The fact that he consented to the act was enough to clear her conscience, if that was all that restrained her.
She realised that he was in earnest now, and fled the room in horror.
Then he tried to anger her with abuse and calumny to such an extent that she would be driven to the deed by sheer rage.

Failing in this, he resumed his wheedling tactics.

It would be impossible, he argued, for any one to know that she had given him the soothing poison.

The doctors would always believe that he had overcome his prejudice against self-destruction and had taken the tablets, just as they intended and evidently desired him to do.

But he would not take his own life.