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.