burlesques-第78节

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assaultwho　fell　howling　with　anguishto　wave　his　battle…axe　over

his　own　head；　and　cut　off　those　of　thirteen　men…at…arms；　was　the

work　of　an　instant。　　〃An　Ivanhoe；　an　Ivanhoe！〃　he　still　shouted；

and　down　went　a　man　as　sure　as　he　said　〃hoe！〃



〃Ivanhoe！　Ivanhoe！〃　a　shrill　voice　cried　from　the　top　of　the

northern　bartizan。　　Ivanhoe　knew　it。



〃Rowena　my　love；　I　come！〃　he　roared　on　his　part。　　〃Villains！　touch

but　a　hair　of　her　head；　and　I　。　。　。〃



Here；　with　a　sudden　plunge　and　a　squeal　of　agony；　Bavieca　sprang

forward　wildly；　and　fell　as　wildly　on　her　back；　rolling　over　and

over　upon　the　knight。　　All　was　dark　before　him；　his　brain　reeled；

it　whizzed；　something　came　crashing　down　on　his　forehead。　　St。

Waltheof　and　all　the　saints　of　the　Saxon　calendar　protect　the

knight！　。　。　。



When　he　came　to　himself；　Wamba　and　the　lieutenant　of　his　lances

were　leaning　over　him　with　a　bottle　of　the　hermit's　elixir。　　〃We

arrived　here　the　day　after　the　battle；〃　said　the　fool；　〃marry；　I

have　a　knack　of　that。〃



〃Your　worship　rode　so　deucedly　quick；　there　was　no　keeping　up　with

your　worship；〃　said　the　lieutenant。



〃The　dayafterthe　bat〃　groaned　Ivanhoe。　　〃Where　is　the　Lady

Rowena？〃



〃The　castle　has　been　taken　and　sacked；〃　the　lieutenant　said；　and

pointed　to　what　once　WAS　Rotherwood；　but　was　now　only　a　heap　of

smoking　ruins。　　Not　a　tower　was　left；　not　a　roof；　not　a　floor；　not

a　single　human　being！　　Everything　was　flame　and　ruin；　smash　and

murther！



Of　course　Ivanhoe　fell　back　fainting　again　among　the　ninety…seven

men…at…arms　whom　he　had　slain；　and　it　was　not　until　Wamba　had

applied　a　second；　and　uncommonly　strong　dose　of　the　elixir　that　he

came　to　life　again。　　The　good　knight　was；　however；　from　long

practice；　so　accustomed　to　the　severest　wounds；　that　he　bore　them

far　more　easily　than　common　folk；　and　thus　was　enabled　to　reach

York　upon　a　litter；　which　his　men　constructed　for　him；　with

tolerable　ease。



Rumor　had　as　usual　advanced　before　him；　and　he　heard　at　the　hotel

where　he　stopped；　what　had　been　the　issue　of　the　affair　at

Rotherwood。　　A　minute　or　two　after　his　horse　was　stabbed；　and

Ivanhoe　knocked　down；　the　western　bartizan　was　taken　by　the

storming…party　which　invested　it；　and　every　soul　slain；　except

Rowena　and　her　boy；　who　were　tied　upon　horses　and　carried　away；

under　a　secure　guard；　to　one　of　the　King's　castlesnobody　knew

whither：　and　Ivanhoe　was　recommended　by　the　hotel…keeper　（whose

house　he　had　used　in　former　times）　to　reassume　his　wig　and

spectacles；　and　not　call　himself　by　his　own　name　any　more；　lest

some　of　the　King's　people　should　lay　hands　on　him。　　However；　as　he

had　killed　everybody　round　about　him；　there　was　but　little　danger

of　his　discovery；　and　the　Knight　of　the　Spectacles；　as　he　was

called；　went　about　York　quite　unmolested；　and　at　liberty　to　attend

to　his　own　affairs。



We　wish　to　be　brief　in　narrating　this　part　of　the　gallant　hero's

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。



IVANH