Balthasar answered, and sought his rest; but Ben-Hur, more curious, took up the remark.
"At what place on the river are the people?" he asked.
"At Bethabara."
"It used to be a lonesome ford," said Ben-Hur. "I cannot understand how it can have become of such interest."
"I see," the stranger replied; "you, too, are from abroad, and have not heard the good tidings."
"What tidings?"
"Well, a man has appeared out of the wilderness—a very holy man—with his mouth full of strange words, which take hold of all who hear them. He calls himself John the Nazarite, son of Zacharias, and says he is the messenger sent before the Messiah."
Even Iras listened closely while the man continued:
"They say of this John that he has spent his life from childhood in a cave down by En-Gedi, praying and living more strictly than the Essenes. Crowds go to hear him preach, I went to hear him with the rest."
"Have all these, your friends, been there?"
"Most of them are going; a few are coming away."
"What does he preach?"
"A new doctrine—one never before taught in Israel, as all say. He calls it repentance and baptism. The rabbis do not know what to make of him; nor do we. Some have asked him if he is the Christ, others if he is Elias; but to them all he has the answer, ’I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord!"
At this point the man was called away by his friends; as he was going, Balthasar spoke.
"Good stranger!" he said, tremulously, "tell us if we shall find the preacher at the place you left him."
"Yes, at Bethabara."
"Who should this Nazarite be?" said Ben-Hur to Iras, "if not the herald of our King?"
In so short a time he had come to regard the daughter as more interested in the mysterious personage he was looking for than the aged father! Nevertheless, the latter
