ben-hur-第43节

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〃Such　as　have　yielded　to　the　charms　of　the　place　and　chosen　it　for　life　and　death。　Hark！　Stand　we　here；　and　I　will　show　you　of　whom　I　speak。〃

Upon　the　marble　pavement　there　was　a　scurry　of　sandalled　feet；　the　crowd　opened；　and　a　party　of　girls　rushed　about　the　speaker　and　his　fair　friend；　and　began　singing　and　dancing　to　the　tabrets　they　themselves　touched。　The　woman；　scared；　clung　to　the　man；　who　put　an　arm　about　her；　and；　with　kindled　face；　kept　time　to　the　music　with　the　other　hand　overhead。　The　hair　of　the　dancers　floated　free；　and　their　limbs　blushed　through　the　robes　of　gauze　which　scarcely　draped　them。　Words　may　not　be　used　to　tell　of　the　voluptuousness　of　the　dance。　One　brief　round；　and　they　darted　off　through　the　yielding　crowd　lightly　as　they　had　come。

〃Now　what　think　you？〃　cried　the　man　to　the　woman。

〃Who　are　they？〃　she　asked。

〃Devadasipriestesses　devoted　to　the　Temple　of　Apollo。　There　is　an　army　of　them。　They　make　the　chorus　in　celebrations。　This　is　their　home。　Sometimes　they　wander　off　to　other　cities；　but　all　they　make　is　brought　here　to　enrich　the　house　of　the　divine　musician。　Shall　we　go　now？〃

Next　minute　the　two　were　gone。

Ben…Hur　took　comfort　in　the　assurance　that　no　one　was　ever　lost　in　Daphne；　and　he；　too；　set　outwhere；　he　knew　not。

A　sculpture　reared　upon　a　beautiful　pedestal　in　the　garden　attracted　him　first。　It　proved　to　be　the　statue　of　a　centaur。　An　inscription　informed　the　unlearned　visitor　that　it　exactly　represented　Chiron；　the　beloved　of　Apollo　and　Diana；　instructed　by　them　in　the　mysteries　of　hunting；　medicine；　music；　and　prophecy。　The　inscription　also　bade　the　stranger　look　out　at　a　certain　part　of　the　heavens；　at　a　certain　hour　of　the　clear　night；　and　he　would　behold　the　dead　alive　among　the　stars；　whither　Jupiter　had　transferred　the　good　genius。

The　wisest　of　the　centaurs　continued；　nevertheless；　in　the　service　of　mankind。　In　his　hand　he　held　a　scroll；　on　which；　graven　in　Greek；　were　paragraphs　of　a　notice：


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃O　Traveller！　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Art　thou　a　stranger？

〃I。　Hearken　to　the　singing　of　the　brooks；　and　fear　not　the　rain　of　the　fountains；　so　will　the　Naiades　learn　to　love　thee。

〃II。　The　invited　breezes　of　Daphne　are　Zephyrus　and　Auster；　gentle　ministers　of　life；　they　will　gather　sweets　for　thee；　when　Eurus　blows；　Diana　is　elsewhere　hunting；　when　Boreas　blusters；　go　hide；　for　Apollo　is　angry。

〃III。　The　shades　of　the　Grove　are　thine　in　the　day；　at　night　they　belong　to　Pan　and　his　Dryades。　Disturb　them　not。

〃IV。　Eat　of　the　Lotus　by　the　brooksides　sparingly；　unless　thou　wouldst　have　surcease　of　memory；　which　is　to　become　a　child　of　Daphne。

〃V。　Walk　thou　round　the　weaving　spider'tis　Arachne　at　work　for　Minerva。

〃VI。　Wouldst　thou　behold　the　tears　of　Daphne；　break　but　a　bud　from　a　laurel　boughand　die。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Heed　thou！　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃And　stay　and　be　happy。〃

Ben…Hur　left　the　interpretation　of　the　mystic　notice　to　others　fast　enclosing　him；　and　turned　away　as　the　white　bull　was　led　by。　The　boy　sat　in　the　basket；　followed　by　a　procession；　after　them　again；　the　woman　with　the　goats；　and　behind　her　the　flute　and　tabret　players；　and　another　procession　of　gift…bringers。

〃Whither　go　they？〃　asked　a　bystander。

Another　made　answer；　〃The　bull　to　Father　Jove；　the　goat〃

〃Did　not　Apollo　once　keep　the　flocks　of　Admetus？〃

〃Ay；　the　goat　to　Apollo！〃

The　goodness　of　the　reader　is　again　besought　in　favor　of　an　explanation。　A　certain　facility　of　accommodation　in　the　matter　of　religion　comes　to　us　after　much　intercourse　with　people　of　a　different　faith；　gradually　we　attain　the　truth　that　every　creed　is　illustrated　by　good　men　who　are　entitled　to　our　respect；　but　whom　we　cannot　respect　without　courtesy　to　their　creed。　To　this　point　Ben…Hur　had　arrived。　Neither　the　years　in　Rome　nor　those　in　the　galley　had　made　any　impression　upon　his　religious　faith；　he　was　yet　a　Jew。　In　his　view；　nevertheless；　it　was　not　an　impiety　to　look　for　the　beautiful　in　the　Grove　of　Daphne。

The　remark　does　not　interdict　the　further　saying；　if　his　scruples　had　been　ever　so　extreme；　not　improbably　he　would　at　this　time　have　smothered　them。　He　was　angry；　not　as　the　irritable；　from　chafing　of　a　trifle；　nor　was　his　anger　like　the　fool's；　pumped　from　the　wells　of　nothing；　to　be　dissipated　by　a　reproach　or　a　curse；　it　was　the　wrath　peculiar　to　ardent　natures　rudely　awakened　by　the　sudden　annihilation　of　a　hopedream；　if　you　willin　which　the　choicest　happinesses　were　thought　to　be　certainly　in　reach。　In　such　case　nothing　intermediate　will　carry　off　the　passionthe　quarrel　is　with　Fate。

Let　us　follow　the　philosophy　a　little　further；　and　say　to　ourselves；　it　were　well　in　such　quarrels　if　Fate　were　something　tangible；　to　be　despatched　with　a　look　or　a　blow；　or　a　speaking　personage　with　whom　high　words　were　possible；　then　the　unhappy　mortal　would　not　always　end　the　affair　by　punishing　himself。

In　ordinary　mood；　Ben…Hur　would　not　have　come　to　the　Grove　alone；　or；　coming　alone；　he　would　have　availed　himself　of　his　position　in　the　consul's　family；　and　made　provision　against　wandering　idly　about；　unknowing　and　unknown；　he　would　have　had　all　the　points　of　interest　in　mind；　and　gone　to　them　under　guidance；　as　in　the　despatch　of　business；　or；　wishing　to　squander　days　of　leisure　in　the　beautiful　place；　he　would　have　had　in　hand　a　letter　to　the　master　of　it　all；　whoever　he　might　be。　This　would　have　made　him　a　sightseer；　like　the　shouting　herd　he　was　accompanying；　whereas　he　had　no　reverence　for　the　deities　of　the　Grove；　nor　curiosity；　a　man　in　the　blindness　of　bitter　disappointment；　he　was　adrift；　not　waiting　for　Fate；　but　seeking　it　as　a　desperate　challenger。

Every　one　has　known　this　condition　of　mind；　though　perhaps　not　all　in　the　same　degree；　every　one　will　recognize　it　as　the　condition　in　which　he　has　done　brave　things　with　apparent　serenity；　and　every　one　reading　will　say；　Fortunate　for　Ben…Hur　if　the　folly　which　now　catches　him　is　but　a　friendly　harlequin　with　whistle　and　painted　cap；　and　not　some　Violence　with　a　pointed　sword　pitiless。




CHAPTER　VI



Ben…Hur　entered　the　woods　with　the　processions。　He　had　not　interest　enough　at　first　to　ask　where　they　were　going；　yet；　to　relieve　him　from　absolute　indifference；　he　had　a　vague　impression　that　they　were　in　movement　to　the　temples；　which　were　the　central　objects　of　the　Grove；　supreme　in　attractions。

Presently；　as　singers　dreamfully　play　with　a　flitting　chorus；　he　began　repeating　to　himself；　〃Better　be　a　worm；　and　feed　on　the　mulberries　of　Daphne；　than　a　king's　guest。〃　Then　of　the　much　repetition　arose　questions　importunate　of　answer。　Was　life　in　the　Grove　so　very　sweet？　Wherein　was　the　charm？　Did　it　lie　in　some　tangled　depth　of　philosophy？　Or　was　it　something　in　fact；　something　on　the　surface；　discernible　to　every…day　wakeful　senses？　Every　year　thousands；　forswearing　the　world；　gave　themselves　to　service　here。　Did　they　find　the　charm？　And　was　it　sufficient；　when　found；　to　induce　forgetfulness　profound　enough　to　shut　out　of　mind　the　infinitely　diverse　things　of　life？　those　that　sweeten　and　those　that　embitter？　hopes　hovering　in　the　near　future　as　well　as　sorrows　born　of　the　past？　If　the　Grove　were　so　good　for　them；　why　should　it　not　be　good　for　him？　He　was　a　Jew；　could　it　be　that　the　excellences　were　for　all　the　world　but　children　of　Abraham？　Forthwith　he　bent　all　his　faculties　to　the　task　of　discovery；　unmindful　of　the　singing　of　the　gift…bringers　and　the　quips　of　his　associates。

In　the　quest；　the　sky　yielded　him　nothing；　it　was　blue；　very　blue；　and　full　of　twittering　swallowsso　was　the　sky　over　the　city。

Further　on；　out　of　the　woods　at　his　right　hand；　a　breeze　poured　across　the　road；　splashing　him　with　a　wave　of　sweet　smells；　blent　of　roses　and　consuming　spices。　He　stopped；　as　did　others；　looking　the　way　the　breeze　came。

〃A　garden　over　there？〃　he　said；　to　a　man　at　his　elbow。

〃Rather　some　priestly　ceremony　in　performancesomething　to　Diana；　or　Pan；　or　a　deity　of　the　woods。〃

The　answer　was　in　his　mother　tongue。　Ben…Hur　gave　the　speaker　a　surprised　look。

〃A　Hebrew？〃　he　asked　him。

The　man　replied　with　a　deferential　smile；

〃I　was　born　within　a　stone's…throw　of　the　market…place　in　Jerusalem。〃

Ben…Hur　was　proceeding　to　further　speech；　when　the　crowd　surged　forward；　thrusting　him　out　on　the　side　of　the　walk　next　the　woods；　and　carrying　the　stranger　away。　The　customary　gown　and　staff；　a　brown　cloth　on　the　head　tied　by　a　yellow　rope；　and　a　strong　Judean　face　to　avouch　the　garments　of　honest　right；　remained　in　the　young　man's　mind；　a　kind　of　summary　of　the　man。

This　took　place　at　a　point　where　a　path　into　the　woods　began；　offering　a　happy　escape　from　the　noisy　processions。　Ben…Hur　availed　himself　of　the　offer。

He　walked　first　into　a　thicket　which；　from　the　road；　appeared　in　a　state　of　nature；　close；　impenetrable；　a　nesting…place　for　wild　birds。　A　few　steps；　however；　gave　him　to　see　the　master's　hand　even　there。　The　shrubs　were　flowering　or　fruit…bearing；　under　the　bending　branches　the　ground　was　pranked　with　brightest　blooms；　over　them　the　jasmine　stretched　its　delicate　bonds。　From　lilac　and　rose；　and　lily　and　tulip；　from　oleander　and　strawberry…tree；　all　o