Great was the astonishment of the guards as they beheld their Sovereign fearlessly enter the chamber of a proclaimed Jewess—­a word in their minds synonymous with the lowest, most degraded rank of being; and yet more, to hear and perceive that she herself was administering relief.  The attendants of Isabella—­whose curiosity was now more than satisfied, for the tale had been repeated with the usual exaggerations, even to a belief that she had used the arts of sorcery on Morales—­huddled together in groups, heaping every opprobrious epithet upon her, and accusing her of exposing them all to the horrors of purgatory by contaminating them with her presence.  And as the Sovereign re-appeared in her saloon with the leech Benedicto, whose aid she had summoned, there were many who ventured to conjure her not to expose herself to such pollution as the tending of a Jewess—­to leave her to the fate her fraud so merited.  Even Catherine, finding to disbelieve the tale any longer was impossible, and awed and terrified at the mysterious words of her companions, which told of danger to her beloved mistress, flung herself on her knees before her, clasping her robe to detain her from again seeking the chamber of Marie.  Then was the moment for a painter to have seized on the face and form of Isabella!  Her eye flashed till its very color was undistinguishable, her lip curled, every feature—­usually so mild and feminine—­was so transformed by indignation into majesty and unutterable scorn as scarcely to have been recognized.  Her slight and graceful form dilated till the very boldest cowered before her, even before she spoke; for never had they so encountered her reproof:—­

“Are ye women?” she said at length, in the quiet, concentrated tone of strong emotion; “or are we deceived as to the meaning of your words?  Pollution!  Are we to see a young, unhappy being perish for want of sympathy and succor, because—­forsooth—­she is a Jewess?  Danger to our soul!  We should indeed fear it; did we leave her to die, without one effort to restore health to the frame, and the peace of Christ to the mind!  Has every spark of woman’s nature faded from your hearts, that ye can speak thus?  If for yourselves you fear, tend her not, approach her not—­we will ourselves give her the aid she needs.  And as for thee,” she continued severely, as she forced the now trembling Catherine to stand upright before her, “whose energy to serve Marie we loved and applauded; child as thou art, must thou too speak of pollution? but example may have done this.  Follow me, minion; and then talk of pollution if thou canst!” And with a swift step Isabella led the way to the chamber of Marie.