e next her
plan was formed.

Setting her waiter down upon the table and throwing herself into one of
the armchairs, she said:

"Well, upon my word! I think a gentleman might let a lady know when he
means to pay her a domiciliary visit at midnight!"

"Upon my word, I think you are very cool!" replied Black Donald,
throwing himself into the second armchair on the other side of the
stand of refreshments.

"People are likely to be cool on a December night, with the thermometer
at zero, and the ground three feet under the snow," said Cap, nothing
daunted.

"Capitola, I admire you! You are a cucumber! That's what you are, a
cucumber!"

"A pickled one?" asked Cap.

"Yes, and as pickled cucumbers are good to give one an appetite, I
think I shall fall to and eat."

"Do so," said Cap, "for heaven forbid that I should fail in hospitality!"

"Why, really, this looks as though you had expected a visitor--doesn't
it?" asked Black Donald, helping himself to a huge slice of ham, and
stretching his feet out toward the fire.

"Well, yes, rather; though, to say the truth, it was not your reverence
I expected," said Cap.

"Ah! somebody else's reverence, eh? Well, let them come! I'll be ready
for them!" said the outlaw, pouring out and quaffing a large glass of
brandy. He drank it, set down the glass, and turning to our little
heroine, inquired:

"Capitola did you ever have Craven Le Noir here to supper with you?"

"You insult me! I scorn to reply!" said Cap.

"Whe-ew! What long whiskers our Grimalkin's got! You scorn to reply!
Then you really are not afraid of me?" asked the robber, rolling a
great piece of cheese in his mouth.

"Afraid of you? No, I guess not!" replied Cap, with a toss of her head.

"Yet, I might do you some harm."

"But, you won't!"

"Why won't I?"

"Because it won't pay!"

"Why wouldn't it?"

"Because you couldn't do me any harm, unless you were to kill me, and
you would gain nothing by my death, except a few trinkets that you may
have without."

"Then, you are really not afraid of me?" he asked, taking another deep
draught of brandy.

"Not a bit of it--I rather like you!"

"Come, now, you're running a rig upon a fellow," said the outlaw,
winking and depositing a huge chunk of bread in his capacious jaws.

"No, indeed! I liked you, long before I ever saw you! I always did like
people that make other people's hair stand on end! Don't you remember
when you first came here disguised as a