At length there was the sound of a woman's
voice--clear, plain, and unmistakable. It was a fretful voice of
complaint. Girasole was trying to answer it. After a time Girasole
left. Then all was still. Then Girasole returned. Then there was a
clattering noise on the stairs, and the bumping of some heavy weight,
and the heavy breathing of men. Then he heard Girasole say something,
after which arose Minnie's voice, close by, as though she was in the
hall, and her words were, "Oh, take it away, take it away!" followed
by long reproaches, which Hawbury did not fully understand.
This showed him that Minnie, at least, was a prisoner, and in this
house, and in the adjoining room, along with some one whom he rightly
supposed was Mrs. Willoughby.
After this there was a further silence for some time, which at last
was broken by fresh sounds of trampling and shuffling, together with
the confused directions of several voices all speaking at once.
Hawbury listened, and turned on his couch of straw so as to see any
thing which presented itself. The clatter and the noise approached
nearer, ascending the stairs, until at last he saw that they were
entering his room. Two of the brigands came first, carrying something
carefully. In a few moments the burden which they bore was revealed.
It was a rude litter, hastily made from bushes fastened together. Upon
this lay the dead body of a man, his white face upturned, and his
limbs stiffened in the rigidity of death. Hawbury did not remember
very distinctly any of the particular events of his confused struggle
with the brigands; but he was not at all surprised to see that there
had been one of the ruffians sent to his account.
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