第 78 节
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青涩春天 更新:2024-04-09 19:51 字数:9322
assaultwho fell howling with anguishto wave his battle…axe over
his own head; and cut off those of thirteen men…at…arms; was the
work of an instant。 〃An Ivanhoe; an Ivanhoe!〃 he still shouted;
and down went a man as sure as he said 〃hoe!〃
〃Ivanhoe! Ivanhoe!〃 a shrill voice cried from the top of the
northern bartizan。 Ivanhoe knew it。
〃Rowena my love; I come!〃 he roared on his part。 〃Villains! touch
but a hair of her head; and I 。 。 。〃
Here; with a sudden plunge and a squeal of agony; Bavieca sprang
forward wildly; and fell as wildly on her back; rolling over and
over upon the knight。 All was dark before him; his brain reeled;
it whizzed; something came crashing down on his forehead。 St。
Waltheof and all the saints of the Saxon calendar protect the
knight! 。 。 。
When he came to himself; Wamba and the lieutenant of his lances
were leaning over him with a bottle of the hermit's elixir。 〃We
arrived here the day after the battle;〃 said the fool; 〃marry; I
have a knack of that。〃
〃Your worship rode so deucedly quick; there was no keeping up with
your worship;〃 said the lieutenant。
〃The dayafterthe bat〃 groaned Ivanhoe。 〃Where is the Lady
Rowena?〃
〃The castle has been taken and sacked;〃 the lieutenant said; and
pointed to what once WAS Rotherwood; but was now only a heap of
smoking ruins。 Not a tower was left; not a roof; not a floor; not
a single human being! Everything was flame and ruin; smash and
murther!
Of course Ivanhoe fell back fainting again among the ninety…seven
men…at…arms whom he had slain; and it was not until Wamba had
applied a second; and uncommonly strong dose of the elixir that he
came to life again。 The good knight was; however; from long
practice; so accustomed to the severest wounds; that he bore them
far more easily than common folk; and thus was enabled to reach
York upon a litter; which his men constructed for him; with
tolerable ease。
Rumor had as usual advanced before him; and he heard at the hotel
where he stopped; what had been the issue of the affair at
Rotherwood。 A minute or two after his horse was stabbed; and
Ivanhoe knocked down; the western bartizan was taken by the
storming…party which invested it; and every soul slain; except
Rowena and her boy; who were tied upon horses and carried away;
under a secure guard; to one of the King's castlesnobody knew
whither: and Ivanhoe was recommended by the hotel…keeper (whose
house he had used in former times) to reassume his wig and
spectacles; and not call himself by his own name any more; lest
some of the King's people should lay hands on him。 However; as he
had killed everybody round about him; there was but little danger
of his discovery; and the Knight of the Spectacles; as he was
called; went about York quite unmolested; and at liberty to attend
to his own affairs。
We wish to be brief in narrating this part of the gallant hero's
existence; for his life was one of feeling rather than affection;
and the description of mere sentiment is considered by many well…
informed persons to be tedious。 What WERE his sentiments now; it
may be asked; under the peculiar position in which he found
himself? He had done his duty by Rowena; certainly: no man could
say otherwise。 But as for being in love with her any more; after
what had occurred; that was a different question。 Well; come what
would; he was determined still to continue doing his duty by her;
but as she was whisked away the deuce knew whither; how could he do
anything? So he resigned himself to the fact that she was thus
whisked away。
He; of course; sent emissaries about the country to endeavor to
find out where Rowena was: but these came back without any sort of
intelligence; and it was remarked; that he still remained in a
perfect state of resignation。 He remained in this condition for a
year; or more; and it was said that he was becoming more cheerful;
and he certainly was growing rather fat。 The Knight of the
Spectacles was voted an agreeable man in a grave way; and gave some
very elegant; though quiet; parties; and was received in the best
society of York。
It was just at assize…time; the lawyers and barristers had arrived;
and the town was unusually gay; when; one morning; the attorney;
whom we have mentioned as Sir Wilfrid's man of business; and a most
respectable man; called upon his gallant client at his lodgings;
and said he had a communication of importance to make。 Having to
communicate with a client of rank; who was condemned to be hanged
for forgery; Sir Roger de Backbite; the attorney said; he had been
to visit that party in the condemned cell; and on the way through
the yard; and through the bars of another cell; had seen and
recognized an old acquaintance of Sir Wilfrid of Ivanhoeand the
lawyer held him out; with a particular look; a note; written on a
piece of whity…brown paper。
What were Ivanhoe's sensations when he recognized the handwriting
of Rowena!he tremblingly dashed open the billet; and read as
follows:
〃MY DEAREST IVANHOE;For I am thine now as erst; and my first love
was everever dear to me。 Have I been near thee dying for a whole
year; and didst thou make no effort to rescue thy Rowena? Have ye
given to othersI mention not their name nor their odious creed
the heart that ought to be mine? I send thee my forgiveness from
my dying pallet of straw。I forgive thee the insults I have
received; the cold and hunger I have endured; the failing health of
my boy; the bitterness of my prison; thy infatuation about that
Jewess; which made our married life miserable; and which caused
thee; I am sure; to go abroad to look after her。 I forgive thee
all my wrongs; and fain would bid thee farewell。 Mr。 Smith hath
gained over my gaolerhe will tell thee how I may see thee。 Come
and console my last hour by promising that thou wilt care for my
boyHIS boy who fell like a hero (when thou wert absent) combating
by the side of ROWENA。〃
The reader may consult his own feelings; and say whether Ivanhoe
was likely to be pleased or not by this letter: however; he
inquired of Mr。 Smith; the solicitor; what was the plan which that
gentleman had devised for the introduction to Lady Rowena; and was
informed that he was to get a barrister's gown and wig; when the
gaoler would introduce him into the interior of the prison。 These
decorations; knowing several gentlemen of the Northern Circuit; Sir
Wilfrid of Ivanhoe easily procured; and with feelings of no small
trepidation; reached the cell; where; for the space of a year; poor
Rowena had been immured。
If any person have a doubt of the correctness; of the historical
exactness of this narrative; I refer him to the 〃Biographie
Universelle〃 (article Jean sans Terre); which says; 〃La femme d'un
baron auquel on vint demander son fils; repondit; 'Le roi pense…t…
il que je confierai mon fils a un homme qui a egorge son neveu de
sa propre main?' Jean fit enlever la mere et l'enfant; et la
laissa MOURIR DE FAIM dans les cachots。〃
I picture to myself; with a painful sympathy; Rowena undergoing
this disagreeable sentence。 All her virtues; her resolution; her
chaste energy and perseverance; shine with redoubled lustre; and;
for the first time since the commencement of the history; I feel
that I am partially reconciled to her。 The weary year passesshe
grows weaker and more languid; thinner and thinner! At length
Ivanhoe; in the disguise of a barrister of the Northern Circuit; is
introduced to her cell; and finds his lady in the last stage of
exhaustion; on the straw of her dungeon; with her little boy in her
arms。 She has preserved his life at the expense of her own; giving
him the whole of the pittance which her gaolers allowed her; and
perishing herself of inanition。
There is a scene! I feel as if I had made it up; as it were; with
this lady; and that we part in peace; in consequence of my providing
her with so sublime a death…bed。 Fancy Ivanhoe's entrancetheir
recognitionthe faint blush upon her worn featuresthe pathetic
way in which she gives little Cedric in charge to him; and his
promises of protection。
〃Wilfrid; my early loved;〃 slowly gasped she; removing her gray
hair from her furrowed temples; and gazing on her boy fondly; as
he nestled on Ivanhoe's knee〃promise me; by St。 Waltheof of
Templestowepromise me one boon!〃
〃I do;〃 said Ivanhoe; clasping the boy; and thinking it was to that
little innocent the promise was intended to apply。
〃By St。 Waltheof?〃
〃By St。 Waltheof!〃
〃Promise me; then;〃 gasped Rowena; staring wildly at him; 〃that you
never will marry a Jewess?〃
〃By St。 Waltheof;〃 cried Ivanhoe; 〃this is too much; Rowena!〃But
he felt his hand grasped for a moment; the nerves then relaxed; the
pale lips ceased to quivershe was no more!
CHAPTER VI。
IVANH