Once, indeed, a psalm wailed through the casement from one of the inner
courts: it was sung at first in a troubled tone, and in a low key, but
afterwards the sound was increased by other voices; and it swelled upon
the ear in long and loud continuance.
"He has departed, then!" observed one of the sentries, to an armed man
who stood near the carriage.
"I suppose so, and, I trust, in the Lord," was the reply.
"Doubtless--yet the heart was strong for life. His Highness will be
sorrowful."
"He will; but grace abounded greatly; he was one of the Lord's best
soldiers, and fought well in the good cause."
"Would that my time was passed! I would fain uplift my voice with
theirs."
"I will go there forthwith," replied he in armour; and Robin heard the
echo of his step die in the distance. Ere the messenger, despatched by
the officer of the guard, had returned, a sort of rambling drowsy
conversation was carried on by the soldiers within, which only reached
the quick ear of the Ranger at intervals.
"His Highness has been tormented to-night; methinks the length of a
summer day ought to satisfy those who want to see him."
The sun had set a good hour or more, when Sir Christopher Packe, the
worshipful Lord Mayor, passed in.
"His Highness," replied the stern gruff voice of an old soldier, "is of
the people; and he knows that his duty--next to awaiting the Lord
always--is to wait on them."
"His time is not an easy one, then," thought Robin; and as he so
thought, the messenger returned with an order that the Rabbi should be
immediately admitted. The lumbering carriage passed under one archway,
and traversed a small court--then under another--then across the
next--then stopped, and one of the principal servants opened the door,
and requested Manasseh to descend.
"Her Highness," he said, "had been indisposed; the Lord Protector,
therefore, hoped the worthy Israelite would not object to walk across
the next court, as her chamber was nearly over the entrance."
The Jew leaned upon Robin for support, as they mounted the flight of
steps leading to the grand entrance hall. He paused once or twice; they
were many in number, and hard to climb for one bent with age, and now
bowed down by trouble. When they arrived at the great door, he perceived
that, instead of two, there were four sentries, who stood, two on each
side, like fixed statues, and the torch their conductor carried
glittered on the bright points of their swords that rested on the
ground. The stair was faintly illumined by one large massive iron lamp,
hanging from the ceiling, and flickering, so as to show the outline, not
the minutiæ of the objects.