, and he wants an exact record kept I think that none of us were surprised when we were asked to see MrsHarker a little before the time of sunsetWe have of late come to understand that sunrise and sunset are to her times of peculiar freedomWhen her old self can be manifest without any controlling force subduing or restraining her, or inciting her to actionThis mood or condition begins some half hour or more before actual sunrise or sunset, and lasts till either the sun is high, or whilst the clouds are still aglow with the rays streaming above the horizonAt first there is a sort of negative condition, as if some tie were loosened, and then the absolute freedom quickly followsWhen, however, the freedom ceases the change back or relapse comes quickly, preceded only by a spell of warning silence Tonight, when we met, she was somewhat constrained, and bore all the signs of an internal struggleI put it down myself to her making a violent effort at the earliest instant she could do shop so