"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."