Themensulkilyreplied，``thattheydesirednothingbetterthantogotothebattlements，providingFront-de-Bufwouldbearthemoutwiththeirmaster，whohadcommandedthemtotendthedyingman。’’
``Thedyingman，knaves！’’rejoinedtheBaron；
``Ipromisetheeweshallallbedyingmenanwestandnottoitthemorestoutly。ButIwillrelievetheguarduponthiscaitiffcompanionofyours——
Here，Urfried——hag——fiendofaSaxonwitch——
hearestmenot?——tendmethisbedriddenfellowsincehemustneedsbetended，whilsttheseknavesusetheirweapons——Herebetwoarblasts，comrades，withwindlacesandquarrells*——tothebarbicanwith*Thearblastwasacross-bow，thewindlacethemachine*usedinbendingthatweapon，andthequarrell，socalledfrom*itssquareordiamond-shapedhead，wastheboltadaptedtoit。
you，andseeyoudriveeachboltthroughaSaxonbrain。’’
Themen，who，likemostoftheirdescription，werefondofenterpriseanddetestedinaction，wentjoyfullytothesceneofdangerastheywerecommanded，andthusthechargeofIvanhoewastransferredtoUrfried，orUlrica。Butshe，whosebrainwasburningwithremembranceofinjuriesandwithhopesofvengeance，wasreadilyinducedtodevolveuponRebeccathecareofherpatient。
CHAPTERXXIX
Ascendthewatch-toweryonder，valiantsoldier，Lookonthefield，andsayhowgoesthebattle。
Schiller’s_MaidofOrleans_。
Amomentofperilisoftenalsoamomentofopen-heartedkindnessandaffection。Wearethrownoffourguardbythegeneralagitationofourfeelings，andbetraytheintensityofthose，which，atmoretranquilperiods，ourprudenceatleastconceals，ifitcannotaltogethersuppressthem。InfindingherselfoncemorebythesideofIvanhoe，Rebeccawasastonishedatthekeensensationofpleasurewhichsheexperienced，evenatatimewhenallaroundthembothwasdanger，ifnotdespair。
Asshefelthispulse，andenquiredafterhishealth，therewasasoftnessinhertouchandinheraccentsimplyingakinderinterestthanshewouldherselfhavebeenpleasedtohavevoluntarilyexpressed。
Hervoicefalteredandherhandtrembled，anditwasonlythecoldquestionofIvanhoe，``Isityou，gentlemaiden?’’whichrecalledhertoherself，andremindedherthesensationswhichshefeltwerenotandcouldnotbemutual。Asighescaped，butitwasscarceaudible；andthequestionswhichsheaskedtheknightconcerninghisstateofhealthwereputinthetoneofcalmfriendship。Ivanhoeansweredherhastilythathewas，inpointofhealth，aswell，andbetterthanhecouldhaveexpected——
``Thanks，’’hesaid，``dearRebecca，tothyhelpfulskill。’’
``Hecallsme_dear_Rebecca，’’saidthemaidentoherself，``butitisinthecoldandcarelesstonewhichillsuitstheword。Hiswar-horse——hishuntinghound，aredearertohimthanthedespisedJewess！’’
``Mymind，gentlemaiden，’’continuedIvanhoe，``ismoredisturbedbyanxiety，thanmybodywithpain。Fromthespeechesofthosemenwhoweremywardersjustnow，IlearnthatIamaprisoner，and，ifIjudgearightoftheloudhoarsevoicewhichevennowdispatchedthemhenceonsomemilitaryduty，IaminthecastleofFront-de-Buf——Ifso，howwillthisend，orhowcanIprotectRowenaandmyfather?’’
``HenamesnottheJeworJewess，’’saidRebeccainternally；``yetwhatisourportioninhim，andhowjustlyamIpunishedbyHeavenforlettingmythoughtsdwelluponhim！’’Shehastenedafterthisbriefself-accusationtogiveIvanhoewhatinformationshecould；butitamountedonlytothis，thattheTemplarBois-Guilbert，andtheBaronFront-de-Buf，werecommanderswithinthecastle；thatitwasbeleagueredfromwithout，butbywhomsheknewnot。Sheadded，thattherewasaChristianpriestwithinthecastlewhomightbepossessedofmoreinformation。
``AChristianpriest！’’saidtheknight，joyfully；
``fetchhimhither，Rebecca，ifthoucanst——sayasickmandesireshisghostlycounsel——saywhatthouwilt，butbringhim——somethingImustdoorattempt，buthowcanIdetermineuntilIknowhowmattersstandwithout?’’
RebeccaincompliancewiththewishesofIvanhoe，madethatattempttobringCedricintothewoundedKnight’schamber，whichwasdefeatedaswehavealreadyseenbytheinterferenceofUrfried，whohadalsobeenonthewatchtointerceptthesupposedmonk。RebeccaretiredtocommunicatetoIvanhoetheresultofhererrand。
Theyhadnotmuchleisuretoregretthefailureofthissourceofintelligence，ortocontrivebywhatmeansitmightbesupplied；forthenoisewithinthecastle，occasionedbythedefensivepreparationswhichhadbeenconsiderableforsometime，nowincreasedintotenfoldbustleandclamour。Theheavy，yethastystepofthemen-at-arms，traversedthebattlementsorresoundedonthenarrowandwindingpassagesandstairswhichledtothevariousbartisansandpointsofdefence。Thevoicesoftheknightswereheard，animatingtheirfollowers，ordirectingmeansofdefence，whiletheircommandswereoftendrownedintheclashingofarmour，ortheclamorousshoutsofthosewhomtheyaddressed。
Tremendousasthesesoundswere，andyetmoreterriblefromtheawfuleventwhichtheypresaged，therewasasublimitymixedwiththem，whichRebecca’shigh-tonedmindcouldfeeleveninthatmomentofterror。Hereyekindled，althoughthebloodfledfromhercheeks；andtherewasastrongmixtureoffear，andofathrillingsenseofthesublime，assherepeated，halfwhisperingtoherself，halfspeakingtohercompanion，thesacredtext，——
``Thequiverrattleth——theglitteringspearandtheshield——thenoiseofthecaptainsandtheshouting！’’
ButIvanhoewaslikethewar-horseofthatsublimepassage，glowingwithimpatienceathisinactivity，andwithhisardentdesiretomingleintheaffrayofwhichthesesoundsweretheintroduction。
``IfIcouldbutdragmyself，’’hesaid，``toyonderwindow，thatImightseehowthisbravegameisliketogo——IfIhadbutbowtoshootashaft，orbattle-axetostrikewereitbutasingleblowforourdeliverance！——Itisinvain——itisinvain——Iamalikenervelessandweaponless！’’
``Fretnotthyself，nobleknight，’’answeredRebecca，``thesoundshaveceasedofasudden——itmaybetheyjoinnotbattle。’’
``Thouknowestnoughtofit，’’saidWilfred，impatiently；``thisdeadpauseonlyshowsthatthemenareattheirpostsonthewalls，andexpectinganinstantattack；whatwehaveheardwasbuttheinstantmutteringofthestorm——itwillburstanoninallitsfury——CouldIbutreachyonderwindow！’’
``Thouwiltbutinjurethyselfbytheattempt，nobleknight，’’repliedhisattendant。Observinghisextremesolicitude，shefirmlyadded，``Imyselfwillstandatthelattice，anddescribetoyouasI
canwhatpasseswithout。’’
``Youmustnot——youshallnot！’’exclaimedIvanhoe；``eachlattice，eachaperture，willbesoonamarkforthearchers；somerandomshaft——’’
``Itshallbewelcome！’’murmuredRebecca，aswithfirmpacesheascendedtwoorthreesteps，whichledtothewindowofwhichtheyspoke。
``Rebecca，dearRebecca！’’exclaimedIvanhoe，``thisisnomaiden’spastime——donotexposethyselftowoundsanddeath，andrendermeforevermiserableforhavinggiventheoccasion；atleast，coverthyselfwithyonderancientbuckler，andshowaslittleofyourpersonatthelatticeasmaybe。’’
FollowingwithwonderfulpromptitudethedirectionsofIvanhoe，andavailingherselfoftheprotectionofthelargeancientshield，whichsheplacedagainstthelowerpartofthewindow，Rebecca，withtolerablesecuritytoherself，couldwitnesspartofwhatwaspassingwithoutthecastle，andreporttoIvanhoethepreparationswhichtheassailantsweremakingforthestorm。Indeedthesituationwhichshethusobtainedwaspeculiarlyfavourableforthispurpose，because，beingplacedonanangleofthemainbuilding，Rebeccacouldnotonlyseewhatpassedbeyondtheprecinctsofthecastle，butalsocommandedaviewoftheoutworklikelytobethefirstobjectofthemeditatedassault。Itwasanexteriorfortificationofnogreatheightorstrength，intendedtoprotectthepostern-gate，throughwhichCedrichadbeenrecentlydismissedbyFront-de-Buf。Thecastlemoatdividedthisspeciesofbarbicanfromtherestofthefortress，sothat，incaseofitsbeingtaken，itwaseasytocutoffthecommunicationwiththemainbuilding，bywithdrawingthetemporarybridge。Intheoutworkwasasallyportcorrespondingtotheposternofthecastle，andthewholewassurroundedbyastrongpalisade。Rebeccacouldobserve，fromthenumberofmenplacedforthedefenceofthispost，thatthebesiegedentertainedapprehensionsforitssafety；andfromthemusteringoftheassailantsinadirectionnearlyoppositetotheoutwork，itseemednolessplainthatithadbeenselectedasavulnerablepointofattack。
TheseappearancesshehastilycommunicatedtoIvanhoe，andadded，``Theskirtsofthewoodseemlinedwitharchers，althoughonlyafewareadvancedfromitsdarkshadow。’’
``Underwhatbanner?’’askedIvanhoe。
``UndernoensignofwarwhichIcanobserve，’’
answeredRebecca。
``Asingularnovelty，’’mutteredtheknight，``toadvancetostormsuchacastlewithoutpennonorbannerdisplayed！——Seestthouwhotheybethatactasleaders?’’
``Aknight，cladinsablearmour，isthemostconspicuous，’’saidtheJewess；``healoneisarmedfromheadtoheel，andseemstoassumethedirectionofallaroundhim。’’
``Whatdevicedoeshebearonhisshield?’’repliedIvanhoe。
``Somethingresemblingabarofiron，andapadlockpaintedblueontheblackshield。’’*
*Theauthorhasbeenhereupbraidedwithfalseheraldry，as*havingchargedmetaluponmetal。Itshouldberemembered，*however，thatheraldryhadonlyitsfirstrudeoriginduringthe*crusades，andthatalltheminutiofitsfantasticsciencewere*theworkoftime，andintroducedatamuchlaterperiod。Those*whothinkotherwisemustsupposethattheGoddessof_Armoirers_，*liketheGoddessofArms，sprungintotheworldcompletely*equippedinallthegaudytrappingsofthedepartmentshe*presidesover。