ore, and then made up
his mind.

He went back to the bedside, and stooping a little lifted the body on
his arms as though judging of its weight and of his power to carry it.
His first instinct had been to lock the door of the room behind him, and
to go up to the convent, leaving the dead girl where she was, whether he
were destined to come back that night, or never. A moment's reflection
had told him that if he did so he must certainly be accused of having
poisoned her. He meant, if it were possible, to take Maria Addolorata on
board of the English man-of-war at Civita Vecchia within twenty-four
hours. So far as the carrying off of a nun was concerned, he would be
safe on the ship; but if he were accused of murder, no matter how
falsely, the captain would have a right to refuse his protection, even
though he was Dalrymple's friend. A little chain of circumstances had
led him to form a plan, in a flash, which, if successfully carried out,
would account both for the disappearance of Annetta herself, and of
Maria Addolorata as well.

His eyelids contracted slightly, and his great jaw set itself with the
determination to overcome all obstacles. In a few seconds he had
divested the dead girl of her heavy bodice and skirt and carpet apron
and heavy shoes. He rolled the things into a bundle, tossed them into
the laboratory, locked the door of the latter, and stuck the key into
his pocket. He carefully stopped the bottle containing the remainder of
the prussiate of potassium, and took that also. Then he rolled the body
up carefully in his great plaid, mummy-like, and tied the ends of the
shawl with shoe-laces which he had among his things. He drew his soft
hat firmly down upon his forehead, and threw his cloak over his left
shoulder. He lifted the body off the bed. It was so stark that it stood
upright beside him. With his right arm round its waist, he raised it so
high that he could walk freely, and he drew his wide cloak over it as
well as he could, and freed his left hand. He grasped the lamp as he
passed the table, listened at the door, though he knew that the house
was locked below, and he cautiously and with difficulty descended the
stairs.

Just inside the street door of the staircase there was a niche, as there
is in almost all old Italian houses. He set the body in it, and went
into the common room with the lamp. Taking the bottle with the laudanum
in it from his pocket, he filled it more than half full of aniseed