She had not been able to think of any plan by which she
could deliver Black Donald. Meantime the last days of July were
rapidly passing away.
Black Donald in the condemned cell maintained his firmness,
resolutely asserting his innocence of any capital crime and
persistently refusing to give up his band. As a last motive of
confession, the paper written by Gabriel Le Noir upon his death-bed
was shown him. He laughed a loud, crackling laugh, and said that was
all true, but that he, for his part, never had intended to harm a
hair of Capitola's head; that he had taken a fancy to the girl when
he had first seen her, and had only wanted to carry her off and
force her into a marriage with himself; that he had pretended to
consent to her death only for the purpose of saving her life.
When Cap heard this she burst into tears and said she believed it
was true.
The night before the wedding of Capitola and Herbert, and Clara and
Traverse, and of the execution of Black Donald, came.
At Hurricane Hall the two prospective bridegrooms were busy with Old
Hurricane over some papers that had to be prepared in the library.
The two intended brides were engaged, under the direction of Mrs.
Warfield, in her dressing-room, consulting over certain proprieties
of the approaching festival. But Capitola could give only a half
attention to the discussion.
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