I’llwooherasthelionwooshisbride。
　　_Douglas。_
　　Whilethesceneswehavedescribedwerepassinginotherpartsofthecastle，theJewessRebeccaawaitedherfateinadistantandsequesteredturret。
　　Hithershehadbeenledbytwoofherdisguisedravishers，andonbeingthrustintothelittlecell，shefoundherselfinthepresenceofanoldsibyl，whokeptmurmuringtoherselfaSaxonrhyme，asiftobeattimetotherevolvingdancewhichherspindlewasperforminguponthefloor。
　　ThehagraisedherheadasRebeccaentered，andscowledatthefairJewesswiththemalignantenvywithwhicholdageandugliness，whenunitedwithevilconditions，areapttolookuponyouthandbeauty。
　　``Thoumustupandaway，oldhouse-cricket，’’
　　saidoneofthemen；``ournoblemastercommandsit——Thoumuste’enleavethischambertoafairerguest。’’
　　``Ay，’’grumbledthehag，``eventhusisservicerequited。Ihaveknownwhenmybarewordwouldhavecastthebestman-at-armsamongyeoutofsaddleandoutofservice；andnowmustI
　　upandawayatthecommandofeverygroomsuchasthou。’’
　　``GoodDameUrfried，’’saidtheotherman，``standnottoreasononit，butupandaway。
　　Lords’hestsmustbelistenedtowithaquickear。
　　Thouhasthadthyday，olddame，butthysunhaslongbeenset。Thouartnowtheveryemblemofanoldwar-horseturnedoutonthebarrenheath——
　　thouhasthadthypacesinthytime，butnowabrokenambleisthebestofthem——Come，ambleoffwiththee。’’
　　``Illomensdogyeboth！’’saidtheoldwoman；
　　``andakennelbeyourburying-place！MaytheevildemonZernebocktearmelimbfromlimb，ifI
　　leavemyowncellereIhavespunoutthehemponmydistaff！’’
　　``Answerittoourlord，then，oldhousefiend，’’
　　saidtheman，andretired；leavingRebeccaincompanywiththeoldwoman，uponwhosepresenceshehadbeenthusunwillinglyforced。
　　``Whatdevil’sdeedhavetheynowinthewind?’’
　　saidtheoldhag，murmuringtoherself，yetfromtimetotimecastingasidelongandmalignantglanceatRebecca；``butitiseasytoguess——
　　Brighteyes，blacklocks，andaskinlikepaper，eretheprieststainsitwithhisblackunguent——Ay，itiseasytoguesswhytheysendhertothisloneturret，whenceashriekcouldnomorebeheardthanatthedepthoffivehundredfathomsbeneaththeearth——Thouwilthaveowlsforthyneighbours，fairone；andtheirscreamswillbeheardasfar，andasmuchregarded，asthineown。Outlandish，too，’’shesaid，markingthedressandturbanofRebecca——``Whatcountryartthouof?——aSaracen?
　　oranEgyptian?——Whydostnotanswer?——
　　thoucanstweep，canstthounotspeak?’’
　　``Benotangry，goodmother，’’saidRebecca。
　　``Thouneedstsaynomore，’’repliedUrfried``menknowafoxbythetrain，andaJewessbyhertongue。’’
　　``Forthesakeofmercy，’’saidRebecca，``tellmewhatIamtoexpectastheconclusionoftheviolencewhichhathdraggedmehither！Isitmylifetheyseek，toatoneformyreligion?Iwilllayitdowncheerfully。’’
　　``Thylife，minion?’’answeredthesibyl；``whatwouldtakingthylifepleasurethem?——Trustme，thylifeisinnoperil。SuchusageshaltthouhaveaswasoncethoughtgoodenoughforanobleSaxonmaiden。AndshallaJewess，likethee，repinebecauseshehathnobetter?Lookatme——Iwasasyoungandtwiceasfairasthou，whenFront-de-Buf，fatherofthisReginald，andhisNormans，stormedthiscastle。Myfatherandhissevensonsdefendedtheirinheritancefromstorytostory，fromchambertochamber——Therewasnotaroom，notastepofthestair，thatwasnotslipperywiththeirblood。Theydied——theydiedeveryman；anderetheirbodieswerecold，anderetheirbloodwasdried，Ihadbecomethepreyandthescornoftheconqueror！’’
　　``Istherenohelp?——Aretherenomeansofescape?’’saidRebecca——``Richly，richlywouldI
　　requitethineaid。’’
　　``Thinknotofit，’’saidthehag；``fromhencethereisnoescapebutthroughthegatesofdeath；
　　anditislate，late，’’sheadded，shakinghergreyhead，``eretheseopentous——Yetitiscomforttothinkthatweleavebehindusonearththosewhoshallbewretchedasourselves。Faretheewell，Jewess！——JeworGentile，thyfatewouldbethesame；forthouhasttodowiththemthathaveneitherscruplenorpity。Faretheewell，Isay。
　　Mythreadisspunout——thytaskisyettobegin。’’
　　``Stay！stay！forHeaven’ssake！’’saidRebecca；
　　``stay，thoughitbetocurseandtorevileme——thypresenceisyetsomeprotection。’’
　　``ThepresenceofthemotherofGodwerenoprotection，’’answeredtheoldwoman。``Thereshestands，’’pointingtoarudeimageoftheVirginMary，``seeifshecanavertthefatethatawaitsthee。’’
　　Shelefttheroomasshespoke，herfeatureswrithedintoasortofsneeringlaugh，whichmadethemseemevenmorehideousthantheirhabitualfrown。Shelockedthedoorbehindher，andRebeccamighthearhercurseeverystepforitssteepness，asslowlyandwithdifficultyshedescendedtheturret-stair。
　　RebeccawasnowtoexpectafateevenmoredreadfulthanthatofRowena；forwhatprobabilitywastherethateithersoftnessorceremonywouldbeusedtowardsoneofheroppressedrace，whatevershadowofthesemightbepreservedtowardsaSaxonheiress?YethadtheJewessthisadvantage，thatshewasbetterpreparedbyhabitsofthought，andbynaturalstrengthofmind，toencounterthedangerstowhichshewasexposed。
　　Ofastrongandobservingcharacter，evenfromherearliestyears，thepompandwealthwhichherfatherdisplayedwithinhiswalls，orwhichshewitnessedinthehousesofotherwealthyHebrews，hadnotbeenabletoblindhertotheprecariouscircumstancesunderwhichtheywereenjoyed。LikeDamoclesathiscelebratedbanquet，Rebeccaperpetuallybeheld，amidthatgorgeousdisplay，theswordwhichwassuspendedovertheheadsofherpeoplebyasinglehair。Thesereflectionshadtamedandbroughtdowntoapitchofsounderjudgmentatemper，which，underothercircumstances，mighthavewaxedhaughty，supercilious，andobstinate。
　　Fromherfather’sexampleandinjunctions，Rebeccahadlearnttobearherselfcourteouslytowardsallwhoapproachedher。Shecouldnotindeedimitatehisexcessofsubservience，becauseshewasastrangertothemeannessofmind，andtotheconstantstateoftimidapprehension，bywhichitwasdictated；butsheboreherselfwithaproudhumility，asifsubmittingtotheevilcircumstancesinwhichshewasplacedasthedaughterofadespisedrace，whileshefeltinhermindtheconsciousnessthatshewasentitledtoholdahigherrankfromhermerit，thanthearbitrarydespotismofreligiousprejudicepermittedhertoaspireto。
　　Thuspreparedtoexpectadversecircumstances，shehadacquiredthefirmnessnecessaryforactingunderthem。Herpresentsituationrequiredallherpresenceofmind，andshesummoneditupaccordingly。
　　Herfirstcarewastoinspecttheapartment；butitaffordedfewhopeseitherofescapeorprotection。
　　Itcontainedneithersecretpassagenortrap-door，andunlesswherethedoorbywhichshehadenteredjoinedthemainbuilding，seemedtobecircumscribedbytheroundexteriorwalloftheturret。
　　Thedoorhadnoinsideboltorbar。Thesinglewindowopeneduponanembattledspacesurmountingtheturret，whichgaveRebecca，atfirstsight，somehopesofescaping；butshesoonfoundithadnocommunicationwithanyotherpartofthebattlements，beinganisolatedbartisan，orbalcony，secured，asusual，byaparapet，withembrasures，atwhichafewarchersmightbestationedfordefendingtheturret，andflankingwiththeirshotthewallofthecastleonthatside。
　　Therewasthereforenohopebutinpassivefortitude，andinthatstrongrelianceonHeavennaturaltogreatandgenerouscharacters。Rebecca，howevererroneouslytaughttointerpretthepromisesofScripturetothechosenpeopleofHeaven，didnoterrinsupposingthepresenttobetheirhouroftrial，orintrustingthatthechildrenofZionwouldbeonedaycalledinwiththefulnessoftheGentiles。Inthemeanwhile，allaroundhershowedthattheirpresentstatewasthatofpunishmentandprobation，andthatitwastheirespecialdutytosufferwithoutsinning。Thuspreparedtoconsiderherselfasthevictimofmisfortune，Rebeccahadearlyreflecteduponherownstate，andschooledhermindtomeetthedangerswhichshehadprobablytoencounter。
　　Theprisonertrembled，however，andchangedcolour，whenastepwasheardonthestair，andthedooroftheturret-chamberslowlyopened，andatallman，dressedasoneofthosebandittitowhomtheyowedtheirmisfortune，slowlyentered，andshutthedoorbehindhim；hiscap，pulleddownuponhisbrows，concealedtheupperpartofhisface，andheheldhismantleinsuchamannerastomuffletherest。Inthisguise，asifpreparedfortheexecutionofsomedeed，atthethoughtofwhichhewashimselfashamed，hestoodbeforetheaffrightedprisoner；yet，ruffianashisdressbespokehim，heseemedatalosstoexpresswhatpurposehadbroughthimthither，sothatRebecca，makinganeffortuponherself，hadtimetoanticipatehisexplanation。
　　Shehadalreadyunclaspedtwocostlybraceletsandacollar，whichshehastenedtoproffertothesupposedoutlaw，concludingnaturallythattogratifyhisavaricewastobespeakhisfavour。
　　``Takethese，’’shesaid，``goodfriend，andforGod’ssakebemercifultomeandmyagedfather！
　　Theseornamentsareofvalue，yetaretheytriflingtowhathewouldbestowtoobtainourdismissalfromthiscastle，freeanduninjured。’’
　　``FairflowerofPalestine，’’repliedtheoutlaw，``thesepearlsareorient，buttheyyieldinwhitenesstoyourteeth；thediamondsarebrilliant，buttheycannotmatchyoureyes；andeversinceIhavetakenupthiswildtrade，Ihavemadeavowtopreferbeautytowealth。’’
　　``Donotdoyourselfsuchwrong，’’saidRebecca；