after which I carefully replaced the knot, for fear of discovery, in its former position. But now, on hearing lady Courteney's voice so audible in prayer, I ascended a small table, and again took out the knot, when, urged by a mischievous spirit, and to indulge the dislike I had entertained against her ladyship from the representation of the servants, I applied the small spiral tube of an alembic to my mouth, and placed the other end on the opening in the wainscot, through which I replied to lady Courteney's deprecatory petition, in a manner that caused her instantly to retreat in great alarm, and produced, as I afterwards learned, confinement and indisposition through excess of fear.

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Having succeeded in this little deceit to my utmost wish, and having also learned, from the private tales I heard recounted in the family, that lady Courteney was suspected of having unfairly forwarded the removal of her predecessor, I tried, in a second

02

second attempt of the same nature, to penetrate the secret folds of her heart for the guilt which lay hid there, and to rouse to some painful feeling her too-callous conscience.

"However, this my second attempt not only disturbed lady Courteney, but also acted with reciprocal terror on her maid, who was thrown into great alarm at the fear of sir Richard being sent by his lady to search this closet. The abigail was displeased at the noise which she accused me of making, and which I had some difficulty in persuading her was produced by my having fallen asleep, and in that sleep snoring. This determined me to be silent for some time, lest the frequent recurrence of the noise, at those times when I was hid in the closet, might confirm Kitty's suspicions, and destroy my intended effect.

"I had indeed no great time to exercise this precaution, since, just after this last incident, I was reluctantly compelled

to

to absent myself from the castle, having been surprised, while I regaled myself after a desperate house robbery with my party, taken prisoner, and committed to jail. Here, however, the ingenuity of my mechanical genius, in the ready contrivance of instruments to make bolts and bars fly at my magic touch, soon procured not only my own liberty, but that of all the prisoners confined in this jail, some of whom, enrolling their names in my service, brought considerable augmentation to the numbers I commanded; and it has also added, as you may perceive," glan cing at his bolts, "additional weight to my present chain.

"Fearless of danger, I returned once more to my old haunts near the castle, and though now never appearing publicly there, as usual, I occasionally gained private admission to Kitty's chamber, and in the communicative spirit produced by her frequent application to the brandy, wound myself into many of her own and

her lady's secrets. It was through this woman I became acquainted with lady Courteney's hatred of you and Miss Courteney, and her attempt to prove Mrs. O'Grady insane, whom she held in still greater detestation; and whom, on my being informed of her disappearance, when we met at the public-house on your way to Carlow, I immediately suspected in the power of Kitty's sister.

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Lady Courteney's vile machinations against your interest, captain Plunket— her hatred of Mrs. Blandford, and oppression of Mrs. O'Grady, worked me up to a still stronger desire of revenge, which desire, operating with my ardent wish of doing something to merit your offered service, prevented me at the time from accepting your generous offer, and set my imagination at work on contriving some plan which should terrify this hardened woman into a confession. The sudden indisposition of her son aided my design; I predicted his death, which at the time, from

from the state the child was in, might be reckoned certain and inevitable. It occurred agreeable to my prediction; and while her mind was saddened at this event, and labouring under the disorder produced by supernatural terrors, I gained admission (which it was easy to effect through my amorous intercourse with Kitty, and her strong predilection for brandy) to lady Courteney's chamber, where, at the foot of her bed, making an appearance that appalled every sense, and carrying between my hands a bowl of liquid fire, which, with less ingenuity than I really possessed, it was easy to contrive, I presented myself, and exhorted her to repentance. This first visit produced not the desired effect; but it caused the lady, at the return of the same hour on the following night, to double her attendants, and have her chamber secured by lock from all daring and artful intruders. On locks of every description I had already, in my plundering course of life, essayed my skill, so that 04 against