Page:Ben-Hur a tale of the Christ.djvu/500

Rh &quot;Who is he?&quot; she asked.

&quot;A Nazarene.&quot;

&quot;Who told you about him?&quot;

&quot;Judah.&quot;

&quot;Judah told you? Is he at home?&quot;

&quot;He came last night.&quot;

The widow, trying to still the beating of her heart, was silent awhile.

&quot;Did Judah send you to tell us this?&quot; she next asked.

&quot;No. He believes you dead.&quot;

&quot;There was a prophet once who cured a leper,&quot; the mother said thoughtfully to Tirzah; &quot;but he had his power from God.&quot; Then addressing Amrah, she asked, &quot;How does my son know this man so possessed?&quot;

&quot;He was travelling with him, and heard the lepers call, and saw them go away well. First there was one man; then there were ten; and they were all made whole.&quot;

The elder listener was silent again. The skeleton hand shook. We may believe she was struggling to give the story the sanction of faith, which is always an absolutist in demand, and that it was with her as with the men of the day, eye-witnesses of what was done by the Christ, as well as the myriads who have succeeded them. She did not question the performance, for her own son was the witness testifying through the servant; but she strove to comprehend the power by which work so astonishing could be done by a man. Well enough to make inquiry as to the fact; to comprehend the power, on the other hand, it is first necessary to comprehend God; and he who waits for that will die waiting. With her, however, the hesitation was brief. To Tirzah she said,

&quot;This must be the Messiah!&quot;

She spoke not coldly, like one reasoning a doubt away, but as a woman of Israel familiar with the promises of God to her race—a woman of understanding, ready to be glad over the least sign of the realization of the promises.

&quot;There was a time when Jerusalem and all Judea were filled with a story that he was born. I remember it. By this time he should be a man. It must be—it is he. &quot;Yes,&quot; she said to Amrah, &quot;we will go with you. Bring