During this interval, Rebecca had not been
quiet, for she had seized the arm of Tamar, and the young girl had
shaken her off with some difficulty, and not without saying, "Your
unwillingness to permit me to speak to your master, old woman, goes
against you, but it shall not avail you, speak to him I will," and the
contest between Tamar and the old woman was still proceeding, when
Salmon appeared in the passage.
Tamar instantly sprang to meet him, and seeing that his step was feeble
and tottering, she supported him to a chair, in a small parlour which
opened into the passage, and there, standing in the midst of the floor
between him and Rebecca, she told her errand; nor was she interrupted
until she had told all, the old man looking as if her recital had turned
him into stone, and the old woman expressing a degree of terror, which
at least cleared her in Tamar's mind, of the guilt of being connected
with the thieves of the secret passage.
As soon as the young girl had finished, the old miser broke out in the
most bitter and helpless lamentations. "My jewels!--my silver!--my
moneys!" he exclaimed, "Oh my moneys!--my moneys! Tell me, tell me
damsel, what I can do? Call Jacob. Where is Jacob? Oh, my
moneys!--my jewels!"
"Peace, good sir! peace!" said Tamar, "we will befriend you, we will
assist you, we will protect you; the Laird is an honourable man, he will
protect you.
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