Oh, if I were young again! Oh, could I shake off twenty years--or ten--or five!" He ground his teeth and shook his hands overhead; then, under the impulse of another idea, he walked away and back again to Ben-Hur swiftly, and caught his shoulder with a strong grasp.
"If I were as thou, son of Arrius--as young, as strong, as practised in arms; if I had a motive hissing me to revenge--a motive, like thine, great enough to make hate holy-- Away with disguise on thy part and on mine! Son of Hur, son of Hur, I say--" At that name all the currents of Ben-Hur's blood stopped; surprised, bewildered, he gazed into the Arab's eyes, now close to his, and fiercely bright.
"Son of Hur, I say, were I as thou, with half thy wrongs, bearing about with me memories like thine, I would not, I could not, rest." Never pausing, his words following each other torrent-like, the old man swept on.

"To all my grievances, I would add those of the world, and devote myself to vengeance.

From land to land I would go firing all mankind.

No war for freedom but should find me engaged; no battle against Rome in which I would not bear a part.

I would turn Parthian, if I could not better.