"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 peddler, though I did not know who you were, when we were talking of Black Donald, and everybody was abusing him, except myself? I took his part and said that for my part I liked Black Donald and wanted to see him." "Sure enough, my jewel, so you did! And didn't I bravely risk my life by throwing off my disguise to gratify your laudable wish?" "So you did, my hero!" "Ah, but well as you liked me, the moment you thought me in your power didn't you leap upon my shoulders like a catamount and cling there, shouting to all the world to come and help you, for you had caught Black Donald and would die before you would give him up? Ah! you little vampire, how you thirsted for my blood! And you pretended to like me!" said Black Donald, eying her from head to foot, with a sly leer. Cap returned the look with interest. Dropping her head on one side, she glanced upward from the corner of her eye, with an expression of "infinite" mischief and roguery, saying: "Lor, didn't you know why I did that?" "Because you wanted me captured, I suppose." "No, indeed, but, because----" "Well, what?" "Because I wanted you to carry me off!" "Well, I declare! I never thought of that!" said the outlaw, dropping his bread and cheese, and staring at the young girl. "Well, you might have thought of it then! I was tired of hum-drum life, and I wanted to see adventures!" said Cap. Black Donald looked at the mad girl from head to foot and then said, coolly: "Miss Black, I am afraid you are not good." "Yes I am--before folks!" said Cap. "And so you really wished me to carry you off?" "I should think so! Didn't I stick to you until you dropped me?"