Left to herself, I believe she would have yielded to her better feelings, and spoiled the plot.

As it was, the colonel and I, alarmed at this recrudescence of conscience, managed to stifle its promptings, and bent her to our wicked will.
"After all, he deserves it," she said, "and I'll do it!" It is always sad to see anybody suffering from a loss of self-respect, so I tried to restore the signorina's confidence in her own motives, by references to Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite, Charlotte Corday, and such other relentless heroines as occurred to me.

McGregor looked upon this striving after self-justification with undisguised contempt.
"It's only making a fool of him again," he said; "you've done it before, you know!" "I'll do it, if you'll swear not to--to hurt him," she said.
"I've promised already," he replied sullenly.

"I won't touch him, unless he brings it on himself.

If he tries to kill me, I suppose I needn't bare my breast to the blow ?" "No, no," I interposed; "I have a regard for his Excellency, but we must not let our feelings betray us into weakness.