it. Maybe, if thou prayest
with thy whole heart for sixty seconds, mine will change," and as she
said the words, she dropped some deadly thing into his glass.

The wine was not moved nor discoloured, and as Cantemir raised his
head, took hold upon it, and lifted and drank it nearly half.

"I love thee, cousin, with a Christian spirit, and I cannot see thee
lose thy--soul." A shiver passed through his thin frame, and when
he again began to speak, he drooled sick'ningly. "I say thou shalt
not--kill her--and some one--else says it--I will watch thee in
spirit--"

Constance wished him to die quickly, that she might not be obliged to
look upon prolonged horrors. She could easily arrange his position,
with his head upon the table, to look quite natural, as if in drunken
sleep, and when the keeper came, she would give him a like portion,
before he could make any discovery, and when they were both
despatched, she would don Cantemir's attire and take the keeper's
keys and be gone. She quickly poisoned another glass, then looked at
Cantemir. So horrible was the glassy glare in his eye, she made as
if to arise from the table, but he leant over and grasped her hand.
Constance' face was livid with fear, and beside, she heard the gaoler.
As the keys were turned in the door, Cantemir's head dropped back
against the chair, and he sat upright, but dead; his hand fastened
tight upon his cousin's. She screamed and fell, half-fainting, across
the table. The keeper sprung to her aid, and took hold of the full
goblet of wine and pressed it to her lips. She tried to recover
herself, seeming to know 'twas not the time to indulge in a fainting
fit; but the strain was too much, her body was stronger than her mind,
and she mechanically took the goblet and poured the contents down
her throat. A thought must have come to her with the rapidity of
lightning, for she jerked the goblet from her mouth, spilling the dark
fluid over her. She glared at the empty cup with distended eyeballs,
and screaming once wildly, fell heavily across the table.

It had turned out differently and better than Buckingham had thought;
and after making a hasty trip into France, whence he was immediately
recalled by his King--who was luxuriating in the easement of pecuniary
difficulties--he journeyed to Ellswold to present to the young
Duchess certain rare laces, gems and porcelains he had found--so he
intimated--among the Russian Count's possessions.

CHAPTER XX