down the steps of the
dais. Wamba sprung after him, his bells jingling as he rose, and casting
his arms around the apparently fainting man, he led him away into the
court. "There be dead men alive and live men dead," whispered he. "There
be coffins to laugh at and marriages to cry over. Said I not sooth, holy
friar?" And when they had got out into the solitary court, which was
deserted by all the followers of the Thane, who were mingling in the
drunken revelry in the hall, Wamba, seeing that none were by, knelt
down, and kissing the friar's garment, said, "I knew thee, I knew thee,
my lord and my liege!"

"Get up," said Wilfrid of Ivanhoe, scarcely able to articulate: "only
fools are faithful."

And he passed on, and into the little chapel where his father lay
buried. All night long the friar spent there: and Wamba the Jester lay
outside watching as mute as the saint over the porch.

When the morning came, Wumba was gone; and the knave being in the habit
of wandering hither and thither as he chose, little notice was taken of
his absence by a master and mistress who had not much sense of humor.
As for Sir Wilfrid, a gentleman of his delicacy of feelings could not be
expected to remain in a house where things so naturally disagreeable
to him were occurring, and he quitted Rotherwood incontinently, after
paying a dutiful visit to the tomb where his old father, Cedric, was
buried; and hastened on to York, at which city he made himself known to
the family attorney, a most respectable man, in whose hands his ready
money was deposited, and took up a sum sufficient to fit himself
out with credit, and a handsome retinue, as became a knight of
consideration. But he changed his name, wore a wig and spectacles, and
disguised himself entirely, so that it was impossible his friends or the
public should know him, and thus metamorphosed, went about whithersoever
his fancy led him. He was present at a public ball at York, which the
lord mayor gave, danced Sir Roger de Coverley in the very same set with
Rowena--(who was disgusted that Maid Marian took precedence of her)--he
saw little Athelstane overeat himself at the supper and pledge his big
father in a cup of sack; he met the Reverend Mr. Tuck at a missionary
meeting, where he seconded a resolution proposed by that eminent
divine;--in fine, he saw a score of his old acquaintances, none of whom
recognized in him the warrior of Palestine and Templestowe. Having a
large fortune and