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Later . — Dr . Van Helsing has returned . He has got the carriage and horses ; we are to have some dinner , and to start in an hour . The landlady is putting us up a huge basket of provisions ; it seems enough for a company of soldiers . The Professor encourages her , and whispers to me that it may be a week before we can get any good food again . He has been shopping too , and has sent home such a wonderful lot of fur coats and wraps , and all sorts of warm things . There will not be any chance of our being cold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . We shall soon be off . I am afraid to think what may happen to us . We are truly in the hands of God . He alone knows what may be , and I pray Him , with all the strength of my sad and humble soul , that He will watch over my beloved husband ; that whatever may happen , Jonathan may know that I loved him and honoured him more than I can say , and that my latest and truest thought will be always for him . CHAPTER XXVII MINA HARKER’S JOURNAL 1 November . — All day long we have travelled , and at a good speed . The horses seem to know that they are being kindly treated , for they go willingly their full stage at best speed . We have now had so many changes and find the same thing so constantly that we are encouraged to think that the journey will be an easy one . Dr . Van Helsing is laconic ; he tells the farmers that he is hurrying to Bistritz , and pays them well to make the exchange of horses . We get hot soup , or coffee , or tea ; and off we go . It is a lovely country ; full of beauties of all imaginable kinds , and the people are brave , and strong , and simple , and seem full of nice qualities . They are very , very superstitious . In the first house where we stopped , when the woman who served us saw the scar on my forehead , she crossed herself and put out two fingers towards me , to keep off the evil eye . I believe they went to the trouble of putting an extra amount of garlic into our food ; and I can’t abide garlic . Ever since then I have taken care not to take off my hat or veil , and so have escaped their suspicions . We are travelling fast , and as we have no driver with us to carry tales , we go ahead of scandal ; but I daresay that fear of the evil eye will follow hard behind us all the way . The Professor seems tireless ; all day he would not take any rest , though he made me sleep for a long spell . At sunset time he hypnotised me , and he says that I answered as usual “ darkness , lapping water and creaking wood ” ; so our enemy is still on the river . I am afraid to think of Jonathan , but somehow I have now no fear for him , or for myself . I write this whilst we wait in a farmhouse for the horses to be got ready . Dr . Van Helsing is sleeping . Poor dear , he looks very tired and old and grey , but his mouth is set as firmly as a conqueror’s ; even in his sleep he is instinct with resolution . When we have well started I must make him rest whilst I drive . I shall tell him that we have days before us , and we must not break down when most of all his strength will be needed . . . . All is ready ; we are off shortly .
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