Dracula - Chapter 24 (Bite 1)

The crew of the Zarina Catherine remembered the thin man with the burning eyes and the straw hat that did not suit the season. He arrived at Dulittle’s Wharf just before five o’clock, scattering money and making quick inquiries about ships bound for the Black Sea. He refused to come aboard at first, instead holding the shore end of the gangplank and demanding the captain come to him. When the captain came, swearing in many tongues, the thin man paid well and secured passage for a great box he would bring himself. He drove the cart himself, and though it took several men to load the box onto the ship’s truck, he lifted it down alone. The box was stowed, the captain swore more, and the thin man smiled and promised to return before sailing.

But the Zarina Catherine did not sail as expected. A thin mist crept up from the river, thickening into a dense fog that enveloped the wharf and the ship alone. The captain swore polyglot, but he could do nothing. At full tide, the thin man returned, asked to see where his box was stowed, stood a while on deck in the fog, and then vanished. None noticed him leave. Soon the fog melted away, and the ship went out on the ebb tide. By morning she was far down the river mouth, bound for Varna and then on to the Danube.