o a crevice of one of
the chests. But Katherine never saw the billet, she was not disturbed
in the least, and her ladyship soon saw some one else had gotten hold
of it, for there was not a shadow on her Grace's face. This goaded
Constance to a perfect fury, and she resolved upon extreme measures.

One very dark and stormy day she left the palace dressed as a servant,
and drove in a public conveyance to an old chemist's, who resided in
a remote portion of the city. Here she procured materials that if
properly handled and successively served would bring the youthful
Duchess to her death. She resolved in this case to work slowly and
cautiously, allowing of no mischance. It so happened the chemist did
not have the articles she required, but promised for a liberal sum to
procure them from a certain celebrated physician. This of course would
take some time. But the physician was in France and would not return
for at least a fortnight. So a fortnight went by and another and
another, until Constance' patience was exhausted, and as she went to
the shop for the last time, vowing to wait no longer, if the chemist
had not the things, lo! they were there; and after learning how simple
it was to use them, she hastened to the palace, there to be met by the
news that the Duchess had brought forth a son of rousing weight and
strength. Constance fell into a fever, and was obliged to keep her bed
for some weeks; then she arose and after being seen again among the
ladies of the Court and appearing as unconcerned as possible, when
speaking of the Ellswold heir, she found her way below stair and made
siege upon the King's cellar and looted a good dozen cocoanuts.

She had procured from the chemist a protrusile instrument for letting
fluid through the hard outer covering, and in this manner intended to
inoculate the milk of the nut with a slow poison. These, of course,
after such treatment, would be returned to their fellows, and the
death of Katherine with that of the young lord would be assured.

After a few trials she succeeded in obtaining a result that was
entirely satisfactory, if the hole thus made could be effectually
plugged. She filled the aperture with a viscous matter that would in
a few moments harden if placed in the sun, and to this end she opened
the window and laid the cocoanut in the sun's rays upon the sill.

She was quite alone, yet she feared; indeed, so deadly was her intent,
she jumped at every noise, and upon hearin