forehead--in ten seconds all is over, no gasp, no cry, but the heart
ceases to beat forever; and, best of all, it leaves no trace behind it.
A little of this, such a little, in wine or coffee, would be enough. It
is tasteless, colorless, and scentless, its presence is impossible to be
detected."

"But in the event of a _post-mortem_ examination?"

"By skilful analysts in Paris or the larger towns, there would be a
chance; but in a place like this, never! Never, in fact, anywhere,
unless there had been previous grounds for suspicion. Otherwise only
apoplectic symptoms would be observed; and even if it was traced there
comes the question, By whom was it administered?"

He stopped short, for a word rose to his lips which he did not dare
utter; he raised his hands to his mouth, coughed slightly, and went
on,--

"This substance is not sold by chemists; it is very rarely met with,
difficult to prepare, and terribly expensive. The smallest quantity
might be met with in the first-class laboratories for scientific
purposes, but it is most unlikely for any one in these parts to possess
any of this drug, or even to know of its existence."

"And yet you----"

"That is quite another matter. Years ago, when I was far away from here,
it was in my power to render a great service to a distinguished chemist,
and he made me a present of this combination of his skill. It would be
impossible to trace this bottle; I have had it ten years, and the man
who gave it to me is dead. Ten years? No, I am wrong, it is now twelve."

"And in all these years has not this substance lost any of its
destructive powers?"

"I tried it only a month ago. I threw a pinch of it into a basin of milk
and gave it to a powerful mastiff. He drank the milk and in ten seconds
fell stark and dead."

"Horrible!" exclaimed Diana, covering her face with her hand, and
recoiling from the tempter.

A sinister smile quivered upon the thin lips of the Counsellor.

"Why do you say horrible?" asked he; "the dog had shown symptoms of
_rabies_, and had he bitten me, I might have expired in frightful
torture. Was it not fair self-defence? Sometimes, however, a man is more
dangerous than a dog. A man blights the whole of my life; I strike him
down openly, and the law convicts me and puts me to death; but I do not
contemplate doing so, for I would suppress such a man secretly."

Diana placed her hands on the man's mouth and stopped a further
exposition of his ideas.