"It is hardly my place," said the stranger, "to furnish you with a
knowledge of my intentions, but I will say this much, that the bankrupt
Count of Morven is your lover." "Well?" "And in the second place, that you were the cause of the death of your
husband." "How dare you, sir--"

"I dare say so much, and I dare say, also, that the Count of Morven
bought the drug of me, and that he gave it to you, and that you gave it
to the count your husband." "And what could you do if you were my friend?" inquired the countess, in
the same tone, and without emotion. "I should abstain from doing all this; should be able to put any one
else out of your way for you, when you get rid of this Count of Morven,
as you assuredly will; for I know him too well not to be sure of that." "Get rid of him!" "Exactly, in the same manner you got rid of the old count." "Then I accept your terms." "It is agreed, then?" "Yes, quite." "Well, then, you must order me some rooms in a tower, where I can pursue
my studies in quiet." "You will be seen--and noticed--all will be discovered." "No, indeed, I will take care of that, I can so far disguise myself that
he will not recognise me, and you can give out I am a philosopher or
necromancer, or what you will; no one will come to me--they will be
terrified." "Very well." "And the gold?" "Shall be forthcoming as soon as I can get it. The count has placed all
his gold in safe keeping, and all I can seize are the rents as they
become due." "Very well; but let me have them. In the meantime you must provide for
me, as I have come here with the full intention of staying here, or in
some neighbouring town." "Indeed!" "Yes; and my servant must be discharged, as I want none here." The countess called to an attendant and gave the necessary orders, and
afterwards remained some time with the stranger, who had thus so
unceremoniously thrust himself upon her, and insisted upon staying under
such strange and awful circumstances. *       *       *       *       *

The Count of Morven came a few weeks after, and remained some days with
the countess. They were ceremonious and polite until they had a moment
to retire from before people, when the countess changed her cold disdain
to a cordial and familiar address. "And now, my dear Morven," she exclaimed, as soon as they were
unobserved--"and now, my dear Morven, that we are not seen, tell me,
what have you been doing with yourself?" "Why, I have been in some trouble. I never had gold that would stay by
me. You know my hand was always open." "The old complaint again." "No; but having come to the end of my store, I began to grow serious." "Ah, Morven!' said the countess, reproachfully. "Well, never mind; when my purse is low my spirits sink, as the mercury
does with the cold. You used to say my spirits were mercurial--I think
they were." "Well, what did you do?" "Oh, nothing." "Was that what you were about to tell me?" inquired the countess. "Oh, dear, no. You recollect the Italian quack of whom I bought the drug
you gave to the count, and which put an end to his days--he wanted more
money. Well, as I had no more to spare, I could spare no more to him,
and he turned vicious, and threatened. I threatened, too, and he knew I
was fully able and willing to perform any promise I might make to him on
that score. I endeavoured to catch him, as he had already began to set
people off on the suspicious and marvellous concerning me, and if I
could have come across him, I would have laid him very low indeed." "And you could not find him?" "No, I could not." [Illustration]

"Well, then, I will tell you where he is at this present moment." "You?" "Yes, I." "I can scarcely credit my senses at what you say," said Count Morven. "My worthy doctor, you are little better than a candidate for divine
honours. But where is he?" "Will you promise to be guided by me?" said the countess. "If you make it a condition upon which you grant the information, I
must." "Well, then, I take that as a promise." "You may. Where--oh, where is he?" "Remember your promise. Your doctor is at this moment in this castle." "This castle?" "Yes, this castle." "Surely there must be some mistake; it is too much fortune at once." "He came here for the same purpose he went to you." "Indeed!" "Yes, to get more money by extortion, and a promise to poison anybody I
liked." "D--n! it is the offer he made to me, and he named you." "He named you to me, and said I should be soon tired of you." "You have caged him?" "Oh, dear, no; he has a suite of apartments in the eastern tower, where
he passes for a philosopher, or a wizard, as people like best." "How?" "I have given him leave there." "Indeed!" "Yes; and what is more amazing is, that he is to aid me in poisoning you
when I have become tired of you." "This is a riddle I cannot unravel; tell me the solution." "Well, dear, listen,--he came to me and told me of something I already
knew, and demanded money and a residence for his convenience, and I have
granted him the asylum." "You have?" "I have." "I see; I will give him an inch or two of my Andrea Ferrara." "No--no." "Do you countenance him?" "For a time. Listen--we want men in the mines; my late husband sent very
few to them of late years, and therefore they are getting short of men
there." "Aye, aye." "The thing will be for you to feign ignorance of the man, and then you
will be able to get him seized, and placed in the mines, for such men as
he are dangerous, and carry poisoned weapons." "Would he not be better out of the world at once; there would be no
escape, and no future contingencies?" "No--no. I will have no more lives taken; and he will be made useful;
and, moreover, he will have time to reflect upon the mistake he had made
in threatening me." "He was paid for the job, and he had no future claim. But what about the
child?" "Oh, he may remain for some time longer here with us." "It will be dangerous to do so," said the count; "he is now ten years
old, and there is no knowing what may be done for him by his relatives." "They dare not enter the gates of this castle Morven." "Well, well; but you know he might have travelled the same road as his
father, and all would be settled." "No more lives, as I told you; but we can easily secure him some other
way, and we shall be equally as free from him and them." "That is enough--there are dungeons, I know, in this castle, and he can
be kept there safe enough." "He can; but that is not what I propose. We can put him into the mines
and confine him as a lunatic." "Excellent!" "You see, we must make those mines more productive somehow or other;
they would be so, but the count would not hear of it; he said it was so
inhuman, they were so destructive of life." "Paha! what were the mines intended for if not for use?" "Exactly--I often said so, but he always put a negative to it." "We'll make use of an affirmative, my dear countess, and see what will
be the result in a change of policy. By the way, when will our marriage
be celebrated?"