burlesques-第92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！



family　meeting　held　at　Passover…time；　Rebecca　was　solemnly　ordered

to　choose　a　husband　out　of　the　gentlemen　there　present；　her　aunts

pointing　out　the　great　kindness　which　had　been　shown　to　her　by　her

father；　in　permitting　her　to　choose　for　herself。　　One　aunt　was　of

the　Solomon　faction；　another　aunt　took　Simeon's　side；　a　third　most

venerable　old　ladythe　head　of　the　family；　and　a　hundred　and

forty…four　years　of　agewas　ready　to　pronounce　a　curse　upon　her；

and　cast　her　out；　unless　she　married　before　the　month　was　over。

All　the　jewelled　heads　of　all　the　old　ladies　in　council；　all　the

beards　of　all　the　family；　wagged　against　her：　it　must　have　been　an

awful　sight　to　witness。



At　last；　then；　Rebecca　was　forced　to　speak。　　〃Kinsmen！〃　she　said；

turning　pale；　〃when　the　Prince　Abou　Abdil　asked　me　in　marriage；　I

told　you　I　would　not　wed　but　with　one　of　my　own　faith。〃



〃She　has　turned　Turk；〃　screamed　out　the　ladies。　　〃She　wants　to　be　a

princess；　and　has　turned　Turk；〃　roared　the　rabbis。



〃Well；　well；〃　said　Isaac；　in　rather　an　appeased　tone；　〃let　us　hear

what　the　poor　girl　has　got　to　say。　　Do　you　want　to　marry　his　royal

highness；　Rebecca？　　Say　the　word；　yes　or　no。〃



Another　groan　burst　from　the　rabbisthey　cried；　shrieked；

chattered；　gesticulated；　furious　to　lose　such　a　prize；　as　were　the

women；　that　she　should　reign　over　them　a　second　Esther。



〃Silence；〃　cried　out　Isaac；　〃let　the　girl　speak。　　Speak　boldly；

Rebecca　dear；　there's　a　good　girl。〃



Rebecca　was　as　pale　as　a　stone。　　She　folded　her　arms　on　her　breast；

and　felt　the　ring　there。　　She　looked　round　all　the　assembly；　and

then　at　Isaac。　　〃Father；〃　she　said；　in　a　thrilling　low　steady

voice；　〃I　am　not　of　your　religionI　am　not　of　the　Prince　Boabdil's

religionII　am　of　HIS　religion。〃



〃His！　whose；　in　the　name　of　Moses；　girl？〃　cried　Isaac。



Rebecca　clasped　her　hands　on　her　beating　chest　and　looked　round

with　dauntless　eyes。　　〃Of　his；〃　she　said；　〃who　saved　my　life　and

your　honor：　of　my　dear；　dear　champion's。　　I　never　can　be　his；　but　I

will　be　no　other's。　　Give　my　money　to　my　kinsmen；　it　is　that　they

long　for。　　Take　the　dross；　Simeon　and　Solomon；　Jonah　and　Jochanan；

and　divide　it　among　you；　and　leave　me。　　I　will　never　be　yours；　I

tell　you；　never。　　Do　you　think；　after　knowing　him　and　hearing　him

speak；after　watching　him　wounded　on　his　pillow；　and　glorious　in

battle〃　（her　eyes　melted　and　kindled　again　as　she　spoke　these

words）；　〃I　can　mate　with　such　as　you？　　Go。　　Leave　me　to　myself。　　I

am　none　of　yours。　　I　love　himI　love　him。　　Fate　divides　uslong；

long　miles　separate　us；　and　I　know　we　may　never　meet　again。　　But　I

love　and　bless　him　always。　　Yes；　always。　　My　prayers　are　his；　my

faith　is　his。　　Yes；　my　faith　is　your　faith；　WilfridWilfrid！　　I

have　no　kindred　more；I　am　a　Christian！〃



At　this　last　word　there　was　such　a　row　in　the　assembly；　as　my

feeble　pen　would　in　vain　endeavor　to　depict。　　Old　Isaac　staggered

back　in　a　fit；　and　nobody　took　the　least　notice　of　him。　　Groans；

curses；　yells　of　men；　shrieks　of　women；　filled　the　room　with　such　a

furious　jabbering；　as　might　have　appalled　any　heart　less　stout　than

Rebecca's；　but　that　brave　woman　was　prepared　for　all；　expecting；

and　perhaps　hoping；　that　death　would　be　her　instant　lot。　　There　was

but　one　creature　who　pitied　her；　and　that　was　her　cousin　and

father's　clerk；　little　Ben　Davids；　who　was　but　thirteen；　and　had

only　just　begun　to　carry　a　bag；　and　whose　crying　and　boo…hooing；　as

she　finished　speaking；　was　drowned　in　the　screams　and　maledictions

of　the　elder　Israelites。　　Ben　Davids　was　madly　in　love　with　his

cousin　（as　boys　often　are　with　ladies　of　twice　their　age）；　and　he

had　presence　of　mind　suddenly　to　knock　over　the　large　brazen　lamp

on　the　table；　which　illuminated　the　angry　conclave；　then；

whispering　to　Rebecca　to　go　up　to　her　own　room　and　lock　herself　in；

or　they　would　kill　her　else；　he　took　her　hand　and　led　her　out。



From　that　day　she　disappeared　from　among　her　people。　　The　poor　and

the　wretched　missed　her；　and　asked　for　her　in　vain。　　Had　any

violence　been　done　to　her；　the　poorer　Jews　would　have　risen　and　put

all　Isaac's　family　to　death；　and　besides；　her　old　flame；　Prince

Boabdil；　would　have　also　been　exceedingly　wrathful。　　She　was　not

killed　then；　but；　so　to　speak；　buried　alive；　and　locked　up　in

Isaac's　back…kitchen：　an　apartment　into　which　scarcely　any　light

entered；　and　where　she　was　fed　upon　scanty　portions　of　the　most

mouldy　bread　and　water。　　Little　Ben　Davids　was　the　only　person　who

visited　her；　and　her　sole　consolation　was　to　talk　to　him　about

Ivanhoe；　and　how　good　and　how　gentle　he　was；　how　brave　and　how

true；　and　how　he　slew　the　tremendous　knight　of　the　Templars；　and

how　he　married　a　lady　whom　Rebecca　scarcely　thought　worthy　of　him；

but　with　whom　she　prayed　he　might　be　happy；　and　of　what　color　his

eyes　were；　and　what　were　the　arms　on　his　shieldviz；　a　tree　with

the　word　〃Desdichado〃　written　underneath；　&c。　&c。　&c。：　all　which

talk　would　not　have　interested　little　Davids；　had　it　come　from

anybody　else's　mouth；　but　to　which　he　never　tired　of　listening　as

it　fell　from　her　sweet　lips。



So；　in　fact；　when　old　Isaac　of　York　came　to　negotiate　with　Don

Beltran　de　Cuchilla　for　the　ransom　of　the　Alfaqui's　daughter　of

Xixona；　our　dearest　Rebecca　was　no　more　dead　than　you　and　I；　and　it

was　in　his　rage　and　fury　against　Ivanhoe　that　Isaac　told　that

cavalier　the　falsehood　which　caused　the　knight　so　much　pain　and

such　a　prodigious　deal　of　bloodshed　to　the　Moors：　and　who　knows；

trivial　as　it　may　seem；　whether　it　was　not　that　very　circumstance

which　caused　the　destruction　in　Spain　of　the　Moorish　power？



Although　Isaac；　we　may　be　sure；　never　told　his　daughter　that

Ivanhoe　had　cast　up　again；　yet　Master　Ben　Davids　did；　who　heard　it

from　his　employer；　and　he　saved　Rebecca's　life　by　communicating　the

intelligence；　for　the　poor　thing　would　have　infallibly　perished　but

for　this　good　news。　　She　had　now　been　in　prison　four　years　three

months　and　twenty…four　days；　during　which　time　she　had　partaken　of

nothing　but　bread　and　water　（except　such　occasional　tit…bits　as

Davids　could　bring　herand　these　were　few　indeed；　for　old　Isaac

was　always　a　curmudgeon；　and　seldom　had　more　than　a　pair　of　eggs

for　his　own　and　Davids'　dinner）；　and　she　was　languishing　away；　when

the　news　came　suddenly　to　revive　her。　　Then；　though　in　the　darkness

you　could　not　see　her　cheeks；　they　began　to　bloom　again：　then　her

heart　began　to　beat　and　her　blood　to　flow；　and　she　kissed　the　ring

on　her　neck　a　thousand　times　a　day　at　least；　and　her　constant

question　was；　〃Ben　Davids！　Ben　Davids！　when　is　he　coming　to　besiege

Valencia？〃　　She　knew　he　would　come：　and；　indeed；　the　Christians

were　encamped　before　the　town　ere　a　month　was　over。



　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。



And　now；　my　dear　boys　and　girls；　I　think　I　perceive　behind　that

dark　scene　of　the　back…kitchen　（which　is　just　a　simple　flat；

painted　stone…color；　that　shifts　in　a　minute；）　bright　streaks　of

light　flashing　out；　as　though　they　were　preparing　a　most　brilliant；

gorgeous；　and　altogether　dazzling　illumination；　with　effects　never

before　attempted　on　any　stage。　　Yes；　the　fairy　in　the　pretty　pink

tights　and　spangled　muslin　is　getting　into　the　brilliant　revolving

chariot　of　the　realms　of　bliss。Yes；　most　of　the　fiddlers　and

trumpeters　have　gone　round　from　the　orchestra　to　join　in　the　grand

triumphal　procession；　where　the　whole　strength　of　the　company　is

already　assembled；　arrayed　in　costumes　of　Moorish　and　Christian

chivalry；　to　celebrate　the　〃Terrible　Escalade；〃　the　〃Rescue　of

Virtuous　Innocence〃the　〃Grand　Entry　of　the　Christians　into

Valencia〃〃Appearance　of　the　Fairy　Day…Star；〃　and　〃Unexampled

displays　of　pyrotechnic　festivity。〃　　Do　you　not；　I　say；　perceive

that　we　are　come　to　the　end　of　our　history；　and；　after　a　quantity

of　rapid　and　terrific　fighting；　brilliant　change　of　scenery；　and

songs；　appropriate　or　otherwise；　are　bringing　our　he