se of her work she complained that the heat of the fire
scorched her face, and she drew her chair farther to-wards the corner
of the chimney, and pulled the stand after her.

"Oh, you are trying to get away from me," said Black Donald, hitching
his own chair in the same direction, close to the stand, so that he sat
immediately in front of the fireplace.

Cap smiled and went on beating her eggs and sugar together. Then she
stirred in the brandy and poured in the milk and took the bowl from
Black Donald and laid on the foam. Finally, she filled a goblet with
the rich compound and handed it to her uncanny guest.

Black Donald untied his neck cloth, threw it upon the floor and sipped
his egg-nog, all the while looking over the top of the glass at
Capitola.

"Miss Black," he said, "it must be past twelve o'clock."

"I suppose it is," said Cap.

"Then it must be long past your usual hour of retiring."

"Of course it is," said Cap.

"Then what are you waiting for?"

"For my company to go home," replied Cap.

"Meaning me?"

"Meaning you."

"Oh, don't mind me, my dear."

"Very well," said Cap, "I shall not trouble myself about you," and her
tones were steady, though her heart seemed turned into a ball of ice,
through terror.

Black Donald went on slowly sipping his egg-nog, filling up his goblet
when it was empty, and looking at Capitola over the top of his glass.
At last he said:

"I have been watching you, Miss Black."

"Little need to tell me that," said Cap.

"And I have been reading you."

"Well, I hope the page was entertaining."

"Well, yes, my dear, it was, rather so. But why don't you proceed?"

"Proceed--with what?"

"With what you are thinking of, my darling."

"I don't understand you!"

"Why don't you offer to go down-stairs and bring up some lemons?"

"Oh, I'll go in a moment," said Cap, "if you wish."

"Ha--ha--ha--ha--ha! Of course you will, my darling! And you'd deliver
me into the hands of the Philistines, just as you did my poor men when
you fooled them about the victuals! I know your tricks and all your
acting has no other effect on me than to make me admire your wonderful
coolness and courage; so, my dear, stop puzzling your little head with
schemes to baffle me! You are like the caged starling! You
can't--get--out!" chuckled Black Donald, hitching his chair nearer to
hers. He was now right upon the center of the rug.

Capitola turned very pale, but not with fear, though Bla