She turned around. Her face was as white as marble, excepting her glittering eyes; they, half sheathed under their long lashes, flashed like stilettoes. Raising her hand and keeping her eyes fixed upon him, with a slow and gliding motion, and the deep and measured voice that scarcely seemed to belong to a denizen of earth, she approached and stood before him and spoke these words: "Uncle, in all the sorrows, shames and sufferings of my destitute childhood, no one ever dishonored my person with a blow; and if ever you should have the misfortune to forget your manhood so far as to strike me--" She paused, drew her breath hard between her set teeth, grew a shade whiter, while her dark eyes dilated until a white ring flamed around the iris. "Oh, you perilous witch! what then!" cried Old Hurricane, in dismay. "Why, then," said Capitola, speaking in a low, deep and measured tone, and keeping her gaze upon his astonished face, "the--first--time--I-- should--find--you--asleep--I--would--take--a--razor--and----" "Cut my throat! I feel you would, you terrible termagant!" shuddered Old Hurricane. "Shave your beard off smick, smack, smoove!" said Cap, bounding off and laughing merrily as she ran out of the room. In an instant she came bounding back, saying, "Uncle, I will meet you at the fair; _au revoir, au revoir_!" and, kissing her hand, she dashed away and ran off to her room. "She'll kill me; I know she will. If she don't do it one way she will in another. Whew! I'm perspiring at every pore. Wool! Wool, you scoundrel!" exclaimed the old man, jerking the bell-rope as if he would have broken the wires. "Yes, sir; here I am, marse," exclaimed that worthy, hastening in in a state of perturbation, for he dreaded another storm. "Wool, go down to the stables and tell every man there that if either of them allows a horse to be brought out for the use of Miss Black to-day. I'll flay them alive and break every bone in their skins. Away with you." "Yes, sir," cried the shocked and terrified Wool, hurrying off to convey his panic to the stables. Old Hurricane's carriage being ready, he entered it and drove off for the fair. Next the house servants, with the exception of Pitapat, who was commanded to remain behind and wait upon her mistress, went off in a wagon. When they were all gone, Capitola dressed herself in her riding-habit and sent Pitapat down to the stables to order one of the grooms to saddle Gyp and bring him up for her.