) "I would not exchange my very sorrows for thine indifference,"
the knight continued. "Where there is a sun, there must be a shadow. If
the shadow offend me, shall I put out my eyes and live in the dark? No!
I am content with my fate, even such as it is. The Care of which thou
speakest, hard though it may vex him, never yet rode down an honest
man. I can bear him on my shoulders, and make my way through the world's
press in spite of him; for my arm is strong, and my sword is keen, and
my shield has no stain on it; and my heart, though it is sad, knows no
guile." And here, taking a locket out of his waistcoat (which was made
of chain-mail), the knight kissed the token, put it back under the
waistcoat again, heaved a profound sigh, and stuck spurs into his horse.
As for Wamba, he was munching a black pudding whilst Sir Wilfrid
was making the above speech, (which implied some secret grief on the
knight's part, that must have been perfectly unintelligible to the
fool,) and so did not listen to a single word of Ivanhoe's pompous
remarks. They travelled on by slow stages through the whole kingdom,
until they came to Dover, whence they took shipping for Calais. And in
this little voyage, being exceedingly sea-sick, and besides elated at
the thought of meeting his sovereign, the good knight cast away that
profound melancholy which had accompanied him during the whole of his
land journey.
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