He waited till evening before he took the road to Antonia’s dwelling. Jacintha welcomed him with transport, and besought him not to forget his promise to pass the night in the haunted chamber: that promise he now repeated. He found Antonia tolerably well, but still harping upon the ghost’s prediction. Flora moved not from her lady’s bed, and by symptoms yet stronger than on the former night testified her dislike to the abbot’s presence. Still Ambrosio affected not to observe them. The physician arrived, while he was conversing with Antonia. It was dark already; lights were called for, and Flora was compelled to descend for them herself. However, as she left a third person in the room, and expected to be absent but a few minutes, she believed that she risked nothing in quitting her post. No sooner had she left the room, than Ambrosio moved towards the table, on which stood Antonia’s medicine: it was placed in a recess of the window. The physician seated in an armed-chair, and employed in questioning his patient, paid no attention to the proceedings of the monk. Ambrosio seized the opportunity: he drew out the fatal phial, and let a few drops fall into the medicine. He then hastily left the table, and returned to the seat which he had quitted. When Flora made her appearance with lights, everything seemed to be exactly as she had left it.

The physician declared that Antonia might quit her chamber the next day with perfect safety. He recommended her following the same prescription which, on the night before, had procured her a refreshing sleep: Flora replied that the draught stood ready upon the table: he advised the patient to take it without delay, and then retired. Flora poured the medicine into a cup and presented it to her mistress. At that moment Ambrosio’s courage failed him. Might not Matilda have deceived him? Might not jealousy have persuaded her to destroy her rival, and substitute poison in the room of an opiate? This idea appeared so reasonable that he was on the point of preventing her from swallowing the medicine. His resolution was adopted too late: the cup was already emptied, and Antonia restored it into Flora’s hands. No remedy was now to be found: Ambrosio could only expect the moment impatiently, destined to decide upon Antonia’s life or death, upon his own happiness or despair.