ben-hur-第101节

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〃It　used　to　be　a　lonesome　ford；〃　said　Ben…Hur。　〃I　cannot　understand　how　it　can　have　become　of　such　interest。〃

〃I　see；〃　the　stranger　replied；　〃you；　too；　are　from　abroad；　and　have　not　heard　the　good　tidings。〃

〃What　tidings？〃

〃Well；　a　man　has　appeared　out　of　the　wildernessa　very　holy　manwith　his　mouth　full　of　strange　words；　which　take　hold　of　all　who　hear　them。　He　calls　himself　John　the　Nazarite；　son　of　Zacharias；　and　says　he　is　the　messenger　sent　before　the　Messiah。〃

Even　Iras　listened　closely　while　the　man　continued：

〃They　say　of　this　John　that　he　has　spent　his　life　from　childhood　in　a　cave　down　by　En…Gedi；　praying　and　living　more　strictly　than　the　Essenes。　Crowds　go　to　hear　him　preach。　I　went　to　hear　him　with　the　rest。〃

〃Have　all　these；　your　friends；　been　there？〃

〃Most　of　them　are　going；　a　few　are　coming　away。〃

〃What　does　he　preach？〃

〃A　new　doctrineone　never　before　taught　in　Israel；　as　all　say。　He　calls　it　repentance　and　baptism。　The　rabbis　do　not　know　what　to　make　of　him；　nor　do　we。　Some　have　asked　him　if　he　is　the　Christ；　others　if　he　is　Elias；　but　to　them　all　he　has　the　answer；　'I　am　the　voice　of　one　crying　in　the　wilderness；　Make　straight　the　way　of　the　Lord！'〃

At　this　point　the　man　was　called　away　by　his　friends；　as　he　was　going；　Balthasar　spoke。

〃Good　stranger！〃　he　said；　tremulously；　〃tell　us　if　we　shall　find　the　preacher　at　the　place　you　left　him。〃

〃Yes；　at　Bethabara。〃

〃Who　should　this　Nazarite　be？〃　said　Ben…Hur　to　Iras；　〃if　not　the　herald　of　our　King？〃

In　so　short　a　time　he　had　come　to　regard　the　daughter　as　more　interested　in　the　mysterious　personage　he　was　looking　for　than　the　aged　father！　Nevertheless；　the　latter　with　a　positive　glow　in　his　sunken　eyes　half　arose；　and　said；

〃Let　us　make　haste。　I　am　not　tired。〃

They　turned　away　to　help　the　slave。

There　was　little　conversation　between　the　three　at　the　stopping…place　for　the　night　west　of　Ramoth…Gilead。

〃Let　us　arise　early；　son　of　Hur；〃　said　the　old　man。　〃The　Saviour　may　come；　and　we　not　there。〃

〃The　King　cannot　be　far　behind　his　herald；〃　Iras　whispered；　as　she　prepared　to　take　her　place　on　the　camel。

〃To…morrow　we　will　see！〃　Ben…Hur　replied；　kissing　her　hand。

Next　day　about　the　third　hour；　out　of　the　pass　through　which；　skirting　the　base　of　Mount　Gilead；　they　had　journeyed　since　leaving　Ramoth；　the　party　came　upon　the　barren　steppe　east　of　the　sacred　river。　Opposite　them　they　saw　the　upper　limit　of　the　old　palm　lands　of　Jericho；　stretching　off　to　the　hill…country　of　Judea。　Ben…Hur's　blood　ran　quickly；　for　he　knew　the　ford　was　close　at　hand。

〃Content　you；　good　Balthasar；〃　he　said；　〃we　are　almost　there。〃

The　driver　quickened　the　camel's　pace。　Soon　they　caught　sight　of　booths　and　tents　and　tethered　animals；　and　then　of　the　river；　and　a　multitude　collected　down　close　by　the　bank；　and　yet　another　multitude　on　the　western　shore。　Knowing　that　the　preacher　was　preaching；　they　made　greater　haste；　yet；　as　they　were　drawing　near；　suddenly　there　was　a　commotion　in　the　mass；　and　it　began　to　break　up　and　disperse。

They　were　too　late！

〃Let　us　stay　here；〃　said　Ben…Hur　to　Balthasar；　who　was　wringing　his　hands。　〃The　Nazarite　may　come　this　way。〃

The　people　were　too　intent　upon　what　they　had　heard；　and　too　busy　in　discussion；　to　notice　the　new…comers。　When　some　hundreds　were　gone　by；　and　it　seemed　the　opportunity　to　so　much　as　see　the　Nazarite　was　lost　to　the　latter；　up　the　river　not　far　away　they　beheld　a　person　coming　towards　them　of　such　singular　appearance　they　forgot　all　else。

Outwardly　the　man　was　rude　and　uncouth；　even　savage。　Over　a　thin；　gaunt　visage　of　the　hue　of　brown　parchment；　over　his　shoulders　and　down　his　back　below　the　middle；　in　witch…like　locks；　fell　a　covering　of　sun…scorched　hair。　His　eyes　were　burning…bright。　All　his　right　side　was　naked；　and　of　the　color　of　his　face；　and　quite　as　meagre；　a　shirt　of　the　coarsest　camel's…haircoarse　as　Bedouin　tent…clothclothed　the　rest　of　his　person　to　the　knees；　being　gathered　at　the　waist　by　a　broad　girdle　of　untanned　leather。　His　feet　were　bare。　A　scrip；　also　of　untanned　leather；　was　fastened　to　the　girdle。　He　used　a　knotted　staff　to　help　him　forward。　His　movement　was　quick；　decided；　and　strangely　watchful。　Every　little　while　he　tossed　the　unruly　hair　from　his　eyes；　and　peered　round　as　if　searching　for　somebody。

The　fair　Egyptian　surveyed　the　son　of　the　Desert　with　surprise；　not　to　say　disgust。　Presently；　raising　the　curtain　of　the　houdah；　she　spoke　to　Ben…Hur；　who　sat　his　horse　near　by。

〃Is　that　the　herald　of　thy　King？〃

〃It　is　the　Nazarite；〃　he　replied；　without　looking　up。

In　truth；　he　was　himself　more　than　disappointed。　Despite　his　familiarity　with　the　ascetic　colonists　in　En…Geditheir　dress；　their　indifference　to　all　worldly　opinion；　their　constancy　to　vows　which　gave　them　over　to　every　imaginable　suffering　of　body；　and　separated　them　from　others　of　their　kind　as　absolutely　as　if　they　had　not　been　born　like　themand　notwithstanding　he　had　been　notified　on　the　way　to　look　for　a　Nazarite　whose　simple　description　of　himself　was　a　Voice　from　the　Wildernessstill　Ben…Hur's　dream　of　the　King　who　was　to　be　so　great　and　do　so　much　had　colored　all　his　thought　of　him；　so　that　he　never　doubted　to　find　in　the　forerunner　some　sign　or　token　of　the　goodliness　and　royalty　he　was　announcing。　Gazing　at　the　savage　figure　before　him；　the　long　trains　of　courtiers　whom　he　had　been　used　to　see　in　the　thermae　and　imperial　corridors　at　Rome　arose　before　him；　forcing　a　comparison。　Shocked；　shamed；　bewildered；　he　could　only　answer；

〃It　is　the　Nazarite。〃

With　Balthasar　it　was　very　different。　The　ways　of　God；　he　knew；　were　not　as　men　would　have　them。　He　had　seen　the　Saviour　a　child　in　a　manger；　and　was　prepared　by　his　faith　for　the　rude　and　simple　in　connection　with　the　Divine　reappearance。　So　he　kept　his　seat；　his　hands　crossed　upon　his　breast；　his　lips　moving　in　prayer。　He　was　not　expecting　a　king。

In　this　time　of　such　interest　to　the　new…comers；　and　in　which　they　were　so　differently　moved；　another　man　had　been　sitting　by　himself　on　a　stone　at　the　edge　of　the　river；　thinking　yet；　probably；　of　the　sermon　he　had　been　hearing。　Now；　however；　he　arose；　and　walked　slowly　up　from　the　shore；　in　a　course　to　take　him　across　the　line　the　Nazarite　was　pursuing　and　bring　him　near　the　camel。

And　the　twothe　preacher　and　the　strangerkept　on　until　they　came；　the　former　within　twenty　yards　of　the　animal；　the　latter　within　ten　feet。　Then　the　preacher　stopped；　and　flung　the　hair　from　his　eyes；　looked　at　the　stranger；　threw　his　hands　up　as　a　signal　to　all　the　people　in　sight；　and　they　also　stopped；　each　in　the　pose　of　a　listener；　and　when　the　hush　was　perfect；　slowly　the　staff　in　the　Nazarite's　right　hand　came　down　and　pointed　to　the　stranger。

All　those　who　before　were　but　listeners　became　watchers　also。

At　the　same　instant；　under　the　same　impulse；　Balthasar　and　Ben…Hur　fixed　their　gaze　upon　the　man　pointed　out；　and　both　took　the　same　impression；　only　in　different　degree。　He　was　moving　slowly　towards　them　in　a　clear　space　a　little　to　their　front；　a　form　slightly　above　the　average　in　stature；　and　slender；　even　delicate。　His　action　was　calm　and　deliberate；　like　that　habitual　to　men　much　given　to　serious　thought　upon　grave　subjects；　and　it　well　became　his　costume；　which　was　an　undergarment　full…sleeved　and　reaching　to　the　ankles；　and　an　outer　robe　called　the　talith；　on　his　left　arm　he　carried　the　usual　handkerchief　for　the　head；　the　red　fillet　swinging　loose　down　his　side。　Except　the　fillet　and　a　narrow　border　of　blue　at　the　lower　edge　of　the　talith；　his　attire　was　of　linen　yellowed　with　dust　and　road　stains。　Possibly　the　exception　should　be　extended　to　the　tassels；　which　were　blue　and　white；　as　prescribed　by　law　for　rabbis。　His　sandals　were　of　the　simplest　kind。　He　was　without　scrip　or　girdle　or　staff。

These　points　of　appearance；　however；　the　three　beholders　observed　briefly；　and　rather　as　accessories　to　the　head　and　face　of　the　man；　whichespecially　the　latterwere　the　real　sources　of　the　spell　they　caught　in　common　with　all　who　stood　looking　at　him。

The　head　was　open　to　the　cloudless　light；　except　as　it　was　draped　with　hair　long　and　slightly　waved；　and　parted　in　the　middle；　and　auburn　in　tint；　with　a　tendency　to　reddish　golden　where　most　strongly　touched　by　the　sun。　Under　a　broad；　low　forehead；　under　black　well　arched　brows；　beamed　eyes　dark…blue　and　large；　and　softened　to　exceeding　tenderness　by　lashes　of　the　great　length　sometimes　seen　on　children；　but　seldom；　if　ever；　on　men。　As　to　the　other　features；　it　would　have　been　difficult　to　decide　whether　they　were　Greek　or　Jewish。　The　delicacy　of　the　nostrils　and　mouth　was　unusual　to　the　latter　type；　and　when　it　was　taken　into　account　with　the　gentleness　of　the　eyes；　the　pallor　of　the　complexion；　the　fine　texture　of　the　hair；　and　the　softness　of　the　beard；　which　fell　in　waves　over　his　throat　to　his　breast；　never　a　soldier　but　would　have　laughed　at　him　in　encounter；　never　a　woman　who　would　not　have　confided　in　him　at　sight；　never　a　child　that　would　not；　with　quick　instinct；　have　given　him　its　hand　and　whole　artless　trust；　nor　might　any　one　have　said　he　was　not　beautiful。

The　features；　it　should　be　further　said；　were　ruled　by