ben-hur-第55章

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〃Fear　not；　my　friend。　The　winners　in　the　Circus　Maximus　have　held　their　crowns　these　three　years　at　my　will。　Ask　themask　the　best　of　themand　they　will　tell　you　so。　In　the　last　great　games　the　emperor　himself　offered　me　his　patronage　if　I　would　take　his　horses　in　hand　and　run　them　against　the　entries　of　the　world。〃

〃But　you　did　not？〃

Malluch　spoke　eagerly。

〃II　am　a　Jew〃Ben…Hur　seemed　shrinking　within　himself　as　he　spoke〃and；　though　I　wear　a　Roman　name；　I　dared　not　do　professionally　a　thing　to　sully　my　father's　name　in　the　cloisters　and　courts　of　the　Temple。　In　the　palaestrae　I　could　indulge　practise　which；　if　followed　into　the　Circus；　would　become　an　abomination；　and　if　I　take　to　the　course　here；　Malluch；　I　swear　it　will　not　be　for　the　prize　or　the　winner's　fee。〃

〃Holdswear　not　so！〃　cried　Malluch。　〃The　fee　is　ten　thousand　sestertiia　fortune　for　life！〃

〃Not　for　me；　though　the　prefect　trebled　it　fifty　times。　Better　than　that；　better　than　all　the　imperial　revenues　from　the　first　year　of　the　first　CaesarI　will　make　this　race　to　humble　my　enemy。　Vengeance　is　permitted　by　the　law。〃

Malluch　smiled　and　nodded　as　if　saying；　〃Right；　righttrust　me　a　Jew　to　understand　a　Jew。〃

〃The　Messala　will　drive；〃　he　said；　directly。　〃He　is　committed　to　the　race　in　many　waysby　publication　in　the　streets；　and　in　the　baths　and　theaters；　the　palace　and　barracks；　and；　to　fix　him　past　retreat；　his　name　is　on　the　tablets　of　every　young　spendthrift　in　Antioch。〃

〃In　wager；　Malluch？〃

〃Yes；　in　wager；　and　every　day　he　comes　ostentatiously　to　practise；　as　you　saw　him。〃

〃Ah！　and　that　is　the　chariot；　and　those　the　horses；　with　which　he　will　make　the　race？　Thank　you；　thank　you；　Malluch！　You　have　served　me　well　already。　I　am　satisfied。　Now　be　my　guide　to　the　Orchard　of　Palms；　and　give　me　introduction　to　Sheik　Ilderim　the　Generous。〃

〃When？〃

〃To…day。　His　horses　may　be　engaged　to…morrow。〃

〃You　like　them；　then？〃

Ben…Hur　answered　with　animation；

〃I　saw　them　from　the　stand　an　instant　only；　for　Messala　then　drove　up；　and　I　might　not　look　at　anything　else；　yet　I　recognized　them　as　of　the　blood　which　is　the　wonder　as　well　as　the　glory　of　the　deserts。　I　never　saw　the　kind　before；　except　in　the　stables　of　Caesar；　but　once　seen；　they　are　always　to　be　known。　To…morrow；　upon　meeting；　I　will　know　you；　Malluch；　though　you　do　not　so　much　as　salute　me；　I　will　know　you　by　your　face；　by　your　form；　by　your　manner；　and　by　the　same　signs　I　will　know　them；　and　with　the　same　certainty。　If　all　that　is　said　of　them　be　true；　and　I　can　bring　their　spirit　under　control　of　mine；　I　can〃

〃Win　the　sestertii！〃　said　Malluch；　laughing。

〃No；〃　answered　Ben…Hur；　as　quickly。　〃I　will　do　what　better　becomes　a　man　born　to　the　heritage　of　JacobI　will　humble　mine　enemy　in　a　most　public　place。　But；〃　he　added；　impatiently；　〃we　are　losing　time。　How　can　we　most　quickly　reach　the　tents　of　the　sheik？〃

Malluch　took　a　moment　for　reflection。

〃It　is　best　we　go　straight　to　the　village；　which　is　fortunately　near　by；　if　two　swift　camels　are　to　be　had　for　hire　there；　we　will　be　on　the　road　but　an　hour。〃

〃Let　us　about　it；　then。〃

The　village　was　an　assemblage　of　palaces　in　beautiful　gardens；　interspersed　with　khans　of　princely　sort。　Dromedaries　were　happily　secured；　and　upon　them　the　journey　to　the　famous　Orchard　of　Palms　was　begun。




CHAPTER　X



Beyond　the　village　the　country　was　undulating　and　cultivated；　in　fact；　it　was　the　garden…land　of　Antioch；　with　not　a　foot　lost　to　labor。　The　steep　faces　of　the　hills　were　terraced；　even　the　hedges　were　brighter　of　the　trailing　vines　which；　besides　the　lure　of　shade；　offered　passers…by　sweet　promises　of　wine　to　come；　and　grapes　in　clustered　purple　ripeness。　Over　melon…patches；　and　through　apricot　and　fig…tree　groves；　and　groves　of　oranges　and　limes；　the　white…washed　houses　of　the　farmers　were　seen；　and　everywhere　Plenty；　the　smiling　daughter　of　Peace；　gave　notice　by　her　thousand　signs　that　she　was　at　home；　making　the　generous　traveller　merry　at　heart；　until　he　was　even　disposed　to　give　Rome　her　dues。　Occasionally；　also；　views　were　had　of　Taurus　and　Lebanon；　between　which；　a　separating　line　of　silver；　the　Orontes　placidly　pursued　its　way。

In　course　of　their　journey　the　friends　came　to　the　river；　which　they　followed　with　the　windings　of　the　road；　now　over　bold　bluffs；　and　then　into　vales；　all　alike　allotted　for　country…seats；　and　if　the　land　was　in　full　foliage　of　oak　and　sycamore　and　myrtle；　and　bay　and　arbutus；　and　perfuming　jasmine；　the　river　was　bright　with　slanted　sunlight；　which　would　have　slept　where　it　fell　but　for　ships　in　endless　procession；　gliding　with　the　current；　tacking　for　the　wind；　or　bounding　under　the　impulse　of　oarssome　coming；　some　going；　and　all　suggestive　of　the　sea；　and　distant　peoples；　and　famous　places；　and　things　coveted　on　account　of　their　rarity。　To　the　fancy　there　is　nothing　so　winsome　as　a　white　sail　seaward　blown；　unless　it　be　a　white　sail　homeward　bound；　its　voyage　happily　done。　And　down　the　shore　the　friends　went　continuously　till　they　came　to　a　lake　fed　by　back…water　from　the　river；　clear；　deep；　and　without　current。　An　old　palm…tree　dominated　the　angle　of　the　inlet；　turning　to　the　left　at　the　foot　of　the　tree；　Malluch　clapped　his　hands　and　shouted；

〃Look；　look！　The　Orchard　of　Palms！〃

The　scene　was　nowhere　else　to　be　found　unless　in　the　favored　oases　of　Arabia　or　the　Ptolemaean　farms　along　the　Nile；　and　to　sustain　a　sensation　new　as　it　was　delightful；　Ben…Hur　was　admitted　into　a　tract　of　land　apparently　without　limit　and　level　as　a　floor。　All　under　foot　was　fresh　grass；　in　Syria　the　rarest　and　most　beautiful　production　of　the　soil；　if　he　looked　up；　it　was　to　see　the　sky　paley　blue　through　the　groinery　of　countless　date…bearers；　very　patriarchs　of　their　kind；　so　numerous　and　old；　and　of　such　mighty　girth；　so　tall；　so　serried；　so　wide　of　branch；　each　branch　so　perfect　with　fronds；　plumy　and　waxlike　and　brilliant；　they　seemed　enchanters　enchanted。　Here　was　the　grass　coloring　the　very　atmosphere；　there　the　lake；　cool　and　clear；　rippling　but　a　few　feet　under　the　surface；　and　helping　the　trees　to　their　long　life　in　old　age。　Did　the　Grove　of　Daphne　excel　this　one？　And　the　palms；　as　if　they　knew　Ben…Hur's　thought；　and　would　win　him　after　a　way　of　their　own；　seemed；　as　he　passed　under　their　arches；　to　stir　and　sprinkle　him　with　dewy　coolness。

The　road　wound　in　close　parallelism　with　the　shore　of　the　lake；　and　when　it　carried　the　travellers　down　to　the　water's　edge；　there　was　always　on　that　side　a　shining　expanse　limited　not　far　off　by　the　opposite　shore；　on　which；　as　on　this　one；　no　tree　but　the　palm　was　permitted。

〃See　that；〃　said　Malluch；　pointing　to　a　giant　of　the　place。　〃Each　ring　upon　its　trunk　marks　a　year　of　its　life。　Count　them　from　root　to　branch；　and　if　the　sheik　tells　you　the　grove　was　planted　before　the　Seleucidae　were　heard　of　in　Antioch；　do　not　doubt　him。〃

One　may　not　look　at　a　perfect　palm…tree　but　that；　with　a　subtlety　all　its　own；　it　assumes　a　presence　for　itself；　and　makes　a　poet　of　the　beholder。　This　is　the　explanation　of　the　honors　it　has　received；　beginning　with　the　artists　of　the　first　kings；　who　could　find　no　form　in　all　the　earth　to　serve　them　so　well　as　a　model　for　the　pillars　of　their　palaces　and　temples；　and　for　the　same　reason　Ben…Hur　was　moved　to　say；

〃As　I　saw　him　at　the　stand　to…day；　good　Malluch；　Sheik　Ilderim　appeared　to　be　a　very　common　man。　The　rabbis　in　Jerusalem　would　look　down　upon　him；　I　fear；　as　a　son　of　a　dog　of　Edom。　How　came　he　in　possession　of　the　Orchard？　And　how　has　he　been　able　to　hold　it　against　the　greed　of　Roman　governors？〃

〃If　blood　derives　excellence　from　time；　son　of　Arrius；　then　is　old　Ilderim　a　man；　though　he　be　an　uncircumcised　Edomite。〃

Malluch　spoke　warmly。

〃All　his　fathers　before　him　were　sheiks。　One　of　themI　shall　not　say　when　he　lived　or　did　the　good　deedonce　helped　a　king　who　was　being　hunted　with　swords。　The　story　says　he　loaned　him　a　thousand　horsemen；　who　knew　the　paths　of　the　wilderness　and　its　hiding…places　as　shepherds　know　the　scant　hills　they　inhabit　with　their　flocks；　and　they　carried　him　here　and　there　until　the　opportunity　came；　and　then　with　their　spears　they　slew　the　enemy；　and　set　him　upon　his