will not repeat the idle sophistry which served to complete my wilful
blindness; nor dare I degrade myself in your eyes by a confession of
the tissue of contemptible fraud and hypocrisy into which I was
necessarily betrayed by the execution of my dark designs. Oh! Helen--
this heart of mine was once honest, once good and true as thine own;
but now there crawls not on this earth a wretch whose lying lips have
uttered falsehoods more villainous than mine! and honour, the
characteristic of the ancient house I have disgraced, the best
attribute of the high calling I have polluted, is now a watchword of
dismay to my ear.

"In Alice Wishart and her husband I found ready instruments for the
completion of my purpose; and indeed the difficulties which awaited
me were even fewer than I had first anticipated. The ravings of Lady
Greville, and her distracted addresses to the name of her lover had
inspired her attendants with a believe of her guiltiness, which in
the beginning of her illness I had vainly attempted to combat. It was
not therefore to be expected that these faithful adherents of my
family, who loved me with an almost parental devotion, and whose
regret for the extinction of the name of Greville was the ruling
passion of their breasts, should consider her an object worthy the
sacrifice of my entire happiness. The few scruples they exhibited
were those rather of expediency than of conscience were easily
overcome. By their own desire they removed to Greville Cross for the
more ready furtherance of our guilty plan; under pretence that the
health of the unfortunate Theresa required change of air. On their
arrival they found it easy to impress the servants of the
establishment with a belief of her precarious state, and the nature
of her malady afforded them a plausible pretext for secluding her
from their observation and attendance. Accustomed to receive from