Page:Ben-Hur a tale of the Christ.djvu/59

Rh door of the khan of Bethlehem. To say, as Joseph said, &quot;This is the house of my fathers,&quot; was to say the truth most simply and literally; for it was the very house Ruth ruled as the wife of Boaz; the very house in which Jesse and his ten sons, David the youngest, were born; the very house in which Samuel came seeking a king, and found him; the very house which David gave to the son of Barzillai, the friendly Gileadite; the very house in which Jeremiah, by prayer, rescued the remnant of his race flying before the Babylonians.

The appeal was not without effect. The keeper of the gate slid down from the cedar block, and, laying his hand upon his beard, said, respectfully, &quot;Rabbi, I cannot tell you when this door first opened in welcome to the traveller, but it was more than a thousand years ago; and in all that time there is no known instance of a good man turned away, save when there was no room to rest him in. If it has been so with the stranger, just cause must the steward have who says no to one of the line of David. Wherefore, I salute you again; and, if you care to go with me, I will show you that there is not a lodging-place left in the house; neither in the chambers, nor in the lewens, nor in the court—not even on the roof. May I ask when you came?&quot;

&quot;But now.&quot;

The keeper smiled.

&quot;'The stranger that dwelleth with you shall be as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself.' Is not that the law, Rabbi?&quot;

Joseph was silent.

&quot;If it be the law, can I say to one a long time come, 'Go thy way; another is here to take thy place?'&quot;

Yet Joseph held his peace.

&quot;And, if I said so, to whom would the place belong? See the many that have been waiting, some of them since noon.&quot;

&quot;Who are all these people?&quot; asked Joseph, turning to the crowd. &quot;And why are they here at this time?&quot;

&quot;That which doubtless brought you, Rabbi—the decree of the Cæsar&quot;—the keeper threw an interrogative glance