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!"