The prince had escaped their vigilance, and Paul had maintained silence under their cruel questioning.

Eva knew no more of him than the farmer, but all were full of hope that he had escaped.

Well indeed for both--if Paul knew his hiding place--that he was out of the power of the robbers.

They would scarce in any case have let him escape with his life, after the ill will many of them bore him; but had he continued to set them at defiance by his silence, there is no knowing to what lengths their baffled rage might not have gone.
Eva had heard of things in bygone days which she could not recall without a shudder, and the farmer and Jack, with clenched hands and stern faces, vowed that they would leave no stone unturned until the country was rid of these lawless and terrible marauders.
"We have stood enough; this is the last!" cried the burly owner of Figeon's.

"We will raise the whole countryside; we will send a deputation to the bold Earl of Warwick; we will tell him Paul's history, and beg him to come himself, or to send a band of five hundred of his good soldiers, and destroy these bandits root and branch.