第9章

Itneedsnot，’’answeredtheanchoriteinawhisper；wearegoingwherespiritualarmsavailmuch，andfleshlyweaponsarebutasthereedandthedecayedgourd。’’

Theknightdepositedhisswordbythebedsideasbefore，andarmedonlywithhisdagger，fromwhich，inthisperilouscountry，heneverparted，preparedtoattendhismysterioushost。

Thehermitthenmovedslowlyforwards，andwasfollowedbytheknight，stillundersomeuncertaintywhetherthedarkformwhichglidedonbeforetoshowhimthepath，wasnot，infact，thecreationofadisturbeddream。Theypassed，likeshadows，intotheouterapartment，withoutdisturbingthePaynimEmir，wholaystillburiedinrepose。Beforethecrossandaltarintheoutwardroomalampwasstillburning，amissalwasdisplayed，andonthefloorlayadiscipline，orpenitentialscourgeofsmallcordandwire，thelashesofwhichwerestainedwithrecentblood，atoken，nodoubt，oftheseverepenanceoftherecluse。

HereTheodorickkneeleddown，andpointedtotheknighttotakehisplacebesidehimuponthesharpflints，whichseemedplacedforthepurposeofrenderingthepostureofreverentialdevotionasuneasyaspossible；hereadmanyprayersoftheCatholicChurch，andchanted，inalowbutearnestvoice，threeofthepenitentialpsalms。Theselastheintermixedwithsighsandtears，andconvulsivethrobs，whichborewitnesshowdeeplyhefeltthedivinepoetrywhichherecited。TheScottishknightassistedwithprofoundsincerityattheseactsofdevotion，hisopinionsofhishostbeginning，inthemeantime，tobesomuchchanged，thathedoubtedwhether，fromtheseverityofhispenance，andtheardourofhisprayers，heoughtnottoregardhimasasaint；andwhentheyarosefromtheground，hestoodwithreverencebeforehim，asapupilbeforeanhonouredmaster。

Thehermitwas，onhisside，silentandabstractedforthespaceofafewminutes。

Lookintoyonderrecess，myson，’’hesaid，pointingtothefarthercornerofthecell；therethouwiltfindaveil-bringithither。’’

Theknightobeyed；and，inasmallaperturecutoutofthewall，andsecuredwithadoorofwicker，hefoundtheveilinquiredfor。Whenhebroughtittothelight，hediscoveredthatitwastorn，andsoiledinsomeplaceswithsomedarksubstance。Theanchoritelookedatitwithadeepbutsmotheredemotion，anderehecouldspeaktotheScottishknight，wascompelledtoventhisfeelingsinaconvulsivegroan。

Thouartnowabouttolookupontherichesttreasurethattheearthpossesses，’’heatlengthsaid；woeisme，thatmyeyesareunworthytobeliftedtowardsit！Alas！Iambutthevileanddespisedsign，whichpointsouttotheweariedtravelleraharbourofrestandsecurity，butmustitselfremainforeverwithoutdoors。InvainhaveIfledtotheverydepthsoftherocks，andtheverybosomofthethirstydesert。Mineenemyhathfoundme-evenhewhomIhavedeniedhaspursuedmetomyfortresses。’’

Hepausedagainforamoment，and，turningtotheScottishknight，said，inafirmertoneofvoice，YoubringmeagreetingfromRichardofEngland？’’

IcomefromtheCouncilofChristianPrinces，’’saidtheknight；buttheKingofEnglandbeingindisposed，IamnothonouredwithhisMajesty’scommands。’’

Yourtoken？’’demandedtherecluse。

SirKennethhesitated-formersuspicions，andthemarksofinsanitywhichthehermithadformerlyexhibited，rushedsuddenlyonhisthoughts；buthowsuspectamanwhosemannersweresosaintly？-Mypass-word，’’hesaidatlength，isthis-Kingsbeggedofabeggar。’’

Itisright，’’saidthehermit，whilehepaused；Iknowyouwell；butthesentineluponhispost-andmineisanimportantone-challengesfriendaswellasfoe。’’

Hethenmovedforwardwiththelamp，leadingthewayintotheroomwhichtheyhadleft。TheSaracenlayonhisconch，stillfastasleep，Thehermitpausedbyhisside，andlookeddownonhim。

Hesleeps，’’hesaid，indarkness，andmustnotbeawakened。’’

TheattitudeoftheEmirdidindeedconveytheideaofprofoundrepose。Onearm，flungacrosshisbody，ashelaywithhisfacehalfturnedtothewall，concealed，withitslooseandlongsleeve，thegreaterpartofhisface；butthehighforeheadwasyetvisible。Itsnerves，whichduringhiswakinghoursweresouncommonlyactive，werenowmotionless，asifthefacehadbeencomposedofdarkmarble，andhislongsilkeneyelashesclosedoverhispiercingandhawk-likeeyes。Theopenandrelaxedhand，andthedeep，regular，andsoftbreathing，gavealltokensofthemostprofoundrepose。Theslumbererformedasingulargroupalongwiththetallformsofthehermitinhisshaggydressofgoat-skins，bearingthelamp，andtheknightinhiscloseleatherncoat；theformerwithanaustereexpressionofasceticgloom，thelatterwithanxiouscuriositydeeplyimpressedonhismanlyfeatures。

Hesleepssoundly，’’saidthehermit，inthesamelowtoneasbefore，andrepeatingthewords，thoughhehadchangedthemeaningfromthatwhichisliteraltoametaphoricalsense-

Hesleepsindarkness，butthereshallbeforhimaday-spring-

OIlderim，thywakingthoughtsareyetasvainandwildasthosewhicharewheelingtheirgiddydancethroughthysleepingbrain；butthetrumpetshallbeheard，andthedreamshallbedissolved。’’

Sosaying，andmakingtheknightasigntofollowhim，thehermitwenttowardsthealtar，andpassingbehindit，pressedaspring，which，openingwithoutnoise，showedasmallirondoorwroughtonthesideofthecavern，soastobealmostimperceptible，unlessuponthemostseverescrutiny。Thehermit，ereheventuredfullytoopenthedoor，droptsomeoilonthehinges，whichthelampsupplied。Asmallstaircase，hewnintherock，wasdiscovered，whentheirondoorwasatlengthcompletelyopened。

TaketheveilwhichIhold，’’saidthehermit，inamelancholytone，andblindmineeyes；forImaynotlookonthetreasurewhichthouartpresentlytobehold，withoutsinandpresumption。’’

Withoutreply，theknighthastilymuffledtherecluse’sheadintheveil，andthelatterbegantoascendthestaircaseasonetoomuchaccustomedtothewaytorequiretheuseoflight，whileatthesametimeheheldthelamptotheScot，whofollowedhimformanystepsupthenarrowascent。Atlengththeyrestedinasmallvaultofirregularform，inonenookofwhichthestaircaseterminated，whileinanothercorneracorrespondingstairwasseentocontinuetheascent。InathirdanglewasaGothicdoor，veryrudelyornamentedwiththeusualattributesofclusteredcolumnsandcarving，anddefendedbyawicket，stronglyguardedwithiron，andstuddedwithlargenails。

Tothislastpointthehermitdirectedhissteps，whichseemedtofalterasheapproachedit。

Putoffthyshoes，’’hesaidtohisattendant；thegroundonwhichthoustandestisholy。Banishfromthyinnermosthearteachprofaneandcarnalthought，fortoharboursuchwhileinthisplacewereadeadlyimpiety。’’

Theknightlaidasidehisshoesashewascommanded，andthehermitstoodinthemeanwhileasifcommuningwithhissoulinsecretprayer，andwhenheagainmoved，commandedtheknighttoknockatthewicketthreetimes。Hedidso。Thedooropenedspontaneously，atleastSirKennethbeheldnoone，andhissenseswereatonceassailedbyastreamofthepurestlight，andbyastrongandalmostoppressivesenseoftherichestperfumes。Hesteppedtwoorthreepacesback，anditwasthespaceofaminuteereherecoveredthedazzlingandoverpoweringeffectsofthesuddenchangefromdarknesstolight。

Whenheenteredtheapartmentinwhichthisbrilliantlustrewasdisplayed，heperceivedthatthelightproceededfromacombinationofsilverlamps，fedwithpurestoil，andsendingforththerichestodours，hangingbysilverchainsfromtheroofofasmallGothicchapel，hewn，likemostpartofthehermit’ssingularmansion，outofthesoundandsolidrock。Butwhereas，ineveryotherplacewhichSirKennethhadseen，thelabouremployedupontherockhadbeenofthesimplestandcoarsestdescription，ithadinthischapelemployedtheinventionandthechiselsofthemostablearchitects。Thegroinedroofsrosefromsixcolumnsoneachside，carvedwiththerarestskill；andthemannerinwhichthecrossingsoftheconcavearcheswereboundtogether，asitwere，withappropriateornaments，wereallinthefinesttoneofthearchitecture，andoftheage。Correspondingtothelineofpillars，therewereoneachsidesixrichlywroughtniches，eachofwhichcontainedtheimageofoneofthetwelveapostles。

Attheupperandeasternendofthechapelstoodthealtar，behindwhichaveryrichcurtainofPersiansilk，embroidereddeeplywithgold，coveredarecess，containing，unquestionably，someimageorrelicofnoordinarysanctity，inhonourofwhomthissingularplaceofworshiphadbeenerected。Underthepersuasionthatthismustbethecase，theknightadvancedtotheshrine，and，kneelingdownbeforeit，repeatedhisdevotionswithfervency，duringwhichhisattentionwasdisturbedbythecurtainbeingsuddenlyraised，orratherpulledaside，howorbywhomhesawnot；butinthenichewhichwasthusdisclosed，hebeheldacabinetofsilverandebony，withadoublefoldingdoor，thewholeformedintotheminiatureresemblanceofaGothicchurch。

Ashegazedwithanxiouscuriosityontheshrine，thetwofoldingdoorsalsoflewopen，discoveringalargepieceofwood，onwhichwereblazonedthewords，=VeraCrux，=atthesametimeachoiroffemalevoicessung=GloriaPatri。=Theinstantthestrainhadceased，theshrinewasclosed，andthecurtainagaindrawn，andtheknightwhokneltatthealtarmightnowcontinuehisdevotionsundisturbed，inhonouroftheholyrelicwhichhadbeenjustdisclosedtohisview。Hedidthisundertheprofoundimpressionofonewhohadwitnessed，withhisowneyes，anawfulevidenceofthetruthofhisreligion，anditwassometimeere，concludinghisorisons，hearose，andventuredtolookaroundhimforthehermit，whohadguidedhimtothissacredandmysteriousspot。Hebeheldhim，hisheadstillmuffledintheveil，whichhehadhimselfwrappedaroundit，couching，likearatedhound，uponthethresholdofthechapelbutapparentlywithoutventuringtocrossit；theholiestreverence，themostpenitentialremorse，wasexpressedbyhisposture，whichseemedthatofamanbornedownandcrushedtotheearthbytheburdenofhisinwardfeelings。ItseemedtotheScot，thatonlythesenseofthedeepestpenitence，remorse，andhumiliation，couldhavethusprostratedaframesostrong，andaspiritsofiery。

Heapproachedhimasiftospeak，buttherecluseanticipatedhispurpose，murmuringinstifledtones，frombeneaththefoldinwhichhisheadwasmuffled，andwhichsoundedlikeavoiceproceedingfromthecerementsofacorpse，-Abide，abide-

happythouthatmayst-thevisionisnotyetended。’’-Sosaying，herearedhimselffromtheground，drewbackfromthethresholdonwhichhehadhithertolainprostrate，andclosedthedoorofthechapel，which，securedbyaspringboltwithin，thesnapofwhichresoundedthroughtheplace，appearedsomuchlikeapartofthelivingrockfromwhichthecavernwashewn，thatKennethcouldhardlydiscernwheretheaperturehadbeen。

Hewasnowaloneinthelightedchapel，whichcontainedtherelictowhichhehadlatelyrenderedhishomage，withoutotherarmsthanhisdagger，orothercompanionthanhispiousthoughtsanddauntlesscourage。

Uncertainwhatwasnexttohappen，butresolvedtoabidethecourseofevents，SirKennethpacedthesolitarychapeltillaboutthetimeoftheearliestcock-crowing。Atthisdeadseason，whennightandmorningmettogether，heheard，butfromwhatquarterhecouldnotdiscover，thesoundofsuchasmallsilverbellasisrungattheelevationofthehost，intheceremony，orsacrifice，asithasbeencalled，ofthemass。Thehourandtheplacerenderedthesoundfearfullysolemn，and，boldashewas，theknightwithdrewhimselfintothefarthernookofthechapel，attheendoppositetothealtar，inordertoobserve，withoutinterruption，theconsequencesofthisunexpectedsignal。

Hedidnotwaitlongerethesilkencurtainwasagainwithdrawn，andtherelicagainpresentedtohisview。Ashesunkreverentiallyonhisknee，heheardthesoundofthelauds，orearliestofficeoftheCatholicchurch，sungbyfemalevoices，whichunitedtogetherintheperformanceastheyhaddoneintheformerservice。Theknightwassoonawarethatthevoiceswerenolongerstationaryinthedistance，butapproachedthechapelandbecamelouder，whenadoor，imperceptiblewhenclosed，likethatbywhichhehadhimselfentered，openedontheothersideofthevault，andgavethetonesofthechoirmoreroomtoswellalongtheribbedarchesoftheroof。

Theknightfixedhiseyesontheopeningwithbreathlessanxiety，and，continuingtokneelintheattitudeofdevotionwhichtheplaceandscenerequired，expectedtheconsequenceofthesepreparations。Aprocessionappearedabouttoissuefromthedoor。First，fourbeautifulboys，whosearms，neck，andlegswerebare，showingthebronzecomplexionoftheEast，andcontrastingwiththesnow-whitetunicswhichtheywore，enteredthechapelbytwoandtwo。Thefirstpairborecensers，whichtheyswungfromsidetoside，addingdoublefragrancetotheodourswithwhichthechapelalreadywasimpregnated。

Thesecondpairscatteredflowers。