I went to my room and to the bed. Strangely enough, I slept without dreaming. Despair can sometimes make you calm. When I woke up this morning I thought I would take some papers and envelopes from my bag and keep them in my pocket. That way I could write another letter quickly if I got the chance. But again a surprise, again a shock!

Every scrap of paper was gone. All my notes had gone too, my memoranda, about to railways and travel, in fact everything that might be useful to me if I got outside the castle. I sat and pondered awhile, and then something else occurred to me. I searched my portmanteau and the wardrobe where I had put my clothes.

The suit in which I had travelled was gone, and also my overcoat and rug. I could find no sign of them anywhere. This looked as though Dracula had another evil plan.

17 June. This morning, I was sitting on the edge of my bed thinking hard about what to do. Outside I heard the sound of whips and the pounding of horses' feet up the rocky path to the courtyard. I hurried to the window, and saw two huge waggons drive into the yard. Each waggon was pulled by eight strong horses, and at the head of each two horses was a Slovak, with his wide hat, huge nail-studded belt, dirty sheepskin jacket, and high boots.

Vocabulary:

Despair: Giving up hope
Scrap: Small piece
Memoranda: Notes with reminders
Ponder:Think deeply
Portmanteau: A cloth suitcase
Overcoat: A thick coat for outdoors
Rug: A travelling blanket
Pounding: Hitting with something heavy
Waggons: For carrying things pulled by a horse