"Kill us! What for?" cried Minnie. "What do you mean? How silly you are, Kitty darling!"
At this moment Dacres entered. The image of the immeasurable ass was still very prominent in his mind, and he had lost all his fever and delirium. One thought only remained (besides that of the ass, of course), and that was—escape.
"Are you ready?" he asked, hurriedly.
"Oh yes, yes; let us make haste," said Mrs. Willoughby.
"I think no one is below," said he; "but I will go first. There is a good place close by. We will run there. If I fall, you must run on and try to get there. It is the bank just opposite. Once there, you are in the woods. Do you understand?"
"Oh yes, yes!" cried Mrs. Willoughby. "Haste! Oh, haste!"
Dacres turned, and Mrs. Willoughby had just grasped Minnie's hand to follow, when suddenly they heard footsteps below.
They stopped, appalled.
The robbers had not all gone, then. Some of them must have remained on guard. But how many?
Dacres listened and the ladies listened, and in their suspense the beating of each heart was audible. The footsteps below could be heard going from room to room, and pausing in each.