Capitola The Madcap | Page 7

have you in His holy keeping, my child I shall pray until
I hear from you!" said Marah, kissing and releasing her.
Colonel Le Noir then took her by the hand, led her out, and put her into

the carriage.
Just before entering Clara had turned to take a last look at her old
home--all, friends and servants, noticed the sorrowful, anxious, almost
despairing look of her pale face, which seemed to ask:
"Ah, shall I ever, ever return to you, dear old home, and dear, familiar
friends?"
In another instant she had disappeared within the carriage, which
immediately rolled off.
As the carriage was heavily laden, and the road was in a very bad
condition, it was a full hour before they reached the town of Staunton.
As the carriage drew up for a few moments before the door of the
principal hotel, and Colonel Le Noir was in the act of stepping out, a
sheriff's officer, accompanied by Dr. Williams, approached, and served
upon the colonel a writ of habeas corpus, commanding him to bring his
ward, Clara Day, into court.
Colonel Le Noir laughed scornfully, saying:
"And do any of you imagine this will serve your purposes? Ha, ha! The
most that it can do will be to delay my journey for a few hours until the
decision of the judge, which will only serve to confirm my authority
beyond all future possibility of questioning,"
"We will see to that," said Doctor Williams.
"Drive to the Court House!" ordered Colonel Le Noir.
And the carriage, attended by Traverse Rocke, Doctor Williams and the
Sheriff's officer, each on horseback, drove thither.
And now, reader, I will not trouble you with a detailed account of this
trial. Clara, clothed in deep mourning, and looking pale and terrified,
was led into the court room on the arm of her guardian. She was
followed closely by her friends, Traverse Rocke and Doctor Williams,

each of whom whispered encouraging words to the orphan.
As the court had no pressing business on its hands, the case was
immediately taken up, the will was read and attested by the attorney
who had drawn it up and the witnesses who had signed it. Then the
evidence of Doctor Williams and Doctor Rocke was taken concerning
the last verbal instruction of the deceased. The case occupied about
three hours, at the end of which the judge gave a decision in favor of
Colonel Le Noir.
This judgment carried consternation to the heart of Clara and of all her
friends.
Clara herself sank fainting in the arms of her old friend, the venerable
Doctor Williams.
Traverse, in bitterness of spirit, approached and bent over her.
Colonel Le Noir spoke to the judge.
"I deeply thank your honor for the prompt hearing and equally prompt
decision of this case, and I will beg your honor to order the Sheriff and
his officers to see your judgment carried into effect, as I foresee violent
opposition, and wish to prevent trouble."
"Certainly. Mr. Sheriff, you will see that Colonel Le Noir is put in
possession of his ward, and protected in that right until he shall have
placed her in security," said the judge.
Clara, on hearing these words, lifted her head from the old man's
bosom, nerved her gentle heart, and in a clear, sweet, steady voice said:
"It is needless precaution, your honor; my friends are no law- breakers,
and since the court has given me into the custody of my guardian, I do
not dispute its judgment. I yield myself up to Colonel Le Noir."
"You do well, young lady," said the judge.
"I am pleased, Miss Day, to see that you understand and perform your

duty; believe me, I shall do all that I can to make you happy," said
Colonel Le Noir.
Clara replied by a gentle nod, and then, with a slight blush mantling her
pure cheeks she advanced a step and placed herself immediately in
front of the judge, saying:
"But there is a word that I would speak to your honor."
"Say on, young lady," said the judge.
And as she stood there in her deep mourning dress, with her fair hair
unbound and floating softly around her pale, sweet face, every eye in
that court was spellbound by her almost unearthly beauty. Before
proceeding with what she was about to say, she turned upon Traverse a
look that brought him immediately to her side.
"Your honor," she began, in a low, sweet, clear tone, "I owe it to
Doctor Rocke here present, who has been sadly misrepresented to you,
to say (what, under less serious circumstances, my girl's heart would
shrink from avowing so publicly) that I am his betrothed wife-
-sacredly betrothed to him by almost the last act of my dear father's