"Here are ears near thee, most noble Pontius," replied Lysias. "I pray thee bid me be prudent."
Down from the chariot sprang the procurator with a fierce flush upon his face.
"Dismount thee! Come!" he said. "Back, all! I would have speech with this man."
Not far behind the chariot, but not as if they belonged to the same company, rode two men upon asses, of whom one said to the other:
"A messenger, O Ben Ezra. There may be tidings of importance. What sayest thou?"
"Silence! O Abbas," replied the other, "thus far our god hath befriended us upon our way. Trifle not with the business of the great lest the sword seek thee. Thou art overcurious. Let it suffice that we are permitted to travel under guard of the procurator's horsemen."
At the roadside now stood he and the Greek and none dared approach them, for the spear of Pontius was in his hand and his brow was dark. "Speak with care!" he said to Lysias. "Forget not!"
"Thus said the captain of the gate," replied Lysias, "and a centurion who stood by him and who gave me this cornelian for a token, telling me not his name——"
"Cornelius of Cæsarea!" muttered Pontius, but the Greek spoke on, uttering exactly the words which had been given him.
"It is well," he said. "I have word of Caius that he is wise and that his Saxon swordsmen are his bodyguard. More than one secret messenger hath been slain, saith Ben Ezra, the bringer of tidings from Galilee. Trust him, but not the Jew Abbas who is with him, for he is of Julius. I come to Jerusalem quickly. I will give thee a fresh horse in the morning and thou wilt again return, but thou wilt wait for me in mine own house. Go, now, and speak to these Jews, questioning them. What they say thou wilt tell me. It is well that thou wilt be in the school of Gamaliel and also in the service of the procurator, but let no man know of more than of the school."