The morning was quickening in the east when we emerged from the
front. Dr. Van Helsing had taken the key of the hall door from the
bunch, and locked the door in orthodox fashion, putting the key
into his pocket when he had done.
"So far," he said, "our night has been eminently successful. No
harm has come to us such as I feared might be and yet we have
ascertained how many boxes are missing. More than all do I rejoice
that this, our first, and perhaps our most difficult and dangerous,
step has been accomplished without the bringing thereinto our most
sweet Madam Mina or troubling her waking or sleeping thoughts with
sights and sounds and smells of horror which she might never
forget. One lesson, too, we have learned, if it be allowable to
argue a particulari, that the brute bea
