remonstrance. He appeared rather occupied with his own thoughts; and,
speaking to himself, he muttered, "It must be so: the sacrifice is hard--
the danger great; but here, at least, it is more immediate. It shall be
done. Ximen," he continued, speaking aloud; "dost thou feel assured that
even mine own countrymen, mine own tribe, know me not as one of them?
Were my despised birth and religion published, my limbs would be torn
asunder as an impostor; and all the arts of the Cabala could not save
me."

"Doubt not, great master; none in Granada, save thy faithful Ximen, know
thy secret."

"So let me dream and hope. And now to my work; for this night must be
spent in toil."

The Hebrew drew before him some of the strange instruments we have
described; and took from the recesses in the rock several scrolls.
The old man lay at his feet, ready to obey his behests; but, to all
appearance, rigid and motionless as the dead, whom his blanched hues and
shrivelled form resembled. It was, indeed, as the picture of the
enchanter at his work, and the corpse of some man of old, revived from
the grave to minister to his spells, and execute his commands.

Enough in the preceding conversation has transpired to convince the
reader, that the Hebrew, in whom he has already detected the Almamen of
the Alhambra, was of no character common to his tribe. Of a lineage that
shrouded itself in the darkness of his mysterious people, in their day of
power, and possessed of immense wealth, which threw into poverty the
resources of Gothic princes,--the youth of that remarkable man had been
spent, not in traffic and merchandise but travel and study.