| "'Bit of bright ribbon |
| To bind up your bonny black hair!'" |
laughed the captain, tossing the gay remnant to the girl, who caught it up and immediately twisted it in coquettishly among her ebon locks.
It occupied the band for nearly an hour to open and examine all the letters. When they had done so, and had taken everything that was valuable out of them, they gathered the whole refuse mass of papers together, and ruthlessly committed them to the flames.
Then they divided the money among themselves, the captain and his men having each an equal, instead of a graduated share.
"And now," said Captain Inconnu, "we will bid each other good-night, and try to get some rest. Princess, take our guest up-stairs to the large room immediately over this. She, you, and the other women will occupy that room to-night. Hecate has had my orders to that effect, and I hope you will find that she has made the place as comfortable as circumstances will permit."
And so saying, he stuck a stump of a tallow candle in a scooped-out turnip and handed it to Gentiliska, and motioned her to conduct their guest from the room.
Sybil very willingly left the company of the robbers, and followed her hostess to the chamber above.
It was a large bare room, warmed and lighted by a fine wood fire, and furnished only with a few pallets made of dried leaves, with blankets thrown over them.
The old crone called Hecate and the pale girl nicknamed Proserpine stood basking before the blaze of the fire.
Sybil felt pleased to know that she might sleep in peace that night, protected by the presence of other women.