Jonathan Harker's Journal Continued
31 May.--This morning when I woke I thought I would provide myself with some papers and envelopes from my bag and keep them in my pocket, so that I might write in case I should get an opportunity, but again a surprise, again a shock!
Every scrap of paper was gone, and with it all my notes, my memoranda, relating to railways and travel, my letter of credit, in fact all that might be useful to me were I once outside the castle. I sat and pondered awhile, and then some thought occurred to me, and I made search of my portmanteau and in the wardrobe where I had placed my clothes.
The suit in which I had travelled was gone, and also my overcoat and rug. I could find no trace of them anywhere. This looked like some new scheme of villainy . . .
Not being British, I find Stoker's choice of words to be amusing. For example, "portmaneau" is basically a suitcase. A "rug", as Harker refers to it, is a piece of thick, warm fabric or fur used as a coverlet or lap robe, e.g. an afghan.
Posted by: babyjinx | May 31, 2010 at 08:09 PM