FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89  
90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   >>   >|  
ite dark--the long, dreary passage was only dimly lighted by a hanging lamp, so that with the care she took there was scarcely a possibility of Capitola's being discovered. They went on, Craven Le Noir whispering hypocritical apologies and Cap replying only by low sobs. When they reached the outer door they found a close carriage drawn up before the house. To this Craven Le Noir led Capitola, placed her within and took the seat by her side. Colonel Le Noir followed and placed himself in the front seat opposite them. And the carriage was driven rapidly off. An hour's ride brought the party to an obscure church in the depths of the forest, which Capitola recognized by the cross on its top to be a Roman Catholic chapel. Here the carriage drew up and the two Le Noirs got out and assisted Capitola to alight. They then led her into the church, which was dimly illumined by a pair of wax candles burning before the altar. A priest in his sacerdotal robes was in attendance. A few country people were scattered thinly about among the pews, at their private devotions. Guarded by Craven Le Noir on the right and Colonel Le Noir on the left, Capitola was marched up the aisle and placed before the altar. Colonel Le Noir then went and spoke apart to the officiating priest, saying, in a tone of dissatisfaction: "I told you, sir, that as our bride was an orphan, recently bereaved, and still in deep mourning, we wished the marriage ceremony to be strictly private, and you gave me to understand, sir, that at this hour the chapel was most likely to be vacant. Yet, here I find a half a score of people! How is this?" "Sir," replied the priest, "it is true that at this hour of the evening the chapel is most likely to be vacant, but it is not therefore certain to be so! nor did I promise as much! Our chapel is, as you know, open at all hours of the day and night, that all who please may come and pray. These people that you see are hard-working farm laborers, who have no time to come in the day, and who are now here to offer up their evening prayers, and also, some of them, to examine their consciences preparatory to confession! They can certainly be no interruption to this ceremony." "Egad, I don't know that!" muttered Colonel Le Noir between his teeth. As for Cap, the sight of other persons present in the chapel filled her heart with joy and exultation, inasmuch as it insured her final safety. And so she just abandoned h
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89  
90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

chapel

 

Capitola

 

Colonel

 
people
 

carriage

 

priest

 

Craven

 

evening

 
church
 

ceremony


private

 
vacant
 

promise

 
wished
 

marriage

 

strictly

 

mourning

 
bereaved
 

replied

 

understand


persons

 
muttered
 

present

 

filled

 

safety

 

abandoned

 
insured
 

exultation

 
interruption
 

working


laborers

 

recently

 

consciences

 

preparatory

 
confession
 
examine
 
prayers
 

opposite

 

obscure

 

depths


forest

 

brought

 
driven
 

rapidly

 

reached

 

hanging

 
lighted
 

passage

 

dreary

 

scarcely