"Do you wish him to die at all?"
"My last word implied that I did. It is part of my plan to get the fortune you desire, which also means that I shall secure your daughter as my wife."
"But I don't see——"
"There is no need for you to see," said Narvaez tyrannically; "you do what I tell you and all will be well."
"Do you mean to kill Hardwick?"
"No! There is no need for me to move a finger. His horoscope shows an early death from natural causes. Having found him unconscious, I leave you to guess what those causes will be."
"I have no need to guess. Hardwick's heart is weak."
"Exactly. The organs of his body are healthy, but he has not a sufficiently strong heart. If he could get a fresh supply of vitality he would be a powerful and long-lived man."
"Do you intend to give him that vitality?" sneered the visitor.