第 78 节
作者: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