--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: 4 May.—I found that my landlord had got a…" description: "\"“4 May.—I found that my landlord had got a letter from the Count, directing him to secure the best place on the coach for me; but on making inquiries a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e3/bram-stoker-718_old-lady_4-may-i-found-that-my-landlord-had-got-a_2118187.jpg" --- # 4 May.—I found that my landlord had got a letter from the… ![“4 May.—I found that my landlord had got a letter from the Count, directing him to secure the best place on the coach for me; but on making inquiries as to details he seemed somewhat reticent, and pretended that he could not understand my German. This could not be true, because up to then he had…” quote by Bram Stoker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e3/bram-stoker-718_old-lady_4-may-i-found-that-my-landlord-had-got-a_2118187.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e3/bram-stoker-718_old-lady_4-may-i-found-that-my-landlord-had-got-a_2118187.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e3/bram-stoker-718_old-lady_4-may-i-found-that-my-landlord-had-got-a_2118187.jpg) > ““4 May.—I found that my landlord had got a letter from the Count, directing him to secure the best place on the coach for me; but on making inquiries as to details he seemed somewhat reticent, and pretended that he could not understand my German. This could not be true, because up to then he had understood it perfectly; at least, he answered my questions exactly as if he did. He and his wife, the old lady who had received me, looked at each other in a frightened sort of way. He mumbled out that the money had been sent in a letter, and that was all he knew. When I asked him if he knew Count Dracula, and could tell me anything of his castle, both he and his wife crossed themselves, and, saying that they knew nothing at all, simply refused to speak further. It was so near the time of starting that I had no time to ask any one else, for it was all very mysterious and not by any means comforting.”” [Bram Stoker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bram-stoker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A nervous servant pretends not to understand German to avoid revealing knowledge about Count Dracula, showing fear and secrecy in a supernatural threat. **In simple terms:** The servant hides his knowledge about Dracula out of fear. Key Takeaway Beware hidden dangers and the power of fear. Themes fear secrecy supernatural authority communication Mood anxious tense mysterious Type narrative dramatic foreshadowing When to use this quote - travel - encounter with the unknown - seeking information - protecting oneself - dealing with superstition Key Concepts vampirism power dynamics language barriers social hierarchy Questions to Reflect On - What does fear make us conceal? - How can we confront hidden threats? 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I myself am of an old family, and to live in a new house would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bram-stoker/i-am-glad-that-it-is-old-and-big-i-myself-am-of-an-old-family-and-to/) [Bram Stoker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bram-stoker/) > [I am Dracula, and I bid you welcome . . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bram-stoker/i-am-dracula-and-i-bid-you-welcome/) [Bram Stoker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bram-stoker/) > [Count Dracula had directed me to go to the Golden Krone Hotel, which I found, to my great delight, to be thoroughly old-fashioned, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/count-dracula-had-directed-me-to-go-to-the-golden-krone-hotel-which-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“We finally settled on Francis Ford Coppola's version of Dracula, which, unfortunately, Gabriel seemed to think was a comedy. 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Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-r-tolkien/) > [Have you ever written a letter you knew you could never mail but you needed to write it anyway?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/have-you-ever-written-a-letter-you-knew-you-could-never-mail-but-you/) [Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/) > [“Having had some time at my disposal when in London, I had visited the British Museum, and made search among the books and maps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bram-stoker/having-had-some-time-at-my-disposal-when-in-london-i-had-visited-the/) [Bram Stoker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bram-stoker/) > [There was one great tomb more lordly than all the rest; huge it was, and nobly proportioned. On it was but one word, DRACULA.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bram-stoker/there-was-one-great-tomb-more-lordly-than-all-the-rest-huge-it-was/) [Bram Stoker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bram-stoker/) > [“i am Dracula;and i bid you welcome,Mr. Harker,to my house.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bram-stoker/i-am-dracula-and-i-bid-you-welcome-mr-harker-to-my-house/) [Bram Stoker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bram-stoker/) ## More by Bram Stoker > [“I promise." and as I said it I felt that from that instant a door had been shut between us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bram-stoker/i-promise-and-as-i-said-it-i-felt-that-from-that-instant-a-door-had/) [Bram Stoker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bram-stoker/) > [Remember my friend, that knowledge is stronger than memory, and we should not trust the weaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bram-stoker/remember-my-friend-that-knowledge-is-stronger-than-memory-and-we/) [Bram Stoker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bram-stoker/) > [“He became almost speechless for a minute, and then went on, "Do you know what the place is? 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This could not be true, because up to then he had understood it perfectly; at least, he answered my questions exactly as if he did. He and his wife, the old lady who had received me, looked at each other in a frightened sort of way. He mumbled out that the money had been sent in a letter, and that was all he knew. When I asked him if he knew Count Dracula, and could tell me anything of his castle, both he and his wife crossed themselves, and, saying that they knew nothing at all, simply refused to speak further. 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