Dr. Seward’s Diary

           7September. —ThefirstthingVanHelsingsaidtomewhenwemetatLiverpoolStreetwas, "Haveyousaidanythingtoouryoungfriend,toloverofher?" 

           "No,"Isaid. "IwaitedtillIhadseenyou,asIsaidinmytelegram. Iwrotehimalettersimplytellinghimthatyouwerecoming,asMissWestenrawasnotsowell,andthatIshouldlethimknowifneedbe." 

           "Right,myfriend,"hesaid. "Quiteright! Betterhenotknowasyet.Perhapshewillneverknow. Iprayso,butifitbeneeded,thenheshallknowall. And,mygoodfriendJohn,letmecautionyou. Youdealwiththemadmen. Allmenaremadinsomewayortheother,andinasmuchasyoudealdiscreetlywithyourmadmen,sodealwithGod’smadmentoo,therestoftheworld. Youtellnotyourmadmenwhatyoudonorwhyyoudoit.Youtellthemnotwhatyouthink. Soyoushallkeepknowledgeinitsplace,whereitmayrest,whereitmaygatheritskindarounditandbreed.YouandIshallkeepasyetwhatweknowhere,andhere." Hetouchedmeontheheartandontheforehead,andthentouchedhimselfthesameway. "Ihaveformyselfthoughtsatthepresent. LaterIshallunfoldtoyou." 

           "Whynotnow?"Iasked. "Itmaydosomegood.Wemayarriveatsomedecision." Helookedatmeandsaid, "MyfriendJohn,whenthecornisgrown,evenbeforeithasripened,whilethemilkofitsmotherearthisinhim,andthesunshinehasnotyetbeguntopainthimwithhisgold,thehusbandmanhepulltheearandrubhimbetweenhisroughhands,andblowawaythegreenchaff,andsaytoyou, ‘Look!He’sgoodcorn,hewillmakeagoodcropwhenthetimecomes.’" 

           Ididnotseetheapplicationandtoldhimso. Forreplyhereachedoverandtookmyearinhishandandpulleditplayfully,asheusedlongagotodoatlectures,andsaid, "Thegoodhusbandmantellyousothenbecauseheknows,butnottillthen.