Ben-Hur [231]
to you. His love, Esther, is all bestowed."
"I know it," she said, calmly.
"The Egyptian has him in her net," he continued. "She has the cunning of her race, with beauty to help her--much beauty, great cunning; but, like her race again, no heart. The daughter who despises her father will bring her husband to grief."
"Does she that?"
Simonides went on:
"Balthasar is a wise man who has been wonderfully favored for a Gentile, and his faith becomes him; yet she makes a jest of it. I heard her say, speaking of him yesterday, 'The follies of youth are excusable; nothing is admirable in the aged except wisdom, and when that goes from them, they should die.' A cruel speech, fit for a Roman. I applied it to myself, knowing a feebleness like her father's will come to me also--nay, it is not far off. But you, Esther, will never say of me--no, never--'It were better he were dead.' No, your mother was a daughter of Judah."
With half-formed tears, she kissed him, and said, "I am my mother's child."
"Yes, and my daughter--my daughter, who is to me all the Temple was to Solomon."
After a silence, he laid his hand upon her shoulder, and resumed: "When he has taken the Egyptian to wife, Esther, he will think of you with repentance and much calling of the spirit; for at last he will awake to find himself but the minister of her bad ambition. Rome is the centre of all her dreams. To her he is the son of Arrius the duumvir, not the son of Hur, Prince of Jerusalem."
Esther made no attempt to conceal the effect of these words.
"Save him, father! It is not too late!" she said, entreatingly.
He answered, with a dubious smile, "A man drowning may be saved; not so a man in love."
"But you have influence with him. He is alone in the world. Show him his danger. Tell him what a woman she is."
"That might save him from her. Would it give him to you, Esther? No," and his brows fell darkly over his eyes. "I am a servant, as my fathers were for generations; yet I could not say to him, 'Lo, master, my daughter! She is fairer than the Egyptian, and loves thee better!' I have caught too much from years of liberty and direction. The words would blister my tongue. The stones upon the old hills yonder would turn in their beds for shame when I go out to them. No, by the patriarchs, Esther, I would rather lay us both with your mother to sleep as she sleeps!"
A blush burned Esther's whole face.
"I did not mean you to tell him so, father. I was concerned for him alone--for his happiness, not mine. Because I have dared love him, I shall keep myself worthy his respect; so only can I excuse my folly. Let me read his letter now."
"Yes, read it."
She began at once, in haste to conclude the distasteful subject.
"Nisan, 8th day.
"On the road from Galilee to Jerusalem.
"The Nazarene is on the way also. With him, though without his knowledge, I am bringing a full legion of mine. A second legion follows. The Passover will excuse the multitude. He said upon setting out, 'We will go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning me shall be accomplished.'
"Our waiting draws to an end.
"In haste.
"Peace to thee, Simonides.
"BEN-HUR."
Esther returned the letter to her father, while a choking sensation gathered in her throat. There was not a word in the missive for her--not even in the salutation had she a share--and it would have been so easy to have written "and to thine, peace." For the first time in her life she felt the smart of a jealous sting.
"The eighth day," said Simonides, "the eighth day; and this, Esther, this is the--"
"The ninth," she replied.
"Ah, then, they may be in Bethany now."
"And possibly we may see him to-night," she added, pleased into momentary forgetfulness.
"It may be, it may be! To-morrow is the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and he may wish to celebrate it; so may the Nazarene; and we may see him--we may see both of them, Esther."
At this point the servant appeared with the wine and water. Esther helped her father, and in the midst of
"I know it," she said, calmly.
"The Egyptian has him in her net," he continued. "She has the cunning of her race, with beauty to help her--much beauty, great cunning; but, like her race again, no heart. The daughter who despises her father will bring her husband to grief."
"Does she that?"
Simonides went on:
"Balthasar is a wise man who has been wonderfully favored for a Gentile, and his faith becomes him; yet she makes a jest of it. I heard her say, speaking of him yesterday, 'The follies of youth are excusable; nothing is admirable in the aged except wisdom, and when that goes from them, they should die.' A cruel speech, fit for a Roman. I applied it to myself, knowing a feebleness like her father's will come to me also--nay, it is not far off. But you, Esther, will never say of me--no, never--'It were better he were dead.' No, your mother was a daughter of Judah."
With half-formed tears, she kissed him, and said, "I am my mother's child."
"Yes, and my daughter--my daughter, who is to me all the Temple was to Solomon."
After a silence, he laid his hand upon her shoulder, and resumed: "When he has taken the Egyptian to wife, Esther, he will think of you with repentance and much calling of the spirit; for at last he will awake to find himself but the minister of her bad ambition. Rome is the centre of all her dreams. To her he is the son of Arrius the duumvir, not the son of Hur, Prince of Jerusalem."
Esther made no attempt to conceal the effect of these words.
"Save him, father! It is not too late!" she said, entreatingly.
He answered, with a dubious smile, "A man drowning may be saved; not so a man in love."
"But you have influence with him. He is alone in the world. Show him his danger. Tell him what a woman she is."
"That might save him from her. Would it give him to you, Esther? No," and his brows fell darkly over his eyes. "I am a servant, as my fathers were for generations; yet I could not say to him, 'Lo, master, my daughter! She is fairer than the Egyptian, and loves thee better!' I have caught too much from years of liberty and direction. The words would blister my tongue. The stones upon the old hills yonder would turn in their beds for shame when I go out to them. No, by the patriarchs, Esther, I would rather lay us both with your mother to sleep as she sleeps!"
A blush burned Esther's whole face.
"I did not mean you to tell him so, father. I was concerned for him alone--for his happiness, not mine. Because I have dared love him, I shall keep myself worthy his respect; so only can I excuse my folly. Let me read his letter now."
"Yes, read it."
She began at once, in haste to conclude the distasteful subject.
"Nisan, 8th day.
"On the road from Galilee to Jerusalem.
"The Nazarene is on the way also. With him, though without his knowledge, I am bringing a full legion of mine. A second legion follows. The Passover will excuse the multitude. He said upon setting out, 'We will go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning me shall be accomplished.'
"Our waiting draws to an end.
"In haste.
"Peace to thee, Simonides.
"BEN-HUR."
Esther returned the letter to her father, while a choking sensation gathered in her throat. There was not a word in the missive for her--not even in the salutation had she a share--and it would have been so easy to have written "and to thine, peace." For the first time in her life she felt the smart of a jealous sting.
"The eighth day," said Simonides, "the eighth day; and this, Esther, this is the--"
"The ninth," she replied.
"Ah, then, they may be in Bethany now."
"And possibly we may see him to-night," she added, pleased into momentary forgetfulness.
"It may be, it may be! To-morrow is the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and he may wish to celebrate it; so may the Nazarene; and we may see him--we may see both of them, Esther."
At this point the servant appeared with the wine and water. Esther helped her father, and in the midst of