d me at the appointed place, accompanied by a
fiend in woman's shape, the agent whom I had employed to carry on our
intercourse. She had been a follower of the camp, and, by the little
service for which I paid her well, had won the confidence of the simple
Helen. We rode as fast as the lady's circumstances would admit, only
halting twice for a short time, in secret places. It was then that the
devil first assailed me in the person of this woman. She told me what a
quantity of money and jewels the lady had in her valise, and how easy it
would be to get all into our possession. I shuddered at the very idea, and
threatened to shoot her upon the spot. She laughed, and said it was all a
jest; but it took hold of my mind during the course of our journey, and she
judged by my looks, I suppose, that I was now more fit for her purpose. We
conversed about it; the idea became familiar; but I shuddered at blood. She
said there would be none shed. Still I could not consent--neither was I
sufficiently averse. The poor lady was taken ill as we passed through the
moor. You know the rest. As we stood at the cottage door, the pious
discourse of the farmer tortured me past endurance. I was several times on
the point of rushing into the cottage, and guarding my lady from the fiend;
but my evil genius prevailed. When we entered and got the unsuspecting
couple to their bed, my tempter smiled, and whispered 'All is safe.' I
shuddered, and inquired what she meant.

"'Oh, nothing,' she replied. 'The lady cannot recover; the woman of the
house has given her a composing draught. She will never awake. The money
and jewels are our own.'

"And cautiously she displayed before me more gold than I had ever seen. I
could not think of parting with it. We carried off all that had belonged to
my mistress, even her body-clothes and the body of the dead babe, resolved
to shew it to my master, and impose upon him by saying that his wife had
died in childbed, and that we had left her to be buried by the clergyman.
Our object in this was to do away all suspicion of unfair play. Our excuse
for not seeing the body interred was haste to inform him, and prevent
inquiries that might lead to his discovery. On the day after we left the
cabin, I found my master at the appointed place, in the utmost anxiety for
the arrival of his wife. Every hour of delay was attended by the utmost
danger. A government cruiser had been seen on the coast; and there were
fears that the sm