It must be owned, that if an interest displayed in his success could

have bribed the Disinherited Knight, the part of the lists before which

he paused had merited his predilection. Cedric the Saxon, overjoyed at

the discomfiture of the Templar, and still more so at the miscarriage of

his two malevolent neighbours, Front-de-Boeuf and Malvoisin, had, with

his body half stretched over the balcony, accompanied the victor in each

course, not with his eyes only, but with his whole heart and soul. The

Lady Rowena had watched the progress of the day with equal attention,

though without openly betraying the same intense interest. Even the

unmoved Athelstane had shown symptoms of shaking off his apathy, when,

calling for a huge goblet of muscadine, he quaffed it to the health

of the Disinherited Knight. Another group, stationed under the gallery

occupied by the Saxons, had shown no less interest in the fate of the

day.

"Father Abraham!" said Isaac of York, when the first course was run

betwixt the Templar and the Disinherited Knight, "how fiercely that

Gentile rides! Ah, the good horse that was brought all the long way

from Barbary, he takes no more care of him than if he were a wild ass's

colt--and the noble armour, that was worth so many zecchins to Joseph

Pareira, the armourer of Milan, besides seventy in the hundred of

profits, he cares for it as little as if he had found it in the

highways!"

"If he risks his own person and limbs, father," said Rebecca, "in doing

such a dreadful battle, he can scarce be expected to spare his horse and

armour."

"Child!" replied Isaac, somewhat heated, "thou knowest not what thou

speakest--His neck and limbs are his own, but his horse and armour

belong to--Holy Jacob! what was I about to say!--Nevertheless, it is

a good youth--See, Rebecca! see, he is again about to go up to battle

against the Philistine--Pray, child--pray for the safety of the good

youth,--and of the speedy horse, and the rich armour.--God of my

fathers!" he again exclaimed, "he hath conquered, and the uncircumcised

Philistine hath fallen before his lance,--even as Og the King of

Bashan, and Sihon, King of the Amorites, fell before the sword of our

fathers!--Surely he shall take their gold and their silver, and their

war-horses, and their armour of brass and of steel, for a prey and for a

spoil."

The same anxiety did the worthy Jew display during every course that was

run, seldom failing to hazard a hasty calculation concerning the value

of the horse and armour which was forfeited to the champion upon each

new success. There had been therefore no small interest taken in the

success of the Disinherited Knight, by those who occupied the part of

the lists before which he now paused.




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