Earl Hubert's Daughter Part 4

"Fetch it, Levina," said the Countess; "thou knowest which I mean."

Levina brought it, and the pedlar gave it very careful inspection.

"And the alterations?" he asked.

"I would have a row of silver harebells and green ferns, touched with gold, as an outer border," explained the Countess: "and instead of those ornaments in the inner part, I would have golden scrolls, worked with the words 'Dieu et mon droit' in scarlet."

The pedlar shook his head. "The golden scrolls with the words can be done, without difficulty. But I must in all humility represent to my Lady that the flowers and leaves she desires cannot."

"Why?" asked the Countess in a surprised tone.

"Not in this work," answered the pedlar. "In this style of embroidery"--and he took another scarf from his pack--"it could be wrought: but not in the other."

"But that is not to be compared with the other!"

"My Lady has well said," returned the pedlar with a smile.

"But I do not understand where the difficulty lies?" said the Countess, evidently disappointed.

"Let my Lady pardon her servant. We have in our company--nay, there is in all England--one broideress only, who can work in this style. And I dare not make such an engagement on her behalf."

"Still I cannot understand for what reason?"

"Lady, these flowers, leaves, heads, and such representations of created things, are the work of Christian hands. That broidery which my Lady desires is not so."

"But why cannot Christians work this broidery?"

"Ha! They do not. My Lady's servant cannot speak further."

"Then what is she who alone can do this work? What eyes and fingers she must have!"

"She is my daughter," answered the pedlar, rather proudly.

"But I am sure the woman who can broider like this, is clever enough to make a row of harebells and ferns!"

"Clever enough,--oh yes! But--she could not do it."

"'Clever enough,' but 'could not do it'--old man, I cannot understand thee."

"Lady, she would account it sin to imitate created things."

The Countess looked up with undisguised amazement.

"Why?"

"Because the Holy One has forbidden us to make to ourselves any likeness of that which is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath."

"But I would pay her any sum she asked."

"If my Lady can buy Christian consciences with gold, not so a daughter of Israel."

The old man spoke proudly now, and his head was uplifted in a very different style from his previous subservient manner. His son's lip was curled, and his black eyes were flas.h.i.+ng fire.

"Well! I do not understand it," answered the Countess, looking as much annoyed as the sweet Princess Margaret knew how to look. "I should have thought thy daughter might have put her fancies aside; for what harm can there be in broidering flowers? However, if she will not, she will not.

She must work me a border of some other pattern, for I want the scarf wider."

"That she can do, as my Lady may command." The old Jew was once more the obsequious tradesman, laying himself out to please a profitable customer.

"What will be the cost, if the scarf be three ells in length, and--let me see--about half an ell broad?"

"It could not be done under fifteen gold pennies, my Lady."

"That is costly! Well, never mind. If people want to make rich gifts, they must pay for them. But could I have it by Whitsuntide?--that is, a few days earlier, so as to make the gift then."

The pedlar reflected for a moment.

"Let my Lady pardon her servant if he cannot give that answer at this moment. If my daughter have no work promised, so that she can give her time entirely to this, it can be done without fail. But it is some days since my Lady's servant saw her, and she may have made some engagement since."

"I am the better pleased thou art not too ready to promise," said the Countess, smiling. "But what about the work being done under my eye? I will lodge thy daughter, and feed her, and give her a gold penny extra for it."

The old Jew looked very grave.

"Let my Lady not be angered with the lowest of her servants! But--we are of another religion."

"Art thou afraid of my converting her?" asked the Countess, in an amused tone.

"Under my Lady's pardon--no!" said the old man, proudly. "I can trust my daughter. And if my n.o.ble Lady will make three promises on whatsoever she holds most holy, the girl shall come."

"She should be worth having, when she is so hard to get at!" responded the Countess, laughing, as she took from her bosom a beautiful little silver crucifix, suspended by a chain of the same material from her neck, "Now then, old man, what am I to swear?"

"First, that my daughter shall not be required to work in any manner on the holy Sabbath,--namely, as my Lady will understand it, from sunset on Friday until the same hour on Sat.u.r.day."

"That I expected. I know Jews are very precise about their Sabbaths.

Very well,--so that the scarf be finished by Wednesday before Whitsuntide, that I swear."

"Secondly, by my Lady's leave, that she shall not be compelled to eat any thing contrary to our law."

"I have no desire to compel her. But what will she eat? I must know that I can give her something."

"Any kind of vegetables, bread, milk, and eggs."

"Lenten fare. Very well. I swear it."

"Lastly, that my Lady will appoint her a place in her own apartments, or in those of the damsel her daughter, and that she may never stir out of that tower while she remains in the Castle."

"Poor young prisoner! Good. If thou art so anxious to consign thy child to hard durance, I will swear to keep her in it."

"May my Lady's servant ask where she will be?"