"'Yes,' she replied, drawing forth the deed—a small parchment—from her bosom. 'Take it; and now let me out. You shall be handsomely rewarded.'
"'Ah!' said I; 'but you must allow me first to settle this matter with my employers. You must really be mad. We do not hear of young ladies carrying deeds and parchments about them when they are in their senses.'
"'You do not mean to betray me?' she said, springing up wildly and rushing towards the deed, which I carefully placed in my breast coat-pocket.
"'Oh dear no! but I shall retain the deed, and speak to your brother about this matter.'
"'My God! my God!' she exclaimed, and then she sank back on her bed, and in another moment she was covered with blood. She had burst a blood-vessel. I sent for a surgeon and physician, and they both gave it as their opinion that she could not be saved, and that a few hours would see the last of her. This was the fact. She was dead before another half hour, and then I sent to the authorities for the purpose of burial; and, producing the certificate of the medical men, I had no difficulty, and she was buried all comfortably without any trouble.
"'Well,' thought I, 'this is a very comfortable affair; but it will be more profitable than I had any idea of, and I must get my first reward first, and if there should be any difficulty, I have the deed to fall back upon. He came down next day, and appeared with rather a long face.
"'Well,' said he, 'how do matters go on here?'
"'Very well,' said I, 'how is your throat?'
"I thought he cast a malicious look at me, as much as to imply he laid it all to my charge.