Page:Ben-Hur a tale of the Christ.djvu/357

Rh "A shekel! A shekel!&quot; A burst of scornful laughter ran fast upon the repetition.

&quot;And what did Drusus?&quot; asked Messala.

An outcry over about the door just then occasioned a rush to that quarter; and, as the noise there continued, and grew louder, even Cecilius betook himself off, pausing only to say, &quot;The noble Drusus, my Messala, put up his tablets and—lost the shekel.&quot;

&quot;A white! A white!&quot;

&quot;Let him come!&quot;

&quot;This way, this way!&quot;

These and like exclamations filled the saloon, to the stoppage of other speech. The dice-players quit their games; the sleepers awoke, rubbed their eyes, drew their tablets, and hurried to the common centre.

&quot;I offer you—&quot;

&quot;And I—&quot;

&quot;I—&quot;

The person so warmly received was the respectable Jew, Ben-Hur’s fellow-voyager from Cyprus. He entered grave, quiet, observant. His robe was spotlessly white; so was the cloth of his turban. Bowing and smiling at the welcome, he moved slowly towards the central table. Arrived there, he drew his robe about him in a stately manner, took seat, and waved his hand. The gleam of a jewel on a finger helped him not a little to the silence which ensued.

&quot;Romans—most noble Romans—I salute you!&quot; he said.

&quot;Easy, by Jupiter! Who is he?&quot; asked Drusus.

&quot;A dog of Israel—Sanballat by name—purveyor for the army; residence, Rome; vastly rich; grown so as a contractor of furnishments which he never furnishes. He spins mischiefs, nevertheless, finer than spiders spin their webs. Come—by the girdle of Venus! let us catch him!&quot;

Messala arose as he spoke, and, with Drusus, joined the mass crowded about the purveyor.

&quot;It came to me on the street,&quot; said that person, producing his tablets, and opening them on the table with an