I’llwooherasthelionwooshisbride。
_Douglas。_
Whilethesceneswehavedescribedwerepassinginotherpartsofthecastle，theJewessRebeccaawaitedherfateinadistantandsequesteredturret。
Hithershehadbeenledbytwoofherdisguisedravishers，andonbeingthrustintothelittlecell，shefoundherselfinthepresenceofanoldsibyl，whokeptmurmuringtoherselfaSaxonrhyme，asiftobeattimetotherevolvingdancewhichherspindlewasperforminguponthefloor。
ThehagraisedherheadasRebeccaentered，andscowledatthefairJewesswiththemalignantenvywithwhicholdageandugliness，whenunitedwithevilconditions，areapttolookuponyouthandbeauty。
``Thoumustupandaway，oldhouse-cricket，’’
saidoneofthemen；``ournoblemastercommandsit——Thoumuste’enleavethischambertoafairerguest。’’
``Ay，’’grumbledthehag，``eventhusisservicerequited。Ihaveknownwhenmybarewordwouldhavecastthebestman-at-armsamongyeoutofsaddleandoutofservice；andnowmustI
upandawayatthecommandofeverygroomsuchasthou。’’
``GoodDameUrfried，’’saidtheotherman，``standnottoreasononit，butupandaway。
Lords’hestsmustbelistenedtowithaquickear。
Thouhasthadthyday，olddame，butthysunhaslongbeenset。Thouartnowtheveryemblemofanoldwar-horseturnedoutonthebarrenheath——
thouhasthadthypacesinthytime，butnowabrokenambleisthebestofthem——Come，ambleoffwiththee。’’
``Illomensdogyeboth！’’saidtheoldwoman；
``andakennelbeyourburying-place！MaytheevildemonZernebocktearmelimbfromlimb，ifI
leavemyowncellereIhavespunoutthehemponmydistaff！’’
``Answerittoourlord，then，oldhousefiend，’’
saidtheman，andretired；leavingRebeccaincompanywiththeoldwoman，uponwhosepresenceshehadbeenthusunwillinglyforced。
``Whatdevil’sdeedhavetheynowinthewind?’’
saidtheoldhag，murmuringtoherself，yetfromtimetotimecastingasidelongandmalignantglanceatRebecca；``butitiseasytoguess——
Brighteyes，blacklocks，andaskinlikepaper，eretheprieststainsitwithhisblackunguent——Ay，itiseasytoguesswhytheysendhertothisloneturret，whenceashriekcouldnomorebeheardthanatthedepthoffivehundredfathomsbeneaththeearth——Thouwilthaveowlsforthyneighbours，fairone；andtheirscreamswillbeheardasfar，andasmuchregarded，asthineown。Outlandish，too，’’shesaid，markingthedressandturbanofRebecca——``Whatcountryartthouof?——aSaracen?
oranEgyptian?——Whydostnotanswer?——
thoucanstweep，canstthounotspeak?’’
``Benotangry，goodmother，’’saidRebecca。
``Thouneedstsaynomore，’’repliedUrfried``menknowafoxbythetrain，andaJewessbyhertongue。’’
``Forthesakeofmercy，’’saidRebecca，``tellmewhatIamtoexpectastheconclusionoftheviolencewhichhathdraggedmehither！Isitmylifetheyseek，toatoneformyreligion?Iwilllayitdowncheerfully。’’
``Thylife，minion?’’answeredthesibyl；``whatwouldtakingthylifepleasurethem?——Trustme，thylifeisinnoperil。SuchusageshaltthouhaveaswasoncethoughtgoodenoughforanobleSaxonmaiden。AndshallaJewess，likethee，repinebecauseshehathnobetter?Lookatme——Iwasasyoungandtwiceasfairasthou，whenFront-de-Buf，fatherofthisReginald，andhisNormans，stormedthiscastle。Myfatherandhissevensonsdefendedtheirinheritancefromstorytostory，fromchambertochamber——Therewasnotaroom，notastepofthestair，thatwasnotslipperywiththeirblood。Theydied——theydiedeveryman；anderetheirbodieswerecold，anderetheirbloodwasdried，Ihadbecomethepreyandthescornoftheconqueror！’’
``Istherenohelp?——Aretherenomeansofescape?’’saidRebecca——``Richly，richlywouldI
requitethineaid。’’
``Thinknotofit，’’saidthehag；``fromhencethereisnoescapebutthroughthegatesofdeath；
anditislate，late，’’sheadded，shakinghergreyhead，``eretheseopentous——Yetitiscomforttothinkthatweleavebehindusonearththosewhoshallbewretchedasourselves。Faretheewell，Jewess！——JeworGentile，thyfatewouldbethesame；forthouhasttodowiththemthathaveneitherscruplenorpity。Faretheewell，Isay。
Mythreadisspunout——thytaskisyettobegin。’’
``Stay！stay！forHeaven’ssake！’’saidRebecca；
``stay，thoughitbetocurseandtorevileme——thypresenceisyetsomeprotection。’’
``ThepresenceofthemotherofGodwerenoprotection，’’answeredtheoldwoman。``Thereshestands，’’pointingtoarudeimageoftheVirginMary，``seeifshecanavertthefatethatawaitsthee。’’
Shelefttheroomasshespoke，herfeatureswrithedintoasortofsneeringlaugh，whichmadethemseemevenmorehideousthantheirhabitualfrown。Shelockedthedoorbehindher，andRebeccamighthearhercurseeverystepforitssteepness，asslowlyandwithdifficultyshedescendedtheturret-stair。
RebeccawasnowtoexpectafateevenmoredreadfulthanthatofRowena；forwhatprobabilitywastherethateithersoftnessorceremonywouldbeusedtowardsoneofheroppressedrace，whatevershadowofthesemightbepreservedtowardsaSaxonheiress?YethadtheJewessthisadvantage，thatshewasbetterpreparedbyhabitsofthought，andbynaturalstrengthofmind，toencounterthedangerstowhichshewasexposed。
Ofastrongandobservingcharacter，evenfromherearliestyears，thepompandwealthwhichherfatherdisplayedwithinhiswalls，orwhichshewitnessedinthehousesofotherwealthyHebrews，hadnotbeenabletoblindhertotheprecariouscircumstancesunderwhichtheywereenjoyed。LikeDamoclesathiscelebratedbanquet，Rebeccaperpetuallybeheld，amidthatgorgeousdisplay，theswordwhichwassuspendedovertheheadsofherpeoplebyasinglehair。Thesereflectionshadtamedandbroughtdowntoapitchofsounderjudgmentatemper，which，underothercircumstances，mighthavewaxedhaughty，supercilious，andobstinate。
Fromherfather’sexampleandinjunctions，Rebeccahadlearnttobearherselfcourteouslytowardsallwhoapproachedher。Shecouldnotindeedimitatehisexcessofsubservience，becauseshewasastrangertothemeannessofmind，andtotheconstantstateoftimidapprehension，bywhichitwasdictated；butsheboreherselfwithaproudhumility，asifsubmittingtotheevilcircumstancesinwhichshewasplacedasthedaughterofadespisedrace，whileshefeltinhermindtheconsciousnessthatshewasentitledtoholdahigherrankfromhermerit，thanthearbitrarydespotismofreligiousprejudicepermittedhertoaspireto。
Thuspreparedtoexpectadversecircumstances，shehadacquiredthefirmnessnecessaryforactingunderthem。Herpresentsituationrequiredallherpresenceofmind，andshesummoneditupaccordingly。
Herfirstcarewastoinspecttheapartment；butitaffordedfewhopeseitherofescapeorprotection。
Itcontainedneithersecretpassagenortrap-door，andunlesswherethedoorbywhichshehadenteredjoinedthemainbuilding，seemedtobecircumscribedbytheroundexteriorwalloftheturret。
Thedoorhadnoinsideboltorbar。Thesinglewindowopeneduponanembattledspacesurmountingtheturret，whichgaveRebecca，atfirstsight，somehopesofescaping；butshesoonfoundithadnocommunicationwithanyotherpartofthebattlements，beinganisolatedbartisan，orbalcony，secured，asusual，byaparapet，withembrasures，atwhichafewarchersmightbestationedfordefendingtheturret，andflankingwiththeirshotthewallofthecastleonthatside。
Therewasthereforenohopebutinpassivefortitude，andinthatstrongrelianceonHeavennaturaltogreatandgenerouscharacters。Rebecca，howevererroneouslytaughttointerpretthepromisesofScripturetothechosenpeopleofHeaven，didnoterrinsupposingthepresenttobetheirhouroftrial，orintrustingthatthechildrenofZionwouldbeonedaycalledinwiththefulnessoftheGentiles。Inthemeanwhile，allaroundhershowedthattheirpresentstatewasthatofpunishmentandprobation，andthatitwastheirespecialdutytosufferwithoutsinning。Thuspreparedtoconsiderherselfasthevictimofmisfortune，Rebeccahadearlyreflecteduponherownstate，andschooledhermindtomeetthedangerswhichshehadprobablytoencounter。
Theprisonertrembled，however，andchangedcolour，whenastepwasheardonthestair，andthedooroftheturret-chamberslowlyopened，andatallman，dressedasoneofthosebandittitowhomtheyowedtheirmisfortune，slowlyentered，andshutthedoorbehindhim；hiscap，pulleddownuponhisbrows，concealedtheupperpartofhisface，andheheldhismantleinsuchamannerastomuffletherest。Inthisguise，asifpreparedfortheexecutionofsomedeed，atthethoughtofwhichhewashimselfashamed，hestoodbeforetheaffrightedprisoner；yet，ruffianashisdressbespokehim，heseemedatalosstoexpresswhatpurposehadbroughthimthither，sothatRebecca，makinganeffortuponherself，hadtimetoanticipatehisexplanation。
Shehadalreadyunclaspedtwocostlybraceletsandacollar，whichshehastenedtoproffertothesupposedoutlaw，concludingnaturallythattogratifyhisavaricewastobespeakhisfavour。
``Takethese，’’shesaid，``goodfriend，andforGod’ssakebemercifultomeandmyagedfather！
Theseornamentsareofvalue，yetaretheytriflingtowhathewouldbestowtoobtainourdismissalfromthiscastle，freeanduninjured。’’
``FairflowerofPalestine，’’repliedtheoutlaw，``thesepearlsareorient，buttheyyieldinwhitenesstoyourteeth；thediamondsarebrilliant，buttheycannotmatchyoureyes；andeversinceIhavetakenupthiswildtrade，Ihavemadeavowtopreferbeautytowealth。’’
``Donotdoyourselfsuchwrong，’’saidRebecca；