Shedrewherselfintoanattitudenotofdefiance,butofresolution,asonethatwouldavoidprovokingassault,yetwasresolutetorepelit,beingoffered,totheutmostofherpower。
``Youhavenoreasontofearme,Rebecca,’’saidtheTemplar;``OrifImustsoqualifymyspeech,youhaveatleast_now_noreasontofearme。’’
``Ifearyounot,SirKnight,’’repliedRebecca,althoughhershort-drawnbreathseemedtobelietheheroismofheraccentsmytrustisstrong,andIfeartheenot。’’
``Youhavenocause,’’answeredBois-Guilbert,gravely;``myformerfranticattemptsyouhavenotnowtodread。Withinyourcallareguards,overwhomIhavenoauthority。Theyaredesignedtoconductyoutodeath,Rebecca,yetwouldnotsufferyoutobeinsultedbyanyone,evenbyme,weremyfrenzy——forfrenzyitis——tourgemesofar。’’
``MayHeavenbepraised!’’saidtheJewess;
``deathistheleastofmyapprehensionsinthisdenofevil。’’
``Ay,’’repliedtheTemplar,``theideaofdeathiseasilyreceivedbythecourageousmind,whentheroadtoitissuddenandopen。Athrustwithalance,astrokewithasword,weretomelittle——
Toyou,aspringfromadizzybattlement,astrokewithasharpponiard,hasnoterrors,comparedwithwhateitherthinksdisgrace。Markme——I
saythis——perhapsmineownsentimentsofhonourarenotlessfantastic,Rebecca,thanthineare;butweknowalikehowtodieforthem。’’
``Unhappyman,’’saidtheJewess;``andartthoucondemnedtoexposethylifeforprinciples,ofwhichthysoberjudgmentdoesnotacknowledgethesolidity?Surelythisisapartingwithyourtreasureforthatwhichisnotbread——butdeemnotsoofme。Thyresolutionmayfluctuateonthewildandchangefulbillowsofhumanopinion,butmineisanchoredontheRockofAges。’’
``Silence,maiden,’’answeredtheTemplar;
``suchdiscoursenowavailsbutlittle。Thouartcondemnedtodienotasuddenandeasydeath,suchasmiserychooses,anddespairwelcomes,butaslow,wretched,protractedcourseoftorture,suitedtowhatthediabolicalbigotryofthesemencallsthycrime。’’
``Andtowhom——ifsuchmyfate——towhomdoIowethis?’’saidRebecca``surelyonlytohim,who,foramostselfishandbrutalcause,draggedmehither,andwhonow,forsomeunknownpurposeofhisown,strivestoexaggeratethewretchedfatetowhichheexposedme。’’
``Thinknot,’’saidtheTemplar,``thatIhavesoexposedthee;Iwouldhavebuckleredtheeagainstsuchdangerwithmyownbosom,asfreelyaseverIexposedittotheshaftswhichhadotherwisereachedthylife。’’
``Hadthypurposebeenthehonourableprotectionoftheinnocent,’’saidRebecca,``Ihadthankedtheeforthycare——asitis,thouhastclaimedmeritforitsooften,thatItelltheelifeisworthnothingtome,preservedatthepricewhichthouwouldstexactforit。’’
``Trucewiththineupbraidings,Rebecca,’’saidtheTemplar;``Ihavemyowncauseofgrief,andbrooknotthatthyreproachesshouldaddtoit。’’
``Whatisthypurpose,then,SirKnight?’’saidtheJewess;``speakitbriefly——Ifthouhastaughttodo,savetowitnessthemiserythouhastcaused,letmeknowit;andthen,ifsoitpleaseyou,leavemetomyself——thestepbetweentimeandeternityisshortbutterrible,andIhavefewmomentstoprepareforit。’’
``Iperceive,Rebecca,’’saidBois-Guilbert,``thatthoudostcontinuetoburdenmewiththechargeofdistresses,whichmostfainwouldIhaveprevented。’’
``SirKnight,’’saidRebecca,``Iwouldavoidreproaches——ButwhatismorecertainthanthatI
owemydeathtothineunbridledpassion?’’
``Youerr——youerr,’’——saidtheTemplar,hastily,``ifyouimputewhatIcouldneitherforeseenorpreventtomypurposeoragency——CouldI
guesstheunexpectedarrivalofyondotard,whomsomeflashesoffranticvalour,andthepraisesyieldedbyfoolstothestupidself-tormentsofanascetic,haveraisedforthepresentabovehisownmerits,abovecommonsense,aboveme,andabovethehundredsofourOrder,whothinkandfeelasmenfreefromsuchsillyandfantasticprejudicesasarethegroundsofhisopinionsandactions?’’
``Yet,’’saidRebecca,``yousateajudgeuponme,innocent——mostinnocent——asyouknewmetobe——youconcurredinmycondemnation,and,ifI
arightunderstood,areyourselftoappearinarmstoassertmyguilt,andassuremypunishment。’’
``Thypatience,maiden,’’repliedtheTemplar。
``Noraceknowssowellasthineowntribeshowtosubmittothetime,andsototrimtheirbarkastomakeadvantageevenofanadversewind。’’
``Lamentedbethehour,’’saidRebecca,``thathastaughtsucharttotheHouseofIsrael!butadversitybendstheheartasfirebendsthestubbornsteel,andthosewhoarenolongertheirowngovernors,andthedenizensoftheirownfreeindependentstate,mustcrouchbeforestrangers。Itisourcurse,SirKnight,deserved,doubtless,byourownmisdeedsandthoseofourfathers;butyou——
youwhoboastyourfreedomasyourbirthright,howmuchdeeperisyourdisgracewhenyoustooptosoothetheprejudicesofothers,andthatagainstyourownconviction?’’
``Yourwordsarebitter,Rebecca,’’saidBois-Guilbert,pacingtheapartmentwithimpatience,``butIcamenothithertobandyreproacheswithyou——KnowthatBois-Guilbertyieldsnottocreatedman,althoughcircumstancesmayforatimeinducehimtoalterhisplan。Hiswillisthemountainstream,whichmayindeedbeturnedforalittlespaceasidebytherock,butfailsnottofinditscoursetotheocean。Thatscrollwhichwarnedtheetodemandachampion,fromwhomcouldstthouthinkitcame,ifnotfromBois-Guilbert?Inwhomelsecouldstthouhaveexcitedsuchinterest?’’
``Abriefrespitefrominstantdeath,’’saidRebecca,``whichwilllittleavailme——wasthisallthoucouldstdoforone,onwhoseheadthouhastheapedsorrow,andwhomthouhastbroughtneareventothevergeofthetomb?’’
``Nomaiden,’’saidBois-Guilbert,``thiswas_not_
allthatIpurposed。Haditnotbeenfortheaccursedinterferenceofyonfanaticaldotard,andthefoolofGoodalricke,who,beingaTemplar,affectstothinkandjudgeaccordingtotheordinaryrulesofhumanity,theofficeoftheChampionDefenderhaddevolved,notonaPreceptor,butonaCompanionoftheOrder。ThenImyself——suchwasmypurpose——had,onthesoundingofthetrumpet,appearedinthelistsasthychampion,disguisedindeedinthefashionofarovingknight,whoseeksadventurestoprovehisshieldandspear;andthen,letBeaumanoirhavechosennotone,buttwoorthreeofthebrethrenhereassembled,Ihadnotdoubtedtocastthemoutofthesaddlewithmysinglelance。
Thus,Rebecca,shouldthineinnocencehavebeenavouched,andtothineowngratitudewouldIhavetrustedfortherewardofmyvictory。’’
``This,SirKnight,’’saidRebecca,``isbutidleboasting——abragofwhatyouwouldhavedonehadyounotfounditconvenienttodootherwise。
Youreceivedmyglove,andmychampion,ifacreaturesodesolatecanfindone,mustencounteryourlanceinthelists——yetyouwouldassumetheairofmyfriendandprotector!’’
``Thyfriendandprotector,’’saidtheTemplar,gravely,``Iwillyetbe——butmarkatwhatrisk,orratheratwhatcertainty,ofdishonour;andthenblamemenotifImakemystipulations,beforeI
offerupallthatIhavehithertohelddear,tosavethelifeofaJewishmaiden。’’
``Speak,’’saidRebecca;``Iunderstandtheenot。’’
``Well,then,’’saidBois-Guilbert,``Iwillspeakasfreelyaseverdiddotingpenitenttohisghostlyfather,whenplacedinthetrickyconfessional——
Rebecca,ifIappearnotintheselistsIlosefameandrank——losethatwhichisthebreathofmynostrils,theesteem,Imean,inwhichIamheldbymybrethren,andthehopesIhaveofsucceedingtothatmightyauthority,whichisnowwieldedbythebigoteddotardLucasdeBeaumanoir,butofwhichIshouldmakeadifferentuse。Suchismycertaindoom,exceptIappearinarmsagainstthycause。AccursedbeheofGoodalricke,whobaitedthistrapforme!anddoublyaccursedAlbertdeMalvoisin,whowithheldmefromtheresolutionI
hadformed,ofhurlingbackthegloveatthefaceofthesuperstitiousandsuperannuatedfool,wholistenedtoachargesoabsurd,andagainstacreaturesohighinmind,andsolovelyinformasthouart!’’
``Andwhatnowavailsrantorflattery?’’answeredRebecca。``Thouhastmadethychoicebetweencausingtobeshedthebloodofaninnocentwoman,orofendangeringthineownearthlystateandearthlyhopes——Whatavailsittoreckontogether?——thychoiceismade。’’
``No,Rebecca,’’saidtheknight,inasoftertone,anddrawingnearertowardsher;``mychoiceis=not=made——nay,mark,itisthinetomaketheelection。
IfIappearinthelists,Imustmaintainmynameinarms;andifIdoso,championedorunchampioned,thoudiestbythestakeandfaggot,fortherelivesnottheknightwhohathcopedwithmeinarmsonequalissue,orontermsofvantage,saveRichardCur-de-Lion,andhisminionofIvanhoe。Ivanhoe,asthouwellknowest,isunabletobearhiscorslet,andRichardisinaforeignprison。IfIappear,thenthoudiest,evenalthoughthycharmsshouldinstigatesomehot-headedyouthtoenterthelistsinthydefence。’’
``Andwhatavailsrepeatingthissooften?’’saidRebecca。
``Much,’’repliedtheTemplar;``forthoumustlearntolookatthyfateoneveryside。’’
``Well,then,turnthetapestry,’’saidtheJewess,``andletmeseetheotherside。’’
``IfIappear,’’saidBois-Guilbert,``inthefatallists,thoudiestbyaslowandcrueldeath,inpainsuchastheysayisdestinedtotheguiltyhereafter。
ButifIappearnot,thenamIadegradedanddishonouredknight,accusedofwitchcraftandofcommunionwithinfidels——theillustriousnamewhichbasgrownyetmoresoundermywearing,becomesahissingandareproach。Ilosefame,Ilosehonour,Ilosetheprospectofsuchgreatnessasscarceemperorsattainto——Isacrificemightyambition,I
destroyschemesbuiltashighasthemountainswithwhichheathenssaytheirheavenwasoncenearlyscaled——andyet,Rebecca,’’headded,throwinghimselfatherfeet,``thisgreatnesswillIsacrifice,thisfamewillIrenounce,thispowerwillI
forego,evennowwhenitishalfwithinmygrasp,ifthouwiltsay,Bois-Guilbert,Ireceivetheeformylover。’’
``Thinknotofsuchfoolishness,SirKnight,’’
answeredRebecca,``buthastentotheRegent,theQueenMother,andtoPrinceJohn——theycannot,inhonourtotheEnglishcrown,allowoftheproceedingsofyourGrandMaster。Soshallyougivemeprotectionwithoutsacrificeonyourpart,orthepretextofrequiringanyrequitalfromme。’’
``WiththeseIdealnot,’’hecontinued,holdingthetrainofherrobe——``itistheeonlyIaddress;
andwhatcancounterbalancethychoice?Bethinkthee,wereIafiend,yetdeathisaworse,anditisdeathwhoismyrival。’’
``Iweighnottheseevils,’’saidRebecca,afraidtoprovokethewildknight,yetequallydeterminedneithertoendurehispassion,norevenfeigntoendureit。``Beaman,beaChristian!Ifindeedthyfaithrecommendsthatmercywhichratheryourtonguesthanyouractionspretend,savemefromthisdreadfuldeath,withoutseekingarequitalwhichwouldchangethymagnanimityintobasebarter。’’