At that moment the door opened, and Markus stood at the threshold of the little hall.
"Hurrah!" cried Johannes; and the others, who had just before been shouting; "Hurrah for Golgotha!" now shouted "Hurrah for Markus!" They were all greatly excited and glad to see him free.
"Good-evening," said Markus, without giving token, himself, of being particularly glad. He wore again his customary workman's suit. From all sides hands were held out to him.
"I hadn't thought it," said Jan, "that they'd let you out of their clutches again. How did you manage it?"
"Let 'im have something to eat, first," said Vrouw Roodhuis. "Aren't you hungry, man? You couldn't have been in clover there."
"I shouldn't have had any appetite with all those mad folks about," remarked another woman. "And then, too, when they wanted to poison you!"
"Yes, I am hungry," said Markus. And then bread and milk were given him.
"Why did you come here again?" asked Marjon.
Markus replied simply, "I had something more to say."
After he had eaten, he asked, "Is there a meeting to-night? Who called it?"