第45章

amnotnaturallythatwhichyouhaveseenme，hard，selfish，andrelentless。Itwaswomanthattaughtmecruelty，andonwomanthereforeIhaveexercisedit；butnotuponsuchasthou。Hearme，Rebecca——NeverdidknighttakelanceinhishandwithaheartmoredevotedtotheladyofhislovethanBriandeBois-Guilbert。She，thedaughterofapettybaron，whoboastedforallhisdomainsbutaruinoustower，andanunproductivevineyard，andsomefewleaguesofthebarrenLandesofBourdeaux，hernamewasknownwhereverdeedsofarmsweredone，knownwiderthanthatofmanyalady’sthathadacountyforadowery——Yes，’’hecontinued，pacingupanddownthelittleplatform，withananimationinwhichheseemedtoloseallconsciousnessofRebecca’spresence——``Yes，mydeeds，mydanger，myblood，madethenameofAdelaidedeMontemareknownfromthecourtofCastiletothatofByzantium。AndhowwasIrequited?——

WhenIreturnedwithmydear-boughthonours，purchasedbytoilandblood，IfoundherweddedtoaGasconsquire，whosenamewasneverheardbeyondthelimitsofhisownpaltrydomain！TrulydidIloveher，andbitterlydidIrevengemeofherbrokenfaith！Butmyvengeancehasrecoiledonmyself。SincethatdayIhaveseparatedmyselffromlifeanditsties——Mymanhoodmustknownodomestichome——mustbesoothedbynoaffectionatewife——Myagemustknownokindlyhearth——

Mygravemustbesolitary，andnooffspringmustoutliveme，tobeartheancientnameofBois-Guilbert。

AtthefeetofmySuperiorIhavelaiddowntherightofself-action——theprivilegeofindependence。

TheTemplar，aserfinallbutthename，canpossessneitherlandsnorgoods，andlives，moves，andbreathes，butatthewillandpleasureofanother。’’

``Alas！’’saidRebecca，``whatadvantagescouldcompensateforsuchanabsolutesacrifice?’’

``Thepowerofvengeance，Rebecca，’’repliedtheTemplar，``andtheprospectsofambition。’’

``Anevilrecompense，’’saidRebecca，``forthesurrenderoftherightswhicharedearesttohumanity。’’

``Saynotso，maiden，’’answeredtheTemplar；

``revengeisafeastforthegods！Andiftheyhavereservedit，asprieststellus，tothemselves，itisbecausetheyholditanenjoymenttoopreciousforthepossessionofmeremortals——Andambition?itisatemptationwhichcoulddisturbeventheblissofheavenitself。’’——Hepausedamoment，andthenadded，``Rebecca！shewhocouldpreferdeathtodishonour，musthaveaproudandapowerfulsoul。

Minethoumustbe！——Nay，startnot，’’headded，``itmustbewiththineownconsent，andonthineownterms。Thoumustconsenttosharewithmehopesmoreextendedthancanbeviewedfromthethroneofamonarch！——Hearmeereyouanswerandjudgeereyourefuse——TheTemplarloses，asthouhastsaid，hissocialrights，hispoweroffreeagency，buthebecomesamemberandalimbofamightybody，beforewhichthronesalreadytremble，——evenasthesingledropofrainwhichmixeswiththeseabecomesanindividualpartofthatresistlessocean，whichunderminesrocksandingulfsroyalarmadas。

Suchaswellingfloodisthatpowerfulleague。

OfthismightyOrderIamnomeanmember，butalreadyoneoftheChiefCommanders，andmaywellaspireonedaytoholdthebatoonofGrandMaster。ThepoorsoldiersoftheTemplewillnotaloneplacetheirfootuponthenecksofkings——ahemp-sandall’dmonkcandothat。Ourmailedstepshallascendtheirthrone——ourgauntletshallwrenchthesceptrefromtheirgripe。Notthereignofyou