With your sword you will earn his richest gifts; and his best soldier will be my hero.”
He turned his face, and saw hers close above.
In all the sky there was that moment nothing so bright to him as her eyes, enshadowed though they were.
Presently he sat up, and put his arms about her, and kissed her passionately, saying,
“O Egypt, Egypt!
If the King has crowns in gift, one shall be mine; and I will bring it and put it here over the place my lips have marked.
You shall be a queen— my queen— no one more beautiful!
And we will be ever, ever so happy!”
“And you will tell me everything, and let me help you in all?” she said, kissing him in return.
The question chilled his fervor.
“Is it not enough that I love you?” he asked.
“Perfect love means perfect faith,” she replied. “But never mind— you will know me better.”
She took her hand from him and arose.
“You are cruel,” he said.
Moving away, she stopped by the camel, and touched its front face with her lips.
“O thou noblest of thy kind!— that, because there is no suspicion in thy love.”
An instant, and she was gone.
Chapter 5
The third day of the journey the party nooned by the river Jabbok, where there were a hundred or more men, mostly of Peraea, resting themselves and their beasts.
Hardly had they dismounted, before a man came to them with a pitcher of water and a bowl, and offered them drink; as they received the attention with much courtesy, he said, looking at the camel,
“I am returning from the Jordan, where just now there are many people from distant parts, travelling as you are, illustrious friend; but they had none of them the equal of your servant here.
A very noble animal.
May I ask of what breed he is sprung?”
Balthasar answered, and sought his rest; but Ben-Hur, more curious, took up the remark.
“At what place on the river are the people?” he asked.
“At Bethabara.”
“It used to be a lonesome ford,” said Ben-Hur. “I cannot understand how it can have become of such interest.”
“I see,” the stranger replied; “you, too, are from abroad, and have not heard the good tidings.”
“What tidings?”
“Well, a man has appeared out of the wilderness— a very holy man— with his mouth full of strange words, which take hold of all who hear them.
He calls himself John the Nazarite, son of Zacharias, and says he is the messenger sent before the Messiah.”
Even Iras listened closely while the man continued:
“They say of this John that he has spent his life from childhood in a cave down by En-Gedi, praying and living more strictly than the Essenes.
Crowds go to hear him preach.
I went to hear him with the rest.”
“Have all these, your friends, been there?”
“Most of them are going; a few are coming away.”
“What does he preach?”
“A new doctrine— one never before taught in Israel, as all say.
He calls it repentance and baptism.
The rabbis do not know what to make of him; nor do we.
Some have asked him if he is the Christ, others if he is Elias; but to them all he has the answer, ’I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord!’”
At this point the man was called away by his friends; as he was going, Balthasar spoke.
“Good stranger!” he said, tremulously, “tell us if we shall find the preacher at the place you left him.”
“Yes, at Bethabara.”
“Who should this Nazarite be?” said Ben-Hur to Iras, “if not the herald of our King?”
In so short a time he had come to regard the daughter as more interested in the mysterious personage he was looking for than the aged father!
Nevertheless, the latter with a positive glow in his sunken eyes half arose, and said,
“Let us make haste.
I am not tired.”