5 June. The more I get to understand about Renfield the more interesting the man becomes. His character has certain qualities which are very largely developed. He is selfish, secretive, and purposeful.

I wish I could understand what he wants to do. He seems to have some fixed scheme of his own, but what that scheme is, I do not know. His redeeming quality is a love of animals. However, that love shows itself in such a strange way that I sometimes think that in fact he is abnormally cruel. He chooses strange animals as pets.

Just now his hobby is catching flies. At present he has so many that I have had to complain to him about this. I had expected him to become furious, but to my astonishment, he seriously considered what I had said. He thought for a moment, and then said, 'May I have three days? Then I shall clear them away.' Of course, I said that would do fine. I must watch him.

18 June. He has turned his mind now to spiders, and has got several very big fellows in a box. He keeps feeding them his flies, and the number of the latter is visibly diminished, although he has used half his food to attract more flies from outside to his room.