"I ask you, my good young friend, that you will not discuss business in your letters. It will doubtless please your friends to know that you are well, and that you look forward to getting home to them. Is it not so?"

As he spoke he handed me three sheets of note paper and three envelopes. They were all very thin. I looked at them, then at him. I noticed his quiet smile, with the sharp, canine teeth lying over his red lower lip. I understood as clearly as if he had spoken, that I should be careful what I wrote, for he would be able to read it. So I decided to write only formal notes now. Later I would write fully to Mr. Hawkins in secret, and also to Mina. To her I could write shorthand, which would puzzle the Count, if he saw it. When I had written my two letters I sat quietly, reading a book whilst the Count wrote several notes. As he wrote them he referred to some books on his table.

Then he took up my two letters and placed them with his own. Then he finished with his writing and left the room. The instant the door had closed behind him, I leaned over and looked at the letters, which were face down on the table. I felt no guilt about doing this. Under the circumstances I felt that I should protect myself in every way I could. One of the letters was addressed to Samuel F. Billington, No. 7, The Crescent, Whitby, another to Herr Leutner, Varna. The third was to Coutts & Co., London, and the fourth to Herren Klopstock & Billreuth, bankers, Budapest.

Vocabulary:

Canine: Of a dog
Formal: Very polite and businesslike
Shorthand: A way of writing very quickly
Refer: Go to for information
Guilt: The thought you are doing something bad