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　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；　thou　seest　the　reason　of　my　question　at　the　gate！thou　seest；　and　I　will　no　more　of　it；　but　pass　on。　It　may　be；　next；　thou　art　regarding　the　dignity　of　the　Child；　if　so；　bethink　theewhat　is　it　to　be　a　successor　of　Herod？by　the　world's　standard　of　honor；　what？　Could　not　God　better　by　his　beloved？　If　thou　canst　think　of　the　Almighty　Father　in　want　of　a　title；　and　stooping　to　borrow　the　inventions　of　men；　why　was　I　not　bidden　ask　for　a　Caesar　at　once？　Oh；　for　the　substance　of　that　whereof　we　speak；　look　higher；　I　pray　thee！　Ask　rather　of　what　he　whom　we　await　shall　be　king；　for　I　do　tell；　my　son；　that　is　the　key　to　the　mystery；　which　no　man　shall　understand　without　the　key。〃

Balthasar　raised　his　eyes　devoutly。

〃There　is　a　kingdom　on　the　earth；　though　it　is　not　of　ita　kingdom　of　wider　bounds　than　the　earthwider　than　the　sea　and　the　earth；　though　they　were　rolled　together　as　finest　gold　and　spread　by　the　beating　of　hammers。　Its　existence　is　a　fact　as　our　hearts　are　facts；　and　we　journey　through　it　from　birth　to　death　without　seeing　it；　nor　shall　any　man　see　it　until　he　hath　first　known　his　own　soul；　for　the　kingdom　is　not　for　him；　but　for　his　soul。　And　in　its　dominion　there　is　glory　such　as　hath　not　entered　imaginationoriginal；　incomparable；　impossible　of　increase。〃

〃What　thou　sayest；　father；　is　a　riddle　to　me；〃　said　Ben…Hur。　〃I　never　heard　of　such　a　kingdom。〃

〃Nor　did　I；〃　said　Ilderim。

〃And　I　may　not　tell　more　of　it；〃　Balthasar　added；　humbly　dropping　his　eyes。　〃What　it　is；　what　it　is　for；　how　it　may　be　reached；　none　can　know　until　the　Child　comes　to　take　possession　of　it　as　his　own。　He　brings　the　key　of　the　viewless　gate；　which　he　will　open　for　his　beloved；　among　whom　will　be　all　who　love　him；　for　of　such　only　the　redeemed　will　be。〃

After　that　there　was　a　long　silence；　which　Balthasar　accepted　as　the　end　of　the　conversation。

〃Good　sheik；〃　he　said；　in　his　placid　way；　〃to…morrow　or　the　next　day　I　will　go　up　to　the　city　for　a　time。　My　daughter　wishes　to　see　the　preparations　for　the　games。　I　will　speak　further　about　the　time　of　our　going。　And；　my　son；　I　will　see　you　again。　To　you　both；　peace　and　good…night。〃

They　all　arose　from　the　table。　The　sheik　and　Ben…Hur　remained　looking　after　the　Egyptian　until　he　was　conducted　out　of　the　tent。

〃Sheik　Ilderim；〃　said　Ben…Hur　then；　〃I　have　heard　strange　things　tonight。　Give　me　leave；　I　pray；　to　walk　by　the　lake　that　I　may　think　of　them。〃

〃Go；　and　I　will　come　after　you。〃

They　washed　their　hands　again；　after　which；　at　a　sign　from　the　master；　a　servant　brought　Ben…Hur　his　shoes；　and　directly　he　went　out。




CHAPTER　XVII



Up　a　little　way　from　the　dower　there　was　a　cluster　of　palms；　which　threw　its　shade　half　in　the　water；　half　on　the　land。　A　bulbul　sang　from　the　branches　a　song　of　invitation。　Ben…Hur　stopped　beneath　to　listen。　At　any　other　time　the　notes　of　the　bird　would　have　driven　thought　away；　but　the　story　of　the　Egyptian　was　a　burden　of　wonder；　and　he　was　a　laborer　carrying　it；　and；　like　other　laborers；　there　was　to　him　no　music　in　the　sweetest　music　until　mind　and　body　were　happily　attuned　by　rest。

The　night　was　quiet。　Not　a　ripple　broke　upon　the　shore。　The　old　stars　of　the　old　East　were　all　out；　each　in　its　accustomed　place；　and　there　was　summer　everywhereon　land；　on　lake；　in　the　sky。

Ben…Hur's　imagination　was　heated；　his　feelings　aroused；　his　will　all　unsettled。

So　the　palms；　the　sky；　the　air；　seemed　to　him　of　the　far　south　zone　into　which　Balthasar　had　been　driven　by　despair　for　men；　the　lake；　with　its　motionless　surface；　was　a　suggestion　of　the　Nilotic　mother　by　which　the　good　man　stood　praying　when　the　Spirit　made　its　radiant　appearance。　Had　all　these　accessories　of　the　miracle　come　to　Ben…Hur？　or　had　he　been　transferred　to　them？　And　what　if　the　miracle　should　be　repeatedand　to　him？　He　feared；　yet　wished；　and　even　waited　for　the　vision。　When　at　last　his　feverish　mood　was　cooled；　permitting　him　to　become　himself；　he　was　able　to　think。

His　scheme　of　life　has　been　explained。　In　all　reflection　about　it　heretofore　there　had　been　one　hiatus　which　he　had　not　been　able　to　bridge　or　f