lined with perfumed leather which opened under his arm.

"And now, Sir Cedric," he said, "my ears are chiming vespers with the strength of your good wine; permit us another pledge to the welfare of the Lady Rowena, and indulge us with liberty to pass to our repose."

"By the rood1 of Bromholme," said the Saxon, "you do but small credit to your fame, Sir Prior! Report speaks you a bonny monk, that would hear the matin chime2 ere he quitted his bowl; and, old as I am, I feared to have shame in encountering you. But, by my faith, a Saxon boy of twelve in my time would not so soon have relinquished his goblet."

The prior had his own reasons, however, for persevering in the course of temperance which he had adopted. On the present occasion he had an instinctive apprehension of the fiery temper of the Saxon, and saw the danger that the reckless and presumptuous spirit, of which his companion had already given so many proofs, might at length produce some disagreeable explosion. He therefore gently insinuated the incapacity of the native of any other country to engage in the genial conflict of the bowl with the hardy and strong-headed Saxons; something he mentioned, but slightly, about his own holy character, and ended by pressing his proposal to depart to repose.

The grace-cup was accordingly served around; and the guests, after making deep obeisance to their landlord and to the Lady Rowena, arose and mingled in the hall, while the heads of the family, by separate doors, retired with their attendants.

Unbelieving dog," said the Templar to Isaac the Jew, as he passed him in the throng, “dost thou bend thy course to the tournament ? "

"I do so propose," replied Isaac, bowing in all humility, "if it please your reverend valor."

“Ay," said the knight; "to gnaw the bowels of our nobles with usury, and to gull women and boys with gauds and toys. I warrant thee store of shekels in thy Jewish scrip."

1 Cross.

2 The matin chime is the morning bell for prayers.

"Not a shekel,1 not a silver penny, not a halfling,2 so help me, the God of Abraham!" said the Jew, clasping his hands. "I go but to seek the assistance of some brethren of my tribe to aid me to pay the fine which the exchequer of the Jews3 have imposed upon me. Father Jacob be my speed! I am an impoverished wretch. The very gaberdine I wear is borrowed from Reuben of Tadcaster."

The Templar smiled sourly as he replied, "Beshrew 5 thee for a false-hearted liar!" and passing onward, as if disdaining further conference, he communed with his Moslem slaves in a language unknown to the bystanders. The poor Israelite seemed so staggered by the address of the military monk, that the Templar had passed on to the extremity of the hall ere he raised his head from the humble posture which he had assumed, so far as to be sensible of his departure; and when he did look around, it was with the astonished air of one at whose feet a thunderbolt has just burst, and who hears still the astounding report ringing in

his ears.

The Templar and prior were shortly after marshaled to their sleeping-apartments by the steward and the cupbearer, each attended by two torchbearers and two servants carrying refreshments, while servants of inferior condition indicated to their retinue and to the other guests their respective places of repose.

1 A Jewish coin varying in value from about sixty cents (silver) to about five dollars (gold).

2 Half a penny.

3 Jews were subjected to an exchequer which laid them under the most exorbitant impositions.

4 A long coarse cloak or cassock worn by Jews in the middle ages. 5 A word used in wishing a curse upon one, often in mild imprecation.

AS

CHAPTER VI.

S the palmer, lighted by a domestic with a torch, passed through the intricate combination of apartments of this large and irregular mansion, the cupbearer, coming behind him, whispered in his ear, that, if he had no objection to a cup of good mead in his apartment, there were many domestics in that family who would gladly hear the news he had brought from the Holy Land, and particularly that which concerned the Knight of Ivanhoe. Wamba presently appeared to urge the same request, observing that a cup after midnight was worth three after curfew. The palmer thanked them for their courtesy, but observed that he had included in his religious vow an obligation never to speak in the kitchen on matters which were prohibited in the hall. "That vow," said Wamba to the cupbearer, "would

scarce suit a serving-man.”

"I

The cupbearer shrugged up his shoulders in displeasure. thought to have lodged him in the solere1 chamber," said he; "but since he is so unsocial to Christians, e'en let him take the next stall to Isaac the Jew's. - Anwold," said he to the torchbearer, "carry the pilgrim to the southern cell. I give you good-night," he added, "Sir Palmer, with small thanks for short courtesy."

66

Good-night, and Our Lady's benison,"2 said the palmer with composure; and his guide moved forward.

In a small antechamber, into which several doors opened, and which was lighted by a small iron lamp, they met a second interruption from the waiting-maid of Rowena, who, saying in a tone of authority that her mistress desired to speak with the palmer, took the torch from the hand of Anwold, and, bidding him await her return, made a sign to the palmer to follow. Apparently he did not think it proper to decline this invitation as he had done 1 An upper chamber in a house, exposed to the sun. 2 The benediction or blessing of the Virgin Mary.

the former; for, though his gesture indicated some surprise at the summons, he obeyed it without answer or remonstrance.

A short passage, and an ascent of seven steps, each of which was composed of a solid beam of oak, led him to the apartment of the Lady Rowena, the rude magnificence of which corresponded to the respect which was paid to her by the lord of the mansion. The walls were covered with embroidered hangings, on which different-colored silks, interwoven with gold and silver threads, had been employed with all the art of which the age was capable, to represent the sports of hunting and hawking. The bed was adorned with the same rich tapestry, and surrounded with curtains dyed with purple. The seats had also their stained coverings, and one, which was higher than the rest, was accommodated with a footstool of ivory, curiously carved.

No fewer than four silver candelabras, holding great waxen torches, served to illuminate this apartment. Yet let not modern beauty envy the magnificence of a Saxon princess. The walls of the apartment were so ill finished and so full of crevices that the rich hangings shook to the night blast, and, in despite of a sort of screen intended to protect them from the wind, the flame of the torches streamed sideways into the air, like the unfurled pennon of a chieftain. Magnificence there was, with some rude attempt at taste; but of comfort there was little, and, being unknown, it was unmissed.

The Lady Rowena, with three of her attendants standing at her back and arranging her hair ere she lay down to rest, was seated in the sort of throne already mentioned, and looked as if born to exact general homage. The pilgrim acknowledged her claim to it by a low genuflection.

"Rise, palmer," said she graciously. "The defender of the absent has a right to favorable reception from all who value truth, and honor manhood." She then said to her train, "Retire, excepting only Elgitha. I would speak with this holy pilgrim."

The maidens, without leaving the apartment, retired to its farther extremity, and sat down on a small bench against the wall,

where they remained mute as statues, though at such a distance that their whispers could not have interrupted the conversation of their mistress.

66

Pilgrim," said the lady, after a moment's pause, during which she seemed uncertain how to address him, "you this night mentioned a name-I mean," she said with a degree of effort, "the name of Ivanhoe in the halls where by nature and kindred it should have sounded most acceptably; and yet, such is the perverse course of fate, that, of many whose hearts must have throbbed at the sound, I only dare ask you where and in what condition you left him of whom you spoke. We heard, that, having remained in Palestine on account of his impaired health after the departure of the English army, he had experienced the persecution of the French faction, to whom the Templars are known to be attached."

"I know little of the Knight of Ivanhoe," answered the palmer with a troubled voice. "I would I knew him better, since you, lady, are interested in his fate. He hath, I believe, surmounted the persecution of his enemies in Palestine, and is on the eve of returning to England, where you, lady, must know better than I what is his chance of happiness."

The Lady Rowena sighed deeply, and asked more particularly when the Knight of Ivanhoe might be expected in his native country, and whether he would not be exposed to great dangers by the road. On the first point the palmer professed ignorance; on the second, he said that the voyage might be safely made by the way of Venice and Genoa, and from thence through France to England. Ivanhoe, he said, was so well acquainted with the language and manners of the French, that there was no fear of his incurring any hazard during that part of his travels.

"Would to God," said the Lady Rowena, “he were here safely arrived, and able to bear arms in the approaching tourney,1 in which the chivalry of this land are expected to display their address and valor! Should Athelstane of Coningsburgh obtain the

1 Tournament.