"My friend.--Welcome to the Carpathians. I am anxiously expecting you. Sleep well tonight. At three tomorrow the diligence will start for Bukovina; a place on it is kept for you. At the Borgo Pass my carriage will await you and will bring you to me. I trust that your journey from London has been a happy one, and that you will enjoy your stay in my beautiful land.--Your friend, Dracula."
4 May--I found that my landlord had got a letter from the Count, directing him to secure the best place on the coach for me; but on making inquiries as to details he seemed somewhat reticent, and pretended that he could not understand my German.
This could not be true, because up to then he had understood it perfectly; at least, he answered my questions exactly as if he did.
He and his wife, the old lady who had received me, looked at each other in a frightened sort of way. He mumbled out that the money had been sent in a letter, and that was all he knew. When I asked him if he knew Count Dracula, and could tell me anything of his castle, both he and his wife crossed themselves, and, saying that they knew nothing at all, simply refused to speak further. It was so near the time of starting that I had no time to ask anyone else, for it was all very mysterious and not by any means comforting.
Just before I was leaving, the old lady came up to my room and said in a hysterical way: "Must you go? Oh! Young Herr, must you go?" She was in such an excited state that she seemed to have lost her grip of what German she knew, and mixed it all up with some other language which I did not know at all. I was just able to follow her by asking many questions. When I told her that I must go at once, and that I was engaged on important business, she asked again:
"Do you know what day it is?" I answered that it was the fourth of May. She shook her head as she said again:
"Oh, yes! I know that! I know that, but do you know what day it is?"
On my saying that I did not understand, she went on:
"It is the eve of St. George's Day. Do you not know that to-night, when the clock strikes midnight, all the evil things in the world will have full sway? Do you know where you are going, and what you are going to?" She was in such evident distress that I tried to comfort her, but without effect. Finally, she went down on her knees and implored me not to go; at least to wait a day or two before starting.
It was all very ridiculous but I did not feel comfortable. However, there was business to be done, and I could allow nothing to interfere with it.
I tried to raise her up, and said, as gravely as I could, that I thanked her, but my duty was imperative, and that I must go.
She then rose and dried her eyes, and taking a crucifix from her neck offered it to me.
I did not know what to do, for, as an English Churchman, I have been taught to regard such things as in some measure idolatrous, and yet it seemed so ungracious to refuse an old lady meaning so well and in such a state of mind.
She saw, I suppose, the doubt in my face, for she put the rosary round my neck and said, "For your mother's sake," and went out of the room.
I am writing up this part of the diary whilst I am waiting for the coach, which is, of course, late; and the crucifix is still round my neck.
Whether it is the old lady's fear, or the many ghostly traditions of this place, or the crucifix itself, I do not know, but I am not feeling nearly as easy in my mind as usual.
~Dracula, Bram Stoker, Chapter 1
*hugs* This could not have been done better. Seriously, it could not have. And just so you know, my high praise has nothing to do with the fact that I agree with the topic completely. Nope, not at all.
Fantastic PCP, my friend, Good form!
Hahaha
Thank you for the objective praises.
You made me laugh. And just so you know, I wrote this for you.
If you remember I told you Tom Brady will not win another Super Bowl and hehe I was right.
Thank you. And yes, I figured you did. Just know
It was appreciated.
So…Got any predictions on who WILL win?
Everything today was about inauguration and that didn’t inspire me.
Who is gonna win? San Francisco
Yes. very much why I did not turn on the TV today.
And yes, I think so too. Well, at least I HOPE so. Not a fan of Ray Lewis. Ugh. And I want the Ravens to lose, if for nothing else? For that alone.
The most photographed person of the inauguration was a female agent from the secret service. Even the Daily Mail wrote an article about her.
I feel exactly the same as you about Ravens and Ray Lewis.
It will be San Francisco mark my word.
Haha, oh yeah, I saw pictures of her, now that you mention it. So weird. But hey, whatever makes the media happy. Cause like I said, been doing my best to ignore the whole thing. Especially since I got hit with a payroll taxes INCREASE (thanks to Obama
) which has put a hurtin’ on my pay check, my sisters BF just got laid off, and another close friend as well. The economy is these days is in a world of hurt, and the last thing I feel like “celebrating” is the idiot that got us in this crappy position. So no, definitely did not watch ANY of it.
Sorry to hear about your friends losing their jobs. The economy is terrible these days. I can’t rent my 3 apartments for the last two months. And not just me. The renting season is dead.
I got your email. Thanks.
Oh, you’re welcome.
Enjoy!
I am going to bed.To sleep.
I don’t want to ruin my life and become depressed, lonely, totally unbearable, selfish a-hole.
See ya later!