"That is true," she admitted; "still, when they find the body has been returned to the banker, and the ransom paid, what will they think then?"
"They will think that some designing person has palmed off a spurious body on them at first, and before they learn better we can be off and away to another city, Haidee. It all seems so plain and easy to me I wonder why you hang back so."
"My God! this is horrible," breathed poor Lily to herself, but a dreadful fascination held her immovable to her post.
"And then, the body itself," pursued Haidee. "It would have the look of one lately dead. How could we account to her friends for that? Remember, she is supposed to be dead these five months."
"Haidee, you are an old fool! You are getting into your dotage—what silly questions you ask, to be sure," panted the old man, in a furious rage with his hesitating wife.
"Oh, yes, I hear all that. But you have not answered my question yet," returned she, pertinaciously.
"I have answered it twenty times before—every time that we talked the matter over. We can say that we had it embalmed so that her friends might make sure of her identity when we claimed the ransom."
The old witch sat silently pondering a few minutes.
"Perhaps that would do," she said, rousing herself at last. "It may be that I am over cautious; I confess that I wish the girl dead."
"You consent then?" said Peter eagerly.