Who can express the horror of that night,
When darkness lent his robes to monster fear?
And heaven's black mantle, banishing the light,
Made everything in fearful form appear.
Brandon
Let it not be supposed that Black Donald had forgotten his promise to
Colonel Le Noir, or was indifferent to its performance.
But many perilous failures had taught him caution.
He had watched and waylaid Capitola in her rides. But the girl seemed
to bear a charmed safety; for never once had he caught sight of her
except in company with her groom and with Craven Le Noir. And very soon
by eavesdropping on these occasions, he learned the secret design of
the son to forestall the father, and run off with the heiress.
And as Black Donald did not foresee what success Craven Le Noir might
have with Capitola, he felt the more urgent necessity for prompt action
on his own part.
He might, indeed, have brought his men and attacked and overcome
Capitola's attendants, in open day; but the enterprise must needs have
been attended with great bloodshed and loss of life, which would have
made a sensation in the neighborhood that Black Donald, in the present
state of his fortunes, was by no means ambitious of daring.
In a word, had such an act of unparalleled violence been attempted, the
better it succeeded the greater would have been the indignation of the
people, and the whole country would probably have risen and armed
themselves and hunted the outlaws, as so many wild beasts, with horses
and hounds.
Therefore, Black Donald preferred quietly to abduct his victim, so as
to leave no trace of her "taking off," but to allow it to be supposed
that she had eloped.
He resolved to undertake this adventure alone, though to himself
personally this plan was even more dangerous than the other.
He determined to gain access to her chamber, secrete himself anywhere
in the room (except under the bed, where his instincts informed him
that Capitola every night looked), and when the household should be
buried in repose, steal out upon her, overpower, gag and carry her off,
in the silence of the night, leaving no trace of his own presence
behind.
By means of one of his men, who went about unsuspected among the
negroes, buying up mats and baskets, that the latter were in the habit
of making for sale, he learned that Capitola occupied the same remote
chamber, in the oldest part of the house; but that a guest slept in the
room next, and another in the one opposite hers. And that the house was
besides full of visitors from the city, who had come down to spend the
sporting season, and that they were hunting all day and carousing all
night from one week's end to another.