four years before Anna’s murder—had been conceived from the
outset as part of the plot, or if Hale had prevailed upon his nephew
to betray her after they married. In either case, the plan was so
brazen, so sinister, that it was hard to fathom. It demanded that
Ernest share a bed with Mollie, and raise children with her, all
while plotting and scheming against her family. As Shakespeare
wrote in Julius Caesar:
Where wilt thou find a cavern dark enough
To mask thy monstrous visage? Seek none, conspiracy:
Hide it in smiles and affability.