Dracula

had to
hold on. The road grew more level, and we appeared to fly along.
Then the mountains seemed to come nearer to us on each side and to
frown down upon us; we were entering on the Borgo Pass. One by one
several of the passengers offered me gifts, which they pressed upon me
with an earnestness which would take no denial; these were certainly
of an odd and varied kind, but each was given in simple good faith,
with a kindly word, and a blessing, and that strange mixture of
fear-meaning movements which I had seen outside the hotel at Bistritz-
the sign of the cross and the guard against the evil eye. Then, as
we flew along, the driver leaned forward, and on each side the
passengers, craning over the edge of the coach, peered eagerly into
the darkness. It was evident that something very exciting was either
happening or expected, but though I asked each passenger, no one would
give me the slightest explanation. This state of excitement kept on
for some little time; and at last we saw before us the Pass opening
out on the eastern side. There were dark, rolling clouds overhead, and
in the air the heavy, oppressive sense of thunder. It seemed as though
the mountain range had separated two atmospheres, and that now we
had got into the thunderous one. I was now myself looking out for
the conveyance which was to take me to the Count. Each moment I
expected to see the glare of lamps through the blackness; but all
was dark. The only light was the flickering rays of our own lamps,
in which the steam from our hard-driven horses rose in a white
cloud. We could now see the sandy road lying white before us, but
there was on it no sign of a vehicle. The passengers drew back with
a sigh of gladness, which seemed to mock my own disappointment. I
was already thinking what I had best do, when the driver, looking at
his watch, said to the others something which I could hardly hear,
it was spoken so quietly and in so low a tone; I thought it was "An
hour less than the time." Then turning to me, he said in German
worse than my own:-
{CH01 ^paragraph 30}
"There is no carriage here. The Herr is not expected after all. He
will now come on to Bukovina. and return tomorrow of the next day;
better the next day." Whilst he was speaking the horses began to neigh
and snort and plunge wildly, so that the driver had to hold them up.
Then, amongst a chorus of screams from the peasants and a universal
crossing of themselves, a caleche, with four horses, drove up behind
us, overtook us, and drew up beside the coach. I could see from the
flash of our lamps, as the rays fell on them, that the horses were
coal-black and splendid animals. They were driven by a