Salmon's constitution was failing rapidly, and Jacob,
therefore, soon hoped to gather in his golden harvest.
Jacob too, hated every creature about him, and his hatred being
inherited from his parents, was likely to be coeval with his life. The
cause of this hatred will be seen in the sequel; but Jacob had no sooner
turned the bridge and fixed it against the opposite bank, than Tamar
springing from behind a cluster of bushes, jumped lightly on the boards,
and the next moment she was with Dymock and Jacob on the inner side of
the moat, under the tower.
Jacob had started back, as if he had seen a spectre, at the appearance
of the blooming, sparkling Tamar, who came forward without hat or other
head dress, her raven tresses floating in the breeze.
"Why are you here, my daughter?" said Dymock.
"Do not restrain me, dear father," she answered, "you have not sped you
say, only permit me to try my skill;" and then turning suddenly to
Jacob, she drew herself up, as Dymock would have said, like a daughter
of kings, and added, "show me to your master, I have business with him;
go and tell him that I am here, and that I would see him."
"And who are you?" asked Jacob, not insolently as was his wont, but as
if under the impression of some kind of awe; "who shall I say you are?"
Dymock was about to answer; but Tamar placed her hand playfully on his
lips, and took no other notice of the question of the serving man, but
by repeating her command.
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