ben-hur-第72节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


t　and　justice　in　the　earth。　In　his　days　Judah　shall　be　saved；　and　Israel　shall　dwell　safely。'　As　a　king　he　shall　reignas　a　king；　O　my　master！　Believest　thou　the　prophets？Now；　daughter；　the　roll　of　the　sayings　of　that　son　of　Judah　in　whom　there　was　no　blemish。〃

She　gave　him　the　Book　of　Daniel。

〃Hear；　my　master；〃　he　said：　〃'I　saw　in　the　night　visions；　and　behold；　one　like　the　Son　of　man　came　with　the　clouds　of　heaven。　。　。　。　And　there　was　given　him　dominion；　and　glory；　and　a　kingdom；　that　all　people；　nations；　and　languages　should　serve　him；　his　dominion　is　an　everlasting　dominion；　which　shall　not　pass　away；　and　his　kingdom　that　which　shall　not　be　destroyed。'Believest　thou　the　prophets；　O　my　master？〃

〃It　is　enough。　I　believe；〃　cried　Ben…Hur。

〃What　then？〃　asked　Simonides。　〃If　the　King　come　poor；　will　not　my　master；　of　his　abundance；　give　him　help？〃

〃Help　him？　To　the　last　shekel　and　the　last　breath。　But　why　speak　of　his　coming　poor？〃

〃Give　me；　Esther；　the　word　of　the　Lord　as　it　came　to　Zechariah；〃　said　Simonides。

She　gave　him　one　of　the　rolls。

〃Hear　how　the　King　will　enter　Jerusalem。〃　Then　he　read；　〃'Rejoice　greatly；　O　daughter　of　Zion。　。　。　。　Behold；　thy　King　cometh　unto　thee　with　justice　and　salvation；　lowly；　and　riding　upon　an　ass；　and　upon　a　colt；　the　foal　of　an　ass。'〃

Ben…Hur　looked　away。

〃What　see　you；　O　my　master？〃

〃Rome！〃　he　answered；　gloomily〃Rome；　and　her　legions。　I　have　dwelt　with　them　in　their　camps。　I　know　them。〃

〃Ah！〃　said　Simonides。　〃Thou　shalt　be　a　master　of　legions　for　the　King；　with　millions　to　choose　from。〃

〃Millions！〃　cried　Ben…Hur。

Simonides　sat　a　moment　thinking。

〃The　question　of　power　should　not　trouble　you；〃　he　next　said。

Ben…Hur　looked　at　him　inquiringly。

〃You　were　seeing　the　lowly　King　in　the　act　of　coming　to　his　own；〃　Simonides　answered〃seeing　him　on　the　right　hand；　as　it　were；　and　on　the　left　the　brassy　legions　of　Caesar；　and　you　were　asking；　What　can　he　do？〃

〃It　was　my　very　thought。〃

〃O　my　master！〃　Simonides　continued。　〃You　do　not　know　how　strong　our　Israel　is。　You　think　of　him　as　a　sorrowful　old　man　weeping　by　the　rivers　of　Babylon。　But　go　up　to　Jerusalem　next　Passover；　and　stand　on　the　Xystus　or　in　the　Street　of　Barter；　and　see　him　as　he　is。　The　promise　of　the　Lord　to　father　Jacob　coming　out　of　Padan…Aram　was　a　law　under　which　our　people　have　not　ceased　multiplyingnot　even　in　captivity；　they　grew　under　foot　of　the　Egyptian；　the　clench　of　the　Roman　has　been　but　wholesome　nurture　to　them；　now　they　are　indeed　'a　nation　and　a　company　of　nations。'　Nor　that　only；　my　master；　in　fact；　to　measure　the　strength　of　Israelwhich　is；　in　fact；　measuring　what　the　King　can　doyou　shall　not　bide　solely　by　the　rule　of　natural　increase；　but　add　thereto　the　otherI　mean　the　spread　of　the　faith；　which　will　carry　you　to　the　far　and　near　of　the　whole　known　earth。　Further；　the　habit　is；　I　know；　to　think　and　speak　of　Jerusalem　as　Israel；　which　may　be　likened　to　our　finding　an　embroidered　shred；　and　holding　it　up　as　a　magisterial　robe　of　Caesar's。　Jerusalem　is　but　a　stone　of　the　Temple；　or　the　heart　in　the　body。　Turn　from　beholding　the　legions；　strong　though　they　be；　and　count　the　hosts　of　the　faithful　waiting　the　old　alarm；　'To　your　tents；　O　Israel！'count　the　many　in　Persia；　children　of　those　who　chose　not　to　return　with　the　returning；　count　the　brethren　who　swarm　the　marts　of　Egypt　and　Farther　Africa；　count　the　Hebrew　colonists　eking　profit　in　the　Westin　Lodinum　and　the　trade…courts　of　Spain；　count　the　pure　of　blood　and　the　proselytes　in　Greece　and　in　the　isles　of　the　sea；　and　over　in　Pontus；　and　here　in　Antioch；　and；　for　that　matter；　those　of　that　city　lying　accursed　in　the　shadow　of　the　unclean　walls　of　Rome　herself；　count　the　worshippers　of　the　Lord　dwelling　in　tents　along　the　deserts　next　us；　as　well　as　in　the　deserts　beyond　the　Nile：　and　in　the　regions　across　the　Caspian；　and　up　in　the　old　lands　of　Gog　and　Magog　even；　separate　those　who　annually　send　gifts　to　the　Holy　Temple　in　acknowledgment　of　Godseparate　them；　that　they　may　be　counted　also。　And　when　you　have　done　counting；　lo！　my　master；　a　census　of　the　sword　hands　that　await　you；　lo！　a　kingdom　ready　fashioned　for　him　who　is　to　do　'judgment　and　justice　in　the　whole　earth'in　Rome　not　less　than　in　Zion。　Have　then　the　answer；　What　Israel　can　do；　that　can　the　King。〃

The　picture　was　fervently　given。

Upon　Ilderim　it　operated　like　the　blowing　of　a　trumpet。　〃Oh　that　I　had　back　my　youth！〃　he　cried；　starting　to　his　feet。

Ben…Hur　sat　still。　The　speech；　he　saw；　was　an　invitation　to　devote　his　life　and　fortune　to　the　mysterious　Being　who　was　palpably　as　much　the　centre　of　a　great　hope　with　Simonides　as　with　the　devout　Egyptian。　The　idea；　as　we　have　seen；　was　not　a　new　one；　but　had　come　to　him　repeatedly；　once　while　listening　to　Malluch　in　the　Grove　of　Daphne；　afterwards　more　distinctly　while　Balthasar　was　giving　his　conception　of　what　the　kingdom　was　to　be；　still　later；　in　the　walk　through　the　old　Orchard；　it　had　risen　almost；　if　not　quite；　into　a　resolve。　At　such　times　it　had　come　and　gone　only　an　idea；　attended　with　feelings　more　or　less　acute。　Not　so　now。　A　master　had　it　in　charge；　a　master　was　working　it　up；　already　he　had　exalted　it　into　a　_cause_　brilliant　with　possibilities　and　infinitely　holy。　The　effect　was　as　if　a　door　theretofore　unseen　had　suddenly　opened　flooding　Ben…Hur　with　light；　and　admitting　him　to　a　service　which　had　been　his　one　perfect　dreama　service　reaching　far　into　the　future；　and　rich　with　the　rewards　of　duty　done；　and　prizes　to　sweeten　and　soothe　his　ambition。　One　touch　more　was　needed。

〃Let　us　concede　all　you　say；　O　Simonides；〃　said　Ben…Hur〃that　the　King　will　come；　and　his　kingdom　be　as　Solomon's；　say　also　I　am　ready　to　give　myself　and　all　I　have　to　him　and　his　cause；　yet　more；　say　that　I　should　do　as　was　God's　purpose　in　the　ordering　of　my　life　and　in　your　quick　amassment　of　astonishing　fortune；　then　what？　Shall　we　proceed　like　blind　men　building？　Shall　we　wait　till　the　King　comes？　Or　until　he　sends　for　me？　You　have　age　and　experience　on　your　side。　Answer。〃

Simonides　answered　at　once。

〃We　have　no　choice；　none。　This　letter〃he　produced　Messala's　despatch　as　he　spoke〃this　letter　is　the　signal　for　action。　The　alliance　proposed　between　Messala　and　Gratus　we　are　not　strong　enough　to　resist；　we　have　not　the　influence　at　Rome　nor　the　force　here。　They　will　kill　you　if　we　wait。　How　merciful　they　are；　look　at　me　and　judge。〃

He　shuddered　at　the　terrible　recollection。

〃O　good　my　master；〃　he　continued；　recovering　himself；　〃how　strong　are　youin　purpose；　I　mean？〃

Ben…Hur　did　not　understand　him。

〃I　remember　how　pleasant　the　world　was　to　me　in　my　youth；〃　Simonides　proceeded。

〃Yet；〃　said　Ben…Hur；　〃you　were　capable　of　a　great　sacrifice。〃

〃Yes；　for　love。〃

〃Has　not　life　other　motives　as　strong？〃

Simonides　shook　his　head。

〃There　is　ambition。〃

〃Ambition　is　forbidden　a　son　of　Israel。〃

〃What；　then；　of　revenge？〃

The　spark　dropped　upon　the　inflammable　passion；　the　man's　eyes　gleamed；　his　hands　shook；　he　answered；　quickly；　〃Revenge　is　a　Jew's　of　right；　it　is　the　law。〃

〃A　camel；　even　a　dog；　will　remember　a　wrong；〃　cried　Ilderim。

Directly　Simonides　picked　up　the　broken　thread　of　his　thought。

〃There　is　a　work；　a　work　for　the　King；　which　should　be　done　in　advance　of　his　coming。　We　may　not　doubt　that　Israel　is　to　be　his　right　hand；　but；　alas！　it　is　a　hand　of　peace；　without　cunning　in　war。　Of　the　millions；　there　is　not　one　trained　band；　not　a　captain。　The　mercenaries　of　the　Herods　I　do　not　count；　for　they　are　kept　to　crush　us。　The　condition　is　as　the　Roman　would　have　it；　his　policy　has　fruited　well　for　his　tyranny；　but　the　time　of　change　is　at　hand；　when　the　shepherd　shall　put　on　armor；　and　take　to　spear　and　sword；　and　the　feeding　flocks　be　turned　to　fighting　lions。　Some　one；　my　son；　must　have　place　next　the　King　at　his　right　hand。　Who　shall　it　be　if　not　he　who　does　this　work　well？〃

Ben…Hur's　face　flushed　at　the　prospect；　though　he　said；　〃I　see；　but　speak　plainly。　A　deed　to　be　done　is　one　thing；　how　to　do　it　is　another。〃

Simonides　sipped　the　wine　Esther　brought　him；　and　replied；

〃The　sheik；　and　thou；　my　master；　shall　be　principals；　each　with　a　part。　I　will　remain　here；　carrying　on　as　now；　and　watchful　that　the　spring　go　not　dry。　Thou　shalt　betake　thee　to　Jerusalem；　and　thence　to　the　wilderness；　and　begin　numbering　the　fighting…men　of　Israel；　and　telling　them　into　tens　and　hundreds；　and　choosing　captains　and　training　them；　and　in　secret　places　hoarding　arms；　for　which　I　shall　keep　thee　supplied。　Commencing　over　in　Perea；　thou　shalt　go　then　to　Galilee；　whence　it　is　but　a　step　to　Jerusalem。　In　Perea；　the　desert　will　be　at　thy　back；　and　Ilderim　in　reach　of　thy　hand。　He　will　keep　the　roads；　so　that　nothing　shall　pass　without　thy　knowledge。　He　will　help　thee　in　many　ways。　Until　the　ripening　time　no　one　shall　know　what　is　here　contracted。　Mine　is　but　a　servant's　part。　I　have　spoken　to　Ilderim。　What　sayest　thou？〃

Ben…Hur　looked　at　the　sheik。

〃It　is　as　he　says；　son　of　Hur；〃　the　Arab　responded。　〃I　have　given　my　word；　and　he　is　content　with　it；　but　thou　shalt　have　my　oath；　binding　me；　and　the　ready　hands　of　my　tribe；　and　whatever　serviceable　thing　I　have。〃

The　threeSimonides；　Ild