Dracula Chapter 3 Summary

  • Harker realizes that there are no servants at all in the house when he peeps into the bedroom from the sitting room and finds the Count himself making the bed.
  • Harker is creeped out to think that it's just the two of them in the castle.
  • He's comforted by the crucifix that the innkeeper's wife gave him, even though he ordinarily doesn't think much of crucifixes (since he's Protestant).
  • That night, Harker has a long talk with the Count about Transylvanian history.
  • Dracula tells him about the old days in that part of Transylvania—about the different waves of invaders from across the Black Sea or from the Adriatic or the Mediterranean.
  • Harker notices that Dracula uses the word "we" to describe things that his ancestors did.
  • Again, they talk until almost dawn, and then Dracula leaves Harker and Harker starts writing it all down in his journal, using shorthand notes.

Jonathan Harker's Journal, May 12

  • Harker records a series of questions the Count asked him the night before. Here's how the previous night went:
  • Dracula asks about whether or not a person can hire more than one "solicitor," or lawyer.
  • Sure, Harker tells him. Why not?
  • Dracula asks a few more technical questions about hiring business proxies in England.
  • Then Dracula asked Harker to stay on at Castle Dracula for another month.
  • Harker would prefer to leave sooner, since the castle is so creepy, but what can he do? He agrees.
  • The Count then offers to let Harker write notes home to his fiancée, Mina, and to Peter Hawkins, the partner at the firm where Harker works.
  • Harker writes a business-like note to Hawkins, because he knows Dracula might read it, and writes a note in shorthand to Mina, since he knows Dracula can't read the shorthand symbols.
  • Dracula writes a few notes, himself, and Harker catches a glimpse of the addresses—they are addressed to lawyers and bankers in Whitby (a seaside town in England), in Varna (a city in Bulgaria on the coast of the Black Sea), in Budapest (the capital of Hungary), and in London.
  • Dracula then excuses himself—he can't stay and chat all night as usual because he has work to do elsewhere.
  • He warns Harker not to wander around the castle or to fall asleep anywhere other than in his own room.
  • Harker writes it all down in his journal after the Count leaves, and then hangs his crucifix over the head of his bed to keep bad dreams away.
  • Everything about the castle and the Count creeps him out.
  • He decides to look out the window at the night landscape for a while.
  • There's enough moonlight that he can see the side of the castle below him, the river and ravine far below, and the woods and mountains beyond.
  • He's enjoying the fresh air when he sees movement down below and to the left.
  • He looks down—he thinks it's the Count's window.
  • Then he sees the Count himself coming out the window and creeping, headfirst, down the side of the castle like a lizard.

Jonathan Harker's Journal, May 15

  • Harker has seen the Count leaving the castle out the window again, and is totally creeped out.
  • Since he knows the Count is out of the castle, he decides to explore more.
  • He takes a lamp and sets out through the castle.
  • He finds a dusty old room that's unlocked and goes in.
  • The window of the room, like his own, looks out over the ravine.
  • Harker sits at the dusty desk in the room and writes it all down in his journal, in shorthand as usual.

Jonathan Harker's Journal, May 16 (early morning)

  • Harker thinks he might be going crazy, and writing in his journal is the only way he can keep himself sane, so he starts recording all the bizarre things that happened to him the night before.
  • After he finishes writing in his journal in the dusty room, he decides to take a nap in spite of the Count's warning to avoid falling asleep anywhere else in the castle.
  • Suddenly he is aware of other people in the room with him—three women in the moonlight.
  • They are totally sexy: very pale skin and very red lips.
  • Harker feels both attracted to them and repulsed by them.
  • He's got a fiancée back in England, but he wants to be kissed by those red lips!
  • One of the women comes forward before the others and leans over him.
  • Harker hardly opens his eyes, just looking out from under his eyelashes.
  • Her lips are on his throat when the Count appears in the room, and he is totally furious.
  • The Count yells at the women and sends them away—Harker is his property!
  • The women whine about it, and the Count promises that they can have Harker once he's done with him.
  • Harker hears all this and isn't exactly pleased with the prospect.
  • Then the Count opens a bag that he had over his shoulder and feeds a young child to the vampire ladies.
  • Harker faints.