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The word of a Norman noble, thou pawnbroking slave, answered Front-de-Buf; the faith of a Norman nobleman, more pure than the gold and silver of thee and all thy tribe. I crave pardon, noble lord, said Isaac timidly, but wherefore should I rely wholly on the word of one who will trust nothing to mine? Because thou canst not help it, Jew, said the knight sternly. Wert thou now in thy treasure-chamber at York, and were I craving a loan of thy shekels, it would be thine to dictate the time of payment, and the pledge of security. This is my treasure-chamber. Here I have thee at advantage, nor will I again deign to repeat the terms on which I grant thee liberty. The Jew groaned deeply. Grant me, he said, at least with my own liberty, that of the companions with whom I travel. They scorned me as a Jew, yet they pitied my desolation, and because they tarried to aid me by the way, a share of my evil hath come upon them; moreover, they may contribute in some sort to my ransom. If thou meanest yonder Saxon churls, said Front-de-Buf, their ransom will depend upon other terms than thine. Mind thine own concerns, Jew, I warn thee, and meddle not with those of others. I am, then, said Isaac, only to be set at liberty, together with mine wounded friend? Shall I twice recommend it, said Front-de-Buf, to a son of Israel, to meddle with his own concerns, and leave those of others alone?Since thou hast made thy choice, it remains but that thou payest down thy ransom, and that at a short day. Yet hear me, said the Jew; for the sake of that very wealth which thou wouldst obtain at the expense of thy Here he stopped short, afraid of irritating the savage Norman. But Front-de-Buf only laughed, and himself filled up the blank at which the Jew had hesitated. At the expense of my conscience, thou wouldst say, Isaac; speak it outI tell thee, I am reasonable. I can bear the reproaches of a loser, even when that loser is a Jew. Thou wert not so patient, Isaac, when thou didst invoke justice against Jacques Fitzdotterel, for calling thee a usurious blood-sucker, when thy exactions had devoured his patrimony. I swear by the Talmud, said the Jew, that your valour has been misled in that matter. Fitzdotterel drew his poniard upon me in mine own chamber, because I craved him for mine own silver. The term of payment was due at the Passover. I care not what he did, said Front-de-Buf; the question is, when shall I have mine own?when shall I have the shekels, Isaac? Let my daughter Rebecca go forth to York, answered Isaac, with your safe conduct, noble knight, and so soon as man and horse can return, the treasure Here he groaned deeply, but added, after the pause of a few secondsthe treasure shall be told down on this very floor. Thy daughter! said Front-de-Buf, as if surprised. By Heavens, Isaac, I would I had known of this. I deemed that yonder black-browed girl had been thy concubine, and I gave her to be a handmaiden to Sir Brian de Bois-Guilbert, after the fashion of patriarchs and heroes of the days of old, who set us in these matters a wholesome example. The yell which Isaac raised at this unfeeling communication made the very vault to ring, and astounded the two Saracens so much that they let go their hold of the Jew. He availed himself of his enlargement to throw himself on the pavement, and clasp the knees of Front-de-Buf. Take all that you have asked, said he, Sir Knighttake ten times morereduce me to ruin and to beggary, if thou wiltmay, pierce me with thy poniard, broil me on that furnace, but spare my daughter, |
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