Page:Ben-Hur a tale of the Christ.djvu/259

Rh ; at the conclusion, he took his hand from the dice-box, and called out, &quot;Ho, my Caius! Dost thou hear?&quot;

A youth at his elbow—his Myrtilus, or comrade, in the day’s chariot practice—answered, much pleased with the attention, &quot;Did I not, my Messala, I were not thy friend.&quot;

&quot;Dost thou remember the man who gave thee the fall to-day?&quot;

&quot;By the love-locks of Bacchus, have I not a bruised shoulder to help me keep it in mind?&quot; and he seconded the words with a shrug that submerged his ears.

&quot;Well, be thou grateful to the Fates—I have found thy enemy. Listen.&quot;

Thereupon Messala turned to Drusus.

&quot;Tell us more of him—perpol!—of him who is both Jew and Roman—by Phœbus, a combination to make a Centaur lovely! What garments doth he affect, my Drusus?&quot;

&quot;Those of the Jews.&quot;

&quot;Dearest thou, Caius?&quot; said Messala. &quot;The fellow is young—one; he hath the visage of a Roman—two; he loveth best the garb of a Jew—three; and in the palæstræ fame and fortune come of arms to throw a horse or tilt a chariot, as the necessity may order—four. And, Drusus, help thou my friend again. Doubtless this Arrius hath tricks of language; otherwise he could not so confound himself, to-day a Jew, to-morrow a Roman; but of the rich tongue of Athene—discourseth he in that as well?&quot;

&quot;With such purity, Messala, he might have been a contestant in the Isthmia.&quot;

&quot;Art thou listening, Caius?&quot; said Messala. &quot;The fellow is qualified to salute a woman—for that matter Aristomache herself—in the Greek; and as I keep the count, that is five. What sayest thou?&quot;

&quot;Thou hast found him, my Messala,&quot; Caius answered; &quot;or I am not myself.&quot;

"Thy pardon, Drusus—and pardon of all—for speaking in riddles thus,&quot; Messala said, in his winsome way. &quot;By all the decent gods, I would not strain thy courtesy to the point of breaking, but now help thou me. See!&quot;—he put his hand on the dice-box again, laughing—&quot;See how close I hold the Pythias and their secret! Thou didst speak, I