Her curiosity was excited by them,
and she stole softly over towards the quarter from whence they came,
keeping carefully in the shadow of the wall, and glancing anxiously
about to make sure that no one was furtively watching her. Finding a
considerable aperture in one of the wooden shutters she peeped through
it, and saw a party of men gathered around a table, eating and drinking
and making merry in a very noisy fashion. The light from a lamp with
three burners, which was suspended by a copper chain from the low
ceiling, fell full upon them, and although she had only seen them masked
before, Isabelle instantly recognised those who had been concerned
in her abduction. At the head of the table sat Malartic, whose
extraordinary face was paler and nose redder than ever, and at sight
of whom the young girl shuddered and drew back. When she had recovered
herself a little, she looked in again upon the repulsive scene, and was
surprised to see, at the other end of the table, and somewhat apart from
the others, Agostino, the brigand, who had now laid aside the long
white beard in which he had played the part of the old blind beggar
so successfully. A great deal of loud talking was going on, constantly
interrupted by bursts of laughter, but Isabelle could not hear
distinctly enough through the closed window to make out what they were
saying.
Pages:
473
474
475
476
477
478
479
480
481
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497