CAP IN CAPTIVITY.
I lingered here and rescue planned
For Clara and for me.
--Scott.
Meanwhile how fared it with Capitola in the Hidden House?
"I am in for it now!" said Cap, as she closed the door behind Clara; "I
am in for it now! This is a jolly imprudent adventure! What will Wool
do when he discovers that he has 'lost sight' of me? What will uncle
say when he finds out what I've done? Whe--ew! Uncle will explode! I
wonder if the walls at Hurricane Hall will be strong enough to stand
it! Wool will go mad! I doubt if he will ever do a bit more good in
this world!
"But above all, I wonder what the Le Noirs, father and son, will say
when they find that the heiress is flown and a 'beggar,' as uncle
flatters me by calling me, will be here in her place! Whe--ew--ew--ew!
There will be a tornado! Cap, child, they'll murder you! That's just
what they'll do! They'll kill and eat you, Cap, without any salt! or
they may lock you up in the haunted room to live with the ghost, Cap,
and that would be worse!
"Hush! here comes Dorcas Knight! Now I must make believe I'm Clara, and
do the sentimental up brown!" concluded Capitola, as she seated herself
near the door where she could be heard, and began to sob softly.
Dorcas rapped.
Cap sobbed in response.
"Are you coming to luncheon, Miss Day?" inquired the woman.
"Ee--hee! Ee--hee! Ee--hee! I do not want to eat," sobbed Cap, in a low
and smothered voice. Any one would have thought she was drowned in
tears.
"Very well; just as you like," said the woman harshly, as she went
away.
"Well, I declare," laughed Cap, "I did that quite as well as an actress
could! But now what am I to do? How long can I keep this up? Heigh-ho
'let the world slide!' I'll not reveal myself until I'm driven to it,
for when I do----! Cap, child, you'll get chawed right up!"
A little later in the day Dorcas Knight came again and rapped at the
door.
"Ee--hee! Eeh--hee! Ee--hee!" sobbed Cap.
"Miss Day, your cousin, Craven Le Noir, wishes to speak with you
alone."
"Ee--hee! Ee--hee! Ee--hee! I cannot see him!" sobbed Cap, in a low and
suffocating voice.
The woman went away, and Cap suffered no other interruption until six
o'clock, when Dorcas Knight once more rapped saying:
"Miss Day, your uncle is at the front door with the carriage, and he
wishes to know if you are ready to obey him.
"Ee--hee! Ee--hee! Ee--hee!--te--te--tell him yes!" sobbed Cap, as if
her heart would break.
The woman went off with this answer, and Capitola hastily enveloped her
form in Clara's large, black shawl, put on Clara's black bonnet and
tied her thick mourning veil closely over her face.
"A pretty bridal dress, this; but, however, I suppose these men are no
more particular about my costume than they are about their own
conduct," said Cap.
She had just drawn on her gloves when she heard the footsteps of two
men approaching. They rapped at the door.
"Come in," she sobbed, in a low, broken voice, that might have belonged
to any girl in deep distress, and she put a white cambric handkerchief
up to her eyes and drew her thick veil closely over her face.
The two Le Noirs immediately entered the room. Craven approached her
and whispered, softly:
"You will forgive me this, my share in these proceedings after awhile,
sweet Clara! The Sabine women did not love the Roman youths the less
that they were forcibly made wives by them."
"Ee--hee! Ee--hee! Ee--hee!" sobbed Cap, entirely concealing her white
cambric handkerchief under her impenetrable veil.
"Come, come! we lose time!" said the elder Le Noir. "Draw her arm
within yours, Craven, and lead her out."
The young man did as he was directed and led Cap from the room. It was
now quite dark--the long, dreary passage was only dimly lighted by a
hanging lamp, so that with the care she took there was scarcely a
possibility of Capitola's being discovered. They went on, Craven Le
Noir whispering hypocritical apologies and Cap replying only by low
sobs.
When they reached the outer door they found a close carriage drawn up
before the house.
To this Craven Le Noir led Capitola, placed her within and took the
seat by her side. Colonel Le Noir followed and placed himself in the
front seat opposite them. And the carriage was driven rapidly off.
An hour's ride brought the party to an obscure church in the depths of
the forest, which Capitola recognized by the cross on its top to be a
Roman Catholic chapel.
Here the carriage drew up and the two Le Noirs got out and assisted
Capitola to alight.
They then led her into the church, which was dimly illumined by a pair
of wax candles burning before the altar. A priest in his sacerdotal
robes was in attendance. A few country people were scattered thinly
about among the pews, at their private devotions.
Guarded by Craven Le Noir on the right and Colonel Le Noir on the left,
Capitola was marched up the aisle and placed before the altar.
Colonel Le Noir then went and spoke apart to the officiating priest,
saying, in a tone of dissatisfaction:
"I told you, sir, that as our bride was an orphan, recently bereaved,
and still in deep mourning, we wished the marriage ceremony to be
strictly private, and you gave me to understand, sir, that at this hour
the chapel was most likely to be vacant. Yet, here I find a half a
score of people! How is this?"
"Sir," replied the priest, "it is true that at this hour of the evening
the chapel is most likely to be vacant, but it is not therefore certain
to be so! nor did I promise as much! Our chapel is, as you know, open
at all hours of the day and night, that all who please may come and
pray. These people that you see are hard-working farm laborers, who
have no time to come in the day, and who are now here to offer up their
evening prayers, and also, some of them, to examine their consciences
preparatory to confession! They can certainly be no interruption to
this ceremony."
"Egad, I don't know that!" muttered Colonel Le Noir between his teeth.
As for Cap, the sight of other persons present in the chapel filled her
heart with joy and exultation, inasmuch as it insured her final safety.
And so she just abandoned herself to the spirit of frolic that
possessed her, and anticipated with the keenest relish the denouement
of her strange adventure.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Proceed, sir, proceed!" said Colonel Le
Noir as he took Cap by the shoulders and placed her on the left side of
his son, while he himself stood behind ready to "give the bride away."
The ceremony immediately commenced.
The prologue beginning, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered together
here," etc., etc., etc., was read.
The solemn exhortation to the contracting parties, commencing "I
require and charge ye both, as ye shall answer in the dreadful day of
judgment when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed, that if
either of you know any just cause or impediment why ye may not lawfully
be joined together," etc., etc., etc., followed.
Capitola listened to all this with the deepest attention, saying to
herself: "Well, I declare, this getting married is really awfully
interesting! If it were not for Herbert Greyson, I'd just let it go
right straight on to the end and see what would happen next!"
While Cap was making these mental comments the priest was asking the
bridegroom:
"Wilt thou have this woman to be thy wedded wife," etc., etc., etc.,
"so long as ye both shall live?"
To which Craven Le Noir, in a sonorous voice responded:
"I will."
"Indeed you will? We'll see that presently!" said Cap to herself.
The priest then turning toward the bride, inquired:
"Wilt thou have this man to be thy wedded husband, etc., etc., etc.,
so long as ye both shall live?"
To which the bride, throwing aside her veil, answered, firmly:
"No! not if he were the last man and I the last woman on the face of
the earth and the human race was about to become extinct and the angel
of Gabriel came down from above to ask it of me as a personal favor."
The effect of this outburst, this revelation, this explosion, may be
imagined but can never be adequately described.
The priest dropped his book and stood with lifted hands and open mouth
and staring eyes as though he had raised a ghost!
The two Le Noirs simultaneously sprang forward, astonishment,
disappointment and rage contending in their blanched faces.
"Who are you, girl?" exclaimed Colonel Le Noir.
"Capitola Black, your honor's glory!" she replied, making a deep
curtsey.
"What the foul fiend is the meaning of all this?" in the same breath
inquired the father and son.
Cap put her thumb on the side of her nose, and, whirling her four
fingers, replied:
"It means, your worships' excellencies, that--you--can't come it! it's
no go! this chicken won't fight. It means that the fat's in the fire,
and the cat's out of the bag! It means confusion! distraction!
perdition! and a tearing off of our wigs! It means the game's up, the
play's over, villainy is about to be hanged and virtue about to be
married, and the curtain is going to drop and the principal
performer--that's I--is going to be called out amid the applause of the
audience!" Then, suddenly changing her mocking tone to one of great
severity, she said:
"It means that you have been outwitted by a girl! It means that your
purposed victim has fled, and is by this time in safety! It means that
you two, precious father and son, would be a pair of knaves if you had
sense enough; but, failing in that, you are only a pair of fools!"
By this time the attention of the few persons in the church was
aroused. They all arose to their feet to look and listen, and some of
them left their places and approached the altar. And to these latter
Capitola now suddenly turned and said, aloud:
"Good people, I am Capitola Black, the niece and ward of Major Ira
Warfield, of Hurricane Hall, whom you all know, and now I claim your
protection while I shall tell you the meaning of my presence here!"
"Don't listen to her. She is a maniac!" cried Colonel Le Noir.
"Stop her mouth!" cried Craven, springing upon Capitola and holding her
tightly in the grasp of his right arm, while he covered her lips and
nostrils with his large left hand.
Capitola struggled so fiercely to free herself that Craven had enough
to do to hold her, and so was not aware of a ringing footstep coming up
the aisle, until a stunning blow dealt from a strong arm covered his
face with blood and stretched him out at Capitola's feet.
Cap flushed, breathless and confused, looked up and was caught to the
bosom of Herbert Greyson, who, pale with concentrated rage, held her
closely and inquired:
"Capitola! What violence is this which has been done you? Explain! who
is the aggressor?"
"Wai--wai--wait until I get my breath! There! that was good! That
villain has all but strangled me to death? Oh, Herbert, I'm so
delighted you've come! How is it that you always drop right down at the
right time and on the right spot?" said Cap, while gasping for breath.
"I will tell you another time! Now I want an explanation."
"Yes, Herbert; I also wish to explain--not only to you but to these
gaping, good people! Let me have a hearing!" said Cap.
"She is mad! absolutely mad!" cried Colonel Le Noir, who was assisting
his son to rise.
"Silence, sir!" thundered Herbert Greyson, advancing toward him with
uplifted and threatening hand.
"Gentlemen! gentlemen! pray remember that you are within the walls of a
church!" said the distressed priest.
"Craven, this is no place for us; let us go and pursue our fugitive
ward," whispered Colonel Le Noir to his son.
"We might as well; for it is clear that all is over here!" replied
Craven. And the two baffled villains turned to leave the place. But
Herbert Greyson, speaking up, said:
"Good people, prevent the escape of those men until we hear what this
young lady has to say! that we may judge whether to let them go or to
take them before a magistrate."
The people flew to the doors and windows and secured them, and then
surrounded the two Le Noirs, who found themselves prisoners.
"Now, Capitola, tell us how it is that you are here!" said Herbert
Greyson.
"Well, that elder man," said Cap, "is the guardian of a young heiress
who was betrothed to a worthy young man, one Doctor Traverse Rocke."
"My friend!" interrupted Herbert.
"Yes, Mr. Greyson, your friend! Their engagement was approved by the
young lady's father, who gave them his dying blessing. Nevertheless, in
the face of all this, this 'guardian' here, appointed by the Orphans'
Court to take charge of the heiress and her fortune, undertakes, for
his own ends, to compel the young lady to break her engagement and
marry his own son! To drive her to this measure, he does not hesitate
to use every species of cruelty. This night he was to have forced her
to this altar! But in the interval, to-day, I chanced to visit her at
the house where she was confined. Being informed by her of her
distressing situation, and having no time to help her in any better
way, I just changed clothes with her. She escaped unsuspected in my
dress. And those two heroes there, mistaking me for her, forced me into
a carriage and dragged me hither to be married against my will. And
instead of catching an heiress, they caught a Tartar, that's all! And
now, Herbert, let the two poor wretches go hide their mortification,
and do you take me home, for I am immensely tired of doing the
sentimental, making speeches and piling up the agonies!"
While Cap was delivering this long oration, the two Le Noirs had made
several essays to interrupt and contradict her, but were effectually
prevented by the people, whose sympathies were all with the speaker.
Now, at Herbert Greyson's command, they released the culprits, who,
threatening loudly took their departure.
Herbert then led Capitola out and placed her upon her own pony, Gyp,
which, to her unbounded astonishment, she found there in charge of
Wool, who was also mounted upon his own hack.
Herbert Greyson threw himself into the saddle of a third horse, and the
three took the road to Hurricane Hall.
"And now," said Capitola, as Herbert rode up to her side, "for mercy
sake tell me, before I go crazy with conjecture, how it happened that
you dropped down from the sky at the very moment and on the very spot
where you were needed? and where did you light upon Wool and the
horses?"
"It is very simple when you come to understand it," said Herbert,
smiling. "In the first place, you know, I graduated at the last
commencement."
"Yes."
"Well, I have just received a lieutenant's commission in a regiment
that is ordered to join General Scott in Mexico."
"Oh, Herbert, that is news, and I don't know whether to be in despair
or in ecstasy!" said Cap, ready to laugh or cry, as a feather's weight
might tip the scales in which she balanced Herbert's new honors with
his approaching perils.
"If there's any doubt about it, I decidedly recommend the latter
emotion," said Herbert, laughing.
"When do you go?" inquired Cap.
"Our regiment embarks from Baltimore on the first of next month.
Meanwhile I got leave of absence to come and spend a week with my
friends at home!"
"Oh, Herbert, I--I am in a quandary! But you haven't told me yet how
you happened to meet Wool and to come here just in the nick of time!"
"I am just going to do so. Well, you see Capitola, I came down in the
stage to Tip Top, which I reached about three o'clock. And there I
found Wool in the hands of the Philistines, suspected of being mad,
from the manner in which he raved about losing sight of you. Well, of
course, like a true knight, I delivered my lady's squire, comforted and
reassured him and made him mount his own horse and take charge of
yours. After which I mounted the best beast that I had hired to convey
me to Hurricane Hall, and we all set off thither. I confess that I was
excessively anxious upon your account, for I could make nothing
whatever of Wool's wild story of your supposed metamorphosis! I thought
it best to make a circuit and take the Hidden House in our course, to
make some inquiries there as to what had really happened. I had got a
little bewildered between the dark night and the strange road, and,
seeing the light in the church, I had just ridden up to inquire my way,
when to my astonishment I saw you within, before the altar, struggling
in the grasp of that ruffian. And you know the rest! And now let us
ride on quickly, for I have a strong presentiment that Major Warfield
is suffering the tortures of a lost soul through anxiety upon your
account," concluded Herbert Greyson.
"Please, Marse Herbert and Miss Cap, don't you tell ole marse nuffin
'tall 'bout my loosin' sight of you!" pleaded Wool.
"We shall tell your old master all about it, Wool, for I would not have
him miss the pleasure of hearing this adventure upon any account; but I
promise to bear you harmless through it," said Herbert, as they
galloped rapidly toward home.
They reached Hurricane Hall by eight o'clock, and in good time for
supper. They found Old Hurricane storming all over the house, and
ordering everybody off the premises in his fury of anxiety upon
Capitola's account. But when the party arrived, surprise at seeing them
in the company of Herbert Greyson quite revolutionized his mood, and,
forgetting to rage, he gave them all a hearty welcome.
And when after supper was over and they were all gathered around the
comfortable fireside, and Herbert related the adventures and feats of
Capitola at the Hidden House, and in the forest chapel, the old man
grasped the hand of his favorite and with his stormy old eyes full of
rain said:
"You deserve to have been a man, Cap! Indeed you do, my girl!"
That was his highest style of praise.
Then Herbert told his own little story of getting his commission and
being ordered to Mexico.
"God bless you, lad, and save you in the battle and bring you home with
victory!" was Old Hurricane's comment.
Then seeing that the young people were quite worn out with fatigue, and
feeling not averse to his own comfortable couch, Old Hurricane broke up
the circle and they all retired to rest.