to receive; but she told him, No Dress, no Disguise, could render him
more Dear and Acceptable to her, and that to morrow was time enough, and
that his Travels had render’d him more fit for Repose, than Dressing. So
that after a little while, they had talk’d over all they had a mind to
say, all that was very indearing on his side, and as much Concern as she
could force, on hers; she conducted him to his Chamber, which was very
rich, and which gave him a very great addition of Jealousie: However, he
suffer’d her to help him to Bed, which she seem’d to do, with all the
tenderness in the World; and when she had seen him laid, she said, She
would go to her Prayers, and come to him as soon as she had done, which
being before her usual Custom, it was not a wonder to him she stay’d
long, and he, being extreamly tir’d with his Journy, fell asleep. ’Tis
true, _Isabella_ essay’d to Pray, but alas! it was in vain, she was
distracted with a thousand Thoughts what to do, which the more she
thought, the more it distracted her; she was a thousand times about to
end her Life, and, at one stroke, rid her self of the Infamy, that, she
saw, must inevitably fall upon her; but Nature was frail, and the
Tempter strong: And after a thousand Convulsions, even worse than Death
it self, she resolv’d upon the Murder of _Henault_, as the only means of
removing all the obstacles to her future Happiness; she resolv’d on
this, but after she had done so, she was seiz’d with so great Horror,
that she imagin’d, if she perform’d it, she should run Mad; and yet, if
she did not, she should be also Frantick, with the Shames and Miseries
that would befal her; and believing the Murder the least Evil, since she
could never live with him, she fix’d her Heart on that; and causing her
self to be put immediately to Bed, in her own Bed, she made _Maria_ go
to hers, and when all was still, she softly rose, and taking a Candle
with her, only in her Night-Gown and Slippers, she goes to the Bed of
the Unfortunate _Henault_, with a Penknife in her hand; but considering,
she knew not how to conceal the Blood, should she cut his Throat, she
resolves to Strangle him, or Smother him with a Pillow; that last
thought was no sooner borne, but put in Execution; and, as he soundly
slept, she smother’d him without any Noise, or so much as his Strugling:
But when she had done this dreadful Deed, and saw the dead Corps of her
once-lov’d Lord, lye Smiling (as it were) upon her, she fell into a
Swound with the Horror of the Deed, and it had been well for her she had
there dy’d; but she reviv’d again, and awaken’d to more and new Horrors,
she flyes all frighted from the Chamber, and fancies, the Phantom of her
dead Lord persues her; she runs from Room to Room, and starts and
stares, as if she saw him continually before her. Now all that was ever
Soft and Dear to her, with him, comes into her Heart, and, she finds, he
conquers anew, being Dead, who could not gain her Pity, while Living.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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