Ben Hur (49 page)

"Of violence, and it may be of blood," he said, completing the
sentence.

"Yes," she added, "the nature which could prefer that life to such
as might be in the beautiful villa."

"Esther, you mistake. There is no preference. Alas! the Roman is
not so kind. I am going of necessity. To stay here is to die; and if
I go there, the end will be the same—a poisoned cup, a bravo's blow,
or a judge's sentence obtained by perjury. Messala and the procurator
Gratus are rich with plunder of my father's estate, and it is more
important to them to keep their gains now than was their getting
in the first instance. A peaceable settlement is out of reach,
because of the confession it would imply. And then—then— Ah,
Esther, if I could buy them, I do not know that I would. I do
not believe peace possible to me; no, not even in the sleepy
shade and sweet air of the marble porches of the old villa—no
matter who might be there to help me bear the burden of the days,
nor by what patience of love she made the effort. Peace is not
possible to me while my people are lost, for I must be watchful to
find them. If I find them, and they have suffered wrong, shall not
the guilty suffer for it? If they are dead by violence, shall the
murderers escape? Oh, I could not sleep for dreams! Nor could the
holiest love, by any stratagem, lull me to a rest which conscience
would not strangle."

"Is it so bad then?" she asked, her voice tremulous with feeling.
"Can nothing, nothing, be done?"

Ben-Hur took her hand.

"Do you care so much for me?"

"Yes," she answered, simply.

The hand was warm, and in the palm of his it was lost. He felt it
tremble. Then the Egyptian came, so the opposite of this little
one; so tall, so audacious, with a flattery so cunning, a wit so
ready, a beauty so wonderful, a manner so bewitching. He carried
the hand to his lips, and gave it back.

"You shall be another Tirzah to me, Esther."

"Who is Tirzah?"

"The little sister the Roman stole from me, and whom I must find
before I can rest or be happy."

Just then a gleam of light flashed athwart the terrace and fell
upon the two; and, looking round, they saw a servant roll Simonides
in his chair out of the door. They went to the merchant, and in the
after-talk he was principal.

Immediately the lines of the galley were cast off, and she swung
round, and, midst the flashing of torches and the shouting of
joyous sailors, hurried off to the sea—leaving Ben-Hur committed
to the cause of the KING WHO WAS TO COME.

The day before the games, in the afternoon, all Ilderim's racing
property was taken to the city, and put in quarters adjoining
the Circus. Along with it the good man carried a great deal of
property not of that class; so with servants, retainers mounted
and armed, horses in leading, cattle driven, camels laden with
baggage, his outgoing from the Orchard was not unlike a tribal
migration. The people along the road failed not to laugh at
his motley procession; on the other side, it was observed that,
with all his irascibility, he was not in the least offended by
their rudeness. If he was under surveillance, as he had reason
to believe, the informer would describe the semi-barbarous show
with which he came up to the races. The Romans would laugh; the
city would be amused; but what cared he? Next morning the pageant
would be far on the road to the desert, and going with it would be
every movable thing of value belonging to the Orchard—everything
save such as were essential to the success of his four. He was,
in fact, started home; his tents were all folded; the dowar was
no more; in twelve hours all would be out of reach, pursue who
might. A man is never safer than when he is under the laugh;
and the shrewd old Arab knew it.

Neither he nor Ben-Hur overestimated the influence of Messala;
it was their opinion, however, that he would not begin active
measures against them until after the meeting in the Circus;
if defeated there, especially if defeated by Ben-Hur, they might
instantly look for the worst he could do; he might not even wait
for advices from Gratus. With this view, they shaped their course,
and were prepared to betake themselves out of harm's way. They rode
together now in good spirits, calmly confident of success on the
morrow.

On the way, they came upon Malluch in waiting for them. The faithful
fellow gave no sign by which it was possible to infer any knowledge
on his part of the relationship so recently admitted between Ben-Hur
and Simonides, or of the treaty between them and Ilderim. He exchanged
salutations as usual, and produced a paper, saying to the sheik,
"I have here the notice of the editor of the games, just issued,
in which you will find your horses published for the race. You will
find in it also the order of exercises. Without waiting, good sheik,
I congratulate you upon your victory."

He gave the paper over, and, leaving the worthy to master it,
turned to Ben-Hur.

"To you also, son of Arrius, my congratulations. There is nothing
now to prevent your meeting Messala. Every condition preliminary
to the race is complied with. I have the assurance from the editor
himself."

"I thank you, Malluch," said Ben-Hur.

Malluch proceeded:

"Your color is white, and Messala's mixed scarlet and gold. The good
effects of the choice are visible already. Boys are now hawking white
ribbons along the streets; tomorrow every Arab and Jew in the city
will wear them. In the Circus you will see the white fairly divide
the galleries with the red."

"The galleries—but not the tribunal over the Porta Pompae."

"No; the scarlet and gold will rule there. But if we win"—Malluch
chuckled with the pleasure of the thought—"if we win, how the
dignitaries will tremble! They will bet, of course, according to
their scorn of everything not Roman—two, three, five to one
on Messala, because he is Roman." Dropping his voice yet lower,
he added, "It ill becomes a Jew of good standing in the Temple to
put his money at such a hazard; yet, in confidence, I will have a
friend next behind the consul's seat to accept offers of three to
one, or five, or ten—the madness may go to such height. I have put
to his order six thousand shekels for the purpose."

"Nay, Malluch," said Ben-Hur, "a Roman will wager only in his
Roman coin. Suppose you find your friend to-night, and place to
his order sestertii in such amount as you choose. And look you,
Malluch—let him be instructed to seek wagers with Messala and
his supporters; Ilderim's four against Messala's."

Malluch reflected a moment.

"The effect will be to centre interest upon your contest."

"The very thing I seek, Malluch."

"I see, I see."

"Ay, Malluch; would you serve me perfectly, help me to fix the
public eye upon our race—Messala's and mine."

Malluch spoke quickly—"It can be done."

"Then let it be done," said Ben-Hur.

"Enormous wagers offered will answer; if the offers are accepted,
all the better."

Malluch turned his eyes watchfully upon Ben-Hur.

"Shall I not have back the equivalent of his robbery?" said Ben-Hur,
partly to himself. "Another opportunity may not come. And if I could
break him in fortune as well as in pride! Our father Jacob could take
no offence."

A look of determined will knit his handsome face, giving emphasis
to his further speech.

"Yes, it shall be. Hark, Malluch! Stop not in thy offer of sestertii.
Advance them to talents, if any there be who dare so high. Five, ten,
twenty talents; ay, fifty, so the wager be with Messala himself."

"It is a mighty sum," said Malluch. "I must have security."

"So thou shalt. Go to Simonides, and tell him I wish the matter
arranged. Tell him my heart is set on the ruin of my enemy,
and that the opportunity hath such excellent promise that I
choose such hazards. On our side be the God of our fathers. Go,
good Malluch. Let this not slip."

And Malluch, greatly delighted, gave him parting salutation,
and started to ride away, but returned presently.

"Your pardon," he said to Ben-Hur. "There was another matter.
I could not get near Messala's chariot myself, but I had another
measure it; and, from his report, its hub stands quite a palm
higher from the ground than yours."

"A palm! So much?" cried Ben-Hur, joyfully.

Then he leaned over to Malluch.

"As thou art a son of Judah, Malluch, and faithful to thy kin,
get thee a seat in the gallery over the Gate of Triumph, down close
to the balcony in front of the pillars, and watch well when we
make the turns there; watch well, for if I have favor at all,
I will— Nay, Malluch, let it go unsaid! Only get thee there,
and watch well."

At that moment a cry burst from Ilderim.

"Ha! By the splendor of God! what is this?"

He drew near Ben-Hur with a finger pointing on the face of the
notice.

"Read," said Ben-Hur.

"No; better thou."

Ben-Hur took the paper, which, signed by the prefect of the
province as editor, performed the office of a modern programme,
giving particularly the several divertisements provided for
the occasion. It informed the public that there would be first a
procession of extraordinary splendor; that the procession would be
succeeded by the customary honors to the god Consus, whereupon the
games would begin; running, leaping, wrestling, boxing, each in the
order stated. The names of the competitors were given, with their
several nationalities and schools of training, the trials in which
they had been engaged, the prizes won, and the prizes now offered;
under the latter head the sums of money were stated in illuminated
letters, telling of the departure of the day when the simple chaplet
of pine or laurel was fully enough for the victor, hungering for glory
as something better than riches, and content with it.

Over these parts of the programme Ben-Hur sped with rapid eyes.
At last he came to the announcement of the race. He read it
slowly. Attending lovers of the heroic sports were assured
they would certainly be gratified by an Orestean struggle
unparalleled in Antioch. The city offered the spectacle in
honor of the consul. One hundred thousand sestertii and a crown of
laurel were the prizes. Then followed the particulars. The entries
were six in all—fours only permitted; and, to further interest in
the performance, the competitors would be turned into the course
together. Each four then received description.

"I. A four of Lysippus the Corinthian—two grays, a bay, and a black;
entered at Alexandria last year, and again at Corinth, where they
were winners. Lysippus, driver. Color, yellow.

"II. A four of Messala of Rome—two white, two black; victors of
the Circensian as exhibited in the Circus Maximus last year.
Messala, driver. Colors, scarlet and gold.

"III. A four of Cleanthes the Athenian—three gray, one bay;
winners at the Isthmian last year. Cleanthes, driver. Color,
green.

"IV. A four of Dicaeus the Byzantine—two black, one gray, one bay;
winners this year at Byzantium. Dicaeus, driver. Color, black.

"V. A four of Admetus the Sidonian—all grays. Thrice entered
at Caesarea, and thrice victors. Admetus, driver. Color, blue.

"VI. A four of Ilderim, sheik of the Desert. All bays; first race.
Ben-Hur, a Jew, driver. Color, white."

BEN-HUR, A JEW, DRIVER!

Why that name instead of Arrius?

Ben-Hur raised his eyes to Ilderim. He had found the cause of the
Arab's outcry. Both rushed to the same conclusion.

The hand was the hand of Messala!

Evening was hardly come upon Antioch, when the Omphalus, nearly in
the centre of the city, became a troubled fountain from which in
every direction, but chiefly down to the Nymphaeum and east and
west along the Colonnade of Herod, flowed currents of people,
for the time given up to Bacchus and Apollo.

For such indulgence anything more fitting cannot be imagined than
the great roofed streets, which were literally miles on miles
of porticos wrought of marble, polished to the last degree of
finish, and all gifts to the voluptuous city by princes careless
of expenditure where, as in this instance, they thought they were
eternizing themselves. Darkness was not permitted anywhere; and the
singing, the laughter, the shouting, were incessant, and in compound
like the roar of waters dashing through hollow grots, confused by a
multitude of echoes.

The many nationalities represented, though they might have amazed
a stranger, were not peculiar to Antioch. Of the various missions
of the great empire, one seems to have been the fusion of men
and the introduction of strangers to each other; accordingly,
whole peoples rose up and went at pleasure, taking with them
their costumes, customs, speech, and gods; and where they chose,
they stopped, engaged in business, built houses, erected altars,
and were what they had been at home.

There was a peculiarity, however, which could not have failed the
notice of a looker-on this night in Antioch. Nearly everybody wore
the colors of one or other of the charioteers announced for the
morrow's race. Sometimes it was in form of a scarf, sometimes a
badge; often a ribbon or a feather. Whatever the form, it signified
merely the wearer's partiality; thus, green published a friend of
Cleanthes the Athenian, and black an adherent of the Byzantine.
This was according to a custom, old probably as the day of the
race of Orestes—a custom, by the way, worthy of study as a
marvel of history, illustrative of the absurd yet appalling
extremities to which men frequently suffer their follies to
drag them.

The observer abroad on this occasion, once attracted to the wearing
of colors, would have very shortly decided that there were three
in predominance—green, white, and the mixed scarlet and gold.