ben-hur- 第84部分

The　very　scars　on　the　giant's　face　glowed　afresh　with　the　pleasure　the　picture　gave　him。

〃I　will　make　it　four　thousand；〃　Ben…Hur　continued；　〃and　in　what　you　shall　do　for　the　money　there　will　be　no　blood　on　your　hands；　Thord。　Hear　me　now。　Did　not　your　friend　here　look　like　me？〃

〃I　would　have　said　he　was　an　apple　from　the　same　tree。〃

〃Well；　if　I　put　on　his　tunic；　and　dress　him　in　these　clothes　of　mine；　and　you　and　I　go　away　together；　leaving　him　here；　can　you　not　get　your　sestertii　from　Messala　all　the　same？　You　have　only　to　make　him　believe　it　me　that　is　dead。〃

Thord　laughed　till　the　tears　ran　into　his　mouth。

〃Ha；　ha；　ha！　Ten　thousand　sestertii　were　never　won　so　easily。　And　a　wine…shop　by　the　Great　Circus！all　for　a　lie　without　blood　in　it！　Ha；　ha；　ha！　Give　me　thy　hand；　O　son　of　Arrius。　Get　on　now；　andha；　ha；　ha！if　ever　you　come　to　Rome；　fail　not　to　ask　for　the　wine…shop　of　Thord　the　Northman。　By　the　beard　of　Irmin；　I　will　give　you　the　best；　though　I　borrow　it　from　Caesar！〃

They　shook　hands　again；　after　which　the　exchange　of　clothes　was　effected。　It　was　arranged　then　that　a　messenger　should　go　at　night　to　Thord's　lodging…place　with　the　four　thousand　sestertii。　When　they　were　done；　the　giant　knocked　at　the　front　door；　it　opened　to　him；　and；　passing　out　of　the　atrium；　he　led　Ben…Hur　into　a　room　adjoining；　where　the　latter　completed　his　attire　from　the　coarse　garments　of　the　dead　pugilist。　They　separated　directly　in　the　Omphalus。

〃Fail　not；　O　son　of　Arrius；　fail　not　the　wine…shop　near　the　Great　Circus！　Ha；　ha；　ha！　By　the　beard　of　Irmin；　there　was　never　fortune　gained　so　cheap。　The　gods　keep　you！〃

Upon　leaving　the　atrium；　Ben…Hur　gave　a　last　look　at　the　myrmidon　as　he　lay　in　the　Jewish　vestments；　and　was　satisfied。　The　likeness　was　striking。　If　Thord　kept　faith；　the　cheat　was　a　secret　to　endure　forever。

*　*　*　*　*　*

At　night；　in　the　house　of　Simonides；　Ben…Hur　told　the　good　man　all　that　had　taken　place　in　the　palace　of　Idernee；　and　it　was　agreed　that；　after　a　few　days；　public　inquiry　should　be　set　afloat　for　the　discovery　of　the　whereabouts　of　the　son　of　Arrius。　Eventually　the　matter　was　to　be　carried　boldly　to　Maxentius；　then；　if　the　mystery　came　not　out；　it　was　concluded　that　Messala　and　Gratus　would　be　at　rest　and　happy；　and　Ben…Hur　free　to　betake　himself　to　Jerusalem；　to　make　search　for　his　lost　people。

At　the　leave…taking；　Simonides　sat　in　his　chair　out　on　the　terrace　overlooking　the　river；　and　gave　his　farewell　and　the　peace　of　the　Lord　with　the　impressment　of　a　father。　Esther　went　with　the　young　man　to　the　head　of　the　steps。

〃If　I　find　my　mother；　Esther；　thou　shalt　go　to　her　at　Jerusalem；　and　be　a　sister　to　Tirzah。〃

And　with　the　words　he　kissed　her。

Was　it　only　a　kiss　of　peace？

He　crossed　the　river　next　to　the　late　quarters　of　Ilderim；　where　he　found　the　Arab　who　was　to　serve　him　as　guide。　The　horses　were　brought　out。

〃This　one　is　thine；〃　said　the　Arab。

Ben…Hur　looked；　and；　lo！　it　was　Aldebaran；　the　swiftest　and　brightest　of　the　sons　of　Mira；　and；　next　to　Sirius；　the　beloved　of　the　sheik；　and　he　knew　the　old　man's　heart　came　to　him　along　with　the　gift。

The　corpse　in　the　atrium　was　taken　up　and　buried　by　night；　and；　as　part　of　Messala's　plan；　a　courier　was　sent　off　to　Gratus　to　make　him　at　rest　by　the　announcement　of　Ben…Hur's　deaththis　time　past　question。

Ere　long　a　wine…shop　was　opened　near　the　Circus　Maximus；　with　inscription　over　the　door：

THORD　THE　NORTHMAN。





BOOK　SIXTH

〃Is　that　a　Death？　and　are　there　two？　Is　Death　that　woman's　mate？　　*　*　*　*　Her　skin　was　as　white　as　leprosy；　The　Nightmare　Life…in…Death　was　she；　Who　thicks　man's　blood　with　cold。〃

COLERIDGE。




CHAPTER　I



Our　story　moves　forward　now　thirty　days　from　the　night　Ben…Hur　left　Antioch　to　go　out　with　Sheik　Ilderim　into　the　desert。

A　great　change　has　befallengreat　at　least　as　respects　the　fortunes　of　our　hero。　VALERIUS　GRATUS　HAS　BEEN　SUCCEEDED　BY　PONTIUS　PILATE！

The　removal；　it　may　be　remarked；　cost　Simonides　exactly　five　talents　Roman　money　in　hand　paid　to　Sejanus；　who　was　then　in　height　of　power　as　imperial　favorite；　the　object　being　to　help　Ben…Hur；　by　lessening　his　exposure　while　in　and　about　Jerusalem　attempting　discovery　of　his　people。　To　such　pious　use　the　faithful　servant　put　the　winnings　from　Drusus　and　his　associates；　all　of　whom；　having　paid　their　wagers；　became　at　once　and　naturally　the　enemies　of　Messala；　whose　repudiation　was　yet　an　unsettled　question　in　Rome。

Brief　as　the　time　was；　already　the　Jews　knew　the　change　of　rulers　was　not　for　the　better。

The　cohorts　sent　to　relieve　the　garrison　of　Antonia　made　their　entry　into　the　city　by　night；　next　morning　the　first　sight　that　greeted　the　people　resident　in　the　neighborhood　was　the　walls　of　the　old　Tower　decorated　with　military　ensigns；　which　unfortunately　consisted　of　busts　of　the　emperor　mixed　with　eagles　and　globes。　A　multitude；　in　passion；　marched　to　Caesarea；　where　Pilate　was　lingering；　and　implored　him　to　remove　the　detested　images。　Five　days　and　nights　they　beset　his　palace　gates；　at　last　he　appointed　a　meeting　with　them　in　the　Circus。　When　they　were　assembled；　he　encircled　them　with　soldiers；　instead　of　resisting；　they　offered　him　their　lives；　and　conquered。　He　recalled　the　images　and　ensigns　to　Caesarea；　where　Gratus；　with　more　consideration；　had　kept　such　abominations　housed　during　the　eleven　years　of　his　reign。

The　worst　of　men　do　once　in　a　while　vary　their　wickednesses　by　good　acts；　so　with　Pilate。　He　ordered　an　inspection　of　all　the　prisons　in　Judea；　and　a　return　of　the　names　of　the　persons　in　custody；　with　a　statement　of　the　crimes　for　which　they　had　been　committed。　Doubtless；　the　motive　was　the　one　so　common　with　officials　just　installeddread　of　entailed　responsibility；　the　people；　however；　in　thought　of　the　good　which　might　come　of　the　measure；　gave　him　credit；　and；　for　a　period；　were　comforted。　The　revelations　were　astonishing。　Hundreds　of　persons　were　released　against　whom　there　were　no　accusations；　many　others　came　to　light　who　had　long　been　accounted　dead；　yet　more　amazing；　there　was　opening　of　dungeons　not　merely　unknown　at　the　time　by　the　people；　but　actually　forgotten　by　the　prison　authorities。　With　one　instance　of　the　latter　kind　we　have　now　to　deal；　and；　strange　to　say；　it　occurred　in　Jerusalem。

The　Tower　of　Antonia；　which　will　be　remembered　as　occupying　two　thirds　of　the　sacred　area　on　Mount　Moriah；　was　originally　a　castle　built　by　the　Macedonians。　Afterwards；　John　Hyrcanus　erected　the　castle　into　a　fortress　for　the　defence　of　the　Temple；　and　in　his　day　it　was　considered　impregnable　to　assault；　but　when　Herod　came　with　his　bolder　genius；　he　strengthened　its　walls　and　extended　them；　leaving　a　vast　pile　which　included　every　appurtenance　necessary　for　the　stronghold　he　intended　it　to　be　forever；　such　as　offices；　barracks；　armories；　magazines；　cisterns；　and　last；　though　not　least；　prisons　of　all　grades。　He　levelled　the　solid　rock；　and　tapped　it　with　deep　excavations；　and　built　over　them；　connecting　the　whole　great　mass　with　the　Temple　by　a　beautiful　colonnade；　from　the　roof　of　which　one　could　look　down　over　the　courts　of　the　sacred　structure。　In　such　condition　the　Tower　fell　at　last　out　of　his　hands　into　those　of　the　Romans；　who　were　quick　to　see　its　strength　and　advantages；　and　convert　it　to　uses　becoming　such　masters。　All　through　the　administration　of　Gratus　it　had　been　a　garrisoned　citadel　and　underground　prison　terrible　to　revolutionists。　Woe　when　the　cohorts　poured　from　its　gates　to　suppress　disorder！　Woe　not　less　when　a　Jew　passed　the　same　gates　going　in　under　arrest！

With　this　explanation；　we　hasten　to　our　story。

*　*　*　*　*　*

The　order　of　the　new　procurator　requiring　a　report　of　the　persons　in　custody　was　received　at　the　Tower　of　Antonia；　and　promptly　executed；　and　two　days　have　gone　since　the　last　unfortunate　was　brought　up　for　examination。　The　tabulated　statement；　ready　for　forwarding；　lies　on　the　table　of　the　tribune　in　command；　in　five　minutes　more　it　will　be　on　the　way　to　Pilate；　sojourning　in　the　palace　up　on　Mount　Zion。

The　tribune's　office　is　spacious　and　cool；　and　furnished　in　a　style　suitable　to　the　dignity　of　the　commandant　of　a　post　in　every　respect　so　important。　Looking　in　upon　him　about　the　seventh　hour　of　the　day；　the　officer　appears　weary　and　impatient；　when　the　report　is　despatched；　he　will　to　the　roof　of　the　colonnade　for　air　and　exercise；　and　the　amusement　to　be　had　watching　the　Jews　over　in　the　courts　of　the　Temple。　His　subordinates　and　clerks　share　his　impatience。

In　the　spell　of　waiting　a　man　appeared　in　a　doorway　leading　to　an　adjoining　apartment。　He　rattled　a　bunch　of　keys；　each　heavy　as　a　hammer；　and　at　once　attracted　the　chief's　attention。

〃Ah；　Gesius！　come　in；〃　the　tribune　said。

As　the　new…comer　approached　the　table　behind　which　the　chief　sat　in　an　easy…chair；　everybody　present　looked　at　him；　and；　observing　a　certain　expression　of　alarm　and　mortification　on　his　face；　became　silent　that　they　might　hear　what　he　had　to　say。

〃O　tribune！〃　he　began；　bending　low；　〃I　fear　to　tell　what　now　I　bring　you。〃

〃Another　mistakeha；　Gesius？〃

〃If　I　could　persuade　myself　it　is　but　a　mistake；　I　would　not　be　afraid。〃

〃A　crime　thenor；　worse；　a　br