The Star-Chamber, Volume 2 | Page 8

and the
pulsations of the heart became stronger and more equal; and though the
debility could not be so speedily repaired, it was apparent that the work
of restoration had commenced, and might be completed if the same
treatment were pursued.
"Now I owe my life to you, my dear Lord," said Lady Roos, regarding
her husband with grateful fondness.
"To him!" exclaimed her mother. "You owe him nothing but a heavy
debt of vengeance, which we will endeavour to pay, and with interest.
But keep calm, my child, and do not trouble yourself; whatever may
occur. Your speedy restoration will depend much on that."
"You do not adopt the means to make me calm, mother," replied Lady
Roos.
But Lady Lake was too much bent upon the immediate and full
gratification of her long-deferred vengeance to heed her. Clapping her
hands together, the signal was answered by Sir Thomas Lake, who
came forth from the adjoining room with Luke Hatton. At the same
time, and as if it had been so contrived that all the guilty parties should
be confronted together, the outer door of the chamber was opened, and
the Countess of Exeter was ushered in by Sarah Swarton.
On seeing in whose presence she stood, the Countess would have
precipitately retreated; but it was too late. The door was closed by
Sarah.

"Soh! my turn is come at last," cried Lady Lake, gazing from one to the
other with a smile of gratified vengeance. "I hold you all in my toils.
You, my Lord," addressing her son-in-law, "have treated a wife, who
has ever shown you the most devoted affection, with neglect and
cruelty, and, not content with such barbarous treatment, have conspired
against her life, and against my life."
"Take heed how you bring any charge against him, mother," cried Lady
Roos, raising herself in her couch. "Take heed, I say. Let your
vengeance fall upon her head," pointing to the Countess--"but not upon
him."
"I am willing to make atonement for the wrongs I have done you, Lady
Roos," said the Countess, "and have come hither to say so, and to
implore your forgiveness."
"You fancied she was dying," rejoined Lady Lake--"dying from the
effects of the poison administered to her and to me by Luke Hatton,
according to your order; but you are mistaken, Countess. We have
found an antidote, and shall yet live to requite you."
"It is more satisfaction to me to be told this, Madam, than it would be
to find that Luke Hatton had succeeded in his design, which I would
have prevented if I could," said Lady Exeter.
"You will gain little credit for that assertion, Countess," remarked Sir
Thomas Lake, "since it is contradicted by an order which I hold in my
hand, signed by yourself, and given to the miscreant in question."
"O Heavens!" ejaculated the Countess.
"Do you deny this signature?" asked Sir Thomas, showing her the
paper.
Lady Exeter made no answer.
"Learn further to your confusion, Countess," pursued Lady Lake, "that
the wretch, Luke Hatton, has made a full confession of his offence,

wherein he declares that he was incited by you, and by you alone, on
the offer of a large reward, to put my daughter and myself to death by
slow poison."
"By me alone!--incited by me!" cried Lady Exeter; "why, I opposed
him. It is impossible he can have confessed thus. Hast thou done so,
villain?"
"I have," replied Luke Hatton, sullenly.
"Then thou hast avouched a lie--a lie that will damn thee," said Lady
Exeter. "Lord Roos knows it to be false, and can exculpate me. Speak,
my Lord, I charge you, and say how it occurred."
But the young nobleman remained silent.
"Not a word--not a word in my favour," the Countess exclaimed, in a
voice of anguish. "Nay, then I am indeed lost!"
"You are lost past redemption," cried Lady Lake with an outburst of
fierce exultation, and a look as if she would have trampled her beneath
her feet. "You have forfeited honour, station, life. Guilty of disloyalty
to your proud and noble husband, you have sought to remove by
violent deaths those who stood between you and your lover. Happily
your dreadful purpose has been defeated; but this avowal of your
criminality with Lord Roos, signed by yourself and witnessed by his
lordship and his Spanish servant,--this shall be laid within an hour
before the Earl of Exeter."
"My brain turns round. I am bewildered with all these frightful
accusations," exclaimed the Countess distractedly. "I have made no
confession,--have signed none."
"Methought you said I had witnessed it, Madam?" cried Lord Roos,
almost as much bewildered as Lady Exeter.
"Will you deny your own handwriting, my Lord?" rejoined Lady Lake;
"or will the Countess? Behold the confession, subscribed