Explore "Ben Hur" by Lew Wallace on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
When Ben-Hur sallied from the great warehouse, it was with the thought that another failure was to be added to the many he had already met in the quest for his people; and the idea was depressing exactly in proportion as the objects of his quest were dear to him; it curtained him round about with a sense of utter loneliness on earth, which, more than anything else, serves to eke from a soul cast down its remaining interest in life.
Through the people, and the piles of goods, he made way to the edge of the landing, and was tempted by the cool shadows darkening the river's depth. The lazy current seemed to stop and wait for him. In counteraction of the spell, the saying of the voyager flashed into memory -- "Better be a worm, and feed upon the mulberries of Daphne, than a king's guest. " He turned, and walked rapidly down the landing and back to the khan.