The long-forgotten novel that inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula. The heroine of the story, Gretchen, is a practical-minded German girl, who considers marriage an economic proposition and is determined to marry a man of wealth. When Gretchen's father is seriously injured in an accident, the family sets off to Transylvania, to the Baths of Hercules, in hopes that the waters of Hercules, known for their curative powers, will rehabilitate him. Her father tells Gretchen of a mysterious place in the surrounding forest, known as Gaura Dracului (the Devil's Pit) and legends of a treasure associated with it inspire Gretchen to consider another way to make her fortune, so that she can marry any man of her choosing. Written by sisters Emily and Dorothea Gerard, The Water of Hercules is a Victorian novel, filled with Gothic suspense. This beautiful edition, with original illustrations by acclaimed artist Phoebe Cho, should be of great interest to all fans of Bram Stoker's Dracula. With an introduction by A.K. Brackob, a specialist in the history of Eastern Europe, The Waters of Hercules is sure to entertain and delight.