"And what may it be?" said Arabella, in an indifferent tone; "it matters not to me who is my gaoler, Ida."
"No, lady," answered the young Italian; "but dark deeds have at length been brought to light; and justice has been done upon the wicked."
"Then there has been a sad clearing of the streets of London, and of the Court too," replied Arabella.
"Indeed there has," said Ida Mara; "and some who I cannot help thinking were your worst enemies, are now close prisoners within these walls."
"God have mercy on them!" rejoined the lady, without even inquiring who they were; "for they will find none from man, unless they be very wicked indeed."
"I hope they may not," answered Ida Mara; "for it is but fitting that such crimes should be punished. The murderers of Sir Thomas Overbury, lady----"
"Ha, what of them?" exclaimed Arabella, eagerly.
"They have been brought to justice, Madam," answered Ida Mara. "Weston, the principal assassin, was tried some days ago, and executed the day before yesterday, though he, it seems, was only a tool, though a willing one. That dark and terrible man, who called himself Foreman, but whom I knew long ago by the same name of Weston, was, it would appear, the chief agent of the higher fiends who moved the whole."
"And what has become of him?" asked Arabella. "Has he escaped?"
"The vengeance of man he has, but not that of God," replied Ida Mara; "he died suddenly at Lambeth about a fortnight ago, and there is strong suspicion that some of his own poisons, administered to him by the hand of his own son, for the purpose of sooner obtaining possession of his wealth, saved him from public trial and execution. But there are multitudes more involved in this terrible affair. A woman, of the name of Turner, has been hanged this morning at Tyburn. A number of people, I understand,--ay, ladies of high rank--went to see her die; and Sir Gervase Elways himself was tried yesterday, and condemned to death for murder.