e deep, sad,
appealing gaze to hers, and then, bowing profoundly, passed on.

"Poor man," said Cap to herself, "he bears no malice toward me for
depriving him of his sweetheart; that's certain. And, badly as he
behaved, I suppose it was all for love, for I don't know how any one
could live in the same house with Clara and not be in love with her. I
should have been so myself if I'd been a man, I know!"

The next time Cap met Craven and saw again that deep, sorrowful,
appealing gaze as he bowed and passed her, she glanced after him,
saying to herself:

"Poor soul, I wonder what he means by looking at me in that piteous
manner? I can do nothing to relieve him. I'm sure if I could I would.
But 'the way of the transgressor is hard,' Mr. Le Noir, and he who sins
must suffer."

For about three weeks their seemingly accidental meetings continued in
this silent manner, so slowly did Craven make his advances. Then,
feeling more confidence, he made a considerably long step forward.

One day, when he guessed that Capitola would be out, instead of meeting
her as heretofore, he put himself in her road and, riding slowly toward
a five-barred gate, allowed her to overtake him.

He opened the gate and, bowing, held it open until she had passed.

She bowed her thanks and rode on; but presently, without the least
appearance of intruding, since she had overtaken him, he was at her
side and, speaking with downcast eyes and deferential manner, he said:

"I have long desired an opportunity to express the deep sorrow and
mortification I feel for having been hurried into rudeness toward an
estimable young lady at the Forest Chapel. Miss Black, will you permit
me now to assure you of my profound repentance of that act and to
implore your pardon?"

"Oh, I have nothing against you, Mr. Le Noir. It was not I whom you
were intending to marry against my will; and as for what you said and
did to me, ha! ha! I had provoked it, you know, and I also afterwards
paid it in kind. It was a fair fight, in which I was the victor, and
victors should never be vindictive," said Cap, laughing, for, though
knowing him to have been violent and unjust, she did not suspect him of
being treacherous and deceitful, or imagine the base designs concealed
beneath his plausible manner. Her brave, honest nature could understand
a brute or a despot, but not a traitor.

"Then, like frank enemies who have fought their fight out, yet bear no
malice toward each other,