ard. Thou shalt hear the Jew
own it even now." Then turning to Isaac, he said aloud, "Thy daughter,
then, is prisoner with Brian de Bois-Guilbert?"

"Ay, reverend valorous sir," stammered poor Isaac, "and whatsoever
ransom a poor man may pay for her deliverance---"

"Peace!" said the Grand Master. "This thy daughter hath practised the
art of healing, hath she not?"

"Ay, gracious sir," answered the Jew, with more confidence; "and knight
and yeoman, squire and vassal, may bless the goodly gift which Heaven
hath assigned to her. Many a one can testify that she hath recovered
them by her art, when every other human aid hath proved vain; but the
blessing of the God of Jacob was upon her."

Beaumanoir turned to Mont-Fitchet with a grim smile. "See, brother,"
he said, "the deceptions of the devouring Enemy! Behold the baits
with which he fishes for souls, giving a poor space of earthly life in
exchange for eternal happiness hereafter. Well said our blessed
rule, 'Semper percutiatur leo vorans'.--Up on the lion! Down with the
destroyer!" said he, shaking aloft his mystic abacus, as if in defiance
of the powers of darkness--"Thy daughter worketh the cures, I doubt
not," thus he went on to address the Jew, "by words and sighs, and
periapts, and other cabalistical mysteries."

"Nay, reverend and brave Knight," answered Isaac, "but in chief measure
by a balsam of marvellous virtue."

"Where had she that secret?" said Beaumanoir.

"It was delivered to her," answered Isaac, reluctantly, "by Miriam, a
sage matron of our tribe."

"Ah, false Jew!" said the Grand Master; "was it not from that same
witch Miriam, the abomination of whose enchantments have been heard of
throughout every Christian land?" exclaimed the Grand Master, crossing
himself. "Her body was burnt at a stake, and her ashes were scattered to
the four winds; and so be it with me and mine Order, if I do not as
much to her pupil, and more also! I will teach her to throw spell and
incantation over the soldiers of the blessed Temple.--There, Damian,
spurn this Jew from the gate--shoot him dead if he oppose or turn again.
With his daughter we will deal as the Christian law and our own high
office warrant."

Poor Isaac was hurried off accordingly, and expelled from the
preceptory; all his entreaties, and even his offers, unheard and
disregarded. He could do not better than return to the house of the
Rabbi, and endeavour, through his means, to learn how his daughter