burlesques-第88章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



existence；　for　his　life　was　one　of　feeling　rather　than　affection；

and　the　description　of　mere　sentiment　is　considered　by　many　well…

informed　persons　to　be　tedious。　　What　WERE　his　sentiments　now；　it

may　be　asked；　under　the　peculiar　position　in　which　he　found

himself？　　He　had　done　his　duty　by　Rowena；　certainly：　no　man　could

say　otherwise。　　But　as　for　being　in　love　with　her　any　more；　after

what　had　occurred；　that　was　a　different　question。　　Well；　come　what

would；　he　was　determined　still　to　continue　doing　his　duty　by　her；

but　as　she　was　whisked　away　the　deuce　knew　whither；　how　could　he　do

anything？　　So　he　resigned　himself　to　the　fact　that　she　was　thus

whisked　away。



He；　of　course；　sent　emissaries　about　the　country　to　endeavor　to

find　out　where　Rowena　was：　but　these　came　back　without　any　sort　of

intelligence；　and　it　was　remarked；　that　he　still　remained　in　a

perfect　state　of　resignation。　　He　remained　in　this　condition　for　a

year；　or　more；　and　it　was　said　that　he　was　becoming　more　cheerful；

and　he　certainly　was　growing　rather　fat。　　The　Knight　of　the

Spectacles　was　voted　an　agreeable　man　in　a　grave　way；　and　gave　some

very　elegant；　though　quiet；　parties；　and　was　received　in　the　best

society　of　York。



It　was　just　at　assize…time；　the　lawyers　and　barristers　had　arrived；

and　the　town　was　unusually　gay；　when；　one　morning；　the　attorney；

whom　we　have　mentioned　as　Sir　Wilfrid's　man　of　business；　and　a　most

respectable　man；　called　upon　his　gallant　client　at　his　lodgings；

and　said　he　had　a　communication　of　importance　to　make。　　Having　to

communicate　with　a　client　of　rank；　who　was　condemned　to　be　hanged

for　forgery；　Sir　Roger　de　Backbite；　the　attorney　said；　he　had　been

to　visit　that　party　in　the　condemned　cell；　and　on　the　way　through

the　yard；　and　through　the　bars　of　another　cell；　had　seen　and

recognized　an　old　acquaintance　of　Sir　Wilfrid　of　Ivanhoeand　the

lawyer　held　him　out；　with　a　particular　look；　a　note；　written　on　a

piece　of　whity…brown　paper。



What　were　Ivanhoe's　sensations　when　he　recognized　the　handwriting

of　Rowena！he　tremblingly　dashed　open　the　billet；　and　read　as

follows：





〃MY　DEAREST　IVANHOE；For　I　am　thine　now　as　erst；　and　my　first　love

was　everever　dear　to　me。　　Have　I　been　near　thee　dying　for　a　whole

year；　and　didst　thou　make　no　effort　to　rescue　thy　Rowena？　　Have　ye

given　to　othersI　mention　not　their　name　nor　their　odious　creed

the　heart　that　ought　to　be　mine？　　I　send　thee　my　forgiveness　from

my　dying　pallet　of　straw。I　forgive　thee　the　insults　I　have

received；　the　cold　and　hunger　I　have　endured；　the　failing　health　of

my　boy；　the　bitterness　of　my　prison；　thy　infatuation　about　that

Jewess；　which　made　our　married　life　miserable；　and　which　caused

thee；　I　am　sure；　to　go　abroad　to　look　after　her。　　I　forgive　thee

all　my　wrongs；　and　fain　would　bid　thee　farewell。　　Mr。　Smith　hath

gained　over　my　gaolerhe　will　tell　thee　how　I　may　see　thee。　　Come

and　console　my　last　hour　by　promising　that　thou　wilt　care　for　my

boyHIS　boy　who　fell　like　a　hero　（when　thou　wert　absent）　combating

by　the　side　of　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ROWENA。〃





The　reader　may　consult　his　own　feelings；　and　say　whether　Ivanhoe

was　likely　to　be　pleased　or　not　by　this　letter：　however；　he

inquired　of　Mr。　Smith；　the　solicitor；　what　was　the　plan　which　that

gentleman　had　devised　for　the　introduction　to　Lady　Rowena；　and　was

informed　that　he　was　to　get　a　barrister's　gown　and　wig；　when　the

gaoler　would　introduce　him　into　the　interior　of　the　prison。　　These

decorations；　knowing　several　gentlemen　of　the　Northern　Circuit；　Sir

Wilfrid　of　Ivanhoe　easily　procured；　and　with　feelings　of　no　small

trepidation；　reached　the　cell；　where；　for　the　space　of　a　year；　poor

Rowena　had　been　immured。



If　any　person　have　a　doubt　of　the　correctness；　of　the　historical

exactness　of　this　narrative；　I　refer　him　to　the　〃Biographie

Universelle〃　（article　Jean　sans　Terre）；　which　says；　〃La　femme　d'un

baron　auquel　on　vint　demander　son　fils；　repondit；　'Le　roi　pense…t…

il　que　je　confierai　mon　fils　a　un　homme　qui　a　egorge　son　neveu　de

sa　propre　main？'　　Jean　fit　enlever　la　mere　et　l'enfant；　et　la

laissa　MOURIR　DE　FAIM　dans　les　cachots。〃



I　picture　to　myself；　with　a　painful　sympathy；　Rowena　undergoing

this　disagreeable　sentence。　　All　her　virtues；　her　resolution；　her

chaste　energy　and　perseverance；　shine　with　redoubled　lustre；　and；

for　the　first　time　since　the　commencement　of　the　history；　I　feel

that　I　am　partially　reconciled　to　her。　　The　weary　year　passesshe

grows　weaker　and　more　languid；　thinner　and　thinner！　　At　length

Ivanhoe；　in　the　disguise　of　a　barrister　of　the　Northern　Circuit；　is

introduced　to　her　cell；　and　finds　his　lady　in　the　last　stage　of

exhaustion；　on　the　straw　of　her　dungeon；　with　her　little　boy　in　her

arms。　　She　has　preserved　his　life　at　the　expense　of　her　own；　giving

him　the　whole　of　the　pittance　which　her　gaolers　allowed　her；　and

perishing　herself　of　inanition。



There　is　a　scene！　　I　feel　as　if　I　had　made　it　up；　as　it　were；　with

this　lady；　and　that　we　part　in　peace；　in　consequence　of　my　providing

her　with　so　sublime　a　death…bed。　　Fancy　Ivanhoe's　entrancetheir

recognitionthe　faint　blush　upon　her　worn　featuresthe　pathetic

way　in　which　she　gives　little　Cedric　in　charge　to　him；　and　his

promises　of　protection。



〃Wilfrid；　my　early　loved；〃　slowly　gasped　she；　removing　her　gray

hair　from　her　furrowed　temples；　and　gazing　on　her　boy　fondly；　as

he　nestled　on　Ivanhoe's　knee〃promise　me；　by　St。　Waltheof　of

Templestowepromise　me　one　boon！〃



〃I　do；〃　said　Ivanhoe；　clasping　the　boy；　and　thinking　it　was　to　that

little　innocent　the　promise　was　intended　to　apply。



〃By　St。　Waltheof？〃



〃By　St。　Waltheof！〃



〃Promise　me；　then；〃　gasped　Rowena；　staring　wildly　at　him；　〃that　you

never　will　marry　a　Jewess？〃



〃By　St。　Waltheof；〃　cried　Ivanhoe；　〃this　is　too　much；　Rowena！〃But

he　felt　his　hand　grasped　for　a　moment；　the　nerves　then　relaxed；　the

pale　lips　ceased　to　quivershe　was　no　more！





CHAPTER　VI。



IVANHOE　THE　WIDOWER。





Having　placed　young　Cedric　at　school　at　the　hall　of　Dotheboyes；　in

Yorkshire；　and　arranged　his　family　affairs；　Sir　Wilfrid　of　Ivanhoe

quitted　a　country　which　had　no　longer　any　charms　for　him；　and　in

which　his　stay　was　rendered　the　less　agreeable　by　the　notion　that

King　John　would　hang　him；　if　ever　he　could　lay　hands　on　the

faithful　follower　of　King　Richard　and　Prince　Arthur。



But　there　was　always　in　those　days　a　home　and　occupation　for　a

brave　and　pious　knight。　　A　saddle　on　a　gallant　war…horse；　a　pitched

field　against　the　Moors；　a　lance　wherewith　to　spit　a　turbaned

infidel；　or　a　road　to　Paradise　carved　out　by　his　scimitar；these

were　the　height　of　the　ambition　of　good　and　religious　warriors；　and

so　renowned　a　champion　as　Sir　Wilfrid　of　Ivanhoe　was　sure　to　be

well　received　wherever　blows　were　stricken　for　the　cause　of

Christendom。　　Even　among　the　dark　Templars；　he　who　had　twice

overcome　the　most　famous　lance　of　their　Order　was　a　respected

though　not　a　welcome　guest：　but　among　the　opposition　company　of　the

Knights　of　St。　John；　he　was　admired　and　courted　beyond　measure；　and

always　affectioning　that　Order；　which　offered　him；　indeed；　its

first　rank　and　commanderies；　he　did　much　good　service；　fighting　in

their　ranks　for　the　glory　of　heaven　and　St。　Waltheof；　and　slaying

many　thousands　of　the　heathen　in　Prussia；　Poland；　and　those　savage

Northern　countries。　　The　only　fault　that　the　great　and　gallant；

though　severe　and　ascetic　Folko　of　Heydenbraten；　the　chief　of　the

Order　of　St。　John；　found　with　the　melancholy　warrior；　whose　lance

did　such　good　service　to　the　cause；　was；　that　he　did　not　persecute

the　Jews　as　so　religious　a　knight　should。　　He　let　off　sundry

captives　of　that　persuasion　whom　he　had　taken　with　his　sword　and

his　spear；　saved　others　from　torture；　and　actually　ransomed　the　two

last　grinders　of　a　venerable　rabbi　（that　Roger　de　Cartright；　an

English　knight　of　the　Order；　was　about　to　extor