BEN-HUR

"And there is nothing," he added, dropping his voice, but not hiseyes--"there is nothing now thou mayst not do."The moment was one of absorbing interest to all present. Simonidescrossed his hands upon his breast again; Esther was anxious;Ilderim nervous. A man is never so on trial as in the momentof excessive good-fortune.Taking the roll, Ben-Hur arose, struggling with emotion."All this is to me as a light from heaven, sent to drive away anight which has been so long I feared it would never end, and sodark I had lost the hope of seeing," he said, with a husky voice."I give first thanks to the Lord, who has not abandoned me,and my next to thee, O Simonides. Thy faithfulness outweighsthe cruelty of others, and redeems our human nature. 'There isnothing I cannot do:' be it so. Shall any man in this my hourof such mighty privilege be more generous than I?