Rebecca，thusendowedwithknowledgeaswithbeauty，wasuniversallyreveredandadmiredbyherowntribe，whoalmostregardedherasoneofthosegiftedwomenmentionedinthesacredhistory。Herfatherhimself，outofreverenceforhertalents，whichinvoluntarilymingleditselfwithhisunboundedaffection，permittedthemaidenagreaterlibertythanwasusuallyindulgedtothoseofhersexbythehabitsofherpeople，andwas，aswehavejustseen，frequentlyguidedbyheropinion，eveninpreferencetohisown。
WhenIvanhoereachedthehabitationofIsaac，hewasstillinastateofunconsciousness，owingtotheprofuselossofbloodwhichhadtakenplaceduringhisexertionsinthelists。Rebeccaexaminedthewound，andhavingappliedtoitsuchvulneraryremediesasherartprescribed，informedherfatherthatiffevercouldbeaverted，ofwhichthegreatbleedingrenderedherlittleapprehensive，andifthehealingbalsamofMiriamretaineditsvirtue，therewasnothingtofearforhisguest’slife，andthathemightwithsafetytraveltoYorkwiththemontheensuingday。Isaaclookedalittleblankatthisannunciation。HischaritywouldwillinglyhavestoppedshortatAshby，oratmostwouldhaveleftthewoundedChristiantobetendedinthehousewherehewasresidingatpresent，withanassurancetotheHebrewtowhomitbelonged，thatallexpensesshouldbedulydischarged。Tothis，however，Rebeccaopposedmanyreasons，ofwhichweshallonlymentiontwothathadpeculiarweightwithIsaac。Theonewas，thatshewouldonnoaccountputthephialofpreciousbalsamintothehandsofanotherphysicianevenofherowntribe，lestthatvaluablemysteryshouldbediscovered；
theother，thatthiswoundedknight，WilfredofIvanhoe，wasanintimatefavouriteofRichardCur-de-Lion，andthat，incasethemonarchshouldreturn，Isaac，whohadsuppliedhisbrotherJohnwithtreasuretoprosecutehisrebelliouspurposes，wouldstandinnosmallneedofapowerfulprotectorwhoenjoyedRichard’sfavour。
``Thouartspeakingbutsooth，Rebecca，’’saidIsaac，givingwaytotheseweightyarguments——``itwereanoffendingofHeaventobetraythesecretsoftheblessedMiriam；forthegoodwhichHeavengiveth，isnotrashlytobesquandereduponothers，whetheritbetalentsofgoldandshekelsofsilver，orwhetheritbethesecretmysteriesofawisephysician——assuredlytheyshouldbepreservedtothosetowhomProvidencehathvouchsafedthem。
AndhimwhomtheNazarenesofEnglandcalltheLion’sHeart，assuredlyitwerebetterformetofallintothehandsofastronglionofIdumeathanintohis，ifheshallhavegotassuranceofmydealingwithhisbrother。WhereforeIwilllendeartothycounsel，andthisyouthshalljourneywithusuntoYork，andourhouseshallbeasahometohimuntilhiswoundsshallbehealed。AndifheoftheLionHeartshallreturntotheland，asisnownoisedabroad，thenshallthisWilfredofIvanhoebeuntomeasawallofdefence，whentheking’sdispleasureshallburnhighagainstthyfather。Andifhedothnotreturn，thisWilfredmaynathelessrepayusourchargeswhenheshallgaintreasurebythestrengthofhisspearandofhissword，evenashedidyesterdayandthisdayalso。Fortheyouthisagoodyouth，andkeepeththedaywhichheappointeth，andrestoreththatwhichheborroweth，andsuccoureththeIsraelite，eventhechildofmyfather’shouse，whenheisencompassedbystrongthievesandsonsofBelial。’’
ItwasnotuntileveningwasnearlyclosedthatIvanhoewasrestoredtoconsciousnessofhissituation。
Heawokefromabrokenslumber，undertheconfusedimpressionswhicharenaturallyattendantontherecoveryfromastateofinsensibility。Hewasunableforsometimetorecallexactlytomemorythecircumstanceswhichhadprecededhisfallinthelists，ortomakeoutanyconnectedchainoftheeventsinwhichhehadbeenengagedupontheyesterday。Asenseofwoundsandinjury，joinedtogreatweaknessandexhaustion，wasmingledwiththerecollectionofblowsdealtandreceived，ofsteedsrushinguponeachother，overthrowingandoverthrown——ofshoutsandclashingofarms，andalltheheadytumultofaconfusedfight。Anefforttodrawasidethecurtainofhisconchwasinsomedegreesuccessful，althoughrendereddifficultbythepainofhiswound。
Tohisgreatsurprisehefoundhimselfinaroommagnificentlyfurnished，buthavingcushionsinsteadofchairstorestupon，andinotherrespectspartakingsomuchofOrientalcostume，thathebegantodoubtwhetherhehadnot，duringhissleep，beentransportedbackagaintothelandofPalestine。Theimpressionwasincreased，when，thetapestrybeingdrawnaside，afemaleform，dressedinarichhabit，whichpartookmoreoftheEasterntastethanthatofEurope，glidedthroughthedoorwhichitconcealed，andwasfollowedbyaswarthydomestic。
Asthewoundedknightwasabouttoaddressthisfairapparition，sheimposedsilencebyplacingherslenderfingeruponherrubylips，whiletheattendant，approachinghim，proceededtouncoverIvanhoe’sside，andthelovelyJewesssatisfiedherselfthatthebandagewasinitsplace，andthewounddoingwell。Sheperformedhertaskwithagracefulanddignifiedsimplicityandmodesty，whichmight，eveninmorecivilizeddays，haveservedtoredeemitfromwhatevermightseemrepugnanttofemaledelicacy。Theideaofsoyoungandbeautifulapersonengagedinattendanceonasick-bed，orindressingthewoundofoneofadifferentsex，wasmeltedawayandlostinthatofabeneficentbeingcontributinghereffectualaidtorelievepain，andtoavertthestrokeofdeath。Rebecca’sfewandbriefdirectionsweregivenintheHebrewlanguagetotheolddomestic；andhe，whohadbeenfrequentlyherassistantinsimilarcases，obeyedthemwithoutreply。
Theaccentsofanunknowntongue，howeverharshtheymighthavesoundedwhenutteredbyanother，had，comingfromthebeautifulRebecca，theromanticandpleasingeffectwhichfancyascribestothecharmspronouncedbysomebeneficentfairy，unintelligible，indeed，totheear，but，fromthesweetnessofutterance，andbenignityofaspect，whichaccompaniedthem，touchingandaffectingtotheheart。Withoutmakinganattemptatfurtherquestion，Ivanhoesufferedtheminsilencetotakethemeasurestheythoughtmostproperforhisrecovery；
anditwasnotuntilthosewerecompleted，andthiskindphysicianabouttoretire。thathiscuriositycouldnolongerbesuppressed——``Gentlemaiden，’’bebeganintheArabiantongue，withwhichhisEasterntravelshadrenderedhimfamiliar，andwhichhethoughtmostlikelytobeunderstoodbytheturban’dandcaftan’ddamselwhostoodbeforehim——``Iprayyou，gentlemaiden，ofyourcourtesy——’’
Butherehewasinterruptedbyhisfairphysician，asmilewhichshecouldscarcesuppressdimplingforaninstantaface，whosegeneralexpressionwasthatofcontemplativemelancholy。``IamofEngland，SirKnight，andspeaktheEnglishtongue，althoughmydressandmylineagebelongtoanotherclimate。’’
``Nobledamsel，’’——againtheKnightofIvanhoebegan；andagainRebeccahastenedtointerrupthim。
``Bestownotonme，SirKnight，’’shesaid，``theepithetofnoble。ItiswellyoushouldspeedilyknowthatyourhandmaidenisapoorJewess，thedaughterofthatIsaacofYork，towhomyouweresolatelyagoodandkindlord。Itwellbecomeshim，andthoseofhishousehold，torendertoyousuchcarefultendanceasyourpresentstatenecessarilydemands。’’
IknownotwhetherthefairRowenawouldhavebeenaltogethersatisfiedwiththespeciesofemotionwithwhichherdevotedknighthadhithertogazedonthebeautifulfeatures，andfairform，andlustrouseyes，ofthelovelyRebecca；eyeswhosebrilliancywasshaded，and，asitwere，mellowed，bythefringeofherlongsilkeneyelashes，andwhichaminstrelwouldhavecomparedtotheeveningstardartingitsraysthroughabowerofjessamine。
ButIvanhoewastoogoodaCatholictoretainthesameclassoffeelingstowardsaJewess。ThisRebeccahadforeseen，andforthisverypurposeshehadhastenedtomentionherfather’snameandlineage；
yet——forthefairandwisedaughterofIsaacwasnotwithoutatouchoffemaleweakness——shecouldnotbutsighinternallywhentheglanceofrespectfuladmiration，notaltogetherunmixedwithtenderness，withwhichIvanhoehadhithertoregardedhisunknownbenefactress，wasexchangedatonceforamannercold，composed，andcollected，andfraughtwithnodeeperfeelingthanthatwhichexpressedagratefulsenseofcourtesyreceivedfromanunexpectedquarter，andfromoneofaninferiorrace。ItwasnotthatIvanhoe’sformercarriageexpressedmorethanthatgeneraldevotionalhomagewhichyouthalwayspaystobeauty；yetitwasmortifyingthatonewordshouldoperateasaspelltoremovepoorRebecca，whocouldnotbesupposedaltogetherignorantofhertitletosuchhomage，intoadegradedclass，towhomitcouldnotbehonourablyrendered。
ButthegentlenessandcandourofRebecca’snatureimputednofaulttoIvanhoeforsharingintheuniversalprejudicesofhisageandreligion。OnthecontrarythefairJewess，thoughsensibleherpatientnowregardedherasoneofaraceofreprobation，withwhomitwasdisgracefultoholdanybeyondthemostnecessaryintercourse，ceasednottopaythesamepatientanddevotedattentiontohissafetyandconvalescence。SheinformedhimofthenecessitytheywereunderofremovingtoYork，andofherfather’sresolutiontotransporthimthither，andtendhiminhisownhouseuntilhishealthshouldberestored。Ivanhoeexpressedgreatrepugnancetothisplan，whichhegroundedonunwillingnesstogivefarthertroubletohisbenefactors。
``Wastherenot，’’hesaid，``inAshby，ornearit，someSaxonfranklin，orevensomewealthypeasant，whowouldenduretheburdenofawoundedcountryman’sresidencewithhimuntilheshouldbeagainabletobearhisarmour?——WastherenoconventofSaxonendowment，wherehecouldbereceived?——OrcouldhenotbetransportedasfarasBurton，wherehewassuretofindhospitalitywithWaltheoff，theAbbotofStWithold’s，towhomhewasrelated?’’
``Any，theworstoftheseharbourages，’’saidRebecca，withamelancholysmile，``wouldunquestionablybemorefittingforyourresidencethantheabodeofadespisedJew；yet，SirKnight，unlessyouwoulddismissyourphysician，youcannotchangeyourlodging。Ournation，asyouwellknow，cancurewounds，thoughwedealnotininflictingthem；andinourownfamily，inparticular，aresecretswhichhavebeenhandeddownsincethedaysofSolomon，andofwhichyouhavealreadyexperiencedtheadvantages。NoNazarene——I
craveyourforgiveness，SirKnight——noChristianleech，withinthefourseasofBritain，couldenableyoutobearyourcorsletwithinamonth。’’
``Andhowsoonwiltthouenablemetobrookit?’’saidIvanhoe，impatiently。
``Withineightdays，ifthouwiltbepatientandconformabletomydirections，’’repliedRebecca。
``ByOurBlessedLady，’’saidWilfred，``ifitbenotasintonameherhere，itisnotimeformeoranytrueknighttobebedridden；andifthouaccomplishthypromise，maiden，Iwillpaytheewithmycasquefullofcrowns，comebythemasI
may。’’
``Iwillaccomplishmypromise，’’saidRebecca，andthoushaltbearthinearmourontheeighthdayfromhence，ifthouwillgrantmebutonebooninthesteadofthesilverthoudostpromiseme。’’
`Ifitbewithinmypower，andsuchasatrueChristianknightmayyieldtooneofthypeople，’’