CHAPTER VI
Dr. Seward’s Diary.
5 June.—The case of Renfield grows more interesting the more I get to understand the man. He has certain qualities very largely developed; selfishness, secrecy, and purpose. I wish I could get at what is the object of the latter. He seems to have some settled scheme of his own, but what it is I do not yet know. His redeeming quality is a love of animals, though, indeed, he has such curious turns in it that I sometimes imagine he is only abnormally cruel. His pets are of odd sorts. Just now his hobby is catching flies. He has at present such a quantity that I have had myself to expostulate. To my astonishment, he did not break out into a fury, as I expected, but took the matter in simple seriousness. He thought for a moment, and then said: “May I have three days? I shall clear them away.” Of course, I said that would do. I must watch him.
This is the last entry for nearly 2 weeks. If you’re reading from your own copy of the novel (physical or digital), this is midway through chapter 6, because the chapter is arranged wildly out of chronological order.
For those who already know the story, this starts a fairly interesting sequence of events that actually might have more of an impact read in real-time like this, since reading it as presented comes across almost comical rather than horrific.