Читать «Айвенго / Ivanhoe» онлайн - страница 43

“He will write whatever you say, Isaac,” said the Captain, “and you will pay for yourself and for Prior Aymer.”

“For myself!” said the Jew, “I am a broken and impoverished man.”

“The Prior will be your judge,” replied the Captain. “What do you say, Father Aymer? Can the Jew afford a good ransom?”

“Can he afford a ransom?” answered the Prior. “Is he not Isaac of York? I tell you openly that he should pay one thousand crowns.”

“A sentence! – a sentence!” exclaimed the robbers.

“The God of my fathers help me!” said the Jew; “will you make me a beggar? – Is it not enough that I have lost my child today? O Rebecca! If each leaf on that tree were a coin, all that money I would give to know that you are alive!”

“Was not your daughter dark-haired and in an Eastern dress?” said one of the robbers.

“She was!” said the old man, trembling. “What can you tell me about her?”

“She was carried off by the proud Templar, when he broke through our band yesterday,” said the yeoman.

“Friends,” said the Chief, looking round, “the old man is a Jew, but his grief touches me. – Tell us the truth, Isaac—will paying this ransom of a thousand crowns leave you without money?”

The Jew grew pale but could not deny there might be some small sum left.

“Well, we will not take too much from you,” said Locksley, “Without money you cannot hope to buy the freedom of your child. – We will take the same ransom from you as from Prior Aymer, or rather at one hundred crowns lower, which hundred crowns shall be mine own peculiar loss, and you will have six hundred crowns remaining. Templars love the glitter of silver shekels as well as the sparkle of black eyes. Did I say well, my friends?”

The yeomen expressed their support for their leader’s decision.

“Prior Aymer,” said the Captain, “come apart with me under this tree. I have heard, that you love expensive good wines and hunting. So perhaps you need money. This Jew Isaac will give you a hundred silver coins, if your communication with your friend the Templar shall avail to procure the freedom of his daughter. What say you to this, Prior Aymer?”

“When Isaac returns successful through your mediation,” continued the Outlaw, “I swear I will see that he pays you the money in good silver.”

The Prior agreed and wrote a letter to Brian de Bois-Guilbert, saying, “This can help you, if you add some money.”

It remained that the Jew should produce some security for the ransom which he was to pay on the Prior’s account, as well as upon his own. He wrote a letter to a brother of his tribe at York, requiring him to pay to the sum of a thousand crowns.

Then the Jew hurried in the direction of Templestowe.

Prince John had invited the members of his party to the Castle of York and entertained them with feasts. But open declaration of his intentions was delayed by the absence of three important members of his party.

It was on the morning after the fall of Torquilstone, that De Bracy came to his Prince. His armour carried all the signs of battle, it was broken and stained with blood in many places. He took off his helmet and stood for a moment as if to collect himself before he told his news.