Page:Ben-Hur a tale of the Christ.djvu/316

Rh &quot;Menoplia was wrong,&quot; he said.

&quot;How?&quot;

&quot;Love lives by loving.&quot;

&quot;Then there is no cure for it?&quot;

&quot;Yes. Orætes found the cure.&quot;

&quot;What was it?&quot;

&quot;Death.&quot;

&quot;You are a good listener, O son of Arrius.&quot;

And so with conversation and stories, they whiled the hours away. As they stepped ashore, she said,

&quot;To-morrow we go to the city.&quot;

&quot;But you will be at the games?&quot; he asked.

&quot;Oh yes.&quot;

&quot;I will send you my colors.&quot;

With that they separated.

returned to the dowar next day about the third hour. As he dismounted, a man whom he recognized as of his own tribe came to him and said, &quot;O sheik, I was bidden give thee this package, with request that thou read it at once. If there be answer, I was to wait thy pleasure.&quot;

Ilderim gave the package immediate attention. The seal was already broken. The address ran, To Valerius Gratus at Cæsarea.

&quot;Abaddon take him!&quot; growled the sheik, at discovering a letter in Latin.

Had the missive been in Greek or Arabic, he could have read it; as it was, the utmost he could make out was the signature in bold Roman letters——whereat his eyes twinkled.

&quot;Where is the young Jew?&quot; he asked. &quot;In the field with the horses,&quot; a servant replied.

The sheik replaced the papyrus in its envelopes, and, tucking the package under his girdle, remounted the horse. That moment a stranger made his appearance, coming, apparently, from the city.