“Never!” replied the others in chorus; “we fear nobody.”
“Forward!”
“Yes, yes—forward!” was repeated on all sides. And the animation, which had been calmed down for a moment, was redoubled in the midst of renewed tumult. Some moments after, the eyes of the assailants, becoming accustomed to the twilight, were able to distinguish in the midst of the faint halo shed around by a silver lamp, the imposing countenance of Gabriel, as he stood before the iron railing of the choir.
“The poisoner is here, hid in some corner,” cried the quarryman. “We must force this parson to give us back the villain.”
“He shall answer for him!”
“He took him into the church.”
“He shall pay for both, if we do not find the other!”
As the first impression of involuntary respect was effaced from the minds of the crowd, their voices rose the louder, and their faces became the more savage and threatening, because they all felt ashamed of their momentary hesitation and weakness.
“Yes, yes!” cried many voices, trembling with rage, “we must have the life of one or the other!”
“Or of both!”