Several moments passed; it was very dark; the song of the peasants gradually died away in the campagna. The old woman recovered her senses.
“Ferruccio!” she cried, in a voice that was barely intelligible, with chattering teeth.
“Grandmamma!” replied the lad.
The old woman made an effort to speak; but terror had paralyzed her tongue.
She remained silent for a while, trembling violently.
Then she succeeded in asking:—
“No.”
“They did not kill me,” murmured the old woman in a stifled voice.
“No; you are safe,” said Ferruccio, in a weak voice. “You are safe, dear grandmother. They carried off the money. But daddy had taken nearly all of it with him.”