Page:Ben-Hur a tale of the Christ.djvu/99

Rh &quot;Do you believe in the Parcæ? Ah, I forgot, you are a Sadducee: the Essenes are your sensible people; they believe in the sisters. So do I. How everlastingly the three are in the way of our doing what we please! I sit down scheming. I run paths here and there. Perpol! Just when I am reaching to take the world in hand, I hear behind me the grinding of scissors. I look, and there she is, the accursed Atropos! But, my Judah, why did you get mad when I spoke of succeeding old Cyrenius? You thought I meant to enrich myself plundering your Judea. Suppose so; it is what some Roman will do. Why not I?&quot;

Judah shortened his step.

&quot;There have been strangers in mastery of Judea before the Roman,&quot; he said, with lifted hand. &quot;Where are they, Messala? She has outlived them all. What has been will be again.&quot;

Messala put on his drawl.

&quot;The Parcæ have believers outside the Essenes. Welcome, Judah, welcome to the faith!&quot;

&quot;No, Messala, count me not with them. My faith rests on the rock which was the foundation of the faith of my fathers back further than Abraham; on the covenants of the Lord God of Israel.&quot;

&quot;Too much passion, my Judah. How my master would have been shocked had I been guilty of so much heat in his presence! There were other things I had to tell you, but I fear to now.&quot;

When they had gone a few yards, the Roman spoke again.

&quot;I think you can hear me now, especially as what I have to say concerns yourself. I would serve you, O handsome as Ganymede; I would serve you with real good-will. I love you—all I can. I told you I meant to be a soldier. Why not you also? Why not you step out of the narrow circle which, as I have shown, is all of noble life your laws and customs allow?&quot;

Judah made no reply.

&quot;Who are the wise men of our day?&quot; Messala continued. &quot;Not they who exhaust their years quarrelling about dead