 her
features, and she will appear a corse to every eye. She has no friends about
her: you may charge yourself unsuspected with the superintendence of her
funeral, and cause her to be buried in the vaults of St. Clare. Their solitude
and easy access render these caverns favourable to your designs. Give Antonia
the soporific draught this evening: eight-and-forty hours after she has drank
it, life will revive in her bosom. She will then be absolutely in your power:
she will find all resistance unavailing, and necessity will compel her to
receive you in her arms.«
    »Antonia will be in my power!« exclaimed the monk; »Matilda, you transport
me! At length then happiness will be mine, and that happiness will be Matilda's
gift, will be the gift of friendship! I shall clasp Antonia in my arms, far from
every prying eye, from every tormenting intruder! I shall sigh out my soul upon
her bosom; shall teach her young heart the first rudiments of pleasure, and
revel uncontrouled in the endless variety of her charms! And shall this delight
indeed be mine? Shall I give the reins to my desires, and gratify every wild
tumultuous wish? Oh! Matilda, how can I express to you my gratitude?«
    »By profiting by my counsels. Ambrosio, I live but to serve you; your
interest and happiness are equally mine. Be your person Antonia's, but to your
friendship and your heart I still assert my claim. Contributing to yours, forms
now my only pleasure. Should my exertions procure the gratification of your
wishes, I shall consider my trouble to be amply repaid. But let us lose no time.
The liquor of which I spoke, is only to be found in St. Clare's laboratory.
Hasten then to the prioress, request of her admission to the laboratory, and it
will not be denied. There is a closet at the lower end of the great room, filled
with liquids of different colours and qualities; the bottle in question stands
by itself, upon the third shelf on the left. It contains a greenish liquor: fill
a small phial with it when you are unobserved, and Antonia is your own.«
    The monk hesitated not to adopt this infamous plan. His desires, but too
violent before, had acquired fresh vigour from the sight of Antonia. As he sat
by her bed-side, accident had discovered to him some of those charms which till
then had been concealed from him: he found them even more perfect than his
ardent imagination had pictured
