ben-hur-第96章

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〃I　will　show　you　the　floor　as　it　isor　as　I　believe　it　to　be。〃

Upon　a　page　of　his　tablets；　Gesius　drew　the　following　diagram；　and　gave　it　to　the　tribune：

　__________________________________________　｜　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　｜　｜＇＇…＋…＇＇…＋…＇＇…＋…＇＇…＋…＇＇｜　｜　　　　　　　｜　　　　　　　　｜　　　　　　　　｜　　　　　　　　｜　　　　　　　｜　｜　　　V　　　｜　　　IV　　　｜　　　III　　｜　　　II　　　｜　　　I　　　｜　｜＇＇…＋＋＋＋…｜　｜　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　VI　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　｜　｜__________________________________________｜


〃Thou　hast　done　well；〃　said　the　tribune；　examining　the　drawing；　and　thinking　the　narrative　at　an　end。　〃I　will　have　the　map　corrected；　or；　better；　I　will　have　a　new　one　made；　and　given　thee。　Come　for　it　in　the　morning。〃

So　saying；　he　arose。

〃But　hear　me　further；　O　tribune。〃

〃To…morrow；　Gesius；　to…morrow。〃

〃That　which　I　have　yet　to　tell　will　not　wait。〃

The　tribune　good…naturedly　resumed　his　chair。

〃I　will　hurry；〃　said　the　keeper；　humbly；　〃only　let　me　ask　another　question。　Had　I　not　a　right　to　believe　Gratus　in　what　he　further　told　me　as　to　the　prisoners　in　cell　number　V。？〃

〃Yes；　it　was　thy　duty　to　believe　there　were　three　prisoners　in　the　cellprisoners　of　stateblind　and　without　tongues。〃

〃Well；〃　said　the　keeper；　〃that　was　not　true　either。〃

〃No！〃　said　the　tribune；　with　returning　interest。

〃Hear；　and　judge　for　yourself；　O　tribune。　As　required；　I　visited　all　the　cells；　beginning　with　those　on　the　first　floor；　and　ending　with　those　on　the　lower。　The　order　that　the　door　of　number　V。　should　not　be　opened　had　been　respected；　through　all　the　eight　years　food　and　drink　for　three　men　had　been　passed　through　a　hole　in　the　wall。　I　went　to　the　door　yesterday；　curious　to　see　the　wretches　who；　against　all　expectation；　had　lived　so　long。　The　locks　refused　the　key。　We　pulled　a　little；　and　the　door　fell　down；　rusted　from　its　hinges。　Going　in；　I　found　but　one　man；　old；　blind；　tongueless；　and　naked。　His　hair　dropped　in　stiffened　mats　below　his　waist。　His　skin　was　like　the　parchment　there。　He　held　his　hands　out；　and　the　finger…nails　curled　and　twisted　like　the　claws　of　a　bird。　I　asked　him　where　his　companions　were。　He　shook　his　head　in　denial。　Thinking　to　find　the　others；　we　searched　the　cell。　The　floor　was　dry；　so　were　the　walls。　If　three　men　had　been　shut　in　there；　and　two　of　them　had　died；　at　least　their　bones　would　have　endured。〃

〃Wherefore　thou　thinkest〃

〃I　think；　O　tribune；　there　has　been　but　one　prisoner　there　in　the　eight　years。〃

The　chief　regarded　the　keeper　sharply；　and　said；　〃Have　a　care；　thou　art　more　than　saying　Valerius　lied。〃

Gesius　bowed；　but　said；　〃He　might　have　been　mistaken。〃

〃No；　he　was　right；〃　said　the　tribune；　warmly。　〃By　thine　own　statement　he　was　right。　Didst　thou　not　say　but　now　that　for　eight　years　food　and　drink　had　been　furnished　three　men？〃

The　bystanders　approved　the　shrewdness　of　their　chief；　yet　Gesius　did　not　seem　discomfited。

〃You　have　but　half　the　story；　O　tribune。　When　you　have　it　all；　you　will　agree　with　me。　You　know　what　I　did　with　the　man：　that　I　sent　him　to　the　bath；　and　had　him　shorn　and　clothed；　and　then　took　him　to　the　gate　of　the　Tower；　and　bade　him　go　free。　I　washed　my　hands　of　him。　To…day　he　came　back；　and　was　brought　to　me。　By　signs　and　tears　he　at　last　made　me　understand　he　wished　to　return　to　his　cell；　and　I　so　ordered。　As　they　were　leading　him　off；　he　broke　away　and　kissed　my　feet；　and；　by　piteous　dumb　imploration；　insisted　I　should　go　with　him；　and　I　went。　The　mystery　of　the　three　men　stayed　in　my　mind。　I　was　not　satisfied　about　it。　Now　I　am　glad　I　yielded　to　his　entreaty。〃

The　whole　company　at　this　point　became　very　still。

〃When　we　were　in　the　cell　again；　and　the　prisoner　knew　it；　he　caught　my　hand　eagerly；　and　led　me　to　a　hole　like　that　through　which　we　were　accustomed　to　pass　him　his　food。　Though　large　enough　to　push　your　helmet　through；　it　escaped　me　yesterday。　Still　holding　my　hand；　he　put　his　face　to　the　hole　and　gave　a　beast…like　cry。　A　sound　came　faintly　back。　I　was　astonished；　and　drew　him　away；　and　called　out；　'Ho；　here！'　At　first　there　was　no　answer。　I　called　again；　and　received　back　these　words；　'Be　thou　praised；　O　Lord！'　Yet　more　astonishing；　O　tribune；　the　voice　was　a　woman's。　And　I　asked；　'Who　are　you？'　and　had　reply；　'A　woman　of　Israel；　entombed　here　with　her　daughter。　Help　us　quickly；　or　we　die。'　I　told　them　to　be　of　cheer；　and　hurried　here　to　know　your　will。〃

The　tribune　arose　hastily。

〃Thou　wert　right；　Gesius；〃　he　said；　〃and　I　see　now。　The　map　was　a　lie；　and　so　was　the　tale　of　the　three　men。　There　have　been　better　Romans　than　Valerius　Gratus。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　the　keeper。　〃I　gleaned　from　the　prisoner　that　he　had　regularly　given　the　women　of　the　food　and　drink　he　had　received。〃

〃It　is　accounted　for；〃　replied　the　tribune；　and　observing　the　countenances　of　his　friends；　and　reflecting　how　well　it　would　be　to　have　witnesses；　he　added；　〃Let　us　rescue　the　women。　Come　all。〃

Gesuis　was　pleased。

〃We　will　have　to　pierce　the　wall；〃　he　said。　〃I　found　where　a　door　had　been；　but　it　was　filled　solidly　with　stones　and　mortar。〃

The　tribune　stayed　to　say　to　a　clerk；　〃Send　workmen　after　me　with　tools。　Make　haste；　but　hold　the　report；　for　I　see　it　will　have　to　be　corrected。〃

In　a　short　time　they　were　gone。




CHAPTER　II



〃A　woman　of　Israel；　entombed　here　with　her　daughter。　Help　us　quickly；　or　we　die。〃

Such　was　the　reply　Gesius；　the　keeper；　had　from　the　cell　which　appears　on　his　amended　map　as　VI。　The　reader；　when　he　observed　the　answer；　knew　who　the　unfortunates　were；　and；　doubtless；　said　to　himself；　〃At　last　the　mother　of　Ben…Hur；　and　Tirzah；　his　sister！〃

And　so　it　was。

The　morning　of　their　seizure；　eight　years　before；　they　had　been　carried　to　the　Tower；　where　Gratus　proposed　to　put　them　out　of　the　way。　He　had　chosen　the　Tower　for　the　purpose　as　more　immediately　in　his　own　keeping；　and　cell　VI。　because；　first；　it　could　be　better　lost　than　any　other；　and；　secondly；　it　was　infected　with　leprosy；　for　these　prisoners　were　not　merely　to　be　put　in　a　safe　place；　but　in　a　place　to　die。　They　were；　accordingly；　taken　down　by　slaves　in　the　night…time；　when　there　were　no　witnesses　of　the　deed；　then；　in　completion　of　the　savage　task；　the　same　slaves　walled　up　the　door；　after　which　they　were　themselves　separated；　and　sent　away　never　to　be　heard　of　more。　To　save　accusation；　and；　in　the　event　of　discovery；　to　leave　himself　such　justification　as　might　be　allowed　in　a　distinction　between　the　infliction　of　a　punishment　and　the　commission　of　a　double　murder；　Gratus　preferred　sinking　his　victims　where　natural　death　was　certain；　though　slow。　That　they　might　linger　along；　he　selected　a　convict　who　had　been　made　blind　and　tongueless；　and　sank　him　in　the　only　connecting　cell；　there　to　serve　them　with　food　and　drink。　Under　no　circumstances　could　the　poor　wretch　tell　the　tale　or　identify　either　the　prisoners　or　their　doomsman。　So；　with　a　cunning　partly　due　to　Messala；　the　Roman；　under　color　of　punishing　a　brood　of　assassins；　smoothed　a　path　to　confiscation　of　the　estate　of　the　Hurs；　of　which　no　portion　ever　reached　the　imperial　coffers。

As　the　last　step　in　the　scheme；　Gratus　summarily　removed　the　old　keeper　of　the　prisons；　not　because　he　knew　what　had　been　donefor　he　did　notbut　because；　knowing　the　underground　floors　as　he　did；　it　would　be　next　to　impossible　to　keep　the　transaction　from　him。　Then；　with　masterly　ingenuity；　the　procurator　had　new　maps　drawn　for　delivery　to　a　new　keeper；　with　the　omission；　as　we　have　seen；　of　cell　VI。　The　instructions　given　the　latter；　taken　with　the　omission　on　the　map；　accomplished　the　designthe　cell　and　its　unhappy　tenants　were　all　alike　lost。

What　may　be　thought　of　the　life　of　the　mother　and　daughter　during　the　eight　years　must　have　relation　to　their　culture　and　previous　habits。　Conditions　are　pleasant　or　grievous　to　us　according　to　our　sensibilities。　It　is　not　extreme　to　say；　if　there　was　a　sudden　exit　of　all　men　from　the　world；　heaven；　as　prefigured　in　the　Christian　idea；　would　not　be　a　heaven　to　the　majority；　on　the　other　hand；　neither　would　all　suffer　equally　in　the　so…called　Tophet。　Cultivation　has　its　balances。　As　the　mind　is　made　intelligent；　the　capacity　of　the　soul　for　pure　enjoyment　is　proportionally　increased。　Well；　therefore；