He also had learned that, in some way, she was a very distant relation of his, and the only one then living.
This discovery greatly surprised old Dame Worthington, and Sir Richard Warbeck also; but the cunning scoundrel supported his statement to relationship with so much plausible, but fictitious, evidence that both Sir Richard and Dame Worthington took the cunning Scotchman into their confidence.
Sir Andrew had now “the game in his own hands,” he thought, and he also came by the information, that should Sir Richard die first, all his property, if Phillip Redgill was proved guilty of the crimes of which Captain Jack accused him, would all go to Charley, Ned Warbeck, and Dame Worthington.
“As she has made her will already,” thought Sir Andrew, “and left me a small sum, and the rest to the Warbecks, it would not be very difficult to get the will altered altogether in my favour,
“And poison her!”
This devilish design he resolved to put into execution.
He was very attentive to old Dame Worthington, and would suffer no one, as a “relation,” in the absence of Sir Richard, to administer to her any medicine, however simple.
With these opportunities in his hand, Sir Andrew made good use of his time.
He never allowed a chance to pass him, but, day by day, was gradually poisoning her.
The old dame got weaker and weaker every day.