ben-hur-第67章

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Balthasar　drank；　and；　seeming　refreshed；　continued：

〃The　Savior　I　saw　was　born　of　woman；　in　nature　like　us；　and　subject　to　all　our　illseven　death。　Let　that　stand　as　the　first　proposition。　Consider　next　the　work　set　apart　to　him。　Was　it　not　a　performance　for　which　only　a　man　is　fitted？a　man　wise；　firm；　discreeta　man；　not　a　child？　To　become　such　he　had　to　grow　as　we　grow。　Bethink　you　now　of　the　dangers　his　life　was　subject　to　in　the　intervalthe　long　interval　between　childhood　and　maturity。　The　existing　powers　were　his　enemies；　Herod　was　his　enemy；　and　what　would　Rome　have　been？　And　as　for　Israelthat　he　should　not　be　accepted　by　Israel　was　the　motive　for　cutting　him　off。　See　you　now。　What　better　way　was　there　to　take　care　of　his　life　in　the　helpless　growing　time　than　by　passing　him　into　obscurity？　Wherefore　I　say　to　myself；　and　to　my　listening　faith；　which　is　never　moved　except　by　yearning　of　loveI　say　he　is　not　dead；　but　lost；　and；　his　work　remaining　undone；　he　will　come　again。　There　you　have　the　reasons　for　my　belief。　Are　they　not　good？〃

Ilderim's　small　Arab　eyes　were　bright　with　understanding；　and　Ben…Hur；　lifted　from　his　dejection；　said　heartily；　〃I；　at　least；　may　not　gainsay　them。　What　further；　pray？〃

〃Hast　thou　not　enough；　my　son？　Well；〃　he　began；　in　calmer　tone；　〃seeing　that　the　reasons　were　goodmore　plainly；　seeing　it　was　God's　will　that　the　Child　should　not　be　foundI　settled　my　faith　into　the　keeping　of　patience；　and　took　to　waiting。〃　He　raised　his　eyes；　full　of　holy　trust；　and　broke　off　abstractedly〃I　am　waiting　now。　He　lives；　keeping　well　his　mighty　secret。　What　though　I　cannot　go　to　him；　or　name　the　hill　or　the　vale　of　his　abiding…place？　He　livesit　may　be　as　the　fruit　in　blossom；　it　may　be　as　the　fruit　just　ripening；　but　by　the　certainty　there　is　in　the　promise　and　reason　of　God；　I　know　he　lives。〃

A　thrill　of　awe　struck　Ben…Hura　thrill　which　was　but　the　dying　of　his　half…formed　doubt。

〃Where　thinkest　thou　he　is？〃　he　asked；　in　a　low　voice；　and　hesitating；　like　one　who　feels　upon　his　lips　the　pressure　of　a　sacred　silence。

Balthasar　looked　at　him　kindly；　and　replied；　his　mind　not　entirely　freed　from　its　abstraction；

〃In　my　house　on　the　Nile；　so　close　to　the　river　that　the　passers…by　in　boats　see　it　and　its　reflection　in　the　water　at　the　same　timein　my　house；　a　few　weeks　ago；　I　sat　thinking。　A　man　thirty　years　old；　I　said　to　myself；　should　have　his　fields　of　life　all　ploughed；　and　his　planting　well　done；　for　after　that　it　is　summer…time；　with　space　scarce　enough　to　ripen　his　sowing。　The　Child；　I　said　further；　is　now　twenty…sevenhis　time　to　plant　must　be　at　hand。　I　asked　myself；　as　you　here　asked　me；　my　son；　and　answered　by　coming　hither；　as　to　a　good　resting…place　close　by　the　land　thy　fathers　had　from　God。　Where　else　should　he　appear；　if　not　in　Judea？　In　what　city　should　he　begin　his　work；　if　not　in　Jerusalem？　Who　should　be　first　to　receive　the　blessings　he　is　to　bring；　if　not　the　children　of　Abraham；　Isaac；　and　Jacob；　in　love；　at　least；　the　children　of　the　Lord？　If　I　were　bidden　go　seek　him；　I　would　search　well　the　hamlets　and　villages　on　the　slopes　of　the　mountains　of　Judea　and　Galilee　falling　eastwardly　into　the　valley　of　the　Jordan。　He　is　there　now。　Standing　in　a　door　or　on　a　hill…top；　only　this　evening　he　saw　the　sun　set　one　day　nearer　the　time　when　he　himself　shall　become　the　light　of　the　world。〃

Balthasar　ceased；　with　his　hand　raised　and　finger　pointing　as　if　at　Judea。　All　the　listeners；　even　the　dull　servants　outside　the　divan；　affected　by　his　fervor；　were　startled　as　if　by　a　majestic　presence　suddenly　apparent　within　the　tent。　Nor　did　the　sensation　die　away　at　once：　of　those　at　the　table；　each　sat　awhile　thinking。　The　spell　was　finally　broken　by　Ben…Hur。

〃I　see；　good　Balthasar；〃　he　said；　〃that　thou　hast　been　much　and　strangely　favored。　I　see；　also；　that　thou　art　a　wise　man　indeed。　It　is　not　in　my　power　to　tell　how　grateful　I　am　for　the　things　thou　hast　told　me。　I　am　warned　of　the　coming　of　great　events；　and　borrow　somewhat　from　thy　faith。　Complete　the　obligation；　I　pray　thee；　by　telling　further　of　the　mission　of　him　for　whom　thou　art　waiting；　and　for　whom　from　this　night　I　too　shall　wait　as　becomes　a　believing　son　of　Judah。　He　is　to　be　a　Savior；　thou　saidst；　is　he　not　to　be　King　of　the　Jews　also？〃

〃My　son；〃　said　Balthasar；　in　his　benignant　way；　〃the　mission　is　yet　a　purpose　in　the　bosom　of　God。　All　I　think　about　it　is　wrung　from　the　words　of　the　Voice　in　connection　with　the　prayer　to　which　they　were　in　answer。　Shall　we　refer　to　them　again？〃

〃Thou　art　the　teacher。〃

〃The　cause　of　my　disquiet；〃　Balthasar　began；　calmly〃that　which　made　me　a　preacher　in　Alexandria　and　in　the　villages　of　the　Nile；　that　which　drove　me　at　last　into　the　solitude　where　the　Spirit　found　mewas　the　fallen　condition　of　men；　occasioned；　as　I　believed；　by　loss　of　the　knowledge　of　God。　I　sorrowed　for　the　sorrows　of　my　kindnot　of　one　class；　but　all　of　them。　So　utterly　were　they　fallen　it　seemed　to　me　there　could　be　no　Redemption　unless　God　himself　would　make　it　his　work；　and　I　prayed　him　to　come；　and　that　I　might　see　him。　'Thy　good　works　have　conquered。　The　Redemption　cometh；　thou　shalt　see　the　Savior'thus　the　Voice　spake；　and　with　the　answer　I　went　up　to　Jerusalem　rejoicing。　Now；　to　whom　is　the　Redemption？　To　all　the　world。　And　how　shall　it　be？　Strengthen　thy　faith；　my　son！　Men　say；　I　know；　that　there　will　be　no　happiness　until　Rome　is　razed　from　her　hills。　That　is　to　say；　the　ills　of　the　time　are　not；　as　I　thought　them；　from　ignorance　of　God；　but　from　the　misgovernment　of　rulers。　Do　we　need　to　be　told　that　human　governments　are　never　for　the　sake　of　religion？　How　many　kings　have　you　heard　of　who　were　better　than　their　subjects？　Oh　no；　no！　The　Redemption　cannot　be　for　a　political　purposeto　pull　down　rulers　and　powers；　and　vacate　their　places　merely　that　others　may　take　and　enjoy　them。　If　that　were　all　of　it；　the　wisdom　of　God　would　cease　to　be　surpassing。　I　tell　you；　though　it　be　but　the　saying　of　blind　to　blind；　he　that　comes　is　to　be　a　Savior　of　souls；　and　the　Redemption　means　God　once　more　on　earth；　and　righteousness；　that　his　stay　here　may　be　tolerable　to　himself。〃

Disappointment　showed　plainly　on　Ben…Hur's　facehis　head　drooped；　and　if　he　was　not　convinced；　he　yet　felt　himself　incapable　that　moment　of　disputing　the　opinion　of　the　Egyptian。　Not　so　Ilderim。

〃By　the　splendor　of　God！〃　he　cried；　impulsively；　〃the　judgment　does　away　with　all　custom。　The　ways　of　the　world　are　fixed；　and　cannot　be　changed。　There　must　be　a　leader　in　every　community　clothed　with　power；　else　there　is　no　reform。〃

Balthasar　received　the　burst　gravely。

〃Thy　wisdom；　good　sheik；　is　of　the　world；　and　thou　dost　forget　that　it　is　from　the　ways　of　the　world　we　are　to　be　redeemed。　Man　as　a　subject　is　the　ambition　of　a　king；　the　soul　of　a　man　for　its　salvation　is　the　desire　of　a　God。〃

Ilderim；　though　silenced；　shook　his　head；　unwilling　to　believe。　Ben…Hur　took　up　the　argument　for　him。

〃FatherI　call　thee　such　by　permission；〃　he　said〃for　whom　wert　thou　required　to　ask　at　the　gates　of　Jerusalem？〃

The　sheik　threw　him　a　grateful　look。

〃I　was　to　ask　of　the　people；〃　said　Balthasar；　quietly；　〃'Where　is　he　that　is　born　King　of　the　Jews？'〃

〃And　you　saw　him　in　the　cave　by　Bethlehem？〃

〃We　saw　and　worshipped　him；　and　gave　him　presentsMelchior；　gold；　Gaspar；　frankincense；　and　I；　myrrh。〃

〃When　thou　dost　speak　of　fact；　O　father；　to　hear　thee　is　to　believe；〃　said　Ben…Hur；　〃but　in　the　matter　of　opinion；　I　cannot　understand　the　kind　of　king　thou　wouldst　make　of　the　ChildI　cannot　separate　the　ruler　from　his　powers　and　duties。〃

〃Son；〃　said　Balthasar；　〃we　have　the　habit　of　studying　closely　the　things　which　chance　to　lie　at　our　feet；　giving　but　a　look　at　the　greater　objects　in　the　distance。　Thou　seest　now　but　the　title　KING　OF　THE　JEWS；　wilt　thou　lift　thine　eyes　to　the　mystery　beyond　it；　the　stumbling…block　will　disappear。　Of　the　title；　a　word。　Thy　Israel　hath　seen　better　daysdays　in　which　God　called　thy　people　endearingly　his　people；　and　dealt　with　them　through　prophets。　Now；　if　in　those　days　he　promised　them　the　Savior　I　sawpromised　him　as　KING　OF　THE　JEWSthe　appearance　must　be　according　to　the　promise；　if　only　for　the　word's　sake。　Ah；