ben-hur-第118章

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〃Procession！〃　exclaimed　Simonides。　〃Does　he　travel　in　state？〃

Ben…Hur　saw　the　argument　in　mind。

〃He　brings　twelve　men　with　him；　fishermen；　tillers　of　the　soil；　one　a　publican；　all　of　the　humbler　class；　and　he　and　they　make　their　journeys　on　foot；　careless　of　wind；　cold；　rain；　or　sun。　Seeing　them　stop　by　the　wayside　at　nightfall　to　break　bread　or　lie　down　to　sleep；　I　have　been　reminded　of　a　party　of　shepherds　going　back　to　their　flocks　from　market；　not　of　nobles　and　kings。　Only　when　he　lifts　the　corners　of　his　handkerchief　to　look　at　some　one　or　shake　the　dust　from　his　head；　I　am　made　known　he　is　their　teacher　as　well　as　their　companiontheir　superior　not　less　than　their　friend。

〃You　are　shrewd　men；〃　Ben…Hur　resumed；　after　a　pause。　〃You　know　what　creatures　of　certain　master　motives　we　are；　and　that　it　has　become　little　less　than　a　law　of　our　nature　to　spend　life　in　eager　pursuit　of　certain　objects；　now；　appealing　to　that　law　as　something　by　which　we　may　know　ourselves；　what　would　you　say　of　a　man　who　could　be　rich　by　making　gold　of　the　stones　under　his　feet；　yet　is　poor　of　choice？〃

〃The　Greeks　would　call　him　a　philosopher；〃　said　Iras。

〃Nay；　daughter；〃　said　Balthasar；　〃the　philosophers　had　never　the　power　to　do　such　thing。〃

〃How　know　you　this　man　has？〃

Ben…Hur　answered　quickly；　〃I　saw　him　turn　water　into　wine。〃

〃Very　strange；　very　strange；〃　said　Simonides；　〃but　it　is　not　so　strange　to　me　as　that　he　should　prefer　to　live　poor　when　he　could　be　so　rich。　Is　he　so　poor？〃

〃He　owns　nothing；　and　envies　nobody　his　owning。　He　pities　the　rich。　But　passing　that；　what　would　you　say　to　see　a　man　multiply　seven　loaves　and　two　fishes；　all　his　store；　into　enough　to　feed　five　thousand　people；　and　have　full　baskets　over？　That　I　saw　the　Nazarene　do。〃

〃You　saw　it？〃　exclaimed　Simonides。

〃Ay；　and　ate　of　the　bread　and　fish。〃

〃More　marvellous　still；〃　Ben…Hur　continued；　〃what　would　you　say　of　a　man　in　whom　there　is　such　healing　virtue　that　the　sick　have　but　to　touch　the　hem　of　his　garment　to　be　cured；　or　cry　to　him　afar？　That；　too；　I　witnessed；　not　once；　but　many　times。　As　we　came　out　of　Jericho　two　blind　men　by　the　wayside　called　to　the　Nazarene；　and　he　touched　their　eyes；　and　they　saw。　So　they　brought　a　palsied　man　to　him；　and　he　said　merely；　'Go　unto　thy　house；'　and　the　man　went　away　well。　What　say　you　to　these　things？〃

The　merchant　had　no　answer。

〃Think　you　now；　as　I　have　heard　others　argue；　that　what　I　have　told　you　are　tricks　of　jugglery？　Let　me　answer　by　recalling　greater　things　which　I　have　seen　him　do。　Look　first　to　that　curse　of　Godcomfortless；　as　you　all　know；　except　by　deathleprosy。〃

At　these　words　Amrah　dropped　her　hands　to　the　floor；　and　in　her　eagerness　to　hear　him　half　arose。

〃What　would　you　say；〃　said　Ben…Hur；　with　increased　earnestness〃what　would　you　say　to　have　seen　that　I　now　tell　you？　A　leper　came　to　the　Nazarene　while　I　was　with　him　down　in　Galilee；　and　said；　'Lord；　if　thou　wilt；　thou　canst　make　me　clean。'　He　heard　the　cry；　and　touched　the　outcast　with　his　hand；　saying；　'Be　thou　clean；'　and　forthwith　the　man　was　himself　again；　healthful　as　any　of　us　who　beheld　the　cure；　and　we　were　a　multitude。〃

Here　Amrah　arose；　and　with　her　gaunt　fingers　held　the　wiry　locks　from　her　eyes。　The　brain　of　the　poor　creature　had　long　since　gone　to　heart；　and　she　was　troubled　to　follow　the　speech。

〃Then；　again；〃　said　Ben…Hur；　without　stop；　〃ten　lepers　came　to　him　one　day　in　a　body；　and　falling　at　his　feet；　called　outI　saw　and　heard　it　allcalled　out；　'Master；　Master；　have　mercy　upon　us！'　He　told　them；　'Go；　show　yourselves　to　the　priest；　as　the　law　requires；　and　before　you　are　come　there　ye　shall　be　healed。'〃

〃And　were　they？〃

〃Yes。　On　the　road　going　their　infirmity　left　them；　so　that　there　was　nothing　to　remind　us　of　it　except　their　polluted　clothes。〃

〃Such　thing　was　never　heard　beforenever　in　all　Israel！〃　said　Simonides；　in　undertone。

And　then；　while　he　was　speaking；　Amrah　turned　away；　and　walked　noiselessly　to　the　door；　and　went　out；　and　none　of　the　company　saw　her　go。

〃The　thoughts　stirred　by　such　things　done　under　my　eyes　I　leave　you　to　imagine；〃　said　Ben…Hur；　continuing；　〃but　my　doubts；　my　misgivings；　my　amazement；　were　not　yet　at　the　full。　The　people　of　Galilee　are；　as　you　know；　impetuous　and　rash；　after　years　of　waiting　their　swords　burned　their　hands；　nothing　would　do　them　but　action。　'He　is　slow　to　declare　himself；　let　us　force　him；'　they　cried　to　me。　And　I　too　became　impatient。　If　he　is　to　be　king；　why　not　now？　The　legions　are　ready。　So　as　he　was　once　teaching　by　the　seaside　we　would　have　crowned　him　whether　or　not；　but　he　disappeared；　and　was　next　seen　on　a　ship　departing　from　the　shore。　Good　Simonides；　the　desires　that　make　other　men　madriches；　power；　even　kingships　offered　out　of　great　love　by　a　great　peoplemove　this　one　not　at　all。　What　say　you？〃

The　merchant's　chin　was　low　upon　his　breast；　raising　his　head；　he　replied；　resolutely；　〃The　Lord　liveth；　and　so　do　the　words　of　the　prophets。　Time　is　in　the　green　yet；　let　to…morrow　answer。〃

〃Be　it　so；〃　said　Balthasar；　smiling。

And　Ben…Hur　said；　〃Be　it　so。〃　Then　he　went　on：　〃But　I　have　not　yet　done。　From　these　things；　not　too　great　to　be　above　suspicion　by　such　as　did　not　see　them　in　performance　as　I　did；　let　me　carry　you　now　to　others　infinitely　greater；　acknowledged　since　the　world　began　to　be　past　the　power　of　man。　Tell　me；　has　any　one　to　your　knowledge　ever　reached　out　and　taken　from　Death　what　Death　has　made　his　own？　Who　ever　gave　again　the　breath　of　a　life　lost？　Who　but〃

〃God！〃　said　Balthasar；　reverently。

Ben…Hur　bowed。

〃O　wise　Egyptian！　I　may　not　refuse　the　name　you　lend　me。　What　would　youor　you；　Simonideswhat　would　you　either　or　both　have　said　had　you　seen　as　I　did；　a　man；　with　few　words　and　no　ceremony；　without　effort　more　than　a　mother's　when　she　speaks　to　wake　her　child　asleep；　undo　the　work　of　Death？　It　was　down　at　Nain。　We　were　about　going　into　the　gate；　when　a　company　came　out　bearing　a　dead　man。　The　Nazarene　stopped　to　let　the　train　pass。　There　was　a　woman　among　them　crying。　I　saw　his　face　soften　with　pity。　He　spoke　to　her；　then　went　and　touched　the　bier；　and　said　to　him　who　lay　upon　it　dressed　for　burial；　'Young　man；　I　say　unto　thee；　Arise！'　And　instantly　the　dead　sat　up　and　talked。〃

〃God　only　is　so　great；〃　said　Balthasar　to　Simonides。

〃Mark　you；〃　Ben…Hur　proceeded；　〃I　do　but　tell　you　things　of　which　I　was　a　witness；　together　with　a　cloud　of　other　men。　On　the　way　hither　I　saw　another　act　still　more　mighty。　In　Bethany　there　was　a　man　named　Lazarus；　who　died　and　was　buried；　and　after　he　had　lain　four　days　in　a　tomb；　shut　in　by　a　great　stone；　the　Nazarene　was　shown　to　the　place。　Upon　rolling　the　stone　away；　we　beheld　the　man　lying　inside　bound　and　rotting。　There　were　many　people　standing　by；　and　we　all　heard　what　the　Nazarene　said；　for　he　spoke　in　a　loud　voice：　'Lazarus；　come　forth！'　I　cannot　tell　you　my　feelings　when　in　answer；　as　it　were；　the　man　arose　and　came　out　to　us　with　all　his　cerements　about　him。　'Loose　him；'　said　the　Nazarene　next；　'loose　him；　and　let　him　go。'　And　when　the　napkin　was　taken　from　the　face　of　the　resurrected；　lo；　my　friends！　the　blood　ran　anew　through　the　wasted　body；　and　he　was　exactly　as　he　had　been　in　life　before　the　sickness　that　took　him　off。　He　lives　yet；　and　is　hourly　seen　and　spoken　to。　You　may　go　see　him　to…morrow。　And　now；　as　nothing　more　is　needed　for　the　purpose；　I　ask　you　that　which　I　came　to　ask；　it　being　but　a　repetition　of　what　you　asked　me；　O　Simonides；　What　more　than　a　man　is　this　Nazarene？〃

The　question　was　put　solemnly；　and　long　after　midnight　the　company　sat　and　debated　it；　Simonides　being　yet　unwilling　to　give　up　his　understanding　of　the　sayings　of　the　prophets；　and　Ben…Hur　contending　that　the　elder　disputants　were　both　rightthat　the　Nazarene　was　the　Redeemer；　as　claimed　by　Balthasar；　and　also　the　destined　king　the　merchant　would　have。

〃To…morrow　we　will　see。　Peace　to　you　all。〃

So　saying；　Ben…Hur　took　his　leave；　intending　to　return　to　Bethany。




CHAPTER　III



The　first　person　to　go　out　of　the　city　upon　the　opening　of　the　Sheep's　Gate　next　morning　was　Amrah；　basket　on　arm。　No　questions　were　asked　her　by　the　keepers；　since　the　morning　its