"The last I saw of Count Dracula was his kissing his hand to me, with a red light of triumph in his eyes, and with a smile that Judas in hell might be proud of."- Dracula, Bram Stoker
Taken from Harker's "diary" the night before he makes his escape.
By prefacing the sentiment with "the last I saw" Stoker is revealing events to us before they happen - we only find out that Harker escapes a page or two later. Between those two instances, Harker obsesses over the imminence of his death revealed by the vampires (who can blame him!). In revealing, concealing, and confusing the narrative at the same time, Stoker instils in us the same feeling of worry, nervousness and dread that Harker feels - is it the last time because Harker is about to die? Or will he escape? How will he escape? Will he die in the process of escaping?
The "red light" in his eyes has an obvious effect - for centuries the colour red in literature = evil. But why?
Early in human evolution, during the development of colour vision, the colour red was very, very important to see and take note of. The colour of blood, fire, and poisonous berries, the colour naturally developed a connection with feelings of fear and caution - it's why they're used for stop signs and stop lights today. In the same way, red can also be linked with feelings of sexual attraction.
All of this together combines to strengthen the sense of danger Stoker has been building throughout the novel to this point, as well as to emphasise that Dracula is able to put people in danger by acting in a charming way, luring them in.
The elucidation "of triumph" refers to a previous situation, when Dracula managed to persuade Harker to stay another night due to wolves strongly suggested to be under the vampire's control. It furthers the reality that Dracula is dominant over Harker, "triumphing" over him. The reader, who is strongly identifying with Harker at this point due to the close nature of the diary-entry style, feels belittled and hopeless alongside Harker, heightening the tension for his escape attempt - how will he ever succeed?.
"Judas in hell" is a Biblical reference. Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus' disciples, betrayed Jesus by revealing his identity, leading to Jesus' arrest. In literature and popular culture the name Judas is synonymous with betrayal. It makes sense for Harker the character to make this comparison, as he has just been effectively made a false promise of freedom. Further, Stoker sets in stone the theme of betrayal that has been following Harker throughout the novel - betrayal in the sense that his expectations have been replaced by a dangerous reality - and increases the sense of danger as we anticipate the result of the betrayal.
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