The Italian Potion by Edward Bewley

Author:Edward Bewley [Edward Bewley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780709097808
Publisher: Robert Hale
Published: 2011-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

When I was once more within, I called Ned to me and bade him go to Mr Starkey to enquire whether that gentleman could visit me, the morrow in the forenoon. I instructed him to explain I had an injury which prevented me calling on him. Ned returned with the promise I sought and I looked forward to a profitable exchange. Mr Starkey had proved himself an acute intelligencer and the time had come for me to make use of this ability if he could be so persuaded. I thought, moreover, I had the means to persuade him.

That evening I found myself occupied until late perusing the memorandum and journal of the Frenchman once again. There remained extensive sections of the journal relating to his business beyond these shores which I had not yet deciphered. I set out with the intention of completing this work but soon found the task too taxing. Though I prided myself on being a fast healer, and though the flesh in my arm was now reforming, I still experienced sufficient discomfort to make concentration troublesome.

So instead I took up again the sheets of the memorandum. What I sought in both, and what eluded me, was any mention of Lord Illminster. While it was not imperative that he should be mentioned, I was surprised that he was not there. Unless, as I of a sudden recognized, their dealings were too dangerous to record. It was plausible, I could see, that the Frenchman was a conduit between Catholic France and this Popish party of which His Lordship was a part. Such exchanges would be expected, so why not by the offices of Monsieur Vouet?

I knew, of course, that such speculation was fruitless for there was no means open to me to confirm it. But in the meantime I noted something which I had missed in my first perusal of this memorandum. At intervals within it there were drawn, in no particular context, the astrological sign of mercury which served as the alchemical symbol for quicksilver. That set me to thinking that here might be the evidence I sought that the Frenchman had indeed treated himself in the matter of the pox.

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