oned with sulphuric acid (oil of vitriol), a quantity of which
he, Morgan, had sold a few days previously to Mrs. Rogers, who, when
purchasing it, said Mr. Jackson wanted it to apply to some warts that
annoyed him. Morgan fortunately knew the proper remedy, and desired
Jackson, who was in the room, and seemingly very anxious and flurried,
to bring some soap instantly, a solution of which he proposed to give
immediately to the seemingly dying man. The woman-servant was gone to
find Mrs. Rogers, who had left about ten minutes before, having first
made the tea in which the poison had been taken. Jackson hurried out of
the apartment, but was gone so long that Morgan, becoming impatient,
scraped a quantity of plaster off the wall, and administered it with the
best effect. At last Jackson came back, and said there was unfortunately
not a particle of soap in the house. A few minutes afterwards the young
wife, alarmed at the woman-servant's tidings, flew into the room in an
agony of alarm and grief. Simulated alarm, crocodile grief, Mr. Morgan
said; for there could, in his opinion, be no doubt that she had
attempted to destroy her husband. Mr. Jackson, on being questioned,
peremptorily denied that he had ever desired Mrs. Rogers to procure
sulphuric acid for him, or had received any from her--a statement which
so confounded the young woman that she instantly fainted. The upshot was
that Mrs. Rogers was taken into custody and lodged in prison.

This terrible news flew through Farnham like wildfire. In a few minutes
it was upon every body's tongue: the hints of the quarrelsome life the
young couple led, artfully spread by Jackson, were recalled, and no
doubt appeared to be entertained of the truth of the dreadful charge. I
had no doubt either, but my conviction was not that of the Farnham folk.
This, then, was the solution of the struggle I had seen going on in
Jackson's mind; this the realization of the dark thought which I had
imperfectly read in the sinister glances of his restless eyes. He had
intended to destroy both the husband and wife--the one by poison, and
the other by the law! Doubtless, then, the L1500 had been obtained, and
this was the wretched man's infernal device for retaining it! I went
over with Morgan early the next morning to see the patient, and found
that, thanks to the prompt antidote administered, and Dr. Edwards's
subsequent active treatment, he was rapidly recovering. The
still-suffering young man, I was