THE HOUSE OF BEN EZRA.
In the house of Ben Ezra, at the head of the flight of stone steps in
the secret passage, Ulric the Jarl stood looking down into a great
darkness. But now Ben Ezra came to him, having lighted a large brazen
lamp which swung like a cresset at the end of a wooden rod a fathom
long. The flame of the lamp was very brilliant, but the smoke thereof
was unpleasant to the smell because of some strange oil which burned in
it. Such a lamp might not be lighted at a feast or in the dwellings of
men.
"Follow me, O jarl," he said. "This is the underworld and thou and I
are alone in this place. But not all the swords of Cæsar could find
thee if thou wert hidden here. It hath been a refuge for some who fled
from a destroyer."
"O Jew," said Ulric, "I will cover this thy secret. May I fail of
Valhalla, dying as a cow dieth, if I betray thee!"
"Come!" said Ben Ezra, and they went on down the stairway together.
At the foot of it was a low chamber, the air of which was heavy, but
Ben Ezra turned to the left, and as he lifted his lamp there might be
seen a narrow cleft in the masonry. A little inside of this cleft there
was a barrier of iron-bound woodwork.
"Lift it away by its hand pieces," said Ben Ezra. "Thou art stronger
than I."
Very massive was the wooden barrier, but it might be dragged forth and
laid upon the floor, and at once a current of cold, damp air poured
through the opening, bringing with it a smell as of earth.
"I will go in first," said Ben Ezra. "Now will I show thee my crypt."
In a moment more they were stooping over an open coffer, and he said:
"Here are my treasures and thine, and somewhat which belongeth to thy
men. I would they might have it, for we need not any goods but our own.
Thou shalt take away at thy will whatever is thine own."
"I may not remove it now," said Ulric, "save a bag of golden coins. But
I would ask of thee, if thou wilt tell me, what is this place that we
are in and how is there such a cavern, with masonwork and corridors and
pillars and cunning doors? Are we to go on into it?"
"Thou wilt go no further lest thou lose thyself as in a wilderness,"
said the Jew, pointing down the passageway.
"It is like a cave," said Ulric. "I never heard of caves under a city."
"Behold," said Ben Ezra, "the secret of Jerusalem. It is from the
earliest time. There was a fort here in the days of Adam and here the
giants had their dwelling. There are no writings of those ancient
days. But on these hills and in these valleys city after city hath
been builded and destroyed. For those walls and buildings much masonry
was needed. There were vast halls and hollows made in quarrying stone
during ages. Afterward these openings were sealed and made of the
secrets of priests and kings. They will not be opened until Messiah
cometh."
"He is to be thy great king," said Ulric. "What need hath he of caves?"
"Not any," said Ben Ezra, "but he will know in what hidden depth he
shall find the treasures of Adam and of the giants and of the old kings
and of Solomon, for all are yonder, where none but he may lay a hand
upon them. Let us go."
"I have seen a wonder," said Ulric following his guide. "But if this
god from Nazareth is to be thy king, wilt thou not thyself inform him
of the way through thy house into his hidden places?"
"He will have no need," said Ben Ezra; "but if I saw that he had
the right to know, I would tell him. Messiah knoweth all things. As
for this rabbi of Galilee, he cometh to Jerusalem even now, for the
Passover feast draweth near. I would gladly hear him again. During
years that are gone there have been many sayings concerning him."
"I know that he hath healed my hurts," said Ulric. "He hath also done
in like manner by many another. I think that I shall yet be a captain
of men under him, and the great battle cometh."
They were now in the upper room and the stone door had been closed
behind them, swinging upon its pivots.
"Am I to abide here this night?" asked Ulric. "I have an errand of mine
own in the morning. After that is done I must go to my men. They will
surely need counsel and ordering."
"I will now show thee thy chamber wherein thou art to sleep," said Ben
Ezra. "But, I pray thee, do not too many errands within the city walls,
and neglect not to visit Caius of Thessalonica lest thou lose thy
strong friend. It is needful for thee to be seen much at his house."
"I will truly care for him," said Ulric. "It is my duty. But I have a
great concern as to my companions. O that they were even now upon the
sea and utterly escaped from the circus!"
"Else they will surely all be slain," said Ben Ezra; but he led the way
to a place for sleeping and the night closed over all.
When the next morning came the watchmen upon the walls of Joppa
took note that the swift galley of Herod, the tetrarch, had already
departed. So sent they in their due report, but already had it been
discovered that whoever might now be in her had left behind them
strange tokens. In the highway north of the tower came a company of
legionaries to change the sentries, and at the turning of the road they
found but a dead man, slain by a spear thrust through his head. Who
could have done this deed in a day of peace they guessed not at all,
but their officer spoke of the Jackal of Machærus. Not long afterward a
horseman in bright armor rode along the beach seeing empty boats that
were cast up by the waves, and also the empty place where the evening
before the galley had been anchored.
"I am too late!" he shouted, angrily. "The traitor hath escaped to
Rome! What answer shall I give to Herod Antipas? His brother hath again
outwitted him and I think he is in league with the procurator."
Further up the beach men led along many horses, saddled and bridled,
which they had found astray and ownerless, and this thing also was a
riddle.
The governor of Joppa was quickly informed of all, that he might make
his report to his commander; but at that hour Pontius the Spearman
was sitting in the seat of judgment thinking not of Joppa, and before
him came not only his own officers, but Jews, also, and people from
the towns and the provinces. Suddenly, however, he turned from aught
else to look into the face of one who came in haste, seeming to be
greatly disturbed in mind. It was the master of the games who now stood
opposite the chair of judgment, and at a sign of the procurator's hand
he spoke rapidly until he had told his errand, speaking low that none
else might hear.
"O thou," said Pontius, calmly, "go back to thy affairs. I care not
greatly what Caius hath done with his gladiators. If indeed they have
rebelled and if they are in Judea or Samaria, I will retake them for
him in season for the games. The fault is not thine."
"O most noble Pontius," said the master of the games, "what sayest thou
of the Greek? He came unto them, as I testified."
"What is that to thee?" responded the procurator haughtily. "Care thou
for thy beasts and thy cages. See that thou speak not at all to him of
this matter when thou seest him. Go thy way!"
The master of the games trembled somewhat as he went forth and Pontius
followed him not with his eyes, but muttered to himself:
"The Greek hath made good his token of a man from the circus. I will
now wait for a word from Joppa, but I will not question him imprudently
when he returneth from Cæsarea."
Heavy matters were now coming before him, and among them all was
none which seemed to trouble him more than did certain testimonies
concerning the evil deeds of robbers from the wilderness of Judea.
"O ye Jews!" exclaimed the angry magistrate. "How shall I execute
justice when so many of you are in league with these evil-doers? In
this city is the refuge of these wicked men. Who will capture for me
this Bar Abbas that I may crucify him? He hath kindred among you and ye
shelter him!"
Loud were the indignant protests which replied to him from scribes
and rabbis and rulers, but far back, near the entrance of the hall of
judgment, were twain who listened eagerly.
"Father Abraham!" hoarsely whispered one of these. "I may not upon any
account bring my matter before him. Even now is my son at my house and
he brought much profit with him. He is worth more to me than are all
the robbers of Gilboa or the tribes beyond Jordan. He must not fall
into the hands of these Roman heathen lest I also be destroyed. The God
of Israel be my protector against the enemy!"
Searching eyes were upon him, but the thought in the mind of Ulric, the
son of Brander, was: "Well for me that I fell in with him as I left the
house of Ben Ezra. Well that I followed him even here. Now will I not
cease until I know his abiding place."
Cowering and hiding his face, did Abbas hasten away, hardly daring to
look behind him. Many were coming and going, however, and the guilty
dealer in stolen goods might not take warning of the manner in which he
was followed vengefully from street to street.
"I may not smite him now," said the pursuer, "but he and another will
shortly be touched by a sharp edge. There entereth he a door and I
will leave him for this time. Now must I see Caius and then I go to my
companions. Would that they were on their way to the Northland. Woe to
me if I bring harm to them!"
Nevertheless, even before going to the house of Caius, the jarl did one
thing which relieved both his heart and his hands from a heavy weight.
He went to the door of a house and he was admitted, but he tarried not
there, and he came out again, going on in haste, but with less gloom
upon his face.
"She will think well of me!" he exclaimed. "I might not have speech
with her, but she will look upon my token and she will bless me."
In the house from which he had departed, and in an inner chamber of it,
stood the Hebrew maiden, and before her was Isaac, the aged, her near
kinsman. He placed upon a table a heavy bag and he essayed to speak,
but his lips trembled and his voice failed him.
"O Isaac, what is this?" she exclaimed. "Where didst thou obtain money,
seeing the manner in which we are hindered? Hast thou indeed betrayed
me again by thy weakness?"
"Nay! Nay! It is thine!" shouted Isaac. "Thy heathen prince came to the
door. I saw him, but he lingered not and none other had speech with
him. 'This is for her,' he said. 'Tell her I watch and I return, but
that she may not go forth, not even to the temple.' So I brought the
bag to thee, wondering. Count it, for I have not counted."
He himself untied the bag and poured out the coins upon the table,
counting, while Miriam watched as one who seeth dimly in a dream of the
night.
"Ulric, Ulric," she muttered, "thou art more to me than are these. I
think of thee that thou art pure gold, but who may weigh thee in the
balances? Come to me, for great is my need of thy counsel!"
"Of Rome and of Greece and of Judea are these coins," said Isaac. "They
are thrice our present requirement. Jehovah hath turned to thee the
heart of this idolater and thou doest well to make him serve thee.
Thou hast the understanding which is given to women. We will pay our
oppressors. We will give a goodly gift to the judge and to the chief
priests. We will offer a sacrifice of burnt offering of a sweet savor.
And God, even our God, will yet deliver thee also from the hand of this
heathen gladiator."
"Isaac," she exclaimed, "peace! Speak not of him unduly! Would that a
false judgment concerning money were our only peril."
"O Miriam," said the old man, putting the coins in again and tying
the bag, "that also hath been provided for. In this house we may not
safely remain, but a sure refuge hath been offered and we shall be for
a season as if we were hidden in a well. One cometh shortly to be our
guide, and it is needful that thy heathen prince, also, should have
information, for he hath more gold than this and his hand is now open."
"Peace!" she again exclaimed, but Isaac went out with the bag, saying:
"Great are the gifts of Jehovah of Hosts! Would that he might now send
the sword of this Philistine who loveth her upon the necks of our
enemies!"
"I will wait," she was whispering, "until I see him."
Long was the remaining of Ulric the Jarl at the house of Caius of
Thessalonica, but afterward he went out at the Damascus gate purposing
to visit the amphitheater. He went on down into the valley of
Jehoshaphat, walking slowly, and he came to the bridge over the brook
Kidron, by which he was to pass.
"O jarl," said a youth who waited at the bridge, "a token from Ben
Ezra!"
"None heareth," replied Ulric. "Say on."
"Thy men are not at the circus, he bade me tell thee, and no man
knoweth whither they are gone. Go thou not thither now, but let the
house of Caius be thy refuge, for there will be an inquiry for thee."
Still as a stone stood the jarl while one might breathe three times.
"I thank thee and him, O youth," he said then. "Go thou to him with his
word only, that neither he nor I need any to tell us whereunto the sons
of the Northland have departed. I will do as he hath said."
The youth went from him running, but Ulric did not reenter the city by
the Damascus gate.
"It will be safer to choose another," he said. "I was seen by the
guards when I came forth. They may by this time have some evil
commandment concerning me."
So therefore he made a great circuit of the walls, going far, and even
after he selected a gate by which he might prudently go in he seemed
to have another matter upon his hands. The hours went by, one after
another, and it was long after the sunset before he was known to be in
the house of Caius. Then speedily he was sent for and he went in to
what was now the sick chamber of the centurion.
"O jarl," said he, "how is it with thee?"
"O most noble Caius," replied the jarl, "I am well, but I am alone in
Jerusalem. All of my companions have returned to their own land."
"Well for thee," said Caius. "Of that I had been informed. A swift
messenger from the governor of Joppa brought strange news to the
procurator. What sayest thou if thy men have been hired to serve upon a
ship by Herod, the tetrarch? Would they not guard well?"
"O Caius," said the jarl, "thou knowest them and I need say no more,
for I am ignorant of all this matter save that they are gone."
"I find no fault with thee," said Caius. "The messenger was sent to me
and I have fully questioned him. Also word came from the procurator
that I trouble thee not, for Herod must be allowed to direct his own
affairs. If he have hired good swordsmen, surely his galley is in safe
keeping."
Ulric looked at him darkly, for the voice of Caius was as of one who
mocketh bitterly.
"O Caius," said the jarl, "if thou wilt hear me, I have another affair
upon my mind. I like not the appearance of thy sore."
"Jarl of the Saxons," exclaimed the centurion, "I seem to myself to be
rotting away. I am as one who hath the leprosy. But what knowest thou
of any healing?"
"Only this that I have heard this day," said Ulric. "I would have thee
live until the arrival of this Jesus of Nazareth. He cometh now to the
feast of the Jews. He is of the sons of the gods. Did he not heal me?
And may he not also do something for thee?"
"O that he might come quickly!" said Caius. "But the gods can do little
for such a torment as mine. There are many things which are too much
for them. But I will see him when he cometh. I would make him rich with
gifts if he would heal me."
"I will watch for him," said the jarl. "I may not go again to the
circus----"
"Go not!" exclaimed Caius. "Remain much with me. O Saxon, when this
fire burneth within me I would gladly fall upon my sword but that it
would please my enemies. But if thou goest out now, return quickly. Of
this be thou sure in thy mind, that I will not permit thee to enter the
circus. Thy sword will have better business. I will speak of thee again
to the procurator. A messenger from him hath arrived. Leave me with
him."
More words might not be spoken and the jarl went out, but it could be
understood that with difficulty did the centurion restrain himself and
conceal from all the extremity of his suffering from that deadly thing.
"I will go to the house of Ben Ezra," thought Ulric. "Already have I
made sure that there are fewer enemies to bring peril upon Miriam and
her people. I will see if the Jew hath well attended to his portion of
her business. But unless help cometh to him speedily, Caius will surely
die."