Jonathan Harker’s Journal

           29September,intraintoLondon. —WhenIreceivedMr.Billington’scourteousmessagethathewouldgivemeanyinformationinhispowerIthoughtitbesttogodowntoWhitbyandmake,onthespot,suchinquiriesasIwanted. ItwasnowmyobjecttotracethathorridcargooftheCount’stoitsplaceinLondon. Later,wemaybeabletodealwithit. Billingtonjunior,anicelad,metmeatthestation,andbroughtmetohisfather’shouse,wheretheyhaddecidedthatImustspendthenight. Theyarehospitable,withtrueYorkshirehospitality,giveaguesteverythingandleavehimtodoashelikes. TheyallknewthatIwasbusy,andthatmystaywasshort,andMr.Billingtonhadreadyinhisofficeallthepapersconcerningtheconsignmentofboxes. ItgavemealmostaturntoseeagainoneoftheletterswhichIhadseenontheCount’stablebeforeIknewofhisdiabolicalplans. Everythinghadbeencarefullythoughtout,anddonesystematicallyandwithprecision. Heseemedtohavebeenpreparedforeveryobstaclewhichmightbeplacedbyaccidentinthewayofhisintentionsbeingcarriedout. TouseanAmericanism,hehad‘takennochances’,andtheabsoluteaccuracywithwhichhisinstructionswerefulfilledwassimplythelogicalresultofhiscare. Isawtheinvoice,andtooknoteofit. ‘Fiftycasesofcommonearth,tobeusedforexperimentalpurposes’. AlsothecopyofthelettertoCarterPaterson,andtheirreply.OfboththeseIgotcopies.