What had I to do with them!" "Nay," said Cecilius, "Drusus is afraid of a laugh, but I am not, my Messala." "Speak thou, then." "Well, we stopped the faction, and--" "Offered them a wager," said Drusus, relenting, and taking the word from the shadow's mouth.

"And--ha, ha, ha!--one fellow with not enough skin on his face to make a worm for a carp stepped forth, and--ha, ha, ha!--said yes.

I drew my tablets.

'Who is your man ?' I asked.

'Ben-Hur, the Jew,' said he.