burlesques-第86章

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between　her　flirtations　with　Major　Littlejohn　and　Captain　Scarlett；

really〃



〃Jealous　againhaw！　haw！〃　laughed　Athelstane。



〃I　am　above　jealousy；　and　scorn　it；〃　Rowena　answered；　drawing

herself　up　very　majestically。



〃Well；　well；　Wamba's　was　a　good　song；〃　Athelstane　said。



〃Nay；　a　wicked　song；〃　said　Rowena；　turning　up　her　eyes　as　usual。

〃What！　rail　at　woman's　love？　　Prefer　a　filthy　wine　cup　to　a　true

wife？　　Woman's　love　is　eternal；　my　Athelstane。　　He　who　questions　it

would　be　a　blasphemer　were　he　not　a　fool。　　The　well…born　and　well…

nurtured　gentlewoman　loves　once　and　once　only。〃



〃I　pray　you；　madam；　pardon　me；　II　am　not　well；〃　said　the　gray

friar；　rising　abruptly　from　his　settle；　and　tottering　down　the

steps　of　the　dais。　　Wamba　sprung　after　him；　his　bells　jingling　as

he　rose；　and　casting　his　arms　around　the　apparently　fainting　man；

he　led　him　away　into　the　court。　　〃There　be　dead　men　alive　and　live

men　dead；〃　whispered　he。　　〃There　be　coffins　to　laugh　at　and

marriages　to　cry　over。　　Said　I　not　sooth；　holy　friar？〃　　And　when

they　had　got　out　into　the　solitary　court；　which　was　deserted　by　all

the　followers　of　the　Thane；　who　were　mingling　in　the　drunken

revelry　in　the　hall；　Wamba；　seeing　that　none　were　by；　knelt　down；

and　kissing　the　friar's　garment；　said；　〃I　knew　thee；　I　knew　thee；

my　lord　and　my　liege！〃



〃Get　up；〃　said　Wilfrid　of　Ivanhoe；　scarcely　able　to　articulate：

〃only　fools　are　faithful。〃



And　he　passed　on；　and　into　the　little　chapel　where　his　father　lay

buried。　　All　night　long　the　friar　spent　there：　and　Wamba　the　Jester

lay　outside　watching　as　mute　as　the　saint　over　the　porch。





When　the　morning　came；　Wumba　was　gone；　and　the　knave　being　in　the

habit　of　wandering　hither　and　thither　as　he　chose；　little　notice

was　taken　of　his　absence　by　a　master　and　mistress　who　had　not　much

sense　of　humor。　　As　for　Sir　Wilfrid；　a　gentleman　of　his　delicacy　of

feelings　could　not　be　expected　to　remain　in　a　house　where　things　so

naturally　disagreeable　to　him　were　occurring；　and　he　quitted

Rotherwood　incontinently；　after　paying　a　dutiful　visit　to　the　tomb

where　his　old　father；　Cedric；　was　buried；　and　hastened　on　to　York；

at　which　city　he　made　himself　known　to　the　family　attorney；　a　most

respectable　man；　in　whose　hands　his　ready　money　was　deposited；　and

took　up　a　sum　sufficient　to　fit　himself　out　with　credit；　and　a

handsome　retinue；　as　became　a　knight　of　consideration。　　But　he

changed　his　name；　wore　a　wig　and　spectacles；　and　disguised　himself

entirely；　so　that　it　was　impossible　his　friends　or　the　public

should　know　him；　and　thus　metamorphosed；　went　about　whithersoever

his　fancy　led　him。　　He　was　present　at　a　public　ball　at　York；　which

the　lord　mayor　gave；　danced　Sir　Roger　de　Coverley　in　the　very　same

set　with　Rowena（who　was　disgusted　that　Maid　Marian　took

precedence　of　her）he　saw　little　Athelstane　overeat　himself　at　the

supper　and　pledge　his　big　father　in　a　cup　of　sack；　he　met　the

Reverend　Mr。　Tuck　at　a　missionary　meeting；　where　he　seconded　a

resolution　proposed　by　that　eminent　divine；in　fine；　he　saw　a

score　of　his　old　acquaintances；　none　of　whom　recognized　in　him　the

warrior　of　Palestine　and　Templestowe。　　Having　a　large　fortune　and

nothing　to　do；　he　went　about　this　country　performing　charities；

slaying　robbers；　rescuing　the　distressed；　and　achieving　noble　feats

of　arms。　　Dragons　and　giants　existed　in　his　day　no　more；　or　be　sure

he　would　have　had　a　fling　at　them：　for　the　truth　is；　Sir　Wilfrid　of

Ivanhoe　was　somewhat　sick　of　the　life　which　the　hermits　of　Chalus

had　restored　to　him；　and　felt　himself　so　friendless　and　solitary

that　he　would　not　have　been　sorry　to　come　to　an　end　of　it。　　Ah；　my

dear　friends　and　intelligent　British　public；　are　there　not　others

who　are　melancholy　under　a　mask　of　gayety；　and　who；　in　the　midst　of

crowds；　are　lonely？　　Liston　was　a　most　melancholy　man；　Grimaldi　had

feelings；　and　there　are　others　I　wot　of：but　psha！let　us　have

the　next　chapter。





CHAPTER　V。



IVANHOE　TO　THE　RESCUE。





The　rascally　manner　in　which　the　chicken…livered　successor　of

Richard　of　the　Lion…heart　conducted　himself　to　all　parties；　to　his

relatives；　his　nobles；　and　his　people；　is　a　matter　notorious；　and

set　forth　clearly　in　the　Historic　Page：　hence；　although　nothing；

except　perhaps　success；　can；　in　my　opinion；　excuse　disaffection　to

the　sovereign；　or　appearance　in　armed　rebellion　against　him；　the

loyal　reader　will　make　allowance　for　two　of　the　principal

personages　of　this　narrative；　who　will　have　to　appear　in　the

present　chapter　in　the　odious　character　of　rebels　to　their　lord　and

king。　　It　must　be　remembered；　in　partial　exculpation　of　the　fault

of　Athelstane　and　Rowena；　（a　fault　for　which　they　were　bitterly

punished；　as　you　shall　presently　hear；）　that　the　monarch

exasperated　his　subjects　in　a　variety　of　ways；that　before　he

murdered　his　royal　nephew；　Prince　Arthur；　there　was　a　great

question　whether　he　was　the　rightful　king　of　England　at　all；that

his　behavior　as　an　uncle；　and　a　family　man；　was　likely　to　wound　the

feelings　of　any　lady　and　mother；finally；　that　there　were

palliations　for　the　conduct　of　Rowena　and　Ivanhoe；　which　it　now

becomes　our　duty　to　relate。



When　his　Majesty　destroyed　Prince　Arthur；　the　Lady　Rowena；　who　was

one　of　the　ladies　of　honor　to　the　Queen；　gave　up　her　place　at　court

at　once；　and　retired　to　her　castle　of　Rotherwood。　　Expressions　made

use　of　by　her；　and　derogatory　to　the　character　of　the　sovereign；

were　carried　to　the　monarch's　ears；　by　some　of　those　parasites；

doubtless；　by　whom　it　is　the　curse　of　kings　to　be　attended；　and

John　swore；　by　St。　Peter's　teeth；　that　he　would　be　revenged　upon

the　haughty　Saxon　lady；a　kind　of　oath　which；　though　he　did　not

trouble　himself　about　all　other　oaths；　he　was　never　known　to　break。

It　was　not　for　some　years　after　he　had　registered　this　vow；　that　he

was　enabled　to　keep　it。



Had　Ivanhoe　been　present　at　Ronen；　when　the　King　meditated　his

horrid　designs　against　his　nephew；　there　is　little　doubt　that　Sir

Wilfrid　would　have　prevented　them；　and　rescued　the　boy：　for　Ivanhoe

was；　as　we　need　scarcely　say；　a　hero　of　romance；　and　it　is　the

custom　and　duty　of　all　gentlemen　of　that　profession　to　be　present

on　all　occasions　of　historic　interest；　to　be　engaged　in　all

conspiracies；　royal　interviews；　and　remarkable　occurrences：　and

hence　Sir　Wilfrid　would　certainly　have　rescued　the　young　Prince；

had　he　been　anywhere　in　the　neighborhood　of　Rouen；　where　the　foul

tragedy　occurred。　　But　he　was　a　couple　of　hundred　leagues　off；　at

Chalus；　when　the　circumstance　happened；　tied　down　in　his　bed　as

crazy　as　a　Bedlamite；　and　raving　ceaselessly　in　the　Hebrew　tongue

（which　he　had　caught　up　during　a　previous　illness　in　which　he　was

tended　by　a　maiden　of　that　nation）　about　a　certain　Rebecca　Ben

Isaacs；　of　whom；　being　a　married　man；　he　never　would　have　thought；

had　he　been　in　his　sound　senses。　　During　this　delirium；　what　were

politics　to　him；　or　he　to　politics？　　King　John　or　King　Arthur　was

entirely　indifferent　to　a　man　who　announced　to　his　nurse…tenders；

the　good　hermits　of　Chalus　before　mentioned；　that　he　was　the

Marquis　of　Jericho；　and　about　to　marry　Rebecca　the　Queen　of　Sheba。

In　a　word；　he　only　heard　of　what　had　occurred　when　he　reached

England；　and　his　senses　were　restored　to　him。　　Whether　was　he

happier；　sound　of　brain　and　entirely　miserable；　（as　any　man　would

be　who　found　so　admirable　a　wife　as　Rowena　married　again；）　or

perfectly　crazy；　the　husband　of　the　beautiful　Rebecca？　　I　don't

know　which　he　liked　best。



Howbeit　the　conduct　of　King　John　inspired　Sir　Wilfrid　with　so

thorough　a　detestation　of　that　sovereign；　that　he　never　could　be

brought　to　take　service　under　him；　to　get　himself　presented　at　St。

James's；　or　in　any　way　to　acknowledge；　but　by　stern　acquiescence；

the　authority　of　the　sanguinary　successor　of　his　beloved　King

Richard。　　It　was　Sir　Wilfrid　of　Ivanhoe；　I　need　scarcely　say；　who

got　the　Barons　of