Black Donald sat down in his shirt sleeves, took one of the bowls from
Capitola and began to whisk up the whites with all his might and main.
Capitola beat up the yellows, gradually mixing the sugar with it. In
the course of her work she complained that the heat of the fire
scorched her face, and she drew her chair farther towards 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.