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　breaking。　He　was　beginning　to　see；　as　never　before；　that　there　might　be　a　spiritual　kingdom　of　more　import　to　men　than　any　earthly　empire；　and　that　after　all　a　Saviour　would　indeed　be　a　more　godly　gift　than　the　greatest　king。

〃I　might　ask　you　now；〃　said　Balthasar；　continuing；　〃whether　this　human　life；　so　troubled　and　brief；　is　preferable　to　the　perfect　and　everlasting　life　designed　for　the　Soul？　But　take　the　question；　and　think　of　it　for　yourself；　formulating　thus：　Supposing　both　to　be　equally　happy；　is　one　hour　more　desirable　than　one　year？　From　that　then　advance　to　the　final　inquiry；　what　are　threescore　and　ten　years　on　earth　to　all　eternity　with　God？　By…and…by；　son　of　Hur；　thinking　in　such　manner；　you　will　be　filled　with　the　meaning　of　the　fact　I　present　you　next；　to　me　the　most　amazing　of　all　events；　and　in　its　effects　the　most　sorrowful；　it　is　that　the　very　idea　of　life　as　a　Soul　is　a　light　almost　gone　out　in　the　world。　Here　and　there；　to　be　sure；　a　philosopher　may　be　found　who　will　talk　to　you　of　a　Soul；　likening　it　to　a　principle；　but　because　philosophers　take　nothing　upon　faith；　they　will　not　go　the　length　of　admitting　a　Soul　to　be　a　being；　and　on　that　account　its　purpose　is　compressed　darkness　to　them。

〃Everything　animate　has　a　mind　measurable　by　its　wants。　Is　there　to　you　no　meaning　in　the　singularity　that　power　in　full　degree　to　speculate　upon　the　future　was　given　to　man　alone？　By　the　sign　as　I　see　it；　God　meant　to　make　us　know　ourselves　created　for　another　and　a　better　life；　such　being　in　fact　the　greatest　need　of　our　nature。　But；　alas！　into　what　a　habit　the　nations　have　fallen！　They　live　for　the　day；　as　if　the　present　were　the　all　in　all；　and　go　about　saying；　'There　is　no　to…morrow　after　death；　or　if　there　be；　since　we　know　nothing　about　it；　be　it　a　care　unto　itself。'　So　when　Death　calls　them；　'Come；'　they　may　not　enter　into　enjoyment　of　the　glorious　after…life　because　of　their　unfitness。　That　is　to　say；　the　ultimate　happiness　of　man　was　everlasting　life　in　the　society　of　God。　Alas；　O　son　of　Hur；　that　I　should　say　it！　but　as　well　yon　sleeping　camel　constant　in　such　society　as　the　holiest　priests　this　day　serving　the　highest　altars　in　the　most　renowned　temples。　So　much　are　men　given　to　this　lower　earthly　life！　So　nearly　have　they　forgotten　that　other　which　is　to　come！

〃See　now；　I　pray　you；　that　which　is　to　be　saved　to　us。

〃For　my　part；　speaking　with　the　holiness　of　truth；　I　would　not　give　one　hour　of　life　as　a　Soul　for　a　thousand　years　of　life　as　a　man。〃

Here　the　Egyptian　seemed　to　become　unconscious　of　companionship　and　fall　away　into　abstraction。

〃This　life　has　its　problems；〃　he　said；　〃and　there　are　men　who　spend　their　days　trying　to　solve　them；　but　what　are　they　to　the　problems　of　the　hereafter？　What　is　there　like　knowing　God？　Not　a　scroll　of　the　mysteries；　but　the　mysteries　themselves　would　for　that　hour　at　least　lie　before　me　revealed；　even　the　innermost　and　most　awfulthe　power　which　now　we　shrink　from　thought　ofwhich　rimmed　the　void　with　shores；　and　lighted　the　darkness；　and　out　of　nothing　appointed　the　universe。　All　places　would　be　opened。　I　would　be　filled　with　divine　knowledge；　I　would　see　all　glories；　taste　all　delights；　I　would　revel　in　being。　And　if；　at　the　end　of　the　hour；　it　should　please　God　to　tell　me；　'I　take　thee　into　my　service　forever；'　the　furthest　limit　of　desire　would　be　passed；　after　which　the　attainable　ambitions　of　life；　and　its　joys　of　whatever　kind；　would　not　be　so　much　as　the　tinkling　of　little　bells。〃

Balthasar　paused　as　if　to　recover　from　very　ecstasy　of　feeling；　and　to　Ben…Hur　it　seemed　the　speech　had　been　the　delivery　of　a　Soul　speaking　for　itself。

〃I　pray　pardon；　son　of　Hur；〃　the　good　man　continued；　with　a　bow　the　gravity　of　which　was　relieved　by　the　tender　look　that　followed　it；　〃I　meant　to　leave　the　life　of　a　Soul；　its　conditions；　pleasures；　superiority；　to　your　own　reflection　and　finding　out。　The　joy　of　the　thought　has　betrayed　me　into　much　speech。　I　set　out　to　show；　though　ever　so　faintly；　the　reason　of　my　faith。　It　grieves　me　that　words　are　so　weak。　But　help　yourself　to　truth。　Consider　first　the　excellence　of　the　existence　which　was　reserved　for　us　after　death；　and　give　heed　to　the　feelings　and　impulses　the　thought　is　sure　to　awaken　in　youheed　them；　I　say；　because　they　are　your　own　Soul　astir；　doing　what　it　can　to　urge　you　in　the　right　way。　Consider　next　that　the　afterlife　has　become　so　obscured　as　to　justify　calling　it　a　lost　light。　If　you　find　it；　rejoice；　O　son　of　Hurrejoice　as　I　do；　though　in　beggary　of　words。　For　then；　besides　the　great　gift　which　is　to　be　saved　to　us；　you　will　have　found　the　need　of　a　Saviour　so　infinitely　greater　than　the　need　of　a　king；　and　he　we　are　going　to　meet　will　not　longer　hold　place　in　your　hope　a　warrior　with　a　sword　or　a　monarch　with　a　crown。

〃A　practical　question　presents　itselfHow　shall　we　know　him　at　sight？　If　you　continue　in　your　belief　as　to　his　characterthat　he　is　to　be　a　king　as　Herod　wasof　course　you　will　keep　on　until　you　meet　a　man　clothed　in　purple　and　with　a　sceptre。　On　the　other　hand；　he　I　look　for　will　be　one　poor；　humble；　undistinguisheda　man　in　appearance　as　other　men；　and　the　sign　by　which　I　will　know　him　will　be　never　so　simple。　He　will　offer　to　show　me　and　all　mankind　the　way　to　the　eternal　life；　the　beautiful　pure　Life　of　the　Soul。〃

The　company　sat　a　moment　in　silence　which　was　broken　by　Balthasar。

〃Let　us　arise　now；〃　he　said〃let　us　arise　and　set　forward　again。　What　I　have　said　has　caused　a　return　of　impatience　to　see　him　who　is　ever　in　my　thought；　and　if　I　seem　to　hurry　you；　O　son　of　Hurand　you；　my　daughterbe　that　my　excuse。〃

At　his　signal　the　slave　brought　them　wine　in　a　skin　bottle；　and　they　poured　and　drank；　and　shaking　the　lap…cloths　out　arose。

While　the　slave　restored　the　tent　and　wares　to　the　box　under　the　houdah；　and　the　Arab　brought　up　the　horses；　the　three　principals　laved　themselves　in　the　pool。

In　a　little　while　they　were　retracing　their　steps　back　through　the　wady；　intending　to　overtake　the　caravan　if　it　had　passed　them　by。




CHAPTER　IV



The　caravan；　stretched　out　upon　the　Desert；　was　very　picturesque；　in　motion；　however；　it　was　like　a　lazy　serpent。　By…and…by　its　stubborn　dragging　became　intolerably　irksome　to　Balthasar；　patient　as　he　was；　so；　at　his　suggestion；　the　party　determined　to　go　on　by　themselves。

If　the　reader　be　young；　or　if　he　has　yet　a　sympathetic　recollection　of　the　romanticisms　of　his　youth；　he　will　relish　the　pleasure　with　which　Ben…Hur；　riding　near　the　camel　of　the　Egyptians；　gave　a　last　look　at　the　head　of　the　straggling　column　almost　out　of　sight　on　the　shimmering　plain。

To　be　definite　as　may　be；　and　perfectly　confidential；　Ben…Hur　found　a　certain　charm　in　Iras's　presence。　If　she　looked　down　upon　him　from　her　high　place；　he　made　haste　to　get　near　her；　if　she　spoke　to　him；　his　heart　beat　out　of　its　usual　time。　The　desire　to　be　agreeable　to　her　was　a　constant　impulse。　Objects　on　the　way；　though　ever　so　common；　became　interesting　the　moment　she　called　attention　to　them；　a　black　swallow　in　the　air　pursued　by　her　pointing　finger　went　off　in　a　halo；　if　a　bit　of　quartz　or　a　flake　of　mica　was　seen　to　sparkle　in　the　drab　sand　under　kissing　of　the　sun；　at　a　word　he　turned　aside　and　brought　it　to　her；　and　if　she　threw　it　away　in　disappointment；　far　from　thinking　of　the　trouble　he　had　been　put　to；　he　was　sorry　it　proved　so　worthless；　and　kept　a　lookout　for　something　bettera　ruby；　perchance　a　diamond。　So　the　purple　of　the　far　mountains　became　intensely　deep　and　rich　if　she　distinguished　it　with　an　exclamation　of　praise；　and　when；　now　and　then；　the　curtain　of　the　houdah　fell　down；　it　seemed　a　sudden　dulness　had　dropped　from　the　sky　bedraggling　all　the　landscape。　Thus　disposed；　yielding　to　the　sweet　influence；　what　shall　save　him　from　the　dangers　there　are　in　days　of　the　close　companionship　with　the　fair　Egyptian　incident　to　the　solitary　journey　they　were　entered　upon？

For　that　there　is　no　logic　in　love；　nor　the　least　mathematical　element；　it　is　simply　natural　that　she　shall　fashion　the　result　who　has　the　wielding　of　the　influence。

To　quicken　the　conclusion；　there　were　signs；　too；　that　she　well　knew　the　influence　she　was　exercising　over　him。　From　some　place　under　hand　she　had　since　morning　drawn　a　caul　of　golden　coins；　and　adjusted　it　so　the　gleaming　strings　fell　over　her　forehead　and　upon　her　cheeks；　blending　lustrously　with　the　flowing　of　her　blue…black　hair。　From　the　same　safe　deposit　she　had　also　produced　articles　of　jewelryrings　for　finger　and　ear；　bracelets；　a　necklace　of　pearlsalso；　a　shawl　embroidered　with　threads　of　fine　goldthe　effect　of　all　which　she　softened　with　a　scarf　of　Indian　lace　skillfully　folded　about　her　throat　and　shoulders。　And　so　arrayed；　she　plied　Ben…Hur　with　countless　coquetries　of　speech　and　manner；　showering　him　with　smiles；　laughing　in　flute…like　tremoloand　all　the　while　following　him　with　glances；　now　melting…tender；　now　sparkling…bright。　By　such　play　Antony　was　weaned　from　his　glory；　yet　she　who　wrought　his　ruin　was　really　not　half　so　beautiful　as　this　her　countrywoman。

And　so　to　them　the　nooning　came；　and　the　evening。

The　sun　at　its　going　down　behind　a　spur　of　the　old　Bashan；　left　the　party　halted　by　a　pool　of　cl