Chapter 22

Isaac of York has been thrown into a dark dungeon in Torquilstone Castle. Front-de-Boeuf demands a ransom of a thousand silver pounds, to which Isaac protests. The Normans threaten him with physical torture, so Isaac requests that his daughter Rebecca be sent with an escort to York to get the money. He is deeply upset when he learns that she has been given to Bois-Guilbert as his own personal captive. Isaac is willing to give up whatever wealth he possesses if only he can get Rebecca back. As his captors begin preparations for torture, the sound of a bugle is heard outside the castle, and Isaac is saved for the moment.

The totally careless and indifferent attitude to cruelty and physical torture, as seen in the Norman knights, is an authentic side of medieval life in the Middle Ages. The Norman greed for money and their contempt for the Jews further show their total immorality. Isaac, who has previously been depicted as a mercenary who loves his money above everything, is shown to be a sensitive and sensible man. He is willing to give up all his wealth in order to get his daughter back. Rebecca, the image of his dead wife, is Isaac's last remaining comfort, and she matters to him more than anything.

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