Instinctively they felt that some fresh calamity had happened to them.
In fear and trembling they anticipated the evil tidings which she brought, although, of course, they could not guess at its exact nature.
"Did you succeed!" demanded the old man.
She nodded gravely.
"You saw Mathias?"
"Yes."
Her answer was given in the same vacant manner, and staring fixedly into the very midst of them, she appeared to see nothing.
"Did you tell our brave captain how eagerly we look forward to his release—how anxiously we long for the moment when he shall be again here amongst us—at our head?"
It was the old brigand who spoke.
She gave him a strange look, from which they could gather absolutely nothing, and her eyes dropped again to the ground.