under　the　sun。　　Things　die　and　are　reproduced　only。　　And　so　it　is
  that　the　forgotten　tale　of　the　great　Dumas　reappears　under　the
  signature　of
  THERESA　MACWHIRTER。
  WHISTLEBINKIE；　N。B。；　December　1。
  REBECCA　AND　ROWENA。
  A　ROMANCE　UPON　ROMANCE。
  BY　MR。　MICHAEL　ANGELO　TITMARSH。
  CHAPTER　I。
  THE　OVERTURE。COMMENCEMENT　OF　THE　BUSINESS。
  Well…beloved　novel…readers　and　gentle　patronesses　of　romance；
  assuredly　it　has　often　occurred　to　every　one　of　you；　that　the　books
  we　delight　in　have　very　unsatisfactory　conclusions；　and　end　quite
  prematurely　with　page　320　of　the　third　volume。　　At　that　epoch　of
  the　history　it　is　well　known　that　the　hero　is　seldom　more　than
  thirty　years　old；　and　the　heroine　by　consequence　some　seven　or
  eight　years　younger；　and　I　would　ask　any　of　you　whether　it　is　fair
  to　suppose　that　people　after　the　above　age　have　nothing　worthy　of
  note　in　their　lives；　and　cease　to　exist　as　they　drive　away　from
  Saint　George's；　Hanover　Square？　　You；　dear　young　ladies；　who　get
  your　knowledge　of　life　from　the　circulating　library；　may　be　led　to
  imagine　that　when　the　marriage　business　is　done；　and　Emilia　is
  whisked　off　in　the　new　travelling…carriage；　by　the　side　of　the
  enraptured　Earl；　or　Belinda；　breaking　away　from　the　tearful
  embraces　of　her　excellent　mother；　dries　her　own　lovely　eyes　upon
  the　throbbing　waistcoat　of　her　bridegroomyou　may　be　apt；　I　say；
  to　suppose　that　all　is　over　then；　that　Emilia　and　the　Earl　are
  going　to　be　happy　for　the　rest　of　their　lives　in　his　lordship's
  romantic　castle　in　the　North；　and　Belinda　and　her　young　clergyman
  to　enjoy　uninterrupted　bliss　in　their　rose…trellised　parsonage　in
  the　West　of　England：　but　some　there　be　among　the　novel…reading
  classesold　experienced　folkswho　know　better　than　this。　　Some
  there　be　who　have　been　married；　and　found　that　they　have　still
  something　to　see　and　to　do；　and　to　suffer　mayhap；　and　that
  adventures；　and　pains；　and　pleasures；　and　taxes；　and　sunrises　and
  settings；　and　the　business　and　joys　and　griefs　of　life　go　on　after；
  as　before　the　nuptial　ceremony。
  Therefore　I　say；　it　is　an　unfair　advantage　which　the　novelist　takes
  of　hero　and　heroine；　as　of　his　inexperienced　reader；　to　say　good…by
  to　the　two　former；　as　soon　as　ever　they　are　made　husband　and　wife；
  and　I　have　often　wished　that　additions　should　be　made　to　all　works
  of　fiction　which　have　been　brought　to　abrupt　terminations　in　the
  manner　described；　and　that　we　should　hear　what　occurs　to　the　sober
  married　man；　as　well　as　to　the　ardent　bachelor；　to　the　matron；　as
  well　as　to　the　blushing　spinster。　　And　in　this　respect　I　admire
  （and　would　desire　to　imitate；）　the　noble　and　prolific　French
  author；　Alexandre　Dumas；　who　carries　his　heroes　from　early　youth
  down　to　the　most　venerable　old　age；　and　does　not　let　them　rest
  until　they　are　so　old；　that　it　is　full　time　the　poor　fellows　should
  get　a　little　peace　and　quiet。　　A　hero　is　much　too　valuable　a
  gentleman　to　be　put　upon　the　retired　list；　in　the　prime　and　vigor
  of　his　youth；　and　I　wish　to　know　what　lady　among　us　would　like　to
  be　put　on　the　shelf；　and　thought　no　longer　interesting；　because　she
  has　a　family　growing　up；　and　is　four　or　five　and　thirty　years　of
  age？　　I　have　known　ladies　at　sixty；　with　hearts　as　tender　and　ideas
  as　romantic　as　any　young　misses　of　sixteen。　　Let　us　have　middle…
  aged　novels　then；　as　well　as　your　extremely　juvenile　legends：　let
  the　young　ones　be　warned　that　the　old　folks　have　a　right　to　be
  interesting：　and　that　a　lady　may　continue　to　have　a　heart；　although
  she　is　somewhat　stouter　than　she　was　when　a　school…girl；　and　a　man
  his　feelings；　although　he　gets　his　hair　from　Truefitt's。
  Thus　I　would　desire　that　the　biographies　of　many　of　our　most
  illustrious　personages　of　romance　should　be　continued　by　fitting
  hands；　and　that　they　should　be　heard　of；　until　at　least　a　decent
  age。Look　at　Mr。　James's　heroes：　they　invariably　marry　young。
  Look　at　Mr。　Dickens's：　they　disappear　from　the　scene　when　they　are
  mere　chits。　　I　trust　these　authors；　who　are　still　alive；　will　see
  the　propriety　of　telling　us　something　more　about　people　in　whom　we
  took　a　considerable　interest；　and　who　must　be　at　present　strong　and
  hearty；　and　in　the　full　vigor　of　health　and　intellect。　　And　in　the
  tales　of　the　great　Sir　Walter　（may　honor　be　to　his　name）；　I　am　sure
  there　are　a　number　of　people　who　are　untimely　carried　away　from　us；
  and　of　whom　we　ought　to　hear　more。
  My　dear　Rebecca；　daughter　of　Isaac　of　York；　has　always；　in　my　mind；
  been　one　of　these；　nor　can　I　ever　believe　that　such　a　woman；　so
  admirable；　so　tender；　so　heroic；　so　beautiful；　could　disappear
  altogether　before　such　another　woman　as　Rowena；　that　vapid；　flaxen…
  headed　creature；　who　is；　in　my　humble　opinion；　unworthy　of　Ivanhoe；
  and　unworthy　of　her　place　as　heroine。　　Had　both　of　them　got　their
  rights；　it　ever　seemed　to　me　that　Rebecca　would　have　had　the
  husband；　and　Rowena　would　have　gone　off　to　a　convent　and　shut
  herself　up；　where　I；　for　one；　would　never　have　taken　the　trouble
  of　inquiring　for　her。
  But　after　all　she　married　Ivanhoe。　　What　is　to　be　done？　　There　is
  no　help　for　it。　　There　it　is　in　black　and　white　at　the　end　of　the
  third　volume　of　Sir　Walter　Scott's　chronicle；　that　the　couple　were
  joined　together　in　matrimony。　　And　must　the　Disinherited　Knight；
  whose　blood　has　been　fired　by　the　suns　of　Palestine；　and　whose
  heart　has　been　warmed　in　the　company　of　the　tender　and　beautiful
  Rebecca；　sit　down　contented　for　life　by　the　side　of　such　a　frigid
  piece　of　propriety　as　that　icy；　faultless；　prim；　niminy…piminy
  Rowena？　　Forbid　it　fate；　forbid　it　poetical　justice！　　There　is　a
  simple　plan　for　setting　matters　right；　and　giving　all　parties　their
  due；　which　is　here　submitted　to　the　novel…reader。　　Ivanhoe's
  history　MUST　have　had　a　continuation；　and　it　is　this　which　ensues。
  I　may　be　wrong　in　some　particulars　of　the　narrative；as　what
  writer　will　not　be？but　of　the　main　incidents　of　the　history；　I
  have　in　my　own　mind　no　sort　of　doubt；　and　confidently　submit　them
  to　that　generous　public　which　likes　to　see　virtue　righted；　true
  love　rewarded；　and　the　brilliant　Fairy　descend　out　of　the　blazing
  chariot　at　the　end　of　the　pantomime；　and　make　Harlequin　and
  Columbine　happy。　　What；　if　reality　be　not　so；　gentlemen　and　ladies；
  and　if；　after　dancing　a　variety　of　jigs　and　antics；　and　jumping　in
  and　out　of　endless　trap…doors　and　windows；　through　life's　shifting
  scenes；　no　fairy　comes　down　to　make　US　comfortable　at　the　close　of
  the　performance？　　Ah！　let　us　give　our　honest　novel…folks　the
  benefit　of　their　position；　and　not　be　envious　of　their　good　luck。
  No　person　who　has　read　the　preceding　volumes　of　this　history；　as
  the　famous　chronicler　of　Abbotsford　has　recorded　them；　can　doubt
  for　a　moment　what　was　the　result　of　the　marriage　between　Sir
  Wilfrid　of　Ivanhoe　and　Lady　Rowena。　　Those　who　have　marked　her
  conduct　during　her　maidenhood；　her　distinguished　politeness；　her
  spotless　modesty　of　demeanor；　her　unalterable　coolness　under　all
  circumstances；　and　her　lofty　and　gentlewomanlike　bearing；　must　be
  sure　that　her　married　conduct　would　equal　her　spinster　behavior；
  and　that　Rowena　the　wife　would　be　a　pattern　of　correctness　for　all
  the　matrons　of　England。
  Such　was　the　fact。　　For　miles　around　Rotherwood　her　character　for
  piety　was　known。　　Her　castle　was　a　rendezvous　for　all　the　clergy
  and　monks　of　the　district；　whom　she　fed　with　the　richest　viands；
  while　she　pinched　herself　upon　pulse　and　water。　　There　was　not　an
  invalid　in　the　three　Ridings；　Saxon　or　Norman；　but　the　palfrey　of
  the　Lady　Rowena　might　be　seen　journeying　to　his　door；　in　company
  with　Father　Glauber；　her　almoner；　and　Brother　Thomas　of　Epsom；　her
  leech。　　She　lighted　up　all　the　churches　in　Yorkshire　with　wax…
  candles；　the　offerings　of　her　piety。　　The　bells　of　her　chapel　began
  to　ring　at　two　o'clock　in　the　morning；　and　all　the　domestics　of
  Rotherwood　were　called　upon　to　attend　at　matins；　at　complins；　at
  nones；　at　vespers；　and　at　sermon。　　I　need　not　say　that　fasting　was
  observed　with　all　the　rigors　of　the　Church；　and　that　those　of　the
  servants　of　the　Lady　Rowena　were　looked　upon　with　most　favor　whose
  hair…shirts　were　the　roughest；　and　who　flagellated　themselves　with
  the　most　becoming　perseverance。
  Whether　it　was　that　this　discipline　cleared　poor　Wamba's　wits　or
  cooled　his　humor；　it　is　certain　that　he　became　the　most　melancholy
  fool　in　England；　and　if　ever　he　ventured　upon　a　pun　to　the
  shuddering　poor　servitors；　who　were　mumbling　their　dry　crusts　below
  the　salt；　it　was　such　a　faint　and　stale　joke　that　noboby　dared　to
  laugh　at　the　innuendoes　of　the　unfortunate　wag；　and　a　sickly　smile
  was　the　best　applause　he　could　muster。　　Once；　indeed；　when　Guffo；
  the　goose…boy　（a　half…witted　poor　wretch）；　laughed　outright　at　a
  lamentably　stale　pun　which　Wamba　palmed　upon　him　at　supper…time；
  （it　was　dark；　and　the　torches　being　brought　in；　Wamba　said；　〃Guffo；
  they　c