here they had turned to gaze on the evidence of the
catastrophe: and Lomellino had succeeded in effecting a safe and
unobserved return to the stronghold.

This account was particularly welcome to the robbers, inasmuch as it
convinced them that the sbirri had no clew to the secret entrance of
their stronghold, and that none of their band had been captured in the
conflict: for they would rather hear of the death of their comrades than
that they had been taken prisoners; because, were the latter the case,
the tortures of the rack or the exhortations of the priest might elicit
confessions hostile to the interests of the corps.

Stephano Verrina now proceeded to count his men, who had mustered fifty
strong previously to the expedition of that fatal night, which, it was
ascertained, had reduced the number to thirty-six--seven, including
Piero, having been slain by the sbirri, and as many having perished by
the falling in of the chamber of penitence.

The captain then addressed the troop in the following manner:

"Worthy comrades,--our number is sadly reduced; but regrets will not
bring back those gallant fellows who are gone. It, therefore, behooves
us to attend to our own interests; and, for that purpose, I demand your
attention for a few minutes. In pursuance of the resolution to which we
came the night before last at the general council that was held, the
treasures and possessions amassed during many years of adventure and
peril have been fairly divided, and each man's portion has been settled
by lot. The fourteen shares that revert to us by the death of our
comrades shall be equally subdivided to-morrow; and the superintendence
of that duty, my friends, will be the last act in my chieftainship. Yes,
brave comrades,--I shall then leave you, in accordance with the
announcement I made the night before last. It will grieve me to part
with you; but you will choose another captain----"

"Lomellino! Lomellino!" exclaimed the banditti with one accord; "he
shall succeed our gallant Verrina!"

"And you could not make a better choice," continued Stephano.
"Lomellino----"

"Pardon me, captain," interrupted the individual thus alluded to: "but
is not that little expedition to take place on Monday, in case the lady
requires it? We have received her gold as an earnest----"

"And double that amount was promised if the affair should turn out
successful," added Stephano. "But I have reasons of my own, which you
may perhaps underst