- For this chapter Scott gives us two lines from "Song (From thy waves, stormy Lannow, I fly)," by Anna Seward. Scott makes a slight change: the original poem goes, "<em>Ah nymph,</em> unrelenting and cold as thou art," while Scott's version is "<em>O maid, </em>unrelenting and cold<em>..."</em> He presumably makes this change because Rebecca <em>is </em>a maid (an old-fashioned word for girl, especially a virgin girl), not a nymph, which is a woman-shaped spirit of nature. The speaker of the poem is resentful of the girl in question. She is behaving coldly, but the speaker has pride, too.
- As the chapter starts out, Rebecca is singing a song in Hebrew.
- Her song is all about the importance of humility and accepting God's will.
- When she finishes her song, there's a knock on the door. It's Brian de Bois-Guilbert.
- He promises that he won't hurt her.
- He also tells her that there are guards nearby who will save her if he tries to harm her again.
- Bois-Guilbert reminds Rebecca that she is condemned to die by torture.
- Rebecca reminds him that that's his own fault.
- Bois-Guilbert swears that it wasn't his choice. He wants to protect her as he defends himself.
- Rebecca doesn't want his protection if it means giving up her chastity to him.
- Bois-Guilbert confirms that the scroll suggesting trial by combat came from <em>him</em>.
- His original intention was to appear as her champion, to prove her total innocence.
- Now he's in a tough position. If he doesn't appear on behalf of the Templars, he'll be disgraced. But if he does appear, he will win and Rebecca will die.
- Bois-Guilbert is willing to give up his place among the Knights Templar, which is so important to him, if Rebecca will consent to be his lover.
- He suggests that they run away to Palestine, where he has friends. The Muslims of Palestine are less bigoted than the English, and they won't care as much about a Christian and a Jew living together.
- Rebecca answers that this is all a silly fantasy. It would be much more practical for Bois-Guilbert to go to King Richard I to ask him to help her.
- Bois-Guilbert is willing to leave the Knights Templar, but he won't betray them like that.
- Rebecca says that, in that case, there's nothing more to be said. Bois-Guilbert should leave now.
- Bois-Guilbert is heartbroken. He wishes Rebecca were a Christian, or that he were a Jew, so they could be happy together.
- Bois-Guilbert asks if they can part as friends.
- Rebecca forgives Bois-Guilbert for his bad treatment of her.
- Next door to Rebecca's cell, Albert is waiting for Bois-Guilbert. He asks if Bois-Guilbert is okay.
- Bois-Guilbert admits that he wants to go to Beaumanoir and refuse this trial by combat.
- Albert points out that Bois-Guilbert would ruin himself <em>and </em>would not be able to save Rebecca, who is still condemned.
- Bois-Guilbert's natural arrogance takes over. He remembers that Rebecca rejected his offer of love.
- He also starts to think of himself as nothing more than a tool of fate.
- So Bois-Guilbert agrees to fight for the Templars against Rebecca's champion in the trial by combat the next day.