Page:Ben-Hur a tale of the Christ.djvu/153

Rh &quot;My ancestors further back than the first Roman were Hebrews.&quot;

&quot;The stubborn pride of thy race is not lost in thee,&quot; said Arrius, observing a flush upon the rower s face.

&quot;Pride is never so loud as when in chains.&quot;

&quot;What cause hast thou for pride?&quot;

&quot;That I am a Jew.&quot;

Arrius smiled.

&quot;I have not been to Jerusalem,&quot; he said; &quot; but I have heard of its princes. I knew one of them. He was a merchant, and sailed the seas. He was fit to have been a king. Of what degree art thou?&quot;

&quot;I must answer thee from the bench of a galley. I am of the degree of slaves. My father was a prince of Jerusalem, and, as a merchant, he sailed the seas. He was known and honored in the guest-chamber of the great Augustus.&quot;

&quot;His name ?&quot;

&quot;Ithamar, of the house of Hur.&quot;

The tribune raised his hand in astonishment.

&quot;A son of Hur—thou?&quot;

After a silence, he asked,

&quot;What brought thee here?&quot;

Judah lowered his head, and his breast labored hard. When his feelings were sufficiently mastered, he looked the tribune in the face, and answered,

&quot;I was accused of attempting to assassinate Valerius Gratus, the procurator.&quot;

&quot;Thou!&quot; cried Arrius, yet more amazed, and retreating a step. &quot;Thou that assassin! All Rome rang with the story. It came to my ship in the river by Lodinum.&quot;

The two regarded each other silently.

&quot;I thought the family of Hur blotted from the earth,&quot; said Arrius, speaking first.

A flood of tender recollections carried the young man’s pride away; tears shone upon his cheeks.

&quot;Mother—mother! And my little Tirzah! Where are they? O tribune, noble tribune, if thou knowest anything of them&quot;—he clasped his hands in appeal—&quot;tell me all thou knowest. Tell me if they are living—if living, where are they? and in what condition? Oh, I pray thee, tell me!&quot;