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diff --git a/41655.txt b/41655.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 374310e..0000000 --- a/41655.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,9097 +0,0 @@ - STEPHEN: A SOLDIER OF THE CROSS - - - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost -no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it -under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this -eBook or online at http://www.gutenberg.org/license. - - - -Title: Stephen - A Soldier of the Cross -Author: Florence Morse Kingsley -Release Date: December 18, 2012 [EBook #41655] -Language: English -Character set encoding: US-ASCII - - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STEPHEN *** - - - - -Produced by Al Haines. - - - - -[Illustration: Cover] - - - - -[Illustration: Florence Morse Kingsley] - - - - - STEPHEN - - A SOLDIER OF THE CROSS - - - By - FLORENCE MORSE KINGSLEY - - Author of Titus - - - - - TORONTO: - WILLIAM BRIGGS, WESLEY BUILDINGS. - C. W. COATES, MONTREAL, QUE. - S. F. HUESTIS, HALIFAX, N.S. - - - - -Entered according to Act of the Parliament of Canada, in the year one -thousand eight hundred and ninety-six, by WILLIAM BRIGGS, at the -Department of Agriculture. - - - - - PREFACE. - - -There are those who have asked me to write this book. There may be -others who shall question me because I have written it. "Assuredly," -these will cry out, "it is justly forbidden to ascribe words and deeds -of one's own devising to them which have been set forever apart in the -pages of the Book of books. The pen of inspiration has written of -Stephen all that God wills us to know of him, therefore let us be -content." - -It is true that the story of Stephen is little known; scarcely for a -single day does the light shine clearly upon him, and that day the last -of his mortal life. A tale is told of ancient alchemists, how that they -possessed the power of resurrecting from the ashes of a perished flower -a dim ghost of the flower itself. In like manner, may not one gather -the fragrant dust of this vanished life from out the writings and -legends of past ages, and from it build anew some faint image of its -forgotten beauty? - -Surely in these days, when the imagination hurries to and fro on the -earth, delving amid all that is low and evil and noisome for some new -panacea wherewith to deaden, if only for a moment, the feverish pain in -the hearts of men, it were a good thing to lift up the eyes of the soul -to the contemplation of those days when the memory of the living Jesus -was yet fresh in the hearts of His followers; when His voice still -echoed in their ears; when the glory of the cloud which had received Him -out of their sight lingered with transfiguring splendor on all the -commonplace happenings of their daily lives; when the words, "Lo, I am -with you alway, even unto the end," meant a living presence all -comforting, all powerful. - -We are wont to look longingly back through the dark mists of the ages -and sigh, "Oh, that I had known Him as they knew Him! But in these -hard, grey days there is no glory that shines, no voice that speaks, no -ecstatic vision of the Son of Man standing at the right hand of power." - -Yet had we lived in those days the life which many of us live to-day, -going to church and to prayer because such attendance is a Christian -duty; giving of our abundance to the poor because our neighbors will -marvel if we withhold; and for the rest, living as those before the -flood, and since also--eating and drinking, and making such poor -merriment as we are able in a life which was given us for another -purpose--had we lived thus in those far-off days, would the Pentecostal -flames have descended upon us? Could the crucified One have said unto -us, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end?" Would we not rather -have cried out in terror and fled away from the light of those sad eyes -into darkness, even as did Peter after that he had denied with curses. - -There is an Apostolic Church in the world to-day. To-day Christ is on -earth and walks with men. To-day the Spirit works mightily as of old; -the blind see, the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up. But it is not -alone in splendid temple, nor amid the solemn pomp of churchly -magnificence that these things are being accomplished, but in the humble -upper rooms where the good soldiers of the Salvation Army, and the -workers in Rescue Missions, labor unceasingly for them that are lost. - -In these places, and in the silence of repentant hearts also, one may -yet touch the borders of that seamless robe; and lo, every one that -touches is made whole. - - - - - CONTENTS. - -Preface - -CHAPTER - - I. The Blind Singer - II. Good Tidings out of the Desert - III. At the Palace of the High Priest - IV. In Place of Judas - V. In the Abode of Kings - VI. The Lord of the South-Land - VII. The Pharisee from Tarsus - VIII. A Believer in the Nazarene - IX. In the Desert Encampment - X. The White Dromedary - XI. At the Gate Beautiful - XII. In the Council Chamber - XIII. At the Feet of the Apostles - XIV. A Cup of Cold Water - XV. In Pursuit of the Fugitives - XVI. A Roll of Parchment - XVII. In the Prison House - XVIII. "Whose we Are and Whom we Serve" - XIX. In the Shadow of the Wall - XX. Without the Jaffa Gate - XXI. "Not a Sparrow Falleth" - XXII. By the Thorny Ways of His Sin - XXIII. In the Synagogue of the Nazarenes - XXIV. The Warning - XXV. The Wrath of Man - XXVI. Until the Day Break - XXVII. In the Valley of the Shadow - XXVIII. The Lifted Veil - XXIX. The Watchful Love - XXX. A Flask of Crystal - XXXI. A Scarlet Thread - XXXII. Ben Hesed in Jerusalem - XXXIII. The Mercy of Israel - XXXIV. At the Third Hour - XXXV. On the Road to Damascus - XXXVI. The Amulet - - - - - CHAPTER I. - - THE BLIND SINGER. - - -"Bounteous Nile! Father of all living! Garlanded with lotus blooms, -rosy as Horus!" - -As these words rang out over the rocky hillside in a clear sweet voice, -two men who were climbing the steep declivity paused a moment and looked -at each other. - -"That is the voice," said one of them in a tone of deep satisfaction. -"A voice of gold truly, if only breathed forth into royal ears." - -"There are two of them," said his companion, wiping his hot face. "The -other is a boy, a water-carrier.' - -"Good! He also will bring a fair price. Valuable property both, and -going to waste like water spilled in the desert. Why buy slaves for -gold, when they grow wild in the desert?" And the speaker laughed under -his breath. - -"Thou art a favorite of the gods," said the other with a venomous gleam -in his narrow black eyes. "In thy heaven-bestowed wisdom forget not that -it was I who came upon the two nesting in a corner of yonder old tomb -like a pair of swallows." - -"Thou shalt have the boy." - -"And who gave thee leave to say, friend?" - -"Canst thou sell them then? Is it of thee that the princess will buy -slaves? Half the price of the two shall be thine; if that pleaseth thee -not, why then----" - - "Look at me! I am thy sister that loveth thee, - Do not stay far from me, heavenly one! - Come to thine abode with haste, with haste - I see thee no more. I see thee no more--" - -trilled the unseen singer. - -"Ha! The song of Isis! The little one is religious," continued the -speaker, who had stopped in the midst of his bargaining. "Come! What -sayest thou?" he added persuasively. "Half the price--and it will be a -good one--no one can do better in such a matter than----" - -"No one better than Besa," interrupted the other rudely. "Be it so; but -lie to me about the price and thou shalt regret it." - -The two had reached the top of the hill by this time. - -"Hist! Do not let her see thee." - -"Nay, rather, do not let her hear thee; she is blind." - -"Blind?" - -"Ay! Stone blind; but what matters it when she carries a singing bird -in her throat. Do they not blind the nightingale?" - -Both men now advanced cautiously, their sandaled feet making little -sound on the shelf-like plateau upon which yawned several recesses cut -deep into the solid rock. In the door of one of these recesses sat, or -rather crouched, the figure of a young girl. Her blue-black hair, -gathered away from her forehead and plaited in several thick braids, -revealed a thin face, delicately featured, the smooth brown cheeks -faintly flushed with a warmth, which in the drooping mouth deepened to -scarlet. Her eyes were large and black, but curiously expressionless, -like the eyes of the great god Ptah in the temple below. For the rest, -she was dressed in the shapeless blue linen robe of an Egyptian peasant -woman, about her neck hung a string of shining coins, and upon the -slender ankles tinkled hoops of wrought silver. - -At the sound of the stealthy feet upon the rock, the blind girl bent her -head anxiously. - -"Is it you, Seth?" she said doubtfully. - -"Nay, little one," said one of the men, advancing boldly, "it is only a -wayfarer who heard a goddess chanting to herself in a nook of the -mountain. Didst thou also hear it?" - -The girl shrank back into the narrow recess, upon whose rocky walls was -pictured gaudily the long-since-ended career of its former occupant. She -made no reply. - -"This dismal spirit-haunted tomb is no place for thee," continued the -speaker in honeyed tones, "for it is thou and no other who hast the -voice of Isis herself. Thou shouldst sing in the abode of princes, and -be crowned with perfumed garlands, and all this shall shortly happen if -thou wilt but come with me. Listen!" he added imperatively in the Greek -tongue, addressing his companion. "I will take the girl with me, her -pretty face adds to her value by half, the blindness is no matter. But -do thou wait for the boy and bring him to the city, to the place whereof -thou knowest. To-morrow they shall both be sold." - -He was standing as he spoke perilously near the edge of the rocky -declivity up which he had just clambered, his black snaky eyes fixed -upon the maiden, his hand already extended to grasp her, when with the -lithe swiftness of a tigress she sprang to her feet, and with a sudden -powerful push of her strong young arms sent the unfortunate man flying -backward over the verge. Then with a loud scream she turned, and, -eluding the outstretched arms of the other, fled away and disappeared in -some hidden nook among the tombs. The man who remained behind stared -after her a moment in silence, then he broke into a short sneering -laugh. - -"By the seven great gods! It appears that a nightingale is not easy to -cage. And what then has become of our bargaining Besa? By Anubis! I -care not if he be dead." - -Peering over the edge of the precipice he presently descried a -motionless mass of dingy red drapery, lodged against the side of a great -boulder, and thither, grumbling morosely to himself, he slowly and -deliberately made his way. - -In the meantime the young girl was cowering breathless in a narrow -crevice of the rocks; she listened intensely, her hands upon her heart, -as though she feared that its loud beating might betray her -hiding-place. But after a few moments the silence reassured her and she -began to weep and moan softly to herself. - -"O Isis, tender-hearted one, what is it that hath befallen me? O God of -the Sun in thy shining chariot! why dost thou not smite such wickedness? -What then if I have killed him. Nay, I care not! It is just." - -"Anat! Anat!" shouted a voice. "Where art thou?" - -"Ah! it is Seth," said the girl, rising to her feet. "Hist! Here am I." - -"Why art thou here?" said the newcomer anxiously. "What hath happened?" - -By way of answer the girl burst into a passion of sobbing, rocking -herself to and fro and tearing at her black braids. The lad stared at -her in amazement and fear, then hastily casting aside the skin -water-bottle with its tinkling brass cups, which he carried upon his -back, he knelt down by the convulsed little figure, and throwing one arm -about it began to speak in low soothing tones. - -"Anat, little sister, come, tell me what hath happened. Thou must -indeed, little one. I should not have left thee alone; thou hast been -frightened, is it not so?" - -Thus encouraged the blind girl finally managed to tell her story, albeit -in disjointed, half intelligible words. - -"He heard thee singing, little one," said her brother, knitting his -black brows angrily, "and would have carried thee away like a bird." - -"Yes," said the girl fiercely. "But that is not all, he said that -to-morrow we should both be sold; yet it may be that he will not care -for buying and selling on the morrow. I know not how I could have done -it, but of a sudden I felt a great strength come upon me. I pushed him -over the ledge--I heard him fall--" and she caught her breath with a -quick shudder. - -"And thou didst well, little one!" said the boy. "It matters not what -hath befallen him, the gods helped thee. But the other--there were two, -saidst thou? He will return. We must get us away from here and at -once." - -"Where shall we go?" said Anat plaintively. "We are even as the birds -that flee before the hunter, only to fall at last into his hand." - -"Not so, little one; the pursued eaglets flee away into the desert. So -also will we. I know of a secure resting-place, and thou shalt not -again stay alone." - -"Shall we go now?" - -"Yes, now. When I shall have gathered together our possessions; but -they be few, it will not take long." - -The lad rose to his feet with a sigh, and looked out and away from their -lofty eyrie. Far below them lay a floor of shining blue-green, the -fertile plains of the Nile, shadowed here and there with groups of -clustered palm trees. Through the midst of these plains rolled the -sacred river, like a flood of gold. On either side of it rose the white -walls and strange many-colored towers of the city of Memphis, all -transfigured in the shining mist of the setting sun. And beyond trooped -the grim procession of the pyramids, solemn sentinels on the borders of -a desert which the Egyptians thought to be boundless, behind whose -golden rim, they believed, lay the regions of the departed. - - - - - CHAPTER II. - - GOOD TIDINGS OUT OF THE DESERT. - - -"I hear some one coming." - -"How can that be, Anat? I see no one." - -"It matters not, there is some one; I can hear the tinkle of the harness -bells, it is from the desert they come." - -"A caravan thinkest thou, little one?" said Seth, looking with an -indulgent smile at the flushed face with its strange widely-opened dark -eyes. - -"Nay," said the girl after a pause, shaking her head decidedly; "there -is but one--one on a swift dromedary." - -"By Horus! thou art right, I see the man now, he is coming this way." -And shaking his tinkling cups, the lad darted away to meet the traveler. - -"Water! Fresh cool water, the gift of God to the thirsty!" he cried -aloud. And the stranger, scorched by the withering breath of the -desert, gladly dismounted and drank deep of the proffered cup. - -"God grant thee peace, whoever thou art!" he said in a low deep voice, -turning his piercing eyes upon the boy. "How doth it chance that thou -art here in the desert? Surely not many come this way. Why art thou not -rather plying thy trade in yonder city?" He felt in his wallet for a -coin as he spoke. - -The boy flushed deeply and hung his head without answering. - -"It is a happy chance for me that thou hadst the desert traveler in thy -thought," continued the stranger with a smile of singular sweetness, -"for I could no longer abide the brackish water of the march, and was -pushing ahead of the caravan with all possible speed for a draught from -a certain cool fountain that I know not far from here." - -"The fountain of Kera?" said the boy, looking up. - -"Even so, and it is of that I have just drunken? Ay, I thought so, -though it is many moons since I have tasted it." Stroking his long -beard thoughtfully, the stranger continued, "I shall wait here now till -the others come up, it will not be long. Who sits yonder in the shadow -of the rock?" - -"My sister," replied the lad briefly. "She is blind," he added, moved -by a sudden impulse. - -"Blind? Ah, the pity of it, the pity of it!" said the man, passing his -hand swiftly across his eyes. "Would to God"--then he broke off suddenly -and commanded his dromedary to lie down; the beast obeyed, moaning and -shaking his head. "He also smells water, yet hath he drunken his fill -yester eve. Be quiet, Neha! thou shalt again drink.--And the little one -is blind?" - -"Yes, but she hath wonderful hearing," said Seth proudly. "She heard -the tinkle of thy harness bells before I saw thee." - -"Yes, yes! I know, no one better, it was once so with me, but seeing is -also good. Thanks be to the Wonderful, the Prophet of Israel, I know -that now!" - -The lad looked at the man in puzzled silence. They had now approached -the great rock, in the shadow of which the blind girl was sitting. - -"Greetings to thee, little one!" said the stranger, sitting down in the -sand near the child and looking earnestly into her dark sightless eyes. - -"Who is it that is speaking to me?" - -"Do not fear, Anat, I am here," said Seth, quietly possessing himself of -one of the slender brown hands. - -"I am not afraid; the voice is good." - -"Where dwellest thou?" continued the stranger. - -"We are even as the wild goats of the desert," said the boy bitterly, -"wandering among the rocks by day, and at night sleeping where the night -overtakes us." - -"Surely thou art not alone in the world," urged the stranger, "thy -parents, where are they?" - -"The Nile hath risen seven times now since they passed into the regions -of the dead," said Anat, raising her drooping head. "Many passed with -them by reason of a great sickness. I also was stricken, and afterward -mine eyes were darkened, not suddenly, but slowly even as the evening -deepens into the black night. It is always night now." - -"Ah, yes!" said the stranger sighing, "a night wherein one hath strange -dreams, and where fear standeth by the pillow of sleep, and walks always -at the right hand in the waking hours." - -"And thou alone carest for the little one?" he continued, fixing his -keen eyes upon the boy. - -"I alone," said the boy proudly. "We dwelt among yonder hills, and I -plied my trade in the city below, but--" here he checked himself -suddenly, and looked suspiciously at his questioner. "Wilt thou not -break thy fast?" he said at length. "Thou art our guest." - -The stranger bowed his head gravely, laying his hand upon his breast as -he did so. He understood. - -Then Seth made haste and fetched from a neighboring crevice in the rock -dates and parched corn together with a gourd of water. Their guest ate -of the food, the lad also and the maiden. - -"I was blind," said the stranger at length rising, "and I was healed of -my blindness by the great prophet of Israel. They call him Jesus." - -"Where dwells he?" - -"In Jerusalem, far away beyond the wilderness," and he pointed towards -the desert from which he had just come. - -"Dost thou return thither?" - -"Not many days hence, when I shall have sold my goods and loaded my -camels. I shall not forget thy hospitality; when I again pass this way -fetch me water, my son, and hear what I shall say to thee. Maiden, I -salute thee! Farewell." And he sprang upon his beast and was gone in a -swift cloud of dust toward the slow-moving caravan, which crawled like a -snake over the yellow wastes of the desert. - -Seth did not run with his water-bottles and his tinkling cups to meet -them, as was his wont. He sat silent in the shadow of the great rock, -thinking. - -Anat also was silent for a time, then she said timidly: "I would that I -too might see the man of blessing, he who dwells beyond the wilderness -and hath power to restore sight to the blind. There is no one in the -land of Egypt who can do the like." - -"We have no treasure to give him; would he not say to us, 'Where then is -thy gold, or thy precious stones, or thy beasts of burden, before I -shall do this thing for thee?' Thou knowest not the ways of magicians; -I know, for I have heard, yet is there no magician in all Egypt who can -cure blindness." - -Anat sighed. "I have my mother's necklace," she said at length, laying -her hand upon the string of coins about her neck. "Some of them are of -gold and very heavy." Then she caught her breath with a half sob. "The -men--yesterday--they would have sold us. I--yes, I would be a slave if -only I might see!" - -"I will be a slave, and thou shalt have thine eyes together with thy -freedom," cried Seth, starting to his feet. "I will say to the man, -give thou sight to these eyes and I am thy bondman from henceforth and -forever. I will serve thee with my heart's blood." - -"I also will serve him, for I will not leave thee, my brother; but how -shall we pass the wilderness?" - -"There are many caravans passing through," said the lad, looking with -troubled eyes into the distance, "but the way is long and we have no -beast." - -"The stranger who ate of our bread, will he not take us to that far -country?" - -"It may be----" began Seth, then he stopped suddenly--Anat had grasped -his arm convulsively, her face pallid to the lips. - -"The voices!" she gasped. "I hear them, they will sell us into bondage! -Let us hide, quick!" - -Without a word the lad hurried her into a narrow cleft in the rocks not -far distant. Here, tugging with all his strength at a broad stone which -was half buried in the drifting sand, he at length succeeded in pulling -it aside. The opening disclosed a flight of steps cut in the solid -rock, winding down into impenetrable darkness. From the depths there -ascended a stifling odor of resin and spices. - -The girl drew back gasping, "Not here!" she said faintly. "I am afraid; -I cannot go further, it is the breath of the dead." - -The lad hesitated an instant; he too heard the sound of voices and the -tinkling of harness bells. "Listen," he whispered, "I know not the -voices, but thou knowest." - -"Yes, yes! it is the voice; I will go anywhere to escape." - -The tinkling sound and the slow steps of the beasts of burden became -momently louder, together with the harsh tones of a human voice. - -"'Tis a fool's errand, Besa; thou hast lost what little wit the gods -gave thee in thy tumble of yesterday. By Sechet! I have not yet done -laughing to think of the way the little hell-witch served thee!" - -"Who could know that the beggar understood Greek!" - -"Pooh! that is nothing; no one better than the beggars, they whine for -every man's gold in his own tongue. Ha, ha! 'Thou shouldst have -perfumed garlands,' saidst thou with tongue as smooth as Sesame oil; -then I saw only a flying bundle of red cloth. Besa was gone. Ha, ha!" - -"Why didst thou not seize her, fool?" snarled the other, grinding his -teeth. "I will find her should I look a lifetime, if only to twist that -little singing throat of hers." - -"That shalt thou not do, friend; that singing throat is gold and it is -mine. Come, we will go back; they are not here." - -"What is this?" said Besa triumphantly, dismounting from his ass and -holding up a brilliant bit of striped drapery; "this, or one like it, -was on the girl's neck yesterday." - -Amu, for so was the other man called, made no reply: he was looking -fixedly into a narrow cleft of the rocks. Presently he too dismounted. -"Some one has been here," he said, pointing to the fresh footmarks in -the sand which had drifted deep into the opening. - - - - - CHAPTER III. - - AT THE PALACE OF THE HIGH PRIEST. - - -"It is well that by the blessing of Jehovah thou hast recovered thy -health, my son, for though we have accomplished the death of the -blasphemer, there yet remains the rabble of his followers. With the -trunk of the poisonous vine we must also thoroughly burn the branches -lest they bud anew." - -"Thou hast the tongue of wisdom," said Caiaphas in a tone of dull -indifference, his eyes fixed vacantly on the range of blue hills at the -verge of the horizon. - -Annas glanced impatiently at the white worn face. "They are already -spreading reports both in Jerusalem and in all Galilee that the man is -alive again, that, forsooth, he has been seen of them. The temple -resounds daily to the voice of their noisome praises and thanksgivings. -I have counseled that they be thrust out," he continued frowning, "for -what is it else than blasphemy--lies. It cannot be true!" And the -speaker started to his feet, and began to pace up and down the terrace -of the roof garden. "The Sanhedrim seems satisfied that nothing will -come of it," he went on angrily. "'Let be,' say they, 'the thing will -die even as the man.' Pah! they are blind. Look you! here are the -facts. The man's body disappears on the third day after the -crucifixion, the Roman guards tell a drunken tale of earthquake and the -appearance of an angel with a sword; lies, all lies! That I have -managed--gold worketh wonders; they know now that they were drunken, and -that his disciples stole the body away while they slept. So far, well. -Then there is the matter of the rent veil before the Holy of Holies; a -sore mischance, the fabric had been eaten of insects, there is no -question of it, how else should it----" - -"Who saw the thing done?" interrupted Caiaphas in a hollow tone. - -"A half score of priests who were preparing the altar for the evening -sacrifice. It was rent with a loud noise, say they, and the Holiest -place revealed on a sudden. I have counseled that they hold their -peace; it may be that they also are apostate, but I dare not take the -steps that I would in the matter because of the people. Of one thing I -am certain, the man is dead; in that have we triumphed. I saw him die, -and he is as assuredly perished as are the wretched malefactors that -groaned that day on either side of his cross." - -The face of Caiaphas blanched to the livid color of death. "Say no -more," he gasped huskily, "I am not well." - -Annas stared at him for an instant with something like contempt. "I -will call a servant," he said at length. "Thou shouldst drink wine to -strengthen thy heart." - -"The man is strangely wrought upon by this thing," he thought within -himself as he strode away. "He is like to a rope of sand; I must not -look to him for help. Who is there then of stout heart and good -courage? Issachar--Johanan--Alexander? they all be like wax which the -sun hath melted. Stay! there is the young Saul of Tarsus, a Pharisee of -the Pharisees, and zealous for the upbuilding of Israel; I will even -dispatch a swift messenger for him. He will be an instrument of wrath -in mine hand against the enemies of the Lord Jehovah." - -As the sound of his footsteps died away, the sick man raised his head. -"Begone!" he said with an irritable gesture to the servant who stood -awaiting his pleasure. "Call my wife." - -Even as he spoke, the heavy curtains which hung over the doorway near at -hand, parted, and the figure of a woman emerged onto the terrace. - -"Where hast thou been?" said the invalid, fixing his sunken eyes angrily -upon her. "Dost thou not know that I cannot abide that clumsy hind, -Barak. Where is my cordial?" - -"Here, my lord," said Anna soothingly, pouring a few drops of some -bright-colored liquid into a cup. Her slender hand trembled so -violently as she did this that a portion of the contents was spilled, -and lay a crimson pool between them on the white marble of the pavement. - -The sick man shrank back among his pillows, his eyes starting from his -head. "Ay! there it is again!" he muttered, huskily. "Blood, -blood--the blood of the Nazarene! I shall always see it. Look!" he -shrieked, "it is crawling towards me!" - -The woman sprang forward, her face colorless. "It is nothing!" she said, -breathlessly, "nothing, my lord! See! it is gone. Come, drink the -cordial, after that thou shalt rest; thou art weary." - -Caiaphas looked into the cup. "It is blood," he said, shudderingly, -"yet must I drink it; God is just!" Then he lay back among his pillows -once more, his eyes closed. After a time a faint color crept into his -livid face. - -The woman watched him patiently for a full hour, more than once her pale -lips moving as if in prayer. From her dark eyes there seemed to stream -forth a visible radiance of love which brooded in silent blessing over -the helpless form at her side. - -At length the sick man stirred a little, his eyes unclosed. "Has it -been told thee what hath befallen our son?" he said, slowly and clearly. - -The woman bowed her head. "It hath been told me," she whispered -brokenly, "that his life was ended even as----" - -"He was crucified," said Caiaphas, still in the same slow, clear tone, -"even as was the Nazarene. God is just. Blood for blood, it is the law, -and hath been from the beginning." - -"God is also love," said Anna, looking fearfully into her husband's -face. - -He returned the look with one of full intelligence. "Do not fear," he -said, gently, "it is best that the matter hath been spoken between us; -it were like an open grave else. The madness hath passed from my brain -now, and I see---" He paused, and so terrible a look came over his face -that his wife cried out faintly. - -"God is love," she repeated in a low voice, wringing her hands; "He will -forgive. How couldst thou know that the Nazarene was the Anointed One? -Yet, even he said, 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they -do!' as they drove the nails into his hands." - -"Woman!" said Caiaphas, with something of his old high-priestly -authority, "hold thy peace, and forget that thou hast spoken blasphemy. -Didst think then that I--I--the High Priest, was ready to confess that -the Nazarene was the Messiah of Israel! I am ready to confess that he -was an innocent man; and I am blood-guilty in that I brought about his -death. God hath punished me by slaying my son, even as he punished -David for his sin. After this once we will speak of the thing no more; -it shall never again be named between us. Nor shall it be made known to -any other. It were not meet that so shameful a thing be bruited about -concerning the High Priest. Our flesh and blood is accursed." - -The mother's face flushed hotly. "The lad was innocent!" she cried. -"He was sinned against most foully, but he himself sinned not. He is in -Paradise, for he hath the word of the Lord." - -"What meanest thou? Who told thee concerning the thing?" said Caiaphas, -raising himself up and fixing his burning eyes upon her face. - -"I had it from a lad named Stephen, who was even as a brother to him who -was our son--Titus, he was called. As he hung upon the cross in agony, -the Lord spake to him and said, 'This day shalt thou be with me in -Paradise.'" - -"Who is this Stephen?" said Caiaphas, in a low, terrible voice. "And -whom dost thou call Lord?" - -Anna trembled with terror, she tried to speak, but the words died upon -her lips. - -"Speak, woman!" - -"Stephen is--the son of the Greek who took our child. The man hath been -punished for his sin. He also perished with the Lord." - -There was an awful silence. Then Caiaphas again spoke, and his voice -was as the voice of a stranger in the ears of Anna. "This Stephen, the -son of the malefactor, doth he still live?" - -"He--lives; but, oh my husband, I beseech thee--do not harm him, so -innocent, so heavenly a one!" - -But through the words of her entreaty sounded the inexorable tones of -the High Priest's voice. - -"Blood for blood! The iniquities of the fathers shall be visited upon -the children, even unto the third and fourth generations. It is the -law." - - - - - CHAPTER IV. - - IN PLACE OF JUDAS. - - -"What and if while we wait for the fulfilment of the promise, the same -men who have slain our Lord shall also turn their hand against us? We -be few in number and there is naught to shield us from their fury. Thou -didst see when we praised God in the temple even this day, how the chief -priests and the elders cast upon us looks which were as sharp arrows in -the hands of mighty men of valor. Shall the wolves which slew the -Shepherd spare the flock?" - -"Hadst thou faith even as a grain of mustard seed thou wouldst not doubt -the word of the Lord, 'Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not -many days hence; depart not from Jerusalem till that the promise is -fulfilled to you!' And how sayest thou that there is naught to shield -us. God, the Almighty One, even the Father of our Lord Jesus, whom we -saw received up into heaven, he shall protect us from the wrath of the -Jews." - -"He hath suffered me to be tempted with doubts and fears more than -most," said Thomas, glancing fearfully at a group of men in the garb of -rabbis who were approaching them along the narrow street. "But do not -thou despise me because of mine infirmities. The Lord said to thee, -'Thou art Peter, the rock!' unto me he said, 'Be not faithless but -believing.' It is not easy for me to believe, it is not easy for me to -rejoice, when the Lord hath left us alone and unfriended.--Ah! sawest -thou that look? The old man was Annas, the other was Issachar, the -cruel; but in the eyes of the young man with them there burned a very -fury of hate. He lusteth for our blood." - -"I have not before seen his face," said Peter thoughtfully; then he -turned himself about to look after the retreating figures. As he did so -the young man of whom Thomas had spoken also turned, and again Peter -felt the indignant fire of his gaze. "It matters not," he said after a -pause, "what the heart of man shall devise, the will of the Almighty -shall be done, on earth, as also in heaven," and he looked upward -longingly, as if he hoped to pierce through the deeps of blue to that -place whither his Lord had gone. - -And having come now to the place where they were wont to gather -together, they went in. It was the same house where they had made ready -the Passover at the word of the Lord, on that awful night in which he -was betrayed. And in the large upper room, made sacred by the memories -of that last supper with their Lord, they found them which believed. It -was to this place they had come after they had seen the cloud receive -him out of their sight, the words of the angels yet ringing in their -ears: "This Jesus which was received up from you into heaven, shall so -come in like manner as ye beheld him going into heaven." And here day -by day they gathered to wait for the mysterious Comforter, which was to -come to them out of heaven, they knew not how. In the hearts of some of -them burned the hope that the Comforter might be the Lord himself, and -that at last they should see the promised kingdom of the Messiah. - -"There be but eleven of us whom He chose for this ministry," said Peter, -looking around on the little assembly, which numbered about one hundred -and twenty persons. "It was needful that the Scriptures should be -fulfilled concerning Judas, who betrayed our Lord into the hands of them -that slew him. But now he is dead, and hath gone to his own place, and -it is written in the book of the Psalms, 'Let his habitation be made -desolate, let no man dwell therein. His office let another take.' Of -the men therefore which have companied with us while the Lord Jesus -remained upon earth, from the day when he received baptism in the -Jordan, unto that day in which he was taken up into heaven, of these -must one become a witness of His resurrection." - -"How then shall the will of God be known in the matter?" said John -gravely. "We have not the spirit of discernment, for did we not trust -even Judas who betrayed him? Albeit the Lord knew him from the -beginning." - -"Let God himself choose!" cried Peter. "It hath been the custom in -Israel since the days of old to decide such matters by lot. So did God -select his chosen priests from the family of Eleazar. So also doth he -chose which one shall stand by the altar of incense in the temple." - -Then wrote they upon tablets of wood, every one the name of the man he -thought most holy and acceptable, and worthy to witness with the eleven -to the resurrection of Jesus. And the tablets were cast into a basin; -and it was found that Joseph Barsabas, called Justus, and Matthias were -named. Then Peter called these two men to stand up before the company of -the disciples, and he prayed aloud unto the Lord in these words: - -"Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, show of these two the -one whom thou hast chosen to take the place in this ministry and -apostleship, from which Judas fell away that he might go to his own -place." - -Then cast they the tablets, whereon were written the names of Justus and -Matthias, into the brazen cup; and Peter shook the cup, and the name of -Matthias leapt out, and from henceforward he was numbered with the -apostles. - -As they went away from the upper room to their abiding places, Mary the -mother of Jesus, and Salome, and Mary of Magdala together with John, the -beloved disciple, they talked with one another of what had been done. -Stephen also was with them. - -"We are again twelve," said John with a sigh, for he bethought him of -the days when there was yet another. - -"The Lord was upon earth for forty days after that he arose from the -dead," said Stephen thoughtfully, his eyes fixed upon a bright star -which shone above the horizon like a golden lamp. "Why then did not he -himself choose one to fill the place of Judas?" - -John looked startled. "What dost thou mean?" he said quickly, turning -to look at the young man in the half darkness. - -"Could he not have chosen, had he wished it? Could he not yet choose, -being set down at the right hand of God?" - -"And dost thou think to question the doings of God's elect?" said John, -a ring of authority in his mild tones. - -"Nay, my son, chide not the lad," said Mary. "I myself doubted whether -indeed the casting of lots be pleasing to God. God hath permitted men -many things in the past because of their blindness." - -"It is a practice of wicked men," cried Stephen. "I have seen thieves do -the like to apportion their booty. And did not the Roman soldiers also -at the foot of his cross cast lots for the garments of the crucified -one?" - -"God knoweth that we meant it aright," said John humbly, his face full -of trouble. "We have not yet the spirit of discernment, and are as -those who stumble in the darkness." - -"When the spirit of truth is come he will teach you all things," said -Stephen softly. - -"'And bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have taught -you.' Ay! those were his words. We have need of it, sore need; did we -not forget on that day of dread that he had even told us, told us -plainly, and many times, that so it must be? yet had we failed to -understand. Nay! we would not understand." - -The slight form of Mary trembled and her voice shook as she said, "Many -years hath fear been a guest in my heart since the day Simeon said to -me--when I presented my son a babe before the Lord, 'Behold, this child -is set for the falling and rising up of many in Israel, and for a sign -which is spoken against. Yea, and a sword shall pierce through thine -own soul, that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.' The sword -hath drunken deep of my heart's blood, yet will I trust him though he -slay me." - -"The worst hath happened for us all," said Stephen, clasping her hand. -"He is alive! He is ascended! and yet is he with us, for he said 'Lo, I -am with you alway, even unto the end of the world!'" - -"It cannot be then that we have gone very far wrong," said John slowly. -"It shall yet be according to his will. If Matthias be not the elect of -God for the Apostleship, yet shall he walk with us, and the pierced hand -of the Master himself shall touch another which as yet we know not. -There were thirteen in our fellowship while he was upon earth." - -And having come to the place of their abode, they went in. - - - - - CHAPTER V. - - IN THE ABODE OF KINGS. - - -"Hast thou a torch?" - -"Nay, but it is impossible that they be here. Pah! I cannot abide the -odor of mummies." - -"Yet must thou pass centuries in their company, if indeed thou art -fortunate enough to die in a civilized land." And the speaker's lips -widened till they revealed a row of yellow teeth. - -Amu bent over and gazed steadily for a moment into the black opening -that yawned at his feet, then he looked up at his companion. Something -in his sombre eyes caused the yellow row of teeth to disappear. "I am -going home," he said suddenly. - -"'Tis good! Go back, fetch me a torch, and I will explore for the -singing bird. I am not minded to move from this place till I shall -seize her." - -"Hast thou water?" - -"Nay, but thou hast a bottle at thy girdle; give it me. Even at this -moment I thirst." - -"By Sechet! it is empty. But stay, there is a fountain beyond the crest -of yonder hill; go quench thy thirst. I will remain till thou shalt -return." - -Besa hesitated; he looked steadily into the lowering face of Amu. "Thou -art in a strange humor to-day, friend," he said at length. "I have been -patient with thee, but I will bear no more. Give me thy flask; I will -fill it at the fountain." - -The face of Amu blanched to a sickly yellow hue. His eyes glowed with -fury, but he said not a word; with a sudden quick movement, he seized -the bridle of his mule, and leaping upon its back galloped away towards -Memphis. - -Besa looked after him quietly. "What may be the meaning of all this?" -he said to himself. "Stay, let me consider for a moment. The man comes -to me and says in effect this: 'Thou art a dealer in slaves; I can -procure for thee two of good value, a lad and a maiden. The maiden hath -a voice like to the sound of nightingales; yet cannot I bring them to -the proper purchasers.' At the same time I, Besa, am commissioned to -procure a singing slave for the princess, who pineth in a sickly -melancholy. But what have I suffered in the matter thus far? I have -been half killed by a fall, now am I parched with thirst, and the man -lies to me concerning his water-bottle. I saw him fill it before we -started, therefore I ventured to leave mine own, which I could not at -the moment lay my hands upon. There is no fountain behind the brow of -yonder hill. For what purpose hath the man lied? There is something -here that I cannot see. I will for the present forego the matter, but -there are two things to be set down for the future, and Besa is not the -man to forget." - -Then he advanced to the opening of the tomb, which showed black in its -setting of yellow sand; kneeling clown, he looked carefully at the stone -stairway which led down into the depths. The sand was sifting in with -each breath of the hot desert wind. "It has been opened but a short -time," he remarked at length. "It will be a pious act for me to replace -the stone; Anubis will reward me for it. One must not fail in duty to -the sacred dead." Then he raised his voice, "Rest quietly, my children; -there is nought to hurt thee in the abodes of the departed. Song and -sunlight, laughter and air are needed no more by the slaves of Anubis. -His slave shalt thou be unless thou presently come forth in answer to my -cry." - -The sound of his voice echoed in dismal reverberations through the -hollow blackness within, but there was no sign that his words fell upon -other ears than those sealed to eternal silence within their swathings -of spiced linen. The heavy odor of death ascended in stupefying clouds -into the face of the man as he knelt at the edge of the tomb. He drew -back a little, and the malignant smile faded from his face. - -"The stone shall be put back," he said doggedly, "for I believe, by my -life, that they be down there. They will live till I shall return with -torches and men. If I secure them both, I shall be avenged also upon -Amu." - -Forthwith he bent over and laid hold upon the stone. It was heavy, and -though the lad in his mad fear had succeeded in shoving it to one side, -the man could with difficulty stir it a single inch. The sun beat down -in fury upon his head, the hot wind sang in his ears with a strange -sound of buzzing insects and humming wheels. He stepped down into the -stairway, the better to grasp the stone for another mighty effort. -Suddenly a wave as of fire swept before his eyes, his hands relaxed -their hold, he reeled a little, and then fell, a nerveless heap, into -the darkness. - -To Seth and Anat, who were crouching behind a huge sarcophagus, the -sound at first signified nothing but some fresh horror. - -"I must cry out," urged Seth in a vehement whisper. "We shall perish in -this place, for I cannot move the stone from beneath." - -But Anat held him fast. "Better slavery to death than to such a man." - -Seth watched the shaft of yellow light that pierced the thick darkness. -"Presently," he thought shudderingly, "it will disappear." But the -moments crept slowly by, and the sun still poured in, revealing the -countless dancing atoms which had leapt up from the sleep of centuries -beneath the feet of the fugitives. - -"Anat," he whispered, "something has happened; I will go and see." - -The blind girl held him fast for a moment longer. She bent her head. -There was no sound save the sighing of the wind outside and the hissing -murmur of the sand as it drifted onto the stairway of their prison. -"Go," she said with a sigh of relief, "he has departed." - -Seth rose cautiously to his feet and crept toward the opening; his eyes -had grown accustomed to the darkness now, and he could see on either -side the vast gaudily-painted wooden cases in which dwelt the dead. -Their great eyes stared at him as he hurried past. He stumbled -presently over something which lay at the foot of the stone steps. -Starting back with a cry he perceived that it was the body of a man. He -had fallen upon his face in the sand and lay quite motionless. The lad -stared at him for a moment in fascinated silence, then he bethought him -that presently the man might recover his senses. Turning, he darted -back into the darkness. "Come!" he said breathlessly in the ear of the -blind girl. - -Treading lightly that they might not awake the sleeper, the two crept up -the stair, not without many a fearful backward glance at the quiet -figure which still lay on its face, the monstrous staring eyes of the -mummies looking on unmoved, and the stealthy wind already beginning to -urge the uneasy desert to "Come, cover this man that hath lain him down -to sleep unasked in the abode of kings!" - -"Shall I put the stone in its place?" said Seth, when they had reached -the upper air. - -"Yes," said the girl, clenching her thin hands. "Let him bide there till -the other shall seek him, and if that be never, then I care not. Would -he not have left us to perish? But the gods stayed his hand." - -The lad hesitated. "He hath no water." - -"Fetch him water then and food also if thou wilt. Thou art -soft-hearted; for myself I should leave him as he is. Dost thou not see -that it is now that we must make good our escape? Once the man hath -recovered himself we are lost. I can hear the bells of his beast, let -us seize it and flee away into the desert that we may find the magician -who can open the eyes of them that see not." - -"We could not pass the wilderness, we should perish by the way." - -Anat sat down in the sand. "Thou art a man," she said scornfully, "and -therefore wise; I am as the dust under thy feet; I have no eyes to see -with, yet shall I tell thee what shall come to pass. Go down now to our -enemy whom the gods have smitten, raise him up and pour water into his -mouth and upon his head, then when he shall come to himself say to him, -'Here now is thy beast, I will set thee upon it that thou mayest ride. -As for this maid whom thou didst covet, behold she is thine; I also will -run before thee.'" And the girl laughed aloud, and tossed her head so -that all the gold and silver coins of her necklace clinked musically -together. - -Seth looked at her indignantly. "All women have the poison of asps -under their tongues," he muttered. "It hath been told me, and it is -even true, I have seen men beat their women for less; it purgeth them -from folly." - -The blind girl sprang to her feet. "Wilt thou beat me because I have -proved that thou art the fool?" she cried, her voice choking with rage. -"Yes, let it be so, I care not, but I had thought that thou wast not as -others--that thou didst love me, blind, useless, helpless though I be," -and she burst into a passion of weeping. - -The lad was at her side in a moment. "I do love thee," he murmured -penitently. "I have no other on earth, thou art my all. Come! it shall -be as thou hast said, here is the beast, with such a pretty saddle, -little one, all of crimson velvet, and hung with bells of silver. It is -thine, the gods have given it thee. We will go away towards the first -halting place, I am sure that I can find it." - -Anat checked her sobs after a due space; she even allowed herself to be -placed upon the back of the mule. "Have I the poison of asps under my -tongue?" she said plaintively, but with a gleam of triumph. - -"Not so, by Osiris, I was a brute to say such a thing. Rather hast thou -a voice as sweet as the voice of fountains and as the voice of thrushes -that sing by the river. But I shall place water where our enemy can -drink when he awakens; and I will not close the stone altogether, I will -leave a little space where the sun may enter into that noisome place. -This shall be, shall it not, little sister?" - -Anat tossed her head; she made no reply. Then Seth made haste and -poured water into a cup and set it on the step where their enemy should -see it when he awoke; he took also from his wallet a handful of parched -corn and laid it beside the cup. Looking sidewise at the man, who still -lay all along on his face just as he had been stricken, he fancied that -he saw him stir a little, and the terror came back upon him so that he -sprang up the steps two at a time, and with a mighty effort drew the -great stone forward over the opening, forgetting in his fear to leave it -open ever so little that the sun might look in. - -After that the two fled away, their faces set towards the great and -terrible wilderness, beyond which lay the land of their hope. - - - - - CHAPTER VI. - - THE LORD OF THE SOUTH-LAND. - - -Abu Ben Hesed was a mighty man of war, he was also rich. Ten score of -camels, swift dromedaries not a few, and horses, such that men paid -great sums of gold to possess them; flocks of sheep and of goats; wives -also and children in plenty; all of these things, together with the -unquestioning obedience and devotion of his tribe, did this dweller in -the desert call his own. - -He was a tall man, and his beard descended upon his breast in waves of -silvery whiteness. Yet were his eyes as keen as the eyes of a mountain -eagle, and there was no one of all his tribe who could endure hunger and -thirst as could Ben Hesed. Not that it was necessary for him to so -endure, for was not he lord of all the land that lay betwixt the -mountains on the south of the great wilderness of Shur, even unto the -sea? - -"To satisfy the appetite is not always good," he was wont to say to his -sons. "This will the beasts do whenever they find provender. Man alone -can say to himself, thou shalt fast because I have willed it. Hunger -thus endured maketh man king over the beasts; thus is he set apart from -them, and so do his thoughts soar above the earth even unto the region -of the heavens, where dwelleth Ja, the maker of the stars and also of -man." - -On this day Ben Hesed sat alone in the door of his tent; the sun was -sinking, a ball of scarlet behind the purple rim of the horizon; a group -of camels, browsing on the scanty desert growths, showed black against -its fiery glow, their shadows stretching long and gaunt across the sand. -About the margin of a meagre pool close at hand a cluster of palm trees -also meagre reared their heads, clasping their dusty fronds across the -water as if to hide this sacred treasure of the desert from the fierce -wooing of the sun. - -The voices of the women, coming and going with their water-jars, and the -laughter and cooing of half a score of naked brown babies, who lay -contentedly kicking up their heels in the warm sand, came pleasantly to -the ear of Abu Ben Hesed. He cared not that the pool was meagre and the -palm trees stunted, this only made them the more precious and wonderful, -more truly the works of Jehovah, who had set them thus in the midst of -this great and terrible wilderness, like jewels of price. He had looked -upon fruitful lands and great rivers, upon cities also, where men dwelt -by hundreds and by thousands, and his soul had grown sick within him at -the sight. - -"It was not because of their disobedience only," he said, "that Jehovah -led the children of Israel for forty years in the desert, but also, -because far from the lustful fat earth and teeming rivers and the -abominations of stone and wood that men call cities, he might reveal to -them himself." - -In palm-shaded fountains, in the beauty of night and morning, and in the -flowers which flourished in the arid soil of the desert, he beheld the -love of God. In the deep valleys and solemn mountain crests where the -seething primal rock in some remote and terrible time had gathered -itself into mighty waves and fantastic pinnacles, only to stand still -forever at the word of the Lord, he perceived his power, and in the -blinding, scorching whirlwind of sand, before whose withering breath -nothing mortal could stand, and in whose fiery garments the sun itself -seemed smothered, he saw the wrath of Jehovah. - -As Abu Ben Hesed mused thus within himself, he became aware after a time -that a man was coming swiftly towards him out of the desert, his -garments girt about him. He slackened not his pace till he came to the -spot where Ben Hesed sat in the door of his tent, then he cast himself -down before him and rent his garments with a loud cry of grief. - -"Woe is me, my lord," he cried, when he could find his breath, "I am the -bearer of evil tidings." - -"Speak, my son," said Ben Hesed, who had recognized in the man one of -his herdsmen. "What hath befallen?" - -"Thine enemy who dwells in the south-land hath fallen upon the flocks -this day and hath carried away of the herds a goodly number, of -she-camels also and their foals, three, and of the horses, the stallion -Dekar." - -"And thou livest to tell me this," said Ben Hesed, his eyes burning with -anger. "Why didst thou not defend the flocks?" - -"Woe is me!" repeated the man, casting the dust upon his head. "I have -not yet told the worst; we fought valiantly, and thy son Eri is slain, -together with Kish, the herdsman. When this befell, we fled before the -face of the enemy; the flocks also and the herds are scattered as the -sand of the desert before the wind, and there is nought to hinder them -from falling into the hand of the oppressor." - -Then Abu Ben Hesed arose and rent his clothes and cast dust upon his -head. "Jehovah hath caused me to be smitten," he said. "Nevertheless -all his ways are right ways. I should have watched for mine enemy, for -he hath grown lusty and flourishing of late. I will get me after him -and smite him till he shall cry aloud for succor. Jehovah grant me my -desire upon mine enemy! Alas for my son Eri! He hath been murderously -cut down in the flower of his youth! From the bright morning of his -days he hath been plunged suddenly into the night of death. But behold, -his blood crieth to me for vengeance out of the desert. Let us make -haste!" - -The terrible news spread throughout the encampment, withering the -peaceful evening joy, like the hot breath of a Sirocco. The women -ceased their gay incessant chatter and broke into loud wailing, and the -frightened children wept with fear at the sound. - -"Alas! Alas!" cried the mother of the dead man. "Alas for my son! He -was straight and comely as a palm tree, beautiful also, and pleasant in -his speech. Woe! Woe! He will no more open his mouth with kindness, -nor will his lips break forth with singing." - -"Woe! Woe!" shrilled the other women, rocking to and fro, and casting -the ashes from the dying fire upon their dishevelled heads. - -"Morning and evening hath he led forth the flocks!" moaned the mother. - -"He will lead them forth no more!" wailed her companions. - -"Alas for the betrothed maiden! She is desolate, even as a widow -without little ones hath she become!" - -"Woe! Woe!" - -Through all the clamor of the wailing sounded the clashing of weapons -and the neighing of horses, as the men with set teeth and lowering brows -made ready for the pursuit of their enemy. Within the hour they -departed, a hundred strong, the swift hoofs of their horses casting up -the dust of the desert behind them, as they vanished, a war-cloud big -with storm, into the night. - -Before dawn Abu Ben Hesed had seen his desire upon his enemy. They had -discovered the marauders as they were making merry with their spoil, and -had fallen upon them suddenly, so that they had no time to escape. - -The eyes of Ben Hesed were terrible to look upon as he cut down the -flying wretches. - -"Let no one of them escape!" he cried aloud. "Slay and spare not!" - -Afterward they gathered the spoil of the dead, together with their own -stolen possessions and turned their faces once more toward the north. -The heart of Ben Hesed was as lead within his bosom. - -"After all," he thought, "what doth it profit to revenge oneself on an -enemy? My son is not restored, nor is my herdsman. Yet it is the law, -blood for blood, and the law is good." He raised his eyes wearily, and -looked away toward the east, where the dawn was beginning with solemn -pomp and splendor. Long rays of tremulous light flickered athwart the -cold, clear blue of the heavens, the morning star burned pallid amidst -the growing radiance, till at last it was swallowed up and lost in the -oncoming flood of day. Abu Ben Hesed looked down at his clothing and at -his hands which were red with the blood of his enemies. He loathed -himself at that moment. - -"I see something yonder which resembles a man," said his eldest son, who -rode beside him. "Also a beast, lying down. What can it be, think you, -my lord? Another of our enemies who hath perchance escaped us in the -darkness?" - -Abu Ben Hesed turned his eyes in the direction to which the man pointed. -"It is death," he said quietly. "The vultures are already gathering to -the feast." - -"Nay, I have seen the figure move. Shall I go and see what the thing -may be?" - -"Go, my son; if the man be alive, slay him not, but bring him to me -unhurt." - -The son of Abu obeyed, drawing near the object and circling about it -cautiously that he might view it from every side. Presently he -dismounted and walked quite up to the thing, his horse following at his -heels, and snuffing at the air suspiciously. Two or three great birds -with bare flabby necks and red eyes, rose slowly from the ground at his -approach and flapped heavily away, croaking dismally. They had been -busy on the carcass of a mule, which lay dead upon the sand, its gay -saddle of crimson velvet hung with silver bells, befouled and draggled. -At a little distance, and quite motionless, was a heap of parti-colored -drapery, from which protruded a slender brown foot. - -"A child!" said Ben Abu. "Two of them," he added as he pulled aside the -striped covering of cotton cloth which concealed their faces. "Dead -from thirst," was his verdict after he had turned them over and had -noted with a certain dimness of his keen vision, their swollen tongues -and the goat-skin water-bottle which lay beside the lad quite empty. - -Then he stood up and blew a long blast on the ram's horn which he -carried at his girdle. - - - - - CHAPTER VII. - - THE PHARISEE FROM TARSUS. - - -"Oh, that Jehovah would rend the heavens; that Israel might see his -righteousness! My heart burneth within me as a live coal. I cannot -sleep because of these things." - -"God hath given thee this spirit, my son, because of the peril of his -chosen. He shall greatly prosper the work of thine hand." Annas -uttered these words in a low, smooth voice, drawing his long silvery -beard through his delicate fingers and looking keenly from under his -half-closed eyelids at the dark, eager face before him. - -"If I could only help on the day of his coming!" said the young man, -rising and pacing restlessly up and down the floor, his hands clasped -behind him, his head sunken upon his breast. - -As he walked thus, the eyes of the older man followed him with a -peculiar satisfaction. They rested approvingly on the strong athletic -figure, on the bent head crisped with dark curls, on the stern brow and -fiery eyes, and the clear, strongly-cut features. - -"From my youth have I been struggling to keep the law with this one end -in view!" continued the speaker. "If I, even I, might be he who shall -by his holy living, by the exact fulfilling of the law of the Almighty, -bring the Messiah! But the flesh is weak, I know not how I have -offended. Of the two hundred and forty-eight commands and the three -hundred and sixty-five prohibitions, I have not broken one knowingly for -many days. But there has always been failure, a drop of unclean water, -perchance, on the dish from which I have eaten, or my robe has touched -one who is polluted and I knew it not, or I myself in all my zeal have -omitted something. It must be all or nothing in the eyes of him who is -God of gods, infinite, unsearchable, who knoweth all things. What is -man that he can please him who sitteth on the circle of the heavens?" - -Annas smiled behind his hand. "The zeal of thine house hath eaten me -up," he quoted piously. "Truly, my son, it giveth me heartfelt joy to -perceive such holy aspirations in so young a man. Now do I know that God -was with me when I was moved to send for Saul of Tarsus. As for me, I -am an old man. I can no longer support all the rigor of the law, else -would my flesh fail me. 'Behold to obey is better than sacrifice, and to -hearken than the fat of rams,' as it is written also in the law." - -"It is that alone to which I press forward--obedience to the law. Thou -knowest--why should I even speak of the matter to thee, my father, that -if one person only can for a single day keep the whole law and not -offend in one point, nay, if but one person could for once perfectly -keep the Sabbath of the Lord our God, then--then the Messiah would come. -Then would the Lord dwell once more among his people in visible form. -Then would we tread our enemies under our feet, then would the Holy of -Holies be filled with glory so that Jerusalem should shine as a bride -prepared for her husband. Oh, Lord! when shall these things be? 'Why -dost thou tarry? Why is thy holy city defiled by the Gentiles?'" The -speaker paused and lifted his face as if to listen for some word from -the unanswering heavens. - -The deep tones of the old man broke the silence. "These things can never -be until Jerusalem is purged of the followers of that blasphemer, who -hath of late paid the just penalty of his crimes on the accursed tree. -Take counsel with me, my son, and I will tell thee how thou shalt hasten -this day of which thou hast spoken. 'With thine eyes shalt thou behold -and see the reward of the wicked. The Lord will not cast off his -people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.' He speaks to thee, my -son, through the words of my mouth, listen therefore, 'Judgment shall -return unto righteousness, and all the upright in heart shall follow it. -But who will rise up for me against the evil doers; who will stand up -for me against the workers of iniquity?'" - -"I will stand against the workers of iniquity," answered the young man -solemnly. "I will utterly crush them and cast them out, even as did -Elijah in the day when he slew the prophets of Baal at the brook -Kishon." - -"Upon thee, my son, hath the mantle of the prophet fallen, and into thy -hand will I commit this work. Only must thou submit thyself to my -direction in the matter, for I know the ways of this people and of this -city as thou dost not. Listen therefore while I shall speak to thee of -what we must accomplish." - -"Speak! for my spirit burns within me. I long to come up to the help of -the Lord against the mighty." - -"Thou hast well said the mighty, my son, for strange and terrible things -have happened. Thou hast already heard how that suddenly out of the -hill country of Galilee there arose a man called Jesus of Nazareth. He -was a carpenter, and the son of a carpenter, he wrought also at his -trade blamelessly enough until he was about thirty years of age. After -that he took to himself certain men of the baser sort, gathered from -among ignorant fisher folk, and even publicans; these men he called his -disciples. Then went he forth and began to teach strange and ungodly -doctrines to the people. He taught them that the Sabbath was not to be -observed after the law, that the priests and rabbis were hypocrites; -yea, he even said that we were as whited sepulchres, fair to look upon, -but within full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. Extortioners -also he called us and unjust." And the speaker's voice shook with -passion. "He pretended to do wondrous miracles, and all manner of wild -tales began to fill the mouths of the common people. Even of our own -number were led after him certain ones--Joseph of Arimathea--may God -smite him, and Nicodemus also, so thou canst perceive the cunning of the -Evil One. He came boldly up to Jerusalem at the time of feasts, he even -made pretense of keeping the feasts also with his disciples, yet was he -always undermining the law and teaching others so. Repeatedly did he -heal on the Sabbath day." - -"What meanest thou?" said the young man, knitting his dark brows. "Did -he heal then, of a truth?" - -Annas hesitated a moment, he shifted uneasily about in his place. "Thou -wilt hear wondrous tales of his doings," he said at length, dropping his -eyes to the floor. "But--" and his voice gathered firmness, "it is all -lies--all lies. The man paid money to vile beggars to pretend that they -were blind and halt, then, forsooth, he loosed them from their -infirmities." - -"It was reported in Tarsus that he had raised a man from the dead," said -Saul, fixing his candid dark eyes on the downcast face of his companion. - -"Reported?--yes! I also heard of the marvel. The High Priest sent his -servant, Malchus, to inquire into the matter." - -"Why did he not go himself?" - -"What need? the man was faithful." - -"Where is this Malchus? I should like to speak with him." - -Annas looked alarmed. "The man hath died since," he said, frowning. - -"What said he of the matter?" - -"What could an honest man say?" replied Annas with a crafty smile. "Can -a carpenter build anew the life which God hath taken out of a man? But -I have not told thee all. This carpenter also declared that he was the -Messiah." - -There was silence in the room for a moment, broken only by the quickened -breathing of the young man. - -"He said further in the presence of the holy Council of the Sanhedrim -that he was the Son of God, the King of Israel, and that hereafter he -would come in the clouds of heaven to judge the earth." - -Saul of Tarsus sprang to his feet, lightnings played within his eyes. -"Blasphemer!" he cried in a choked voice. "Why did not Jehovah smite -him to the earth?" - -"Jehovah did smite him by the hand of his servants; not many hours after -he had uttered those sayings he died the accursed death--But hark! I -hear a sound of turmoil; what hath befallen? Alas for Jerusalem! she is -sorely vexed by the heathen within her gates. Ever and anon the Roman -soldiers smite the inhabitants and there is the clash of weapons and the -shedding of blood even at the very gates of the temple." - -His companion glanced out of the window. "The people are running from -every direction," he said eagerly. "Let us see what hath happened." - -"Go thou, my son. I must needs sanctify myself for the temple service." - -Descending into the street and following the steps of the hurrying -stragglers, the young man soon found himself in the meaner and more -crowded portions of the city. Here the narrow streets were choked with -people, all running, pushing, struggling towards a common centre. - -The Pharisee of Tarsus shrank back with disgust into the doorway of a -synagogue near at hand, and from this coign of vantage looked forth on -the crowd. The white turbans of Jewish rabbis, the red-bronze faces of -Egyptian camel drivers, and the gay robes of Asiatic merchants all -mingled in the shifting mazes of the multitude. A jargon of tongues -also, like the buzzing of a gigantic swarm of bees, filled the air. -From somewhere not far away, he could hear the loud tones of a man's -voice, rising and falling as if in passionate exhortation. - -"What hath befallen?" he asked at length of a man dressed in the garb of -a Greek sailor, who, like himself, had sought refuge in the doorway of -the synagogue. - -"Fire from heaven hath fallen on the followers of the Nazarene," replied -the man, without looking around. - -"Dost thou mean the followers of the man called Jesus, who hath lately -perished on the cross?" said Saul, regardless for once of the defilement -which he brought upon himself by speaking with this Gentile. - -"The same," replied the Greek, glancing carelessly at his questioner. -"The man Jesus was a worker of miracles. He revived after being buried -three days, and went up bodily to dwell with the God of the Jews." - -"Dog of a Gentile," cried Saul angrily, "thou art accursed because thou -art a Gentile, but doubly accursed because thou hast also blasphemed." - -The Greek shrugged his shoulders. "Do I care for thee, Jew?" he said, -showing his white teeth in a wicked laugh. "Thou also art accursed, and -thy temple shall be torn down, so that not one stone shall stand upon -another. I heard the Nazarene say it, and, by Bacchus, I believe it." - -"Thou shalt be scourged, fellow, and thy scurrilous tongue cut from thy -head," hissed Saul between his shut teeth. "I am a Roman, and I will -see to it." - -At this the man turned pale, for all his swarthy skin. With a sudden, -quick movement, he snatched his garments from the grasp of the Pharisee -and fled away into the crowd, doubling and twisting under the arms and -betwixt the legs of the half-naked barbarians till he was lost to view. - -Saul looked after him for a moment in speechless rage. - -"Thou art a stranger, then, in Jerusalem," said a voice at his side, -"and knowest not what wonders have come upon the Holy City--wonders and -terrors also." - -The young Pharisee turned and looked at the speaker. He was a Jew, and -wore a broad phylactery upon his arm. "I have heard all," he said -shortly. "But what hath befallen the followers of the man? The knave -yonder said that fire from heaven had fallen upon them; I hope that they -be burned to ashes, as were the dwellers in Sodom." - -"They are unharmed," said the newcomer gravely. "If, indeed, fire hath -fallen upon them, it was a fire that enlightened their understanding, -for even now they are preaching to the people of the risen Galilean, so -that of all these foreigners every man hears in his own tongue." - -"Nay, son of Abraham," cried another voice, "the men are drunken with -new wine, and babble as is the custom of wine-bibbers and gluttons." - -Saul recognized in the speaker one of the members of the Sanhedrim. -"Why then do ye, who are in authority, suffer such unseemly conduct in -these men? Why not deal with them also as thou hast dealt with their -Master?" - -"Thou art zealous," said the other in a low voice, and with a gesture of -caution. "Yet would such measures be untimely. This," indicating the -mixed multitude with a contemptuous wave of his hand, "is a beast, which -hath not been tamed either by the church nor yet by the Romans. When it -hath tired of these babblers it will rend them, even as it rent the -Nazarene, for it was this very multitude that shrieked, 'Crucify him! -crucify him!' for the space of three hours. Come, let us be going. We -defile ourselves by remaining in this place." - - - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - A BELIEVER IN THE NAZARENE. - - -"If only I had been there, perchance upon even me might a little of the -blessing have fallen. And yet, was it not by the mercy of the all-seeing -One that I was chained to the side of him who slew Jesus? We are one -flesh, as it is written in the law; if he is accursed, I also am -accursed." - -"Knowest thou our Lord so little that thou dost believe what thou hast -said?" said Stephen, a smile dawning in his dark eyes. - -The wife of Caiaphas wiped away one or two slow tears. "How can I know -him?" she asked bitterly. - -"Once when Jesus was upon earth," said Stephen, looking away towards -Calvary, which they could see plainly from their breezy nook on the -terrace, "he said this--I did not hear it--but John, whom Jesus called -the beloved; one of the disciples, had asked the Master how they should -pray, and he told them the very words they might use acceptably; but he -also said, If thou hast desires bring them to the Father. He will give -to thee even as an earthly father, and much more; if a child should come -to his father and ask for bread will that father offer him a stone? or -if he crave fish, will he thrust a deadly scorpion into his hand? How -much more then will your heavenly Father give his spirit to them that -ask him. It was because we asked that it was given. Thou also shalt -ask and shalt receive." - -"Wilt thou tell me about it?" said Anna, in a low voice, fixing her eyes -wistfully upon the speaker. - -He was no longer a lad, she could see it; the awful experiences through -which his soul had passed had swept him suddenly and forever away from -childhood. His child nature had been crucified with those whom he -loved, and upon his face there had come a look such as the strong young -angels wear who wait in the presence of the Almighty to do his pleasure. - -"We were together in the upper room," said Stephen, after a little -silence, "the disciples, the mother of Jesus, and all the others. After -we had eaten of the bread and drunken of the wine--also he commanded to -do in remembrance of his death--we continued in prayer, sometimes -spoken, sometimes in silence--for there is no need to speak aloud to -reach him who is 'with us alway even unto the end of the world.' He was -there, though we could not see him. All of us knew it; and we asked him -for the fulfilment of his last promise--the Spirit, that we being weak, -might receive power to be his witnesses before men. John the beloved -spoke to him, after that there was silence for a brief space, then on a -sudden there came a sound, faint at first, but growing louder by degrees -till it filled all the place. It was like nothing I have heard upon -earth, and yet was it most like the sound of the viewless wind when it -rushes through the thick forest. But it was not wind. I knelt at the -side of the Lord's mother, my eyes were upon her at the moment, and the -light tresses that fell about her forehead did not so much as stir." - -"Was that all?" whispered Anna, leaning forward and clasping her hands. - -"As I kept my eyes fixed upon Mary," continued Stephen--"for it seemed -to me that she was looking at Him--I saw form in the air above her head -a tremulous light, it wavered and brightened till it had the look of a -cloven tongue of flame. As I feared and trembled greatly at the sight, -on a sudden a voice cried out, 'The promise hath been fulfilled unto -us!' Then did I see that upon every head hovered the heavenly fire." - -"And then?" - -"And then," cried the young man, a great joy in the solemn tones of his -voice, "all things were made clear to us. We knew what the Lord meant -when he said 'Ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in -all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth.' -We were no longer filled with fear, thinking only how to escape the -hands of them that had murdered our Lord--nay, rather, that in the -infinite and unsearchable knowledge and wisdom of the Father had lifted -him up upon the cross to be a light unto the world. We rushed out into -the street, and the Spirit also drew together out of all the city devout -men from every nation under heaven. They gathered in a great multitude -that they might hear of the Saviour, not of the Jews only, but of the -world." - -"How, then, could they understand?" asked Anna, her worn face reflecting -the glow upon the face of the young man, as the mountain top clad in its -pallor of eternal snow reflects the radiance of the dawn. - -"What is the weakness of mortal understanding when the eternal God sheds -upon it his spirit of might? Did he not make the tongue of the Asiatic -as well as the tongue of the Greek; the tongues of the Parthians, Medes, -and Elamites also, as well as the tongue of the Hebrews? Are not all -languages understood by him? He spake through us, and behold, every man -heard the message in his own language. After that did Peter speak unto -the people, and he mightily convinced them, so that many cried out, -'What shall we do?' 'Repent and be baptized,' he answered them, 'every -one of you, in the name of Jesus, the Christ, for the remission of sins, -and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is -unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off." - -"Said he this to the Gentiles?" asked Anna, in amaze. - -Stephen looked troubled. "Nay," he said, "I know not if they were -Gentiles, they had by inheritance a part in the blessing, even as I had -through my mother; but of a surety God created all men. It will be made -plain to us," he added, after a pause, a smile of heavenly sweetness -touching his lips. - -"And who is it that the wife of the High Priest honors thus with her -hospitality?" broke in a sneering voice. - -Anna started up with a faint cry, her eyes fixed with manifest terror on -the gaunt figure that stood before them. - -"Ah! thou dost not answer. Didst thou think, then, that I should remain -chained to my couch forever? I am minded to see what is passing in my -house. It is time." - -"Do not stand," gasped Anna. "Thou art not strong. I thought that thou -wast asleep." - -"Time hasteneth with rapid foot when a lady entertains so comely a young -man," said the High Priest with a terrible gentleness. "Once more I ask -of thee, who is thy guest?" - -Stephen had risen to his feet and was looking with troubled eyes into -the face of her whom he had learned to love almost as a mother. He -waited for her to speak. Her lips moved, but no sound came from them. -He turned and fixed his eyes upon the man. "I know not who thou art," -he said in a clear voice, "nor why thou dost question this beloved lady -so harshly, but I can answer for myself. My name is Stephen." - -The High Priest took a step forward; he did not speak, but death looked -out from his eyes. - -"Go! Go!" whispered Anna, turning her white face upon the young man. -"Thou dost not understand, but go!--I beseech thee." - -"Nay, I will not go till I am assured of thy safety. Who, and what -manner of man is this?" - -The smouldering fire in the eyes of Caiaphas leapt up into a lurid -blaze. "Dost thou, the murderer of my son, defy me in mine own house?" -he cried in a choked voice. "Because thou art in mine house, I will not -kill thee, but--" and his voice died away into a silence more terrible -than speech. - -"Go!" repeated Anna imploringly. - -But Stephen did not appear to have heard. "What dost thou mean?" he -said, his voice full of horror. "Thou hast called me a murderer!" - -The High Priest looked at him contemptuously. "Son of a malefactor, dost -thou not know that upon thy head rests the blood-guilt of thy father?" - -"No!" thundered Stephen, his eyes blazing. "The fire of God could not -rest upon a head whereon is also blood-guilt. I am innocent; God hath -witnessed it." - -"Accursed murderer and blasphemer!" hissed Caiaphas. "Get thee hence, -or not even the sacred law of hospitality shall refrain my hand from thy -throat." Then he sank trembling onto a bench. - -True to her wifely instincts, Anna sprang to help him, but he put her -away roughly. "Stand before me, woman," he said, fixing his savage eyes -upon her. "Thou shalt answer me somewhat that I shall ask of thee. Now -that the murderer of thy son hath rid us of his presence thou canst -perhaps attend to what I shall say." Anna stood before him, motionless -and rigid, her eyes wide with an unnatural calm fixed upon his face. -"Hast thou known who and what this young man is before to-day?" - -"Yes." - -"Hast thou before received him into my house?" - -"Yes." - -"Is he a follower of the accursed Nazarene?" - -"Yes." - -"Art--thou--also one of his believers?" - -A change swept over the marble features of the woman, she lifted her -face, a mysterious light from above seemed to shine upon it. - -"I am," she said simply, but in those two words there sounded a very -pean of triumph. - -"Flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone," said Caiaphas in a low measured -voice, "thou art anathema. As I would cut off my right hand should it -become polluted beyond cleansing, so also will I sever thee from my -life. Get thee hence unto thine own; thou hast no longer part nor lot -with me from henceforth and even forever. And so let it be." - -The woman looked dumbly into the pitiless face of the man before her; -her slight figure swayed a little, then noiselessly as a snow wreath she -fell forward and lay prone upon the marble pavement at his feet. - -The man stared at the silent figure; he did not touch it. After a time -he arose and walked heavily away without once looking behind him. - - - - - CHAPTER IX. - - IN THE DESERT ENCAMPMENT. - - -"Thou mayest fetch the lad and the maiden and set them in my presence. -I would question them of this thing." - -The woman bowed herself humbly before her lord and retired; presently -she returned, leading by the hand a slight figure clad in the shapeless -blue gown of an Egyptian peasant girl. Behind lagged with unwilling -feet a half-grown lad. - -Abu Ben Hesed fixed his piercing eyes upon the twain. "Thou mayest go -till I shall call thee," he said to the woman. She lingered yet a -moment to whisper, "The maid is blind, my lord!" - -"Come hither, my son," said Ben Hesed after a short survey of his two -guests, "and tell me how it befell that thou wast in the desert alone? -Didst thou know," he added somewhat severely, "that thou wast brought to -the borders of the encampment only that thou mightest be buried safe -from the vultures? Had not one of the women discerned signs of life, -when no other eye could see it, thou wouldst even now be sleeping -beneath the sand." - -The boy shuddered slightly; he opened his lips as though to speak, but -the girl broke out impetuously: - -"I alone am in fault," she cried. "It was I who would not listen to my -brother when he said, 'we shall perish by the way if we go forth into -the wilderness.' It is true," she continued, turning to the lad, "folly -dwelleth in the heart of a woman. I am minded to let thee beat me. I -have deserved it." - -Abu Ben Hesed smiled in the midst of his great beard, but the smile -looked also out of his eyes, so that the lad was emboldened to speak. - -"We fled before the face of an enemy," he said, looking squarely into -the bright eyes of the man before him. "He would have made slaves of us -in the city; death in the wilderness is better." - -"Thou hast spoken a word of wisdom when thou hast so said, my son," -cried Ben Hesed, his eyes flashing. "And who is it that would have -caged the wild eaglets of the desert?" - -"I know not," replied the lad. "I saw not the man, I only heard him -speak. We were hidden in the abiding place of the dead; he would have -shut us up there to perish, but Sechet smote him in the act and we left -him on his face in the sand." - -"Thou art Egyptian," said Ben Hesed after a pause. "How comes it that -thou canst speak the tongue of the desert?" - -"It was my mother's language; my father was a Greek." - -"Where then are thy parents?" - -"Dead, many years dead," said the boy looking down, and digging his bare -toes into the hot sand. A single tear rolled swiftly down his brown -cheek. - -Ben Hesed saw it, his keen eyes softened. "No longer shalt thou look -for a place to bide in safety from thine enemy," he said gently. "Where -else should the young eaglets fly but to the nest of their kind? Thou -art safe here, my children." - -"Thou art good," replied the lad simply; "but--my sister is blind." - -"I am not ignorant of that, my son," said Ben Hesed with a stately -inclination of his head. "There is no need that she labor with her -hands. Plenty dwells within the borders of my land, though it be not the -plenty of Egypt; there is no lack of either flesh nor bread, nor yet of -the milk of many herds. Thou art strong, son, and thou shalt labor as -becomes a man; the maid shall dwell with the women. Go now in peace, -and think of thy past distresses no more," and he waved his hand in -token of dismissal. - -"Come, Anat," said the lad, drawing her gently away. "It is impossible -for us to repay thee thy goodness," he added, lingering wistfully. -"Yet--" - -"There is no need," said Ben Hesed, a slight shade of impatience in his -tone. "Go now, my son will tell thee of thy duties." - -"Nay, brother, do not hold me, I must tell him," cried Anat. "We cannot -remain here." - -"How now, damsel, art thou not satisfied with what thou hast received at -my hands?" and Ben Hesed drew his bushy brows together with the look -before which his wives, his children and his tribe were wont to tremble. - -Seth also trembled. "I pray thee, my lord," he said, instinctively -bowing himself almost to the ground, "that thou wilt not deal harshly -with the maid, my sister. She is blind, and we were seeking a great -magician who can heal blindness by a word. Thou knowest that it is an -evil thing not to look upon the sun, and upon the stars, and upon the -faces of one's kind." - -Ben Hesed was silent for a moment. He looked keenly into the lad's -flushed face. "It is in Egypt that the magicians dwell," he said at -length. "Hast thou not heard how Moses, the mighty man of God, fetched -out the Israelites with a strong hand from among the Egyptians; how he -worked marvels also and great plagues with the rod of God, and the -magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments, save certain things -which they could not do?" - -"I know not Moses," said the boy, shaking his head. "Though I have -heard many marvels of the great gods of the Greeks and Romans also. Yet -is there no magician in Egypt who can cure blindness, for the land is -full of it." - -"And wherefore didst thou look for this magician in the wilderness?" - -"The man said that he dwelt beyond the wilderness and that his name was -Jesus," said Anat in her low, sweet voice. "I have not forgotten the -name, Jesus. He healed the man, he will also heal me if only I can find -him." - -Ben Hesed fingered his beard for a time in silence. "What manner of man -Was he that told thee of this thing?" he said at length. - -"He came out of the desert on a swift dromedary," replied Seth. "He was -of great stature and his beard descended upon his breast. I gave him to -drink of my goat-skin. He said, moreover, that the magician dwelt at -Jerusalem." - -"A year ago I went up to the Holy City," said Ben Hesed, "that I might -offer sacrifices in the temple. I care not to go again. God is a God -of the wilderness; he answers also in the wilderness. Of the rocks of -the desert have I builded me an altar, even as did Abraham in the days -of old. Jerusalem is desolate and her holy places are waste. Why should -I go any more into a temple which is daily defiled by the feet of wicked -men?" The voice of the speaker shook with passion as he said the last -words. Then his head dropped upon his breast and his lips moved, though -no sound came from them. The children waited before him in silence, not -daring to move. - -After what seemed to her a long time, Anat allowed a long-drawn sigh to -escape her, by way of a delicate reminder of their presence. "Thou wast -in Jerusalem?" she ventured timidly. - -Ben Hesed looked up; something in the flower-like beauty and innocence -of the child-face, guarded by its pathetic, unseeing eyes, moved him -strangely. The gloom lifted from his brow. - -"I was in Jerusalem," he said gravely, "and I saw this man Jesus with -mine own eyes." - -Anat clasped her hands joyfully. "Ah! then thou canst tell us of him. -Dost thou think that he would heal me? I have no money nor treasure to -give him, except this," and she laid her fingers on the necklace of -coins. - -"He would not ask thee for treasure, my child," said Ben Hesed, "for I -saw him heal a beggar, who lay upon his bed unable to move, and the man -gave him no reward. I came away from Jerusalem in that same hour and -saw him no more. I have thought since that sometime I will again seek -for him, though I need not to be healed." - -"It is a good word that thou hast given to us," said Anat in a tone of -joyful conviction; "and now wilt thou further give a handful of parched -corn that we may eat by the way. My brother will fill the goat-skin -with water, and we will depart." - -"Art thou not afraid of the vultures, little one?" asked Ben Hesed with -a grave smile. "And how will the flint of the desert bruise those -tender feet of thine now that thy beast is dead." - -Seth looked depressed. "We cannot go," he said at length, "my goat-skin -is not sufficient, and we do not know the way." - -"Nay, but we must go!" cried Anat impetuously. "I care not for the -vultures, and we have already come a great distance. Did I whine or -complain when we thirsted?" - -"Thou didst not; but could I bear again to see thee sink to the earth, -thy tongue like a parched leaf within thy mouth? And the vultures--thou -could'st not see them, but it was horrible--horrible! They stared at us -with their red eyes, they waited for us to die. I kept up as long as I -was able and drove them away, then did I call aloud upon the god of the -land to save us; after that I hid our faces, and waited for Anubis to -take us." - -"The God of the land heard thee, boy," said Ben Hesed solemnly, "for he -is not a god like to the gods of the Egyptians. He saved thee, even as -he saved the child Ishmael, whom Abraham cast forth into the desert to -die. In the desert also did the child Ishmael remain; and God made out -of him a great nation which hath ruled over the wilderness until this -day. Ay! and shall rule as long as the desert itself remains, for his -word is from everlasting to everlasting. Listen now to what I shall say -unto thee: thou shalt go in search of this man Jesus, for I believe that -he is able to do this thing whereof thou hast spoken. I will send thee -to the borders of Judaea with food and water and beasts of burden also, -that ye perish not by the way; after that shall ye with ease find -Jerusalem, for the way is not long and the land is fertile. Enter freely -into the villages and ask for bread, the inhabitants will not say thee -nay. And when the maid shall be healed of her blindness, perchance thou -wilt again remember the wilderness; return if thou wilt. To-morrow -shalt thou set forth." - -"I will return, my lord," said the lad, "and by all the gods of the -sacred Nile, I swear unto thee that hereafter I will serve thee as a -bondman during the years of my life--if it be thy will; because thou -hast saved us from death, and because of all thy goodness unto us." - -"Nay, rather, thou shalt be to me in the place of my son Eri, whom God -hath taken from me," said Ben Hesed. "Go now in peace, and rest until -the morning." - -So the two were feasted that night, because that they had found favor in -the eyes of Ben Hesed. And afterward they slept soundly in the tent of -goat's hair, beneath the striped blanket with which they had hidden -themselves from the fierce eyes of vultures. And Seth dreamed that he -had grown to be a man, and that he was riding upon a swift horse, the -wild desert winds blowing in his face, and he laughed aloud in his dream -for joy. But to the blind girl came a gentler vision of one who laid a -healing hand upon her sightless eyes, and behold! she saw the face of -him that had healed her, but it was not the face of a mortal, for upon -it shone a light beyond the light of the sun. - - - - - CHAPTER X. - - THE WHITE DROMEDARY. - - -Long before the first streaks of light in the east proclaimed the dawn, -Seth was awake. Outside he could hear the grunting of the sleepy camels, -as their drivers aroused them to fasten the heavy loads on their patient -backs. He raised the flap of the tent and looked out. A keen sparkle -of stars overhead and a whiff of cold air greeted him. Yet he knew that -it must be near the time to start, and he felt a thrill of boyish -excitement at the prospect. Among the dark figures which were moving -about near the dying fire he thought he could distinguish that of Ben -Hesed himself. Presently he slipped out, leaving Anat peacefully asleep. -Shivering a little in the cool breeze, he made his way towards the place -where the most active preparations were in full tide of progress. - -"Make haste!" he heard in the authoritative tones of Ben Hesed's voice. -"Thou shouldst have prepared the water-skins last night. Feasting is -good, but fasting is better, since it giveth diligence rather than -sloth. I would not that ye press on through the fiercest of the midday -heat," he added; "the maid hath imperfectly recovered as yet." - -"They will walk with the drivers, my lord?" - -"Nay, not so. Thou shalt put the saddle upon Mirah, it will suffice for -both." - -Marvelling greatly at this mark of favor, the men brought the great -white dromedary, the favorite of her master, and threw upon her the -broad saddle, gay with scarlet leather and tinkling bells. - -Seth stared with amazement and delight at the docile beast that stood -with outstretched neck snuffing at the fresh wind. - -"What dost thou make of such favor to these beggar brats?" said one of -the men in low tones to his companion, as he bent to fasten the saddle -girth. - -"Nay, I know not; 'tis a marvel," answered the other, looking cautiously -about him. "Adah told me last night that he had promised to take the -lad after his return in the place of his son Eri." - -"Ah, sayest thou so? Let me tell thee then that the lad will not -return. Why should such a thing be, when the son of his sister is among -his tried followers?" - -"What wilt thou do to prevent it, son of my lord's sister," said the -other, with a low chuckle--"and a kid slain also, in the very midst of -the mourning, that the heathen beggars might be feasted!" he added with -malicious enjoyment. - -Seth prudently drew back in the darkness quite unnoticed, but not before -a fragment of the reply reached him; it was this, and it filled him with -vague alarms. "What befell the lad Joseph in the days when he dreamed -dreams, may also again happen." - -Who was the lad Joseph, he wondered, and what befell him? But he -presently forgot this in the bustle and excitement of starting forth -upon their journey. Anat had been aroused, and the two, perched -securely on the back of the gentle Mirah, were the centre of a group of -women, some of whom held up their little ones to see, while others -pushed parcels of fruit into the hand of the blind girl, wishing them -prosperity in their journeyings. - -At length all was ready, the last strap adjusted, the last farewell -spoken, and the little cavalcade, consisting of some three or four -camels and as many men, moved slowly away, followed by the stately -Mirah, the two children, unaccustomed to the peculiar swinging motion of -her gait, clinging fast to the saddle and scarcely remembering to look -back into the kind faces of their rescuers. - -All that day they traveled, stopping only for a brief space at the -noontide hour. Seth, remembering the command of Ben Hesed, wondered a -little at this, but he said nothing. In the man who seemed to be in -command of the expedition, the lad had recognized with a feeling of -uneasiness the one who had spoken the mysterious words, "What befell the -lad Joseph may also again happen." - -"Hast thou ever heard of the lad Joseph?" he said to Anat, when they -were once more under way. They had grown somewhat accustomed to the -long, swinging strides of the dromedary now, and were consequently more -at their ease. - -"The lad Joseph?" repeated Anat, in her clear, penetrating voice. - -"Hist! do not let them hear thee. Yes, the lad Joseph, something -strange befell him; it is a legend perhaps. I heard it spoken of in -yonder encampment; thou knowest many such tales, for myself I have no -mind to remember them." - -"There is the great canal of Joseph in the land of Egypt, as thou -knowest," said Anat, after a few moments of thought; "there is a tale -concerning him who caused it to be made, I know not how long ago. I -have heard it many times from our mother. He was a great prince----" - -"Nay, then he was not the one; it is of the lad Joseph, and what befell -him, that I wish to know," broke in Seth impatiently. - -"If thou wilt hold thy peace, water-carrier," replied Anat with dignity, -"I will tell thee the tale as it was told me." - -"Thou mayest say on; it will help pass away the time." - -"He was a great prince," resumed Anat, still with dignity, "but he was -also a lad first. I had the tale from our mother. As I have said, it -was told to her when she was a maid and dwelt in the borders of the -wilderness; it is a true tale. As a lad this Joseph dwelt in the -wilderness, the youngest of twelve brethren, the others were grown men; -they hated Joseph and were envious of him because their father, who was -very rich, gave him many things which they received not, an embroidered -tunic, a chain of silver, and such like. The lad also dreamed -dreams----" - -"Ah!" exclaimed Seth eagerly, "he dreamed, sayest thou?" - -"Of a surety," replied the blind girl; "he dreamed that when he bound -his sheaf at harvest time, the sheaves of his father and mother and of -his brethren came and bowed themselves before it, and other dreams of -the like which signified that he would become a great prince, and that -all they of his household should do reverence before him. He should not -have told such dreams," she added sagely, "for of course his brothers -only hated him the more. One day he was sent into the wilderness to -fetch dates and honey to the eleven men, his brothers, who were herding -the flocks; they saw him coming, wearing his fine, many-colored tunic, -and they made up their minds to put him out of the way." - -"What did they do?" said Seth breathlessly. - -"I was just coming to that, impatient one. Canst thou not hold thy -peace? Thou art as greedy over this tale as a flock of sparrows over a -measure of corn that hath been spilled on the ground." - -"I will hold my peace, queen of my soul," said Seth meekly; "only, I -pray thee, tell me what befell the lad." - -Somewhat appeased by his humble demeanor, the imperious little maid -proceeded with her story. "First," she continued impressively, "they -thought that they would kill him, and take his fine tunic home and tell -their father that a beast had slain him, but just as they were turning -the matter over in their minds they spied a caravan coming towards them, -so they changed their wicked purpose to a wickeder yet, and sold him for -a slave. Yes, their own brother for a slave," she repeated, much -gratified by the involuntary cry which her listener gave at this. "They -took him to Egypt----" she went on. - -But Seth did not hear the remainder of the story; he was clenching his -brown hands in silent anguish of soul. It was all clear to him now. -They were to be sold as slaves after all of their sufferings and -dangers; they would never see the Holy City, nor the man Jesus who could -heal blindness. He groaned aloud. - -Anat, in the full tide of her narrative, mistook this for a note of -admiration or wonder. She had just arrived at the point in her story -where the unfortunate hero is cast into prison. "What wouldst thou have -done then?" she asked abruptly. - -"I--I--am sure I cannot tell thee, little one," answered Seth, rousing -himself with difficulty. - -"Thou wouldst have remained there till the day of thy death, no doubt," -with superb scorn, "but not so Joseph; he----" - -"I am drowsy, little one; Sechet rages fiercely in the heavens; let us -leave the tale till to-morrow," said Seth in a smothered voice. - -Anat touched his cheek with a cautious forefinger. "It is true, thy -flesh hath over-much heat. See! I have here a pomegranate; thou shalt -eat of it and be refreshed." - -After this the travelers spoke but little. Tirelessly the white -dromedary strode onward under the blinding glare of the sun, her broad -feet making no sound on the yielding sand; the landscape quivered in the -intense heat, melting into golden, pink and violet fires in the far -distances, while near at hand the scarlet blooms of the cactus glowed -like live coals. Once they came upon a flock of vultures gorging -themselves upon the carcass of a camel; they rose with hoarse croakings -and withdrew themselves to a little distance, till the living should -pass by. "As yet, we have no concern with thee," they seemed to say to -the white dromedary, "but so shall it be with thee also, for man is -ungrateful." Then they again descended, a dismal crew, upon the -stranded wreck of the desert ship. And the stately Mirah strode onward -tirelessly. - -That night they pitched a tent and built a fire of the dried shrubs. -The man Pagiel spoke roughly to the children; he bade the lad gather the -fuel; as for the maid, he pushed her aside with his foot, as though she -were a dog. Seth's eyes burned when he saw the thing, but he said -nothing; he thought instead. The white dromedary crouched upon the -sand, chewing her cud, her large eyes fixed thoughtfully upon the -distance. The boy approached her cautiously and caressed her snowy -neck; the beast permitted it with a low sound in her throat. - -"That wouldst thou not venture with every beast in the flock," said one -of the men good-naturedly. "They be ugly save with those who know them. -Yonder camel can be touched by no other save Jered, his driver; but -Mirah there is of another sort; I have seen my lord's little ones climb -upon her back when they were babes. For speed she is a marvel; thou -hast not seen it, for the camels travel but slowly." - -"She can outrun them then?" said Seth, his heart beating violently. - -"Assuredly, boy, there is nothing swifter save the wind." - -"Fetch fuel, beggar!" cried Pagiel, accompanying his words with a fierce -look, "and do thou afterward get into the tent and sleep, thou and the -girl." - -"Why dost thou speak thus harshly to the lad?" questioned the other -after Seth had withdrawn in obedience to the command. - -"He is a heathen beggar; why should he receive kindness at my hand? -Listen! to-morrow we come to the fountain of Hodesh, 'tis but a day's -march from the river; we will tarry there till a caravan shall pass by, -then will we sell the lad and the maiden for gold. The gold shalt thou -divide between the three of you, and thou shalt say naught to Ben Hesed -concerning the matter; it will pass from his mind, even as the mist -dissolves before the rising sun. But thou shalt have that wherewith to -comfort thyself." - -The man listened with bent brows. "What is comfort to me," he said -sullenly, "if I have not thy daughter to wife; she is comely, and I love -her better than gold." - -Pagiel stared at the speaker with amazement. "Thou hast forgotten -thyself," he said haughtily. - -"Nay, I have not forgotten; thou art the son of my lord's sister, I am -the son of Kish the herdsman. Yet in the desert what matters it, am I -not a man like unto thee?" - -Pagiel was silent a moment. "It shall be so," he said at length. "It -is true thou art a man, and my daughter is, after all, only a woman; I -have sons also, thanks be to Jehovah!" - -"And the gold?" - -"Shall be for the maid's dowry, in addition to what she hath already." - -"Thou hast dealt graciously with me, my lord, I am henceforth as thy -son, and as thy son will I obey thee." - -On the morrow they came to the fountain of Hodesh, and they encamped -there, waiting for a caravan. On the third day during the heat of the -noontide the men slept within the tent, but Seth rose up softly, and -went out. He filled his goat skin at the fountain and bound it upon his -back; he took also of the parched corn a small measure, and of the dates -a double handful; "for," he said to himself, "it was for us that these -things were given by the lord of the desert." - -"Why dost thou fill thy goat-skin, brother?" said Anat, hearing the -familiar tinkle of the brasses. - -"Wake not the men yonder," answered Seth in a cautious whisper. "They -would deal with us after the manner of the brethren of Joseph. We will -get us away upon the white dromedary, nor shall they be able to overtake -us." - -So the two went softly to where Mirah crouched beneath the shadow of the -palms, and they climbed upon her back. - -"It is a good thing for us that Pagiel commanded her to be saddled," -quoth Seth. "He had the intent to ride after his sleep." - -Then he spoke softly in the ear of the beast after the fashion of her -driver; and she rose up with them, and went silently away into the -desert towards the range of hills, beyond which lay the land of Judaea. - -But Pagiel awaked out of his sleep and stood in the door of his tent. -And when he saw the dromedary fleeing away, he made a great outcry and -awakened the others also; and they pursued after them for many hours, -but they were not able to overtake them because the gentle Mirah was -very swift. Anon she disappeared from before their eyes like a white -sail on the distant verge of the sea. When Pagiel saw that she was gone, -bearing the two whom he would have sold into slavery, he tore his beard -and wept with rage because he had promised his daughter to the son of -Kish, the herdsman. For he feared his women, notwithstanding he was a -man, and of great stature. - - - - - CHAPTER XI. - - AT THE GATE BEAUTIFUL. - - -The long hours of the morning had worn themselves away, the sunshine had -ceased to glitter on the wonderful carved brass of the great gate -Shushan some three hours since. One without, standing on the marble -pavement, might admire the marvels of Corinthian workmanship without an -undue dazzling of the vision; so also might the lame man, who lay on his -mat a little to one side of the entrance. Yet was he paying scant heed -to the grandeur of his surroundings. He lay at the gate of the temple, -which was called "Beautiful," not because it was beautiful, but because -through it passed a stream of worshippers to and from the well-nigh -ceaseless services of prayer and praise within. These all carried their -money within their hand, since it was not lawful to enter the sacred -enclosure having one's gold or silver within a purse nor indeed anywhere -about the person save in the hand only. So the lame man profited by the -law, inasmuch as many cast a coin into his bosom who might otherwise -have been in too much haste for prayer to have fetched out their purses -for a beggar. - -On this day, however, the hands of the many had remained tightly closed -upon their treasure, not only when they went in to bow themselves before -the All-Giver, but also when they came out. - -The lame man looked at them as they passed by him with unseeing eyes. -He wondered what blessing these men with their hard, worldly-wise faces -and closed fists had asked of the Almighty; he also wondered if they had -received. He himself went but seldom within the gates. He could not -approach too near the Holy Place because of his infirmity. God had -declared that such as the lame, the halt and the blind were unholy and -displeasing in his sight, so the priests taught. But he had been lame -from his birth and was sadly accustomed to this and other miseries of -his lot. For forty years his soul had looked from the windows of his -prison-house upon the world. In these forty years he had ceased to look -for happiness, but he had learned to be silent and to endure, which is -perhaps better. - -He had heard tales of the man Jesus, who had healed many; once he had -begged his bearers to carry him to the healer that he also might be -restored, but they had refused. - -"Thou art able to earn the bread which thou eatest, and also to -recompense us, who fetch thee back and forth from the temple gate; if -thou art healed, what canst thou do more? thou art already old. There -is no profit in having thee healed, therefore remain as thou art." - -So he had remained as he was, and now the man Jesus was dead, crucified, -and there was no further chance that he might be healed. He regretted -it patiently; one learns to be patient even in one's regrets during -forty years. But he often thought of the man who had been crucified. -The priests had done it, he had been told; in secret he hated the -priests, and for this thing he hated them the more. Why should they -kill the man because he had healed upon the Sabbath day? he thought -bitterly; but he said nothing, for there was no one who cared for his -thoughts. - -Presently he bethought himself to take account of his gains for the day, -since the hour of sunset was drawing on apace. "'Tis not enough," he -muttered, as he counted the copper coins from his greasy pouch. "I must -pay Nicolas and Obed, else they will not fetch me home; I like not to -stay here by night, the wind from the valley is chill." Then he lifted -his head and saw two men ascending the marble steps. They were not -rich, his experienced eye told him that, but it was not from the rich -that he expected alms. They were too busy thinking of the ritual which -they were going to repeat, or which perchance they had just repeated -without a flaw; and the pieces of money within their hand were sure to -be gold, or at least silver, neither meet for a beggar. No, it was from -women going humbly in to their outer court of worship, or from children, -that he received, or from such men as these in the plain garb of -Galilean peasants. Therefore the beggar lifted up his voice with some -confidence and cried aloud in the words which his mother--when she found -that he was a hopeless cripple--had taught him, and which he had -repeated many times each day since. - -"Sons of Abraham! Chosen of Jehovah! have mercy, I beseech thee, on one -lame from his birth! Give unto me from thy heaven-bestowed bounty; so -will God recompense thee fourfold." - -The two men stopped and looked at him intently, and the beggar repeated -his cry, stretching forth his lean hand imploringly and lifting his -ragged robe to show the helpless and shrunken limbs beneath. "They will -give," he thought within himself. "It will not be much, but it has been -a bad day with me so far, and every little helps." - -"Look on us," said the older of the two men imperatively. - -The beggar obeyed, marvelling within himself at the singular brightness -of the man's eyes. He began to think that perhaps for once he had been -mistaken, and that these men, despite their humble apparel, were after -all rich and important. - -"Silver and gold have I none," said the man, still holding the beggar's -expectant gaze with his powerful eye, "but such as I have, give I thee. -In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." - -A thrill of hope passed into the beggar's starved soul; his heart beat -violently, his eyes grew dim, he again stretched forth his hand, -scarcely knowing what he did; it was seized in a strong grasp, and he -felt himself raised to his feet--the feet upon which he had never stood -in all the forty years of his life. His heart leaped within his bosom -with a strange and wonderful joy. Involuntarily his feet leaped also, -he could not help it. He clung to his deliverers, weeping out incoherent -blessings and prayers. Then, walking and leaping, he entered into the -temple with them, and remembering that he was no longer a cripple, and -that now he might approach God freely, he cried aloud in his joy, not -standing according to the law, with feet close together, hands upon his -breast and head bowed, but walking and leaping and praising jubilantly -with a loud voice. He knew that he had received, therefore his full -soul overflowed its bounds. - -As for the rest of the worshippers, who had prayed according to the law, -and in whose souls there surged no such tumultuous happiness--and why -indeed should there?--they were greatly disturbed at this unseemly -exhibition. They looked askance at the strange ragged figure singing -aloud of his wonderful deliverance, and they shook their heads and -frowned. "Go forth into the porch," commanded certain who were in -authority, "until we shall look into this matter." - -And the beggar, nothing loth, obeyed, still clinging to his deliverers -and praising more loudly than ever. - -"Who art thou?" he cried. "Tell me, for I would know; mayhap ye be -angels in the garb of men." - -"Nay, we are but disciples of the crucified one, Jesus of Nazareth. -'Tis by faith in his name that we have been able to heal thee, and not -by our own power." - -And when the beggar heard the name, Jesus, he praised God yet more -loudly. - -Now all the people hearing the voice of the beggar ran together in the -porch, which is called Solomon's, to see what had happened; and when -they saw him that had been lame, walking and leaping as he praised God, -they were filled with wonder. Some ran to the gate Beautiful to make -sure that it was he and no other, but they found there only the empty -mat on which the beggar had lain, and they returned marvelling more than -ever. - -"Behold!" they whispered, pointing out Peter one to another, "It was the -man yonder who performed the miracle. It must needs be that he is most -holy, that he hath kept the law without failure of jot or tittle, that -he can do such marvels." - -But when Peter perceived this he said unto the people: "Ye men of -Israel, why wonder ye at this, or why look ye so earnestly upon us, as -though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? The -God of Abraham, and of Israel, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers hath -glorified his son Jesus, whom ye delivered up and denied in the presence -of Pilate when he had determined to release him. Ye rejected the holy -and righteous one and asked that a murderer should be granted you; but -the giver of life ye killed. Yet hath God raised him again from the -dead, whereof we are witnesses. By faith in his name hath this man been -made whole, whom also ye see and have known. Yea, the faith which is by -him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. -And now, brethren, I know that in ignorance ye did these things, as also -your rulers; what God before announced by the mouth of all his prophets -that the Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled. Repent, therefore, -and turn ye, that your sins may be blotted out, so may the times of -refreshing come from the presence of the Lord. And he shall send the -Christ who hath been before proclaimed unto you, even Jesus; yet he must -needs remain in the heavens till the time cometh when all things shall -be restored, which time hath God spoken of by the mouth of his holy -prophets since the world began. For Moses said unto the fathers, 'A -prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like -unto me. To him shall ye harken in all things whatsoever he shall say -unto you. And it shall come to pass that every soul which will not hear -him shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.' Yea, and all the -prophets from Samuel and them that follow after, as many as have spoken, -have likewise foretold of these days. Ye are the sons of the prophets, -and of the Covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto -Abraham, 'and in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be -blessed.' Unto you first, God, having raised up his son Jesus, sent -him, that he might bless you in turning away every one of you from his -sins." - -And all the people paid heed unto him; and many wept aloud for joy when -they heard that they might be forgiven for their part in the crucifixion -of Jesus. They had not forgotten that day, nor how they had cried "Away -with him--away with him! Crucify him--crucify him!" Nor had they -forgotten the terror of darkness at midday and the earthquake, nor the -terrible sentence which they had pronounced upon themselves: "His blood -be upon us and upon our children." Many times had they cried in secret -what also they had said on that day, "We are undone--we are undone!" -Therefore believed they with gladness the word which Peter had spoken -unto them, and they prayed aloud that God would forgive them their -blood-guiltiness. But as Peter and John would have spoken further unto -them, the Priests and officers of the temple and the Sadducees came -suddenly upon them. - -"What mean ye, blasphemers?" they said, "that within the sacred -precincts of the temple ye do preach in the name of an accursed -malefactor the resurrection from the dead. These things shall not be." -And they locked them up until the next day, for it was now eventide. As -for the beggar that had been healed, they put him in hold also, that -they might examine him at their leisure. - - - - - CHAPTER XII. - - IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER. - - -Annas sat quite alone in the council chamber of the Sanhedrim. He had -come early in order that he might set in order certain papers, and also -that he might with due deliberation determine the course of procedure -for the morning's session. But this was not easy; things looked dubious -for the success of his enterprise; he was forced to acknowledge as much -to himself. - -"This miracle now," he thought, stroking his hoary beard reflectively, -"was a most unfortunate thing--most untimely. The multitude seem quite -carried away by it. Should we adopt violent measures with these -pernicious persons it would, I fear, fail to commend itself to the -populace." - -At this point in his cogitations he was disturbed by the sound of a slow -heavy step ascending the stair; the door opened and Caiaphas entered. -Annas looked at him in surprise, noting with cold disapproval his -haggard face, his disordered apparel, his shaking hands. - -"I am astonished," he said, bringing his critical gaze to a standstill -upon the uneasy eyes of his son-in-law, "astonished, indeed I may say -that I am not well pleased to see thee here this morning, my son. Thou -hast the look of a man who should be within the walls of his sick -chamber. The ministrations of my daughter's skilful hand will surely -prove more acceptable to thee in thy present state than the -deliberations of statecraft. I pray thee let me command for thee a -litter." - -"Hold!" said Caiaphas, grasping the old man by the arm. "Hear what I -have to say to thee first," and he lowered his voice to a husky whisper. -"Thy daughter is no longer my wife." - -"What dost thou mean, man? Thou art mad!" - -"Nay, I am not mad; would that I were!" said the other faintly. - -"I repeat that thou art mad," cried Annas, his eyes blazing with a -scornful fire. "What! my daughter repudiated by _thee_?" - -"She hath become a follower of the Nazarene," said Caiaphas dully. -"Could she longer be wife of mine?" - -"Where is she?" - -"She hath gone to them." - -Annas was silent for a time. "If what thou sayest be no figment of a -disordered brain," he said deliberately, "then I say thou hast done -well. No longer wife of thine, she shall be no longer daughter of mine. -She is henceforth one of the followers of him whom we hanged upon the -accursed tree. As for them, shall I tell thee what shall shortly come -to pass?" - -The younger man made no reply. - -"When men would plant grain in a field which hath been a wilderness," -continued Annas, still in the same icy, deliberate tones, "they root up -the tares and utterly destroy them with fire. This shall we do with -these mischievous and deadly weeds that be winding their poisonous roots -about the only props that remain to our suffering nation, the temple and -the home. But let not this thing be spoken of--the matter of the woman, -I mean. There is no need to make our name a byword and a hissing; she -hath for the present gone to pay a visit; later we shall, perhaps, -devise a way to secretly rid ourselves----" - -"What!" cried Caiaphas, starting up. "Wouldst thou----?" - -"Hist, man, the others are coming!--wilt thou remain? We shall this -morning concern ourselves with this very matter." - -"I will remain." - -And when presently the council was convened, he took his old place upon -the right hand of Annas. In his sick heart he wished for death, yet -there burned within him the miserable desire to avenge himself upon them -at whose door he laid the loss of both his wife and his son. - -"Thou mayest fetch hither the two men whom ye put in hold," commanded -Annas, "likewise the beggar." - -"Ye behold in these," he continued, fixing his piercing gaze upon Peter -and John, as they stood before the semicircle of their august judges, -"two men who were prominent followers of the Nazarene, who was recently -put to death because of his crimes against church and state. Wise men -would have taken a wholesome warning from the fate of their false -teacher, but these follow in the footsteps of him who was crucified, not -remembering apparently that those footsteps led to the cross. Yesterday -there was a tumult raised in the holy temple, a beggar whom God had -justly afflicted because of the sins of his fathers was, forsooth, -healed; healed by these men. It is not meet that such things be -permitted. I therefore command that ye tell us straightway by what -means and by what name ye have done this thing?" - -"Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel," said Peter, and at the -sound of his voice the beggar who had involuntarily shrunken back -abashed stood boldly forth. "If we this day be examined of the good -deed done to the impotent man, and if ye will inquire by what means he -is made whole, be it known unto you all and to all the people of Israel, -that by the name of Jesus the Nazarene, the Messiah, whom ye crucified -but whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here -before you whole. This is the stone which was set at naught of you -builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there -salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given -among men whereby we must be saved." - -Something of the same feeling which had overwhelmed Annas on the night -when he had essayed to question the man of Nazareth came upon him. He -tried to speak, and his voice failed him. Meantime a murmur of surprise -ran about the circle. - -"How is it," whispered one to his neighbor, "that these ignorant men can -speak in such a manner?" - -"They have learned it in the company of the Galilean," replied the -other. "Dost thou not remember his sayings?" - -"What shall we say?" queried a third. "The man there will spread the -thing far and wide." - -"Remove the prisoners," commanded Annas, somewhat recovering himself. -"We must confer in private concerning this thing. This is a most -untoward happening," he added, when they were alone, looking about him -at the circle of attentive faces. "What now shall we do with these -men?" - -"Let them be stoned for blasphemy," said Alexander, drawing his heavy -brows together. "Did they not call the crucified Galilean the Messiah, -and declare that God had raised him from the dead? This also they -preach openly to the people. For myself I am of the opinion that our -case is worse than before; the Galilean himself was but one man, and -could be in but one place, now, forsooth, we have a thousand men in his -stead, all haranguing, healing and creating a very fire of heresy -amongst the populace. The thing must be stopped, else will our power be -short-lived. These men be worse than the Romans, for they at least -suffer us to be in peace." - -"Suppose that we stone them," remarked one of the sons of Annas with a -sneer. "How then are we bettered? The whole city would take up the cry -against us, more especially the lower classes who envy us our wealth. -'These holy men have wrought a notable miracle,' they would howl, 'and -the Sanhedrists have stoned them for it.' Could we crush the whole mob -of the so-called disciples with a single stone, and perform the deed -quietly, then should I cry with a good will, 'Let them be stoned.' As -it is, such a course would only add fuel to the flame." - -"Thou hast spoken wisely, my son," said Annas. "The miracle is a notable -one; all Jerusalem knows it, and we cannot deny it. But that it spread -no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they -speak henceforth to no man in this name. Fetch now the men," he added, -turning to the temple police who waited their pleasure. - -"We have considered the matter of your doings with care," he continued -with portentous solemnity, when the prisoners had again been set in his -presence. "The matter of the healing we are disposed to overlook, -though it is not seemly for children of dust to assume the prerogatives -of the Almighty; by his hand hath this man been laid low, he should have -remained as he was. It is not our custom to heal beggars, nor should it -be yours; it savoreth of a compact with the evil one. The matter of -your speaking to the people is far more serious. Dost thou know that -thou hast laid thyself open to a death by stoning? For verily thou hast -blasphemed foully; our ears and the ears of them that have heard thee -are polluted by the unholy words which thou hast spoken. Yet are we -merciful and inclined to pardon even this iniquity, on the one condition -that from henceforth ye speak to no man in this name of Jesus--a name I -like not to utter. If now ye are ready to comply with this our -reasonable request, ye shall at once be released." - -Then did John, the beloved disciple, fix his calm eyes on the man who -had spoken; with something of the divine prescience of the Master did he -read the false soul behind the lying lips. "Whether it be right in the -sight of God," he said solemnly, "to obey you rather than God, judge ye. -For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." - -"Continue to speak them," cried Caiaphas in a fury, as he thought of his -lost wife, "and a fate more terrible than stoning shall befall thee. -Shall we endure to see----" - -But Annas laid a warning hand upon his arm. "Remove these men," he said -hastily to the temple guard. "Let them go." - -"And the beggar, my lord?" - -"Release him also, but bid him hold his peace concerning his healing, -both in the temple and elsewhere, lest a worse thing than lameness come -upon him." - -But the beggar followed after the disciples as they went away, and when -they saw him they said, "Dost thou join thyself to us because thou -believest on the name of Jesus?" - -And he answered them humbly, "By the name of Jesus was I healed of mine -infirmity, how then can I help but believe?" - -And they suffered him gladly because of that word. And when they were -come to the place wherein were gathered many others that believed, they -told all that the chief priests and elders had said to them, and they -lifted up their voice to God in one accord and said: - -"O Lord, thou that didst make the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, -and all that in them is, by the mouth of David thy servant thou didst -say: - - "'Why did the nations rage, - And the people meditate vain things? - The kings of the earth set themselves in array, - And the rulers were gathered together - Against the Lord, and against his Anointed.' - -"For of a truth, in this city were gathered together against thy holy -servant Jesus, whom thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, -with the nations and the peoples of Israel. And they did what thy hand -and thy counsel had determined should come to pass. And now, Lord, look -upon their threatenings, and grant unto thy servants to speak thy word -with all boldness, and stretch forth thy hand to heal, that signs and -wonders may be done by the name of thy holy servant Jesus." - -And when they had thus prayed, behold the place where they were -assembled was shaken and they were all filled with the Spirit, so that -they had no fear in their hearts of what might befall them at the hands -of their enemies. And on that day and every day they continued to speak -the words which God gave them with great joy and confidence. - - - - - CHAPTER XIII. - - AT THE FEET OF THE APOSTLES. - - -To Anna, in the house of Mary, there had come peace. - -When she had awakened from the death-like swoon in which she had sunken -at the feet of Caiaphas, to find herself alone, she scarce knew at first -what had befallen her. But memory, too faithful, repeated to her -shrinking soul the words which had struck at the very fountain of life; -she turned them over dully in her mind, "As I would cut off my right -hand, should it become polluted beyond cleansing, so also will I sever -thee from my life." - -"How can that be," she thought, staring at the light branches of a rose -tree that swayed from the trellis above her head; the sun struck vivid -sparks of emerald fire from its translucent leaves, the breeze shook a -full-blown blossom, and a handful of the odorous petals fell upon her -face. She inhaled their fragrance as in a dream of pain. - -"So I will sever thee from my life," she repeated, looking at the -shattered rose. "Ah, it can never bloom again!" - -And with the thought came a sudden frightful realization of what had -happened. She sprang up and looked wildly about her. "I must find him! -It cannot, cannot be!" Then she sank feebly upon her knees beside the -bench, and buried her face in her hands. - -Is it for naught that misery instinctively assumes this attitude? Nay, -rather, it is a divine impulse of the suffering soul, a blind and -voiceless feeling after a hand in the darkness. And the hand is always -there. - -To Anna thus bowed there came at length the thought of God, of Jesus, -the all-Comforter; of Stephen, his dark eyes full of loving light; of -Mary, the mother of Jesus, like herself, desolate. And presently, though -she scarce knew why, she grew quite calm and strong. She arose. "I -will go," she said aloud, "to them; they will tell me what I must do." - -And so it was that she came to the house of John, the beloved disciple, -where abode Mary, whom the dying Lord had given into his keeping, and -with them Peter, and Andrew his brother, also Stephen. - -"I am desolate," she said humbly, "for my husband hath cast me off, -because I believe that the crucified Jesus is the Messiah of Israel." - -"Then art thou welcome here," said the master of the house, gravely. -But Mary fell on her neck and kissed her, and she wept with her, because -she knew that tears are healing, if only they be wiped away by the hand -of God. - -And so, after many days, there came to her peace; nay, more, there came -joy. Involuntarily songs broke from her lips, lips for many years -silent; she smiled often even when alone, for a strange delight filled -her soul, her deep eyes shone like stars. - -Stephen saw the change in her and he rejoiced. - -"The Lord is with thee, mother of my Titus," he said, tenderly. - -"I scarce know why I am so happy," she replied. "Is it meet that I -should rejoice when my son is dead, and when I am more desolate than a -widow?" - -"It is the gift of him who sitteth at the right hand of the Father," -said Stephen. "Did he not say, 'Peace I leave with you, my peace I give -unto you. Not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart -be troubled, neither let it be afraid.' And this good word of peace he -left with his chosen ones on the very night before his death. The world -cannot give peace in the midst of sorrow, but he can, and he hath given -it unto thee, beloved. And thou dost rejoice, and thy joy shall no one -take from thee." - -"But my husband?" said Anna eagerly. - -"Ask the Lord that it may be granted unto him to see the truth. I will -also ask, then shall it be done for us according to his promise which -cannot fail." - -"And he will again love me?" - -"Love is the fulfilling of the law," said Stephen, smiling. "He will -again love thee, and the love that he hath had is as nothing to that God -will give him, for God is love, and he is also the all-giver. All love -is from God, and without it would the world fall from its place in the -heavens into the darkness which is outside of love--if indeed there be -any place where the light of God doth not penetrate." He paused, and -looked thoughtfully away into the sunset, as if he would pierce with his -longing gaze beyond the gold and the crimson to that place where dwelt -the risen Lord. - -The days went swiftly in this new life, for none were idle. Indeed, -there was never a company of folk since the world began into whose lives -crowded more of service, of love, of joy. The sick, the unhappy, the -poor from all the city and the country round about came for healing, -cheering, help; nor was any turned away. The disciples were ever -mindful of the word of their Lord, "Freely ye have received, freely -give." They remembered also with awe how he had washed their feet on -that last night before he was betrayed. So there was no service too -lowly, no labor too arduous for them to undertake in the strength of -their new joy. - -"Did he not say unto us," said Peter, his face glowing with divine -enthusiasm, "'As the Father hath sent me into the world, even so send I -you?'" - -To be a Christian in these days meant simply to live as Christ had -lived. And so the women were busy from dawn until evening in fashioning -garments for them that had none; in preparing the simple food, which -they ate from house to house with gladness and singleness of heart, -every meal a memorial feast of him who had gone to prepare a place for -them in the heavens. And the men, in proclaiming the amazing tidings of -salvation from sin in a world given over to sin, of joy in a world -wherein was weeping and pain and woe, of peace in the midst of strife, -of a great light that had shined in the darkness. It was so real, so -wonderful, so new. They had not read of these things in an ancient -book. They had not heard them with cold dead ears 'as a tale that is -told,' but they had seen the Lord living and walking among them; they -had seen him upon the cross; they had seen him in the tomb dead--his -hands and feet torn with the cruel nails. And they had also seen him -alive again and received into the glories of a visible heaven. Upon -their heads had the pentecostal flames rested, and they beheld their -mortal bodies endowed with divine powers. Little wonder then that they -rejoiced, little wonder that a holy fear came upon every soul and that -they had favor with all the people. Yet for our comfort is it written -that the Lord once said unto Thomas, "Because thou hast seen me thou -hast believed; blessed are they that have not seen and yet have -believed." - -Now because very many that were poor came to the disciples to be fed, -and because the apostles had now no time for fishing, being made fishers -of men as the Lord had promised, and for the reason that then as now no -one can live in the world without money, they asked of the Lord -concerning this thing, as indeed they still asked about all things just -as when he was on the earth. And it became very clear to them what they -must do. And they did it in all simplicity and singleness of heart. -They that had lands or houses sold them, and brought the price of the -things that were sold and laid them down at the apostles' feet, and -distribution was made unto every man according as he had need, so that -there should no longer be among them any that was rich, for had not the -Lord said to the young ruler, "Go sell what thou hast and give to the -poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven," and also, "How hardly -shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God." And because -they thought much about heaven in those days and because they longed to -enter into the kingdom, it was not hard for some of the rich to do this. -Their possessions were as nothing to them compared with the riches which -God was giving so freely. - -"He is the same yesterday, to-day and forever." And alas! humanity is -the same yesterday and to-day, but thank God for the to-morrow, which -shall also be forever, when we shall be like him! - -There was in Jerusalem a certain man named Ananias, and he was married -to a woman called Sapphira. They had heard the preaching of Peter and -they believed, and came and joined themselves to the church. They were -rich people and owned land outside the city. Now when others who had -possessions sold them and brought the money to lay at the apostles' -feet, they were ill pleased. - -"Why should this be?" said Ananias to his wife. "If we give a tithe of -what is ours is not that all that the law demands?" - -"It is unjust," declared Sapphira, "we also shall be beggars if we do -this thing, besides it hath been told me that the scribes and elders -have the intent to crush these apostles as well as all that believe; for -myself I have no mind to be stoned." - -"Let us withdraw then." - -"Nay, not so, for God is with these men as also thou hast seen," said -Sapphira. "And if the Master presently come back from heaven--as indeed -they all expect--he will establish a kingdom here in Jerusalem, and it -must not chance that we be found on the wrong side when that shall come -to pass." - -"They do not demand that we sell our lands," said Ananias, knitting his -brows thoughtfully. "Let us be prudent and reserve our possessions till -we shall see what is going to befall." - -"Only this morning Joses brought money and laid it down at the apostles' -feet," said Sapphira. "He hath sold every cubit of his farm in the hill -country. They know that we also have lands," she added fretfully, "and -they expect that we will do the same. There are already five thousand -persons in the church, and very few among them own earth enough to be -buried in." - -"It is a hard case," whined Ananias, "if honest, industrious folk must -give up all that they have to beggars. They will devour it up like -grasshoppers; as for us who have given it, what shall we have for a time -of adversity, or for our old age?" - -"What indeed?" echoed his wife. "But we must do something or we shall -be talked about. What if--" and she lowered her voice to a whisper--"we -sell the land, and also freely tell of the matter, but of the price that -is received we will give a part only, the remainder we will bestow in -safety till we shall ourselves have need of it." - -"Thou art a prudent woman!" cried her husband. "I know a man who will -give me a good price for the land." - -"Go then and sell, but let no one know of the amount which thou -receivest. That shall be secret betwixt the two of us. The man Peter -shall suppose that we have given all, even as did Joses." - -So Ananias went and sold the land and he received for it a goodly sum. -Which the two took secretly and buried in the earth, keeping out a part -only; this the woman laid in her lap. - -"It is a great sum," she said, looking regretfully at the pieces of -silver. "With it we might buy fine raiment for ourselves; or I might -put them upon a string for my neck, I have no necklace." - -"Spoken like a woman, and therefore foolishly," said Ananias, lifting a -handful of the coins and letting them slip through his fingers one by -one. "For my part I should buy a vineyard. One could then have an -abundance of wine." - -"Neither of these things can be," said Sapphira with a sigh. "We must -give it, else when the Messiah shall come, the man Peter will say, -'These people having land sold it, but gave no part to us;' then the -Messiah will give us neither place nor power." - -"Suppose he comes not?" said the man doggedly. - -"We shall at least stand well with the apostles and the rest. They be -all prating of the generosity of Joses to-day. 'Such a man! So holy!' -they cry. To-morrow they shall speak of us also; what we shall give -will be much more than his paltry bit of silver." And the woman tossed -her head. - -"Well, I will give it." - -"But do not let them know about the other," whispered Sapphira. - -"Thou mayest trust me for that!" said the man with a harsh laugh. - -On the morrow, when all were gathered together according to their -custom, came Ananias bringing the money--Sapphira remaining at home to -guard the buried treasure; and he laid down the silver at the feet of -Peter, saying, "I have sold my lands for the service of the Lord, and -here is all the price of them." - -And the people looked at the money which he had laid down, and they -marvelled at his generosity, saying one to another, "Joses truly was -righteous, but this man hath brought a greater sum than he." - -But Peter fixed his inspired eyes upon the giver. He read his soul. And -he said to him: "Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to -the Holy Spirit, and keep back part of the price of the land? Whilst it -remained was it not thine own? And after it was sold, was it not in -thine own power? Why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? Thou -hast not lied unto men, but unto God." - -And when Ananias heard these words, it was as though the light of God -had been flashed into his soul. A fierce agony fell upon him. He saw -clearly what he was, and what God was; and because this may not be -endured by a mortal, he fell down at the feet of the apostle dead. He -had passed into the presence of that Love which is also a consuming -fire. - -And the young men arose, wound up his body in grave clothes, and carried -it away. And it was about the space of three hours after when his wife, -not knowing what was done, came in. And Peter said to her, "Tell me -whether ye sold the land for fifty shekels?" - -And she said, "Yes, for fifty shekels." - -Then Peter said unto her, "How is it that ye have agreed together to -tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Behold! the feet of them which buried thy -husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out." - -Then fell she down straightway at his feet and expired, and the young -men came in and found her dead, and carrying her forth, buried her by -her husband. And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many -as heard these things. - - - - - CHAPTER XIV. - - A CUP OF COLD WATER. - - -"Then the beast is not thine own?" - -"I have said that it belongs to Abu Ben Hesed, who dwells in the -wilderness of Shur. For this journey alone was it ours. I must return -it to its owner after that I have accomplished mine errand in yonder -city." - -The man looked at the boy steadily for a full minute; a slight smile -curled the corners of his lips, but he turned his head so that the lad -should not see it. "And thy business in Jerusalem, what might it be? -Thou art perhaps a merchant seeking goodly pearls, or a purchaser of -slaves, or perhaps a pilgrim?" - -"My business is naught to thee; I have asked of thee a question, wilt -thou care for the beast till I shall return? I will pay thee for it." - -The man ran his eyes once more over the white dromedary, she shook -herself and all the silver bells of the bridle rang merrily. "I will -take care of her," he said, nodding his head once or twice and smiling -again broadly; "and when wilt thou be pleased to return?" - -"This very day at evening, if I shall find the man I would see. His -name is Jesus. Canst thou tell me where to find him?" - -"There be half a score of that name in the city. Dost thou mean Jesus -Barabbas?" and the man laughed aloud, as if his thoughts afforded him -secret pleasure. - -"Is he a magician?" asked the lad eagerly. - -"A magician? Dost thou mean a man whom the gods granted to be born -under a lucky star?" - -"Assuredly!" - -"Then he is the man." - -"What is thy name?" broke in a clear sweet voice. - -"My name?" said the man looking startled, "Oh, 'tis thou, maiden. My -name is Gestas, my pretty one. Why dost thou ask?" - -"That we may find thee when we shall return from the city. Can this -Jesus Barabbas of whom thou hast spoken heal blindness?" - -"Art thou blind?" - -"Yes I am blind; I would be healed, and I have heard that a man named -Jesus can heal blindness." - -The man looked soberly for a moment at her blank eyes, he opened his -lips as if to speak, then scratching his shaggy head reflectively, he -again glanced at the white dromedary. "Go into the city," he said at -length, "and ask for the man, some one will tell thee; I will care for -the beast whilst thou art gone." - -"Come, Anat, let us make haste," cried the lad joyfully. "We must find -him at once." - -So the two went away towards Jerusalem, which lay not far distant, its -walls and towers gleaming as whitely as though no lurid shadow of -destruction hung from the avenging heavens above it. - -As for the man whose name was Gestas, he laughed aloud as he seized the -stately Mirah by the bridle. "Truly the gods love me," he said. "This -beast will bring a goodly sum," and he struck the white dromedary across -the face with his staff in order to let her know that she had a new -master. - -"Yonder is a venerable man," said Seth to the blind girl, when the two -had entered within the gate, and he ran forward and plucked the man by -the sleeve. - -"Canst thou tell me where to find the man Jesus, who can heal -blindness?" - -The old man turned upon the lad with blazing eyes. "Beggar!" he cried, -"get thee gone! How dost thou dare pollute mine ears with that name?" - -Seth stared at him in amaze as he strode onward, muttering angrily to -himself, his snowy beard blowing over his shoulder in the light breeze. - -"By the sacred Nile!" he exclaimed, "in what have I offended? Praise be -to the gods, they have no such customs in Memphis. Well, I must even -ask another." - -Taking the blind girl once more by the hand, they walked a little -further on. It was as yet early in the day, but the streets were alive -with people hurrying to and fro. Merchants sitting comfortably at their -stalls cried lustily to the passers-by to come buy of their goods; -beggars whined out their piteous tales of woe, and displayed their -gruesome deformities to the averted eyes of the hurrying crowd; -water-carriers clinked their brazen cups and bawled loudly of the -cooling draughts which they carried in the goat-skins upon their backs. -Once the two adventurers had to squeeze themselves back into an angle of -the wall, while a platoon of Roman soldiers marched by, the sun -glittering in dazzling splendor on their burnished shields. - -Seth's heart had suddenly grown heavy within him, though he could scarce -have told the reason. He almost feared to ask the question which hovered -upon his lips of any of these busy, indifferent-looking people. -Presently his eyes fell upon a blind man, feeling his way slowly along -with a staff and whining out a dolorous cry for alms as he went. His -heart sank lower still. "If there is a great magician who can heal -blindness in this place," he thought, "why is not this man seeking him?" - -Darting forward, he touched him upon the sleeve. "Canst thou tell me," -he said timidly, "if there is a man called Jesus anywhere about--a man -who can heal blindness?" - -The beggar stopped short and turned his head. "There was such a man," he -said, "but he is dead--crucified, three months since. I never found -him," he added bitterly; "I came too late." Then he went on his way, -and the boy heard his shrill voice rising and falling dismally adown the -street. He stood still in the place where he was, staring stupidly after -the man, the words "too late" still echoing in his ears. - -"Curses upon thy stupid head! Why dost thou block the roadway?" And a -smart blow across his cheek from the whip of a muleteer served to bring -him to his senses. At the same moment he heard a cry from Anat; looking -quickly around he saw her fall to the ground beneath the hoofs of the -laden ass which the man was driving. - -With a shrill cry of fear the lad sprang forward, and dragged the girl -out from among the confused tangle of men and animals, the muleteer -shrieking curses upon him, the other passers-by merely pausing an -instant to stare curiously at the scene. No one offered to help him, and -cold with fear he lifted the slender form in his arms. - -There was a projecting arch near by, with a great doorway sunken deep -into the wall of masonry, in the shelter of this he laid his burden -down, and looked into the beloved face in a very agony of terror. - -"Anat! Anat!" he cried, bending over her. But there was no answer; the -peach-like bloom of the brown cheeks had changed to a curious dusky -pallor, the fringed lids had fallen over the sightless eyes, the slender -hands were cold. - -"Anat! Anat!" he repeated in a frenzy. "Awake!" and he shook her by the -arm, scarce knowing what he did. "My God! if she is dead!" - -Just then with a harsh sound of rusty hinges the great door behind them -swung open, and a turbaned head peered cautiously out. The lad started -to his feet with sudden hope. "Kind sir!" he said beseechingly. "My -sister hath been grievously hurt; nay, I know not if she be alive. Wilt -thou give me a cup of water that I may try and bring back her soul?" - -The man looked at him coldly. "This is the house of God," he said. -"'Tis not meet that its threshold be defiled with that which is dead, -'tis an abomination in the sight of Jehovah. Get thee hence, the hour -for prayer draweth nigh." - -"Nay, but I beseech thee, by the love of Isis! Give me but a cup--a -small cup of water!" - -"Get thee hence!" said the man with a gesture of abhorrence. "There is -naught here for such as thou," and he made as though he would have -pushed the senseless form of the blind girl into the street with his -foot. - -Seth's eyes blazed. "The curses of Sechet light upon thee!" he cried -fiercely; "thou hast the withered heart of a mummy a thousand years -dead!" Then he caught up his burden once more and fled away, the -furious imprecations of the Jew sounding in his ears. - -Hurrying blindly forward, he neither knew nor cared whither he was -going, but he became conscious after a few moments that he had come into -a quieter place. With a dim sense of relief he once more laid the limp -figure down upon the pavement; this time, to his great joy, he heard a -faint sound. She was trying to speak. He kneeled at her side and -lifted her head to his knees. "Water! Water!" she moaned feebly. - -He looked distractedly about him. The long narrow street was -suffocatingly hot, on either side of it stretched blank walls of -rough-hewn masonry, pierced occasionally with a deep-set door; two or -three dogs skulked in the black shadow of an archway near by, and a -flock of swallows swooped back and forth in the dazzling sunshine, -crying out to each other with wild sweetness, but there was no human -being in sight. He could hear the distant cries of the venders, and the -shouts of the muleteers from the busy street which he had just left. It -seemed to him presently, as he listened, that somewhere near by he could -hear the cool tinkle of a fountain; he looked up, from the top of the -wall above his head there fluttered a glimmer of green leaves. There -must be--there was a garden there, and water, he was sure of it. He -sprang up, and laying Anat's head carefully down, pulled impatiently at -the bell which hung at the side of one of the sunken doorways. After a -long delay, every minute of which seemed a separate eternity to the boy, -a panel in the door swung open, and the head of a man was thrust out. - -"What wilt thou?" he said in a surly tone, as his eye fell upon the boy. - -"Water! for the love of all the gods, water! my----" - -"What dost thou mean, fellow," interrupted the man, scowling, "by coming -to the palace of the High Priest for water? The public fountains are -for such as thou." And without further ado he shut the door with a -decisive clap. - -Seth stood for a moment as if stunned, then he threw himself down upon -the hot stones with a smothered cry of despair, and bowed his head upon -his knees. After what seemed a long time a touch upon his shoulder -aroused him, he looked up dully, his eyes red with weeping. - -"What aileth thee, lad?" - -He stared at the face of his questioner without answering. It was like -no other face he had ever seen, and yet, strangely enough, something in -the dark eyes brought back to him the dim memory of his mother. The -young man--for it was a young man who had spoken--repeated his question, -and this time the lad answered. - -"My sister hath been trampled upon by a beast of burden. She is dying -for water, no one will help me, my bottle is empty, and I know not where -to find a fountain." - -But the stranger did not wait to hear all, he was already sprinkling the -face of the girl, who had again lapsed into unconsciousness. - -"She is not much hurt," he said at length. "See, she is reviving -already." And indeed under his skilful ministrations the color had -begun to return to the cheeks and lips of the injured girl. - -"But she is blind," said Seth, looking up wistfully into the face of the -young man, "and we have come from Egypt, seeking for the man Jesus who -can heal such. A beggar told me that he was dead, but it is not true?" - -The face of the stranger glowed with a smile so angelic that the lad -involuntarily cried out with wonder. - -"Nay," he cried, "he is not dead, he liveth forever more at the right -hand of God." - -Then he fixed his eyes upon the lad. "Tell me," he said gravely, "all -that hath befallen thee, and how it is that ye seek Jesus in this far -country." - -So the lad told him all. How that their parents had passed into the -regions of the dead, leaving them alone; and how for many years he had -cared for his blind sister; of the man who would have sold them into -bondage, and how fleeing from before his face they had first heard of -the man who could heal blindness; of their awful journey in the -wilderness; of their deliverance from the vultures, and their escape -from the hand of Pagiel. When he ceased from speaking, the young man was -silent for a space. - -"Of a surety," he said at length, "the Lord hath led thee." Then -raising his head he looked up into the dazzling blue of the sky. - -"Thou who hast said, 'Lo, I am with thee alway even unto the end of the -world,' look now upon this child who hath sought thee for healing, -through weariness, and thirst, and pain, lo, these many days; and heal -her, I beseech thee, by the hand of thy servant, according to her great -faith." - -Then stooping, while the lad held his breath with awe, he laid his hand -lightly, tenderly, upon the sightless eyes of Anat. "In the name of -Jesus Christ of Nazareth," he murmured, "receive thy sight." - -And into the dark eyes of the maiden, erstwhile as irresponsive as -soulless jewels, there flashed a look of intelligence. She gazed -steadfastly into the eyes of the stranger. - -"Art thou the man Jesus?" she whispered softly. - -"Nay, my child," he answered, "I am but his servant Stephen." - - - - - CHAPTER XV. - - IN PURSUIT OF THE FUGITIVES. - - -To Abu Ben Hesed, sitting, as was his wont at the sunset hour, in the -door of his tent, came Pagiel. It was the evening of the fourth day -after he had seen the two children disappear from out his sight on the -back of the white dromedary. He had not made haste to return; he needed -time to think, for he was slow-witted, and the matter in hand was -weighty. - -"There is no place like the solitude of the wilderness for meditation," -quoth Pagiel. So he abode quietly in the place where he was for one -full day. Not so the son of Kish the herdsman; he was impatient. - -"Let me return, I beseech thee," he said to Pagiel, "I would fain look -upon the face of my bride." - -"What art thou saying, man?" cried Pagiel hotly. "Dost thou think that -now I shall give to thee my daughter? Our matter is ended." - -But Ben Kish loved the daughter of Pagiel; he was therefore bold and -determined. Moreover, he saw that the man was afraid to return. "My -father is wroth," he said, "because the two Egyptians have fled away -with the beast. I will return to my lord and I will tell him what they -have done. Surely it was meet that such should be sold into slavery and -that their value be given the daughter of Pagiel for her dowry." - -"Nay, thou shalt not return!" cried Pagiel. "If the thing be told Ben -Hesed then should I be cut off from among my kinsfolk and brethren." - -Ben Kish smiled. "Is it better for thee to be thus cut off," he said, -"or to have for thy son the son of Kish? For of these two things, one -shall assuredly come to pass." - -"Swear to me that thou wilt keep the thing secret," said Pagiel, "and I -will give thee my daughter, even as I have said." - -"Swear to me that thou wilt give me thy daughter," replied Ben Kish, -"and I will keep the thing secret." - -So they both sware a great oath; and they builded that day of the stones -of the place a memorial, in token that as the stones which endure -without change, even so must their compact remain. Then they gat them -up and made haste to return, and the son of Kish laughed within himself -because he had prevailed; but Pagiel was so busy inventing a tale which -should explain the loss of the white dromedary, that he thought no more -of the matter. - -"Ben Hesed is a hard man," he thought. "If I say thieves came and stole -the beast while we were returning, he will say, 'Why then didst thou not -pursue and slay them? Thou hast no wounds.' If I say the beast fled -away from us into the desert, he will laugh me to scorn. Nay, I will -tell him the truth; it is after all best; moreover, God loveth a -truthful man. I will say this; the Egyptian brats rose up whilst we -were asleep in the midst of the day, and they took the beast and fled. -We pursued them also till the going down of the sun, but could not -overtake them." - -So he told Ben Hesed this, and when he had done speaking he waited to -hear what his lord should say. For a long time he said nothing, because -he was very angry, and it was his wont to refrain from speaking when he -was thus disquieted. - -"Shall a man rage like a wild beast?" he would say. "Nay, for in so -doing he is no longer a man; let him rather remain silent, remembering -that God made him in his own image. The heavens are voiceless even when -the earth beneath runs red with blood. Men blaspheme the name of -Jehovah, yet is there no answering bolt of wrath to slay them. Let us -then be patient as befits them that are but a little lower than the -angels, created in the likeness of the Eternal One." - -On this occasion Ben Hesed was silent so long that Pagiel was -frightened; he had bowed himself to the earth, and he still remained in -this humble posture that he might escape the lightnings which leapt up -in his lord's eyes as he heard the tale. - -After a time he became very uncomfortable, the sand on which his -forehead rested was hot, his knees shook beneath him. "Why do I abase -myself before this man," he said within himself. At the thought he too -grew angry, and because anger is stronger than fear, he leapt up and -stood before Ben Hesed. - -Ben Hesed also arose. "I will myself pursue these Egyptians," he said, -"and I will bring them again into the wilderness; the wilderness shall -avenge me." - -Then he made haste and gat him gone within the hour, but Pagiel remained -behind; he had now the matter of the marriage in hand. Remembering this -as he went to his own tent, he again tore his beard and cried aloud to -God to help him in his extremity. But for the life of him he could -think of no other word save that which the psalmist David wrote, - - "The wicked plotteth against the just - And gnasheth upon him with his teeth, - But the Lord shall laugh at him, - For he seeth that his day is coming." - -And in this there was so little comfort that he prayed no more. - -Ben Hesed arrived at the borders of Judaea after a journey which -consumed but half the usual time, for he tarried not to rest at noontide -nor at night. Once beyond the river he began to make inquiry among the -people concerning the white dromedary, and because beasts of that sort -and color not often passed that way he soon found them that had seen -her. In this place had the runaways stayed for a night; in another had -they bartered a coin from the girl's necklace for provender for the -beast. - -"At least they have not abused the animal," said Ben Hesed to himself, -and insensibly his anger cooled day by day. - -"I shall hear what the lad hath to say before I pass judgment upon him," -he said to his son who accompanied him. "It is best to look at both -sides of a matter--yea, and within it also. When a man hath done this -to the best of his ability how far short doth he fall of the complete -knowledge of God, who made the soul and to whom it lieth open like a -parchment that is unrolled; therefore should man leave punishments to -God. I will not lift my hand against the two as I at first purposed in -my heart; and in this thou seest, my son, how wise it is to make haste -slowly in matters that pertain to revenge. The hours that pass cool the -angry heart even as drops of rain quench the glowing coals. This is -good; a year from now I shall think little of the loss of the beast, and -if I shew mercy it will endure in my heart for many years as a sweet -savor. Look always at a present calamity as if it had happened many -moons since, then shalt thou be able to judge whether it be worth thy -while to be angry and to avenge thyself." - -Beguiling the way with good words of the like, and at the same time -keeping a wary eye out for the white dromedary, the worthy man journeyed -on towards Jerusalem, for it was there that he confidently expected to -find the fugitives. - -When at length they came within sight of the holy city, lying fair and -white amid the green and gentle mountain slopes, the travelers were -amazed to see the numbers of folk who were going into it by every road. - -"What may this mean?" said Ben Hesed. "It is not feast time." -Presently they passed one of these companies, and they saw that in the -midst was a sick man on his litter; he was groaning dismally as his bed -shook beneath him with the unevenness of the way. - -"Why dost thou fetch this man into Jerusalem?" asked Ben Hesed of the -bearers. - -"To be healed," they answered him. "Happy shall we be if we get him -there alive; already this is the third day since we started with him, -and death pursueth after us faster than we can journey." - -Ben Hesed marvelled at their answer, but he forbore to question them -further, for he saw that they had no mind to talk. Presently he came -upon a woman sitting by the wayside and weeping bitterly. - -"Why dost thou weep, woman?" he asked of her, for he was not of those -who reckoned it a defilement to speak to a woman. - -"I weep," she answered him, "because, although I am in sight of the Holy -City, I can go no further and my child must, after all, perish." - -She thrust out her feet from beneath her robe, and Ben Hesed saw that -they were horribly bruised, cut and blistered, as if she had walked a -long way. As for the child, it lay waxen-faced and silent in her arms, -the purple eyelids half dropped over the dull eyes. Ben Hesed shook his -head gravely as he looked at it; it seemed to him that it was beyond -help. - -"Thou shalt ride upon my beast," he said, "and thus reach the city -speedily. I will walk beside thee." - -The woman smiled through her tears. "Now may the God of Abraham, Isaac -and Jacob bless thee!" she cried; then she looked down at her babe, and -her face whitened. "It may be too late," she murmured. - -"From whence hast thou come?" asked Ben Hesed gently. - -"From beyond Jordan, in the hill country. I heard of what was being -done in Jerusalem, and so when my babe sickened I rose up with him and -hastened to come hither, but the sickness hath increased by the way. I -fear----" - -"The man Jesus is of great power," interrupted Ben Hesed hastily. "It -hath been said of him that he hath even raised the dead." - -The woman looked startled. "Thou art, then, a stranger in these parts," -she said, "and have not heard what hath come to pass of late in -Jerusalem?" - -"I am from the wilderness; what is it that hath come to pass?" - -"The man Jesus hath been slain--crucified!" said the woman, her heavy -eyes blazing with indignation. - -Ben Hesed was silent for a moment, "Why did they slay him?" he asked at -length. - -"Nay, I know not," said the woman wearily, folding the child close to -her bosom. "I saw him once in my own village. He did there many mighty -works of healing, and of the things which he said, I remember much even -to this day. He was a great prophet, and now is his power fallen on his -disciples, even as the mantle of Elijah fell upon Elisha when he -ascended in the chariot of fire and had, therefore, no further need of a -mantle." - -Ben Hesed looked once more at the city to which they were now drawing -very near. "Thus saith the Lord God," he murmured, "This is Jerusalem; -I have set it in the midst of the nations and countries that are round -about her. The end is at hand, behold it watcheth for thee, O thou that -dwellest in the land! The time is come, the day of trouble is near. -Now will I shortly pour out my fury upon thee and accomplish my anger -upon thee. And I will judge thee according to thy ways, and will -recompense thee for all thine abominations, for the land is full of -bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence." - -And when they were now come to the gates, they had much ado to enter in, -because of the great multitude of the sick, lame and blind which were -coming from every quarter. The streets were filled with them, and with -the noise of their groaning and wailing. Ben Hesed, his son and his two -servants, together with the woman, who still held the quiet child close -to her bosom, followed on with the others. - -After a time it became impossible to proceed further, so they waited -where they were. Near them two men were holding a demoniac, who -bellowed loudly from time to time, and tore at his clothes, which were -already in ribbons, and at the hair and faces of his guardians. A -little further on, the keen eye of Ben Hesed descried a palsied man -lying on his bed, his emaciated face the color of death. Beyond him -were a group of blind men, waiting with the hopeless apathy of -accustomed misery for something, they scarce knew what. Save for the -moans and cries of the sick ones there was scarcely a sound; the sun -beat fiercely down from above, the yellow dust rose in stifling clouds -from beneath, and still they waited. - -At length from somewhere afar off there rose a cry--a wild, jubilant, -inarticulate sound; a deep answering murmur arose from the ghastly -throng of sufferers about them. This strange pean of joy rose and fell, -now swelling loudly, now dying away, but always drawing nearer. Ben -Hesed looked at the woman; she was fumbling wildly at the wrappings -which swathed her babe; she bent her head as if to listen at his tiny -chest. - -"My God!" she cried, "it is too late; he is dead." Then she dropped -back breathless and waxen as the little form which she still held close -in her arms. - -Ben Hesed caught her as she fell; he looked about him for help. - -"Here is water," said a voice at his side, and looking up he saw, to his -intense astonishment, Seth, the Egyptian lad. At the same moment the -boy recognized him, and started back with a little cry. - -"This is no time to speak of what concerneth thee and me," said Ben -Hesed sternly. "Give me the water!" And he fell to sprinkling the face -of the woman with no sparing hand. - -"They are coming!" shouted the lad. "Stay! I will bring him hither," -and he darted away into the throng. - -Ben Hesed looked after him quietly. "The wicked flee when no man -pursueth," he said under his breath, "yet shall sure wrath overtake him, -neither shall a swift foot deliver him. Come!" he added, turning to his -son, "let us bear this woman hence; there is now no further need to wait -for them that heal." - - - - - CHAPTER XVI. - - A ROLL OF PARCHMENT. - - -"Thou canst hear for thyself how Jerusalem is on an uproar; the -credulous and ignorant from all the country round about are crowding -into the city bringing their sick with them." - -"'Tis worse even than when the man himself was alive; but what can we -do?" - -"Shorn of our powers as we be, what indeed? But shall we then sit -quietly down and allow these men to snatch from us the little that -remains?" Annas arose from his place as he spoke and opening a small -receptacle of carved ivory, removed from it a roll of parchment. "Let -us now consider this matter between ourselves; later it must be -presented before the council, but I tell you plainly that in the council -itself there be them that are of two minds. I have written here," he -continued, "the names of them that are principally concerned in the -present disturbances; let these be either slain or forced into -banishment, and the thousands who now claim to believe will quickly lose -their fervor--which is after all simply a frenzy of excitement, -skilfully produced by these apt pupils of the man from Galilee." - -He was deliberately unrolling the parchment as he spoke. "I have -prepared this list after most careful inquiry and investigation," he -went on, looking keenly from one to the other of the two attentive faces -before him. "To thee, Saul of Tarsus, this information should prove -most useful. Other names may be added from time to time as shall appear -necessary, but at present I have set down only some seventeen names, -including the twelve who companied with the Nazarene. These are now I am -told known as apostles; and it is they who are the principal inciters of -the unseemly gatherings which daily take place within the confines of -our Holy Temple, and which as yet we have not been able to put a stop -to. To our shame be it said!" - -"The names! the names!" cried Caiaphas impatiently; "read them, I pray -thee, without further delay." - -Annas frowned. "Thou art zealous in the cause, my son," he said with a -warning gesture. "I commend thy diligence; would that all the Sanhedrim -were of like mind with thyself. The names of the twelve who must be -crushed at any cost are as follows: - -"The first is Simon, also called Peter--without question the most -dangerous of them all, in that he is absolutely unbridled of tongue and -apparently without fear of God or man. He is an ignorant fellow, having -been taken from his fishing boat on Gennesaret by the Nazarene, as one -well fitted to become his disciple." - -"Was he not the one who declared with curses that he never knew the -Nazarene, on the night when the man was so cleverly given over to us by -that other follower of his, Judas?" said Caiaphas. - -"Thou art in the right, my son," replied Annas, stroking his beard -thoughtfully, "though I had entirely forgotten the circumstance; indeed -all of his followers forsook the man and fled at the time of his -arrest." - -"Didst thou say that this Peter denied his Master?" asked Saul. - -"He not only denied knowing him, but cursed and blasphemed foully in the -faces of them that inquired of him concerning the matter, and that -without provocation, since there was no effort made to molest the -followers of the Nazarene, it being deemed sufficient by us at the time -to put an end to the man himself--a mistake in judgment which we are -like to repent bitterly." - -"Then the man is a coward!" exclaimed Saul contemptuously, "a -loud-mouthed braggart; doubtless a Roman scourging will suffice to close -his mouth for the future." - -"The suggestion is a good one," said Annas approvingly, "it can be -brought about with ease; though for myself I am in favor of measures -which shall entirely rid our city of the whole, blasphemous brood. The -second name I have set down is that of John, he is always to be found -with the man Peter, of whom we have just been speaking. He is, in his -way, quite as dangerous, since in common with the other he possesses -some means of deluding the multitudes into supposing that he hath -healing power." - -"There is a way provided by the law for dealing with such as have -familiar spirits and by means of them work deeds of darkness," growled -Caiaphas. - -"Quite right," assented Annas, "we shall come to that presently; of the -others I need say nothing except that they follow the same practices as -the first two named, and are occupied night and day in spreading the -pernicious teachings of what they are pleased to call the good tidings. -I will name them in order, commencing at the beginning once more. -Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew, brother of the same; John and -James, sons of Zebedee; Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, a tax -gatherer; James Ben Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, surnamed Thaddeus; another -Simon, who is a Canaanite, and Matthias, whom I find they have chosen to -take the place of the man Judas, who served us well and cheaply you will -remember in the capture of the Nazarene, but committed the incredible -folly of hanging himself immediately afterward; a pity, since we might -have found him useful now. To these twelve names I have also added -Mary, the mother of the Nazarene, she had best be made an example of, -together with some of the other women, who consort with the men and brew -mischief among them as only women are able." - -Caiaphas started up. "Thou hast rightly said," he cried in a hoarse -shaking voice, "the devil led captive the first woman, and they all do -follow him to this day if he but put on the guise of a fair youth. I -pray thee to add yet another name, the name of Stephen. Murderer and -thief! I will kill him with my hands--I hate him--I----" - -"My son," said Annas soothingly, "thou must not over-agitate thyself; -thy zeal for the holy temple hath quite caused thee to overlook the -frailty of thy body, weakened by recent illness. The name Stephen is -also written here, since I found that he was capable of leading away -much people after him. He hath a nimble tongue and a fair countenance, -together with a knowledge of the lower Gentile class from which he also -hath sprung, being, as his name indicates, of Greek parentage." - -"He is the son of a murderous thief," shrieked Caiaphas, "and I will -have his blood. I----" - -"Assuredly; all whose names are written here are under sentence of -death," said Annas, laying a warning hand on the speaker's arm; "but I -pray thee, attend me while I finish the reading of the parchment, after -that must we take immediate action. I have here further set down for -your consideration the apostates, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathaea, -formerly members of the Sanhedrim, but now delivered over unto ungodly -lusts and blasphemies in the company of the Galileans. Of Joseph it is -further known that he openly begged the body of the Nazarene from Pilate -and made a great ado over its sepulture, buying spices and fine linen as -if for a rich man, and laying the fruit of the accursed tree in his own -new tomb, from whence it also disappeared on the third day through the -further machinations of these same apostles." - -"I once knew Joseph of Arimathaea," remarked Saul thoughtfully; "he was -a fair-minded man, I will speak with him concerning the matter----" - -"Not so, my son!" cried Annas hastily. "I forbid it in the name of the -holy council; it is not meet for one that is sanctified to the service -of Jehovah to consort with them over whom Satan hath gotten the victory. -But hold! I hear some one at the door; it may be news of some fresh -disturbance, I ordered the captain of the temple police to bring me word -should such occur. Enter, I pray thee, Caleb. What is it that hath -befallen?" - -"A great tumult, my good lords," said the man, bowing himself reverently -before them. "The men have wrought many wonderful cures upon the halt, -the maimed, and the blind; the whole city is at the doors to see them. -They are bringing out their sick and laying them on the stones of the -street, crying out that if only the shadow of Peter fall on them they -shall be healed." - -"This is monstrous!" cried Annas, starting up. "Do thou, Saul of Tarsus, -go with this man and see to it that these fellows are put in hold; their -shadows will go with them. Thrust them into the common prison, and let -the jailer look to it that they escape not. Take with thee a sufficient -number for thy security, and accomplish the matter quietly but with all -speed. To-morrow we will consider their case." - -Saul of Tarsus was already girding himself. "Thy commands, my lord, -shall be obeyed," he said, bending his haughty head, "and I rejoice that -I am counted worthy to be of service in bringing to naught these workers -of iniquity. If it meets with thy approval I shall also put in hold any -others whom I shall find engaged in this blasphemous wickedness." - -"Go forth, my son," quoth Annas, rolling up his eyes, and spreading -abroad his jewelled fingers, "and take with thee a High-Priestly -blessing, may it enable thee to prevail gloriously. Deal with the men -as thou wilt; only remember that we must be prudent, and that too great -zeal in the beginning oftentimes cripples an enterprise which would -otherwise have grown mighty and irresistible, therefore temper thy -burning zeal with all caution and diligence as befits a truly wise man." -He rubbed his hands together with an air of satisfaction as the door -closed after the young Pharisee. "A most admirable man for the -occasion!" he exclaimed, turning to Caiaphas. "Most admirable! Full of -courage, full of determination, withal easy to be controlled; but I -would not that he talk much of the matter with any other save ourselves. -If he should hear the talk of Nicodemus, Joseph, or Barsabas, I fear me -that he might receive an impetus in the wrong direction; and once -started, there would be no halfway measures with him. He would speedily -develop into another Peter on our hands." - -"Dost thou in truth believe that these men are of the devil?" - -Annas started, the self-satisfied smile faded; he looked sharply into -the worn face before him, at the eyes with their feverish glitter, at -the thin, nerveless hands, at the bowed shoulders; then he frowned. - -"Thou had best go to thy chamber--" he began irritably, but Caiaphas -checked him with an impatient gesture. - -"Prate not to me of my chamber! I am sick, yes, but it is a sickness of -the soul. Thou dost not know all, I have not told thee; but hear now -that my son, my son David, was crucified as a thief at the right hand of -the Nazarene." His voice rose almost to a shriek at the last word and -he tore at his hair as one in uncontrollable agony. - -Annas started to his feet. "Thou art mad!" he cried. "For God's sake, -do not shriek forth such foul ravings, lest it come to the ears of them -without." - -"Nay, I am not mad," said Caiaphas. "If I were mad, I might sometimes -forget. Thou knowest how we lost him," he continued, sinking his voice -to a husky whisper. "He was stolen by a thief who bred him to his own -damnable trade, and who also was crucified. This Stephen, who preaches -to the people of the Nazarene, is his son. It was Stephen who taught the -woman who was my wife to believe that the Nazarene was the Messiah of -Israel. What if it were true! My God, if it were true!" - -"Fool!" cried Annas, clenching his hands. "Breathe to another human soul -what thou hast told me and I will thrust thee into a dungeon where thou -shalt cool thy hot brain to eternity. Wilt thou drag our ancient name in -the foul mud of the streets and make it a by-word and a hissing? This -fellow Stephen shall die, and that speedily; now look to it that thy -tongue is forevermore silent in the matter! Dost thou hear me?" - -Caiaphas cowered beneath the murderous eyes of the old man. "It shall -be as thou hast said," he faltered weakly. Then he burst into a passion -of sobbing like a sick child. - - - - - CHAPTER XVII. - - IN THE PRISON HOUSE. - - -It was very dark in the prison, and the straw which littered the earthen -floor of the place was damp and filthy. Abu Ben Hesed found a -difficulty in breathing the stagnant air, he groaned aloud and beat upon -his breast. "Alas!" he sighed, "how have the wicked prevailed against -the innocent. We are as birds in the snare of the fowler." The babe in -the arms of the woman beside him stirred, then wailed loudly. - -"I have no food for him," said the woman plaintively. "Nevertheless he -hath the strength to wail for it, thanks be to the Almighty. But how -doth the bitter and the sweet always commingle. No sooner is my child -restored than I am thrust into this noisome place; for what reason I -know not, I but praised him by whose name was the healing wrought." - -"Thinkest thou not that he who hath restored thy babe is able likewise -to deliver thee from prison?" said a deep voice from out the gloom. - -The woman drew a little nearer to Abu Ben Hesed. "Who is it that -speaks?" she whispered timidly, while the child again wailed loudly. - -Ben Hesed turned his piercing gaze toward the place from whence the -voice had come. He thought he could distinguish a number of dark -figures huddled together in one corner. "Who are our companions in this -misery?" he asked. - -"We are the apostles of the Lord Jesus, in whose name we are able to -heal them that are sick. By the command of the chief priests are we -thrust into this place; the officers who seized us are well known unto -us. But praises be to the Eternal One that we are accounted worthy to -do the works which the Lord did, and to be partakers of his sufferings. -For unto us shall be also a share in his glory which he hath with the -Father. But how is it that ye are come with us into this place?" - -"I am from the desert," answered Ben Hesed. "As I journeyed I found by -the wayside this woman, who had essayed to bring her babe to Jerusalem -for healing. When I perceived that she could go no further by reason of -her weariness, I set her upon my own beast and fetched her into the -city. As we waited, hemmed in on every side by the multitude, it seemed -to us that the child was dead, therefore I bore her away a little from -out the throng, because the spirit was well nigh gone out of her by -reason of her grief. Then it was that a little lad called Seth, brought -unto us a young man, who laid his hands on the twain and healed them. I -saw it with mine own eyes as did they that were with me, and we all -cried aloud and praised God for his mercy, the woman also with a voice -of thanksgiving. But as we rejoiced, there came a certain man who -commanded us to be silent. 'Shall I be silent,' I answered him, 'when -mine eyes have seen wondrous things?' Then I bade him begone, for it is -not my custom to hear or to heed commands from any, since I am lord in -mine own land. But even as I spoke I was seized on a sudden from behind -by them that bound me and haled me away hither, together with the woman. -For this also shall vengeance overtake the man, for I will neither eat -bread nor drink wine till I have accomplished my wrath upon mine enemy. -I, Ben Hesed, have spoken it." - -"Nay, my brother," said another voice, "I will show thee a more -excellent way. The Lord Jesus, when he was betrayed into the hands of -cruel men--who also accomplished their desires upon him, reviling him, -beating him, and at last crucifying him--though he was endued with all -power from on high, offered no resistance; even as it is written by the -prophet Isaiah, 'He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows -and acquainted with grief; he was wounded for our transgressions, he was -bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him -and with his stripes we are healed. He was brought as a lamb to the -slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not -his mouth.' If the holy Jesus, Lord of all the heavens, could endure -such suffering with patience, is it meet for sinful man to seek for -vengeance?" - -Ben Hesed listened attentively. "I would hear more of this man Jesus," -he said. "I once saw him in Jerusalem. He seemed to me a man, even as -others, though it was told me that he had the power to heal them that -were afflicted with diseases." - -Then they told him all the story of Jesus of Nazareth; and when they -spoke of his awful death on the cross, the old man wept aloud. - -"Would to God that I had known it!" he cried; "I would have come with my -tribe like a swift whirlwind from out the desert, and would have -snatched him from the hand of the oppressor. In the desert God reigns." - -"Doth not God reign over all the earth, for he made it?" cried Peter. -"Yet he suffered these things so to be; it was his will concerning him, -as also our Lord told us many times before his death, yet because of our -blindness we heeded him not. Yea, I even denied that I knew him, in his -extremity; yet he forgave me, as also he will forgive and save all that -come unto him." - -"How can he forgive when he is dead?" said the woman sadly. "Behold -there is no hope in the grave; they that go down unto death return not -for either loving or forgiving, though we weep tears of blood in our -anguish." - -"Hast thou not heard," cried Peter in amaze, "how that the grave could -not hold him? On the third day he became alive again, and we all saw -him and knew by many infallible proofs that it was he and no other. And -as he arose from among the dead, even so shall every one that believeth -on him also become alive again. Death is swallowed up in victory. -After many days, with our own eyes did we behold the heavens receive -him. Yet is he even now with us to help and to comfort, and shall be -alway even unto the end." - -While he yet spake, lo! all the place became light about them, and they -saw that the doors of the prison stood wide open; and while they -marvelled at the sight, a man in bright raiment stood before them and -said: - -"Go, stand and speak in the temple all the words of this life!" - -And they went forth, all of them, into the night; but the keepers of the -prison continued to stand before the doors, neither seeing nor hearing -what had happened, for their eyes were holden by the angel. - -Ben Hesed was baptized in that same hour, and so likewise was the woman, -because they believed what the men had told them concerning Jesus of -Nazareth; and they tarried for the night at the house of John. But in -the morning very early the Apostles went into the temple that they might -speak to the people, even as the angel had bidden them. - -About the third hour of the day at the bidding of Annas came the members -of the Sanhedrim, with the chief doctors of the law, and all the great -rabbis that were at Jerusalem, that they might take council together -concerning them which Saul had made fast in the prison. And when Annas -had spoken before them at length concerning the matter, and with great -power and subtilty had convinced the greater part of them that these men -were of the devil, and that upon the Senate thus convened rested the -honor and safety of Israel, he commanded that the prisoners should be -brought. And the officers went as they were bidden, and when they were -come to the prison they asked of them that stood on guard before the -door, whether the prisoners had been troublesome during the night. - -"We heard them speaking one to another about the third watch," the -officer of the guard made answer. "But there has been neither sound nor -motion from within for many hours; they sleep heavily and late." - -"They must even awake now, that they may appear before the council. -Fetch them out at once, for I must make haste." - -Then the officer of the guard, whose name was Chilion, opened the door -of the prison and went in. "Awake, sluggards!" he cried loudly, "and -come forth." - -But when there was yet neither voice nor motion, he drew his sword and -thrust it in among the heaps of mouldy straw. "If ye will not come -forth peaceably," he said, "then shall I fetch thee forth at the point -of the sword." But no shriek of pain answered the weapon. So he strode -forth into the light. "Fetch hither a torch," he roared, "there is the -darkness of the pit within, and the rascals make me no answer." - -So they made haste and fetched lights, and they searched the prison with -all diligence. The prisoners were gone. - -"Thou hast been drunken in the night and so have the fellows eluded -thee," said Caleb, the chief of the temple police, when he had satisfied -himself that the men had indeed made good their escape. "For this shalt -thou answer with a scourging." - -"Thou liest, man; I have neither eaten bread nor tasted wine during the -night," cried Chilion, choking with rage, "and these shall bear me -witness. We have stood continually before the doors, even as thou didst -find us; it is from within that they have gotten away." - -Then they again examined the floor and the walls of the prison; but -there was no place where so much as a mouse could have crept through. - -"I am undone!" cried Chilion, rending his clothes, "if they be not -found. 'Twas by their magic powers that they have done this thing. -Thinkest thou that men who can open the eyes of the blind, cannot also -open the doors of a prison house?" - -So Caleb returned unto the council; and when he had made obeisance -before them, he said, "I am most unhappy, my lords, in that I am the -bearer of evil tidings; the prisoners whom I was sent to fetch have -somehow made good their escape during the night." - -"How is this?" cried Annas angrily. "Who guarded the prison?" - -"The detachment of Chilion, with Chilion himself in command, my lord. -The prison was shut with all safety, and the keepers found we standing -without before the doors; but when we had opened, there was no man -within." - -"A most singular story this, my lord," remarked Alexander sarcastically. -"It will doubtless transpire that the fellows reasoned with the keepers -during the night watches, and so converted them from their duty to their -own interests; this do they with all men." - -"The guard, Chilion, hath been bribed," suggested another. "Fetch him -hither, and try the effect of a scourging. A bleeding back createth an -honest tongue oftentimes when nothing else will suffice." - -But as they thus talked together, Chilion himself knocked at the door; -and when he was admitted, he cried out before them all that he was -innocent of any failure in his duty; he was, moreover, ready to swear to -the truth of this upon the high altar of the temple, than which there -was no oath more sacred. "As for the men whom ye put in prison," he -added, "they are at this moment standing in the temple teaching the -people!" - - - - - CHAPTER XVIII. - - "WHOSE WE ARE AND WHOM WE SERVE. - - -"May I advise, my lord, that these men be at once apprehended and -brought hither?" The voice was that of Saul of Tarsus; he had arisen in -his place, and the eyes of all were fixed upon him. "We shall then be -able to examine them of the truth of this man's statements. It would -seem most necessary that our prisons be made secure, since I opine that -we shall have need of them before we have seen an end to this matter." - -"It is well said," murmured several who were high in authority, "let -them be fetched with all speed; we will not go hence until we have seen -them." - -So Annas commanded the officers, "Fetch hither the men, but without show -of violence, for they have a great following among the people. A -popular enthusiasm," he added, "when bred at the wrong moment and on the -wrong subject, is most disastrous; though what it may accomplish when -properly directed, those of you who were in the city at the time of the -execution of the man from Galilee will remember. The populace must be -with us now as they were then." - -Caleb therefore with a chosen few of his men sought the temple; and -there they found a great multitude assembled in Solomon's porch, -listening to the apostles who spoke to them of Jesus, the crucified -carpenter of Galilee. Him they declared boldly to be the Prince of -Israel; assuring the people that though he had been rejected by them and -cruelly slain, yet was he able to save them from out the sin and misery -of their present lives, and furthermore give them everlasting life in -place of death. So that for them that believed there was now no further -terror in the grave, since he had promised and was able to raise their -corrupt bodies into the likeness of his own glorious body. And all the -people heard their words with joy; and they cried aloud to the Crucified -One to forgive them their sins and to remember his promises to them -also. - -When the chief captain of the temple police was seen to approach -stealthily, a man whose long, silvery beard descended upon his breast, -and in whose eyes burned the fire of desert suns cried out: "Seest thou -these men? They are even as the leopard of the mountain which steals -upon his prey unaware. Look to it now that they do the men of God no -violence!" - -And the people answered with a great shout, "Let us stone them -forthwith; if they be dead they will trouble us no more!" And Caleb -feared exceedingly lest they should lay hands upon him; but being a -discreet man and in pursuit of his duty furthermore, he made a bold -stand before them. - -"Ye men of Israel," he cried, "there is no violence intended these men, -if they will but come with me peaceably. The council and senate of the -people of Israel would hear them of these matters whereof they are now -preaching, and for this purpose have they even now assembled themselves -together. Let the apostles go, I pray ye, that those in high places may -also receive the Gospel." This he said, not because he himself -believed, but because he was a man of wisdom, and knew that unless he -could placate the multitude, great harm might come not only to himself -but to the senate also. - -"Should these men once accuse the chief priests of the murder of the -Nazarene," he said within himself, "the mob would immediately hale them -forth from the council chamber and tear them limb from limb." And for a -moment he was half minded to send word to the citadel asking for a -detachment of Roman soldiers, but he bethought himself that this would -only betray his fear. So he again spoke, and this time in the ear of -Peter. - -"I beseech thee, good Rabbi," he said, with apparent humility, "that -thou wilt appease the people, since thou art obeyed of them; and I, -despite mine office, have no authority at all over them." - -"Call not thou me good, who denied the Lord of Glory," answered Peter. -"I will go with thee." Then he beckoned with his hand unto the -multitude that they should pay him heed, and when they were silent, -expecting that he would command them concerning the officers, he said: -"Ye men of Israel, this Jesus, whom we preach unto you, while he was yet -alive, commanded that they which would follow him should do no evil to -any man. Yea, he declared that if a man should smite his neighbor on the -cheek, that the smitten one should also suffer his enemy to smite again -without resistance or anger; and when, on the night before his death, -the chief priests sent a company of men armed with swords and staves for -to seize him, I was filled with indignation and smote the high priest's -servant with the sword, so that his ear was severed from his head; but -the Lord rebuked me, and bade me put up my sword into its place, then he -reached forth his hand and touched the wounded man and healed him. -Furthermore, ye remember how that afterward, when he was mocked and -scourged and spit upon by his enemies, he opened not his mouth with -revilings, but bore all with patience, though there remained within his -call more than twelve legions of angels, armed with the fiery swords of -heaven. If then ye would follow him on whom ye have believed, give -place to wrath and conduct yourselves peaceably. For ye may have -confidence that the Lord Christ, whose we are and whom we serve, will -not suffer us to be tried above that we can bear, but will with the -necessity provide a way of escape." - -And when the people heard these words, they suffered the apostles to go -away with the officers. But Ben Hesed, and with him others of them that -were strong-hearted, followed hard after, and waited near the door of -the council chamber. - -"For," said Ben Hesed grimly, "it is also written concerning the Lord, -'With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful, and with the froward -thou wilt show thyself froward. The Lord will save the afflicted -people, but he will bring down high looks,' and further, 'He teacheth my -hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by my arms; I have -pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them, neither did I turn again till -they were consumed.'" - -And when Caleb perceived that the men were even at the doors, he wrote -upon a tablet, saying: "Be discreet, I pray thee, in thy dealings with -these apostles, for there be them without which are able to make of thee -and of all that are within, even as the small dust of the balance." And -this he caused to be given to Annas privily. - -When Annas had read these words, his heart burned like a live coal -within him. Yet was his brow calm and unruffled as he fixed his keen -eyes on the men who stood humbly enough in the presence of that imposing -assembly. "Again hath it become necessary to rebuke you openly because -of your blasphemous conduct. Stiff-necked and ignorant fishermen, how -is it that ye do thus persist in doing the things which work only for -unrighteousness? Did not we straightly command you that ye should not -teach in this name? And, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your -doctrine, and intend to bring the blood of the slain Nazarene upon us." - -"We ought to obey God rather than man," affirmed Peter simply. - -Annas trembled with his pent up anger, but he still spoke with calmness. -"This have ye before declared as the reason and excuse of your -disobedience to this most holy council of the People of Israel. Dost -thou think then that the God of our fathers speaks no longer save to -fisher folk, publicans and malefactors? Nay, for upon us doth rest the -power of God and the wisdom of God; in that we would defend from -scurrilous and wicked hands the faith which we have kept unsullied from -the days of our father Abraham even until now." - -"We have but one answer to make to this," said John, looking squarely -into the furious eyes of the man who had spoken, "and it is this. The -God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. -Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, -that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we -are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Spirit, whom -God hath given to them that obey him." - -"Hearest thou these sayings?" cried Annas, starting to his feet. "What -is this else but foul blasphemy? It is poison of this kind that these -fellows spread industriously amongst the people day by day. The -Nazarene, a prince and saviour forsooth, and we his murderers! If the -people once come to believe this, what shall come to pass? We shall be -overthrown and the whole nation given over to blasphemy and idolatry." - -"We shall be doing God service if we immediately put these to death," -said Jochanan. "It must needs be done, the public weal demands it." - -"I am of the same mind," exclaimed Alexander. - -"And I--and I!" shouted half a score of voices. - -"Let them be stoned!" - -"Give them over to the Romans!" - -"I beseech your indulgence, my good lords!" interrupted a grave deep -voice from the inner circle of the assembly, "that ye may grant a brief -hearing to one, who because he is still somewhat unfamiliar with these -new doctrines, perchance looks upon them from a slightly different -standpoint from those of you who have patiently borne the heat and -burden of the day." - -"Gamaliel! Gamaliel!" cried several voices. "Let us hear what he hath -to say." - -The speaker was a man of powerful physique, and of calm and dignified -bearing. As he looked keenly about over the excited assemblage with an -air of conscious authority, every eye was fixed upon him with grave -attention. "May I request," he continued when the tumult of excited -voices had died away into silence, "that the persons under discussion be -put forth for a little space." - -This command being obeyed with alacrity by the underlings of Caleb, the -speaker resumed in a deep measured voice. "As I have listened to the -sayings of these men," he said, "my mind hath sought the past, for it is -in the experiences of years gone by that man hath ever found the best -council for the exigencies of the present. To adopt excessive measures -for the disruption of this new sect would, in my opinion, be not only -unwise in the present disturbed state of the populace, but actually -dangerous. I have mingled with the multitude and I know that whereof I -speak; therefore take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as -touching these men. Turning, as I have suggested, to the annals of the -past, we find that before these days there rose up a certain Theudas, -boasting himself to be somebody, to whom a number of men, about four -hundred, joined themselves. After a time he was slain in a brawl, and -all who believed on him were speedily scattered and brought to naught. -Again, somewhat later appeared Judas, a Galilean, in the days of the -taxing, and drew away much people after him; he also perished, and those -who had obeyed him were dispersed. So now I say unto you, refrain from -these men and let them alone, for if this preaching and healing which -they do be of men it will speedily come to naught. But if, on the other -hand, it be of God, ye cannot overthow it, lest haply ye be found to -fight against God." - -A deep murmur of approval followed these words, after which a number of -the more influential ones expressed themselves as in favor of adopting -the safe and conservative course recommended by the wise doctor of the -laws who had spoken. - -Presently, when all had been said, Annas arose and looked about him. In -the hush that followed, the tumult of the surging multitudes without -could be distinctly heard. - -"Though I believe that these men and their works are neither of man nor -of God, but of the devil," he began, his voice shaking with suppressed -excitement, "yet is the devil ever watchful of his own, and the populace -are not to be trifled with at the present moment; therefore do I agree -with the worshipful Gamaliel in thinking that the safe course for -ourselves and for the cause which we serve will be, as he hath -suggested, to let the men be for the present. I am not without hope of -interesting Herod in the matter. Let it come to his ears once that -these fellows are preaching to the people that their Master is shortly -coming back to establish his throne in Jerusalem--as I can bring -witnesses to testify--and he will speedily take care of them that say -such things. I will therefore command that the men be scourged in our -presence, which may prove a wholesome corrective to their mistaken zeal; -after that they shall be released." - -This accordingly was done, the dignitaries looking on calmly whilst the -scourging was administered by the underlings of the temple police. - -When the sickening sound of the blows had at length ceased, Annas again -spoke. "There is somewhat that ye have still to answer for," he said. -"How is it that ye made good your escape from the prison? These your -guards declare that they stood continually before the doors from the -evening when ye were incarcerated even until the morning." - -The face of John glowed with a celestial light. "The angel of the Lord, -whose we are and whom we serve, came and fetched us out, and the eyes of -the keepers were holden that they wist not when we went by them." - -Annas eyed the speaker with a mocking smile. "How is it," he said -slowly, his eyes lingering with manifest satisfaction upon the crimson -marks of the scourging, "that he who delivered fhee from the prison -house, was not able also to deliver thee from the hands of them that -beat thee?" - -"We were delivered from the prison that we might speak to the people of -him who is able to save them from their sins," answered John. Then he -also smiled, but it was as an angel might have smiled, on whom the King -immortal, invisible, had conferred some high and heavenly boon. "The -servant is not above his Lord," he said, "and if we suffer with him, we -shall also reign with him; he hath gone to prepare a place for us, that -where he is, there we may be also." - -Then Annas rose in his wrath. "Let what ye have received at our hands -serve to remind you that ye are forbidden to speak the name of the -crucified Galilean in Jerusalem. Further disobedience shall meet with a -punishment to which this shall be as nothing." Then were the apostles -thrust out from the council chamber; and they departed, rejoicing -greatly that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. And -daily in the temple and in every house where dwelt them that believed, -they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. - - - - - CHAPTER XIX. - - IN THE SHADOW OF THE WALL. - - -"Then thou wilt not go with me this morning?" - -"Nay, I must not; this morning I am to learn how to spin. The mother of -Jesus will teach me; afterward I shall make for thee a tunic. Now thou -seest what a thing it is to have eyes." Anat looked down at the small -hands which lay folded in her lap. "These," she continued, spreading -out the slender brown fingers, "have hitherto been as idle as the hands -of a princess, but the lady Mary says that they must learn many things, -if with them I would serve him that healed me." - -Seth looked half regretfully into the eager face. "Then we shall no more -dwell by ourselves as heretofore? Hast thou forgotten the desert?" - -"I have not forgotten, but I would like to stay here." - -"And the dromedary?" - -"Thou must find it. It was not I who would leave it without in the -hands of a stranger. The lord of the desert is just in requiring it at -thy hands." - -The lad turned away. "Be it so," he cried angrily. "Till I have found -it, thou wilt see my face no more; if that be never, why then----" - -"Seth, Seth! Stay a moment, my brother! do not leave me so!" But he -was gone, and without turning his head. - -"How can I find the beast?" he muttered to himself crossly, as he -plunged into the labyrinth of narrow streets. "I have asked everywhere -for the man Gestas, no one knows him; as for the white dromedary, men -look at me as if I were a witless fool when I speak of it. If now I -were in Egypt, I should offer a libation to Ptah Hotep, or fetch a -garland to the temple of the sacred bull, then might I receive wisdom; -if I pray to the gods of this land, how will they heed me who am an -alien?" At this point in his meditation the lad flung himself down in -the shadow of an archway, his eyes following idly the darting flight of -the sparrows overhead; something in their noisy crying brought back the -memory of the day when he bent half distracted over the unconscious form -of Anat. "There is a God who can hear somewhere," he said half aloud. -"For he both heard and answered the man who healed Anat; yet is it a -great thing to heal blindness, I dare not ask him to help me find a -beast of burden. Is there not some smaller god who cares for common -things? 'Not a sparrow falleth to the ground without your Father.'" -Where had he heard those words? It was John who had spoken them after -the scourging before the council. "That means his father, not mine;" he -went on meditatively, "I am not a Jew. Yet are there sparrows in Egypt -also; if I pray to this God, he will not I suppose strike me dead; I -will try and see what comes of it. God of this land--Jesus--if that be -thy name! I am as thou seest an Egyptian, and I know not what offering -is pleasing unto thee; and if I knew I could not provide it, for I am -poorer than yonder sparrow. Yet if it be true that thou dost care for -such, help me also, I pray thee, to find the white dromedary, which is -justly required at my hands by the lord of the desert." - -When he had prayed thus, a vague comfort stole into his heart; he opened -his eyes and looking down the street, saw coming toward him two men. One -of them he instantly recognized as the man in whose keeping he had left -the dromedary; with a little cry of joy he started to his feet, but -shrank back again into the archway, and seeing a broken place in the -wall, he squeezed himself into it and stood motionless. "I will follow -after them when they have passed by," he thought within himself. "It may -be that so I shall come upon the beast unawares; if he sees me, it will -not come to pass." - -But the two paused beneath the archway, and finally sat down on the -stones, neither of them noticing the motionless figure in the black -shadow of the broken wall. - -"Give me thy flask if thou hast in it a swallow of wine; I am parched -with the heat," said the one who was called Gestas. - -"I have no wine," replied the other; "water is better." - -"Pah!" grunted Gestas testily, motioning away the proffered flask. "I -do not drink water; 'tis fit only for the beasts." - -"Thou art assuredly right, good friend; the best of the wine is not too -good for thee. Do but a trifling service for me, and thou shalt not -lack for the necessary gold." - -"What wouldst thou?" - -The Jew hesitated for a moment as if he scarcely knew how to proceed. -Seth cautiously peered out from his hidden nook; he saw that the man was -well dressed and had, moreover, an air of importance. He listened -eagerly for his next words. - -"Thou art the man who witnessed before Pilate against the malefactors, -Dumachus and Titus, who afterward suffered with the Nazarene." - -Gestas started visibly, he drew away a little and fixed his small -twinkling eyes on his companion with a mixture of bravado and -apprehension. - -"What if I be?" he said at length. "I was discharged by the governor -with but twenty stripes." - -"Ay, but since then thou hast also--" here the speaker lowered his voice -so that Seth lost what followed. - -Gestas sprang to his feet with a great oath, and half drew his knife. -"Thou knowest too much by half," he cried; "I am minded to send thee -where thou mayest prate of this to the shades." - -"Peace, braggart!" said his companion, a shade of contempt in his voice. -"I am not unarmed. But thou canst see that had I spoken the word thou -wouldst even now be rotting without the walls. I did not choose, -because--thou canst serve me. Sit down and listen." - -Gestas obeyed. "It is murder, I suppose," he said sullenly. "I know -you all, you rich men! You force us poor devils to accomplish your black -deeds, and dole out to us a scanty pittance from your hoarded gold; but -if there be other recompense, such as the scourge or the cross, it is -ours without grudging. Thirty pieces of silver they paid for the -Nazarene; I know, for I saw it." - -"What if it be thirty pieces of gold this time?" said the Jew softly. -"The Iscariot was an ignorant Galilean; he was satisfied with the -silver. It was enough," he added with a shrug, "for he hanged himself -immediately thereafter because of his remorse. Now thou wouldst not do -that, I dare venture?" - -"I? Never! Else I had been dead a score of times already. But the -matter in hand, what is it? I make no bargain, understand, till I know." - -"'Tis simple enough--and--safe. Only the disposal of a man without -family, and--yes--without friends. He is moreover blood-guilty; his -removal is therefore lawful." - -"Why then dost thou----" - -"Why do I not perform the deed myself? A proper question; thou hast -understanding. It is--most sapient Gestas--not my affair. I represent -another; that other is not in a position to avenge himself personally, -nevertheless he will be avenged. Wilt thou undertake this--for thirty -pieces of gold?" - -"Ten pieces now--thirty afterward, and I will do it." - -"Say five now!" - -"Nay, ten; I have no mind to risk my life for a pittance." - -The other produced his wallet, albeit with some show of reluctance, and -passed it into the hand of Gestas. "There are just ten pieces within," -he remarked. "Thou mayest count them." - -Gestas fumbled over the coins deliberately, counting them in a sibilant -whisper. "One--two--three--four--five--six--seven--eight--nine--ten. Yes -ten--and a bit of silver." Then he lifted the pouch to the light and -looked at it critically; "I will keep this also--and the silver," he -added with a knowing leer. - -"Of course, keep that also," said his companion, eying him with an -inscrutable smile. "But I have not told thee the man's name. His head -must thou deliver to me this very night at midnight, if thou wouldst -receive the thirty pieces. It is known to me where thou art encamped -with thy followers." - -"I make no secret of that," said Gestas with a boastful laugh. "There -is good water for our beasts in the valley of Hinnom, and it is not too -far from the highway. If therefore thou wilt be in waiting just without -the Jaffa gate, the head shall be delivered into thy hand at the hour -named; if not to-night, why then to-morrow night; one must have time to -snare the bird. But thou hast not yet told me the name." - -"True; well then listen!" leaning forward, the Jew whispered for a -little space into the ear of Gestas, who nodded twice or thrice as if he -understood. - -"I know the man," he said. "No one better; he should by right be about -another business," then he laughed aloud as if something afforded him -much secret amusement. "I have done for the father, I am once avenged; -now I will be twice avenged, which is better. I know also how to lure -him into a safe place. Thou wilt not fail with the thirty pieces?" - -"I swear by the Temple that I will not fail." - -"Good! Now there is another matter; I have in my camp a dromedary of -great swiftness which I wish to dispose of at a fair price; the animal -is young, docile, well trained; it is moreover of a white color; I have -never seen the like. I bought the beast of a caravan and paid for it a -great sum." - -"No doubt," replied his companion suavely; "but let us first finish the -matter in hand. One thing at a time, and diligently done, maketh a well -ordered life," he continued piously. "So then I leave the affair in thy -hands." - -"Thou mayest trust me!" cried Gestas with a great laugh; he rose as he -spoke and brought down his broad palm on the other man's shoulder with a -sounding thwack. "Thou hast made no mistake in putting the matter into -my hands, it will--" here he stopped short and stared fixedly into the -shadow of the arch. "Body of Jove!" he exclaimed. "It seems that we -are not alone!" And reaching forward, he grasped the wretched Seth by -the shoulder and dragged him forth into the sunlight. - -"What wast thou doing there, thou devil's imp? Nay, but thou shalt -answer dearly for this." - -But Seth had not shifted for himself all his thirteen years of life for -naught. He instantly perceived that the man did not recognize him; -rubbing his eyes stupidly, he stammered out something about sleeping -soundly. Then he stretched out his hand toward the Jew who was -regarding him suspiciously from under his bent brows, and whined out a -petition for alms. - -"Wilt thou that I give thee a gold piece?" said Gestas in the Greek -tongue. - -Seth regarded him blankly. "I do not understand, honored sir," he said -humbly. - -The companion of Gestas looked relieved. "It is safe enough if the -beggar understood us not," he said. "Best take him along with you and -make him secure till afterward; then release him." - -"It may be that he doth not understand," rejoined Gestas, staring -fixedly at the lad with his fierce red eyes; "yet there is but one kind -of a man who can be trusted to tell no tales, and that is a dead man. -All languages are alike to the tongue that hath ceased to move; any -other tongue is to be feared." - -The other shrugged his shoulders indifferently. "Ah well, do with him as -thou wilt; life can be nothing to such as he. Only take him away. Till -the hour and place of our agreement, farewell!" and turning he walked -rapidly away, without once looking behind him. - -For an instant Seth meditated flight; but the burly figure of Gestas was -planted directly in front of him; to elude him would be impossible. -Raising his eyes he saw the brown head and bright eyes of a sparrow, -perched securely upon the ledge of the arch above him; the little -creature was regarding the scene with apparent curiosity. Presently -with a wild cry it darted away to join its fellows. The lad followed its -flight with envious eyes, and for the second time he remembered the -strange words of John, "Not a sparrow falleth to the ground without your -Father." Again he prayed to the unknown God who minded even the little -wild things of the air, and as before he was comforted. - -Gestas was evidently considering the situation with care, for he -continued to stand silent before his prisoner, his arms akimbo, his -small savage eyes riveted upon the figure before him. "Wouldst thou -that I release thee?" he asked suddenly in the Greek tongue. - -"If it please thee, good sir," responded Seth, quite off his guard. - -Gestas smiled evilly. "It doth not please me, boy. Now march before -me--so. Remember that I have in my hand a knife." And grasping the boy -by the shoulders, he shoved him with a kind of terrible gentleness into -the street. - -Like one in a dream the lad walked before his captor. From time to time -he looked wildly about in the vain hope of rescue, but the few -passers-by went about their business with unseeing eyes, and an -occasional prick of the knife from behind warned him that instant death -awaited him should he venture to cry out. At length they had passed -quite out of the city; here Gestas paused for a moment, and seeing that -no one was by, he proceeded to bind the lad's hands securely behind his -back. - -"Thou art such a proper liar," he remarked with a grin, "that I am -minded to leave thee alive for a while longer." Seth made no reply, nor -did he cry out when Gestas playfully thrust the knife within a hair's -breadth of his throat. - -"If I must die," he thought, "I will at least die like a man." Then he -remembered Anat sitting happily at her spinning at the feet of the -gentle Mary; the tears rose to his eyes and brimming over rolled in -great drops down his brown cheeks. He shook them off valiantly. "Tears -do not become a man," he said to himself sternly. - -"Come, come, my lad," cried Gestas, "my business requireth haste as well -as diligence. We must be getting on." Then feeling very merry indeed, -he put up his knife and fetched out his newly-acquired pouch; shaking it -so that all the gold pieces within clinked musically, he strode along, -chanting a pagan rhyme of Bacchus and the pleasures of the vine. - -After a time they reached one of the narrow denies which wind between -the hills on either side of the Valley of Hinnom, and here they -presently came upon the encampment, cunningly placed within a copse of -low-growing trees on the edge of a stream. - -Half a score of men were scattered about upon the greensward, some of -them eating and drinking, others playing at dice, and others still -stretched out at full length in the shade asleep. - -The arrival of Gestas and his prisoner was greeted with a shout of -laughter. "Ha! our worthy chief hath made a notable capture," cried -one, sauntering up to Seth and looking down at him. "A mighty man of -valor is he truly to accomplish the overthrow of such as this. How many -bags of gold didst thou take from him?" - -Gestas winked significantly. "I shall take three, if the gods prosper -me," he replied; then he bound the lad's ankles together, and bidding -the man keep an eye upon the prisoner, he threw himself down upon the -ground and demanded food and drink. Two or three others gathered about -him, and to these he talked rapidly in low tones as he ate; but nothing -of what was being said reached the ears of Seth, who was beginning to -suffer intense agony from the tightness of the cords with which his -wrists and ankles were bound. - -He ventured at length to speak of this to the man who had been detailed -to watch him; his guard good-naturedly loosened the bonds, then relapsed -into a doze, which presently deepened into a heavy sleep. - -As the hours crept slowly by, Seth worked cautiously and unceasingly to -loosen further the cords at his wrists. Towards evening he found to his -intense joy that his hands were free. No one noticed him; the man at -his feet still slept heavily; and after awhile he ventured stealthily to -undo the thongs which bound his feet together; then he sat motionless, -not daring to stir till the shadows should deepen. - -As evening drew on, Gestas accompanied by two of the other men left the -camp; he cast a glance in the direction of the lad as he passed by him, -and hesitated for a moment as if he were minded to examine his bonds, -but finally went his way. No sooner had he disappeared, than the lad -crept away among the trees and bushes; before many minutes he had -reached the edge of the thicket, here he paused breathlessly to listen, -then rising to his feet, ran like the wind in the direction of the city. - -"I must find Ben Hesed," he said. "He will know what to do." - - - - - CHAPTER XX. - - WITHOUT THE JAFFA GATE. - - -The sunset hour was always a time of peace and peculiar joy in the house -of John. The toils and dangers of the day being well over, the family -were wont to gather upon the housetop, there to talk over what had -happened during the hours that were passed. The golden glories of the -dying day served to bring to their minds, each recurring evening, that -place beyond the toils and sorrows of earth which their Lord had gone to -prepare, and toward which each day's journey was swiftly hurrying them. -Here the mother of Jesus sat enshrined in saintly peace; here also were -John and Peter with the other apostles; Anna, the wife of Caiaphas, -Stephen, and of late the black-eyed Egyptian maiden, together with many -others who came to them for help, instruction, or healing. The number -of such homes was daily increasing in Jerusalem; yet it was at this -door, perhaps more often than at any other, that wretched humanity -knocked for admittance, and admittance was always granted. For to these -had been committed the ministry of the ascended Christ, with all that -this signified of power and of blessing. - -To-night into their midst came Ben Hesed, to talk once more with the -apostles concerning the Crucified One. He brought with him the scrolls -of the Prophecies, for he was troubled about certain points therein. - -"How is it," he said, "that it is written, 'Accursed be every one that -hangeth upon the tree?' Surely God's Anointed could not be accursed." - -"Dost thou doubt concerning him already?" asked Peter sternly. - -"Nay, I doubt not, man; my spirit witnesseth within me that the thing is -true. But I would fain be able to speak convincingly to them which -believe not, when I shall have returned into the wilderness. It is not -granted to every one to behold the angel of deliverance." - -"Thou hast spoken wisely, who art wise," said John gently. "The young -man Stephen doth without ceasing make study of that which hath been -written aforetime concerning the Christ. Yea, the spirit also hath -revealed to him many things which have been hid from the eyes of the -wise; and this to our profit who are sorely beset with the duties of our -ministry. Read, I beseech thee, my brother, from the scroll which thou -hast prepared." - -"Concerning him which hath been hanged, it is written in the law thus," -said Stephen, who a little apart from the others had been poring in -silence over a number of parchments. "'If a man have committed a sin -worthy of death, and he be put to death, and thou hang him upon a tree. -His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt surely -bury him that day; for he that is hanged is accursed of God. That thy -land be not defiled which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an -inheritance.' - -"But and if a sinless and holy man be put to death by false accusation, -how is it that he is accursed? Herein is a great mystery, which as yet -we see only in part, nor indeed can it be apprehended of mortals, that -God gave his only begotten Son, not only that he should live amongst us -a holy and sinless life, but that he should yield up that life in all -meekness at the hands of his enemies. This also being the will of the -Father concerning him; as he himself said, and as the voice of many -prophets declare--who being dead yet speak to us in the words of the -scripture. Are we not every one accursed, for we have sinned in the -sight of God; and he, the sinless one, hath through the infinite -compassion of the Father become accursed in our place. Even as it is -written by the hand of the prophet Isaiah, 'He was wounded for our -transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of -our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed.' - -"And behold these sayings--'I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks -to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and from -spitting'--'The assembly of the wicked have closed in upon me, they -pierced my hands and my feet'--'They parted my garments among them, and -cast lots upon my vesture'--'They gave me also gall for my meat, and in -my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink'--'I became a reproach unto -them, when they looked upon me they wagged their heads.' And this, 'his -visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons -of men'--'He was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and -acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him'--'He -was taken from prison and from judgment and who shall declare his -generation, for he was cut off out of the land of the living, for the -transgression of my people was he stricken'--'And he made his grave with -the wicked and with the rich in his death.' - -"All these sayings I found concerning him," continued the young man -gravely, "written many generations before his birth; they might have -been writ yesterday by one who witnessed his death. Also by the hand of -the prophet Daniel is this: 'And after three score and two weeks shall -Messiah be cut off, but not for himself, and the people of the prince -that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end -thereof shall be as a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are -determined.'" - -"The end is yet to come," said Ben Hesed, involuntarily clenching his -strong hands and looking toward the walls of the mighty temple, which -shone white and mystical in the soft light of the rising moon. - -"He himself foretold all that hath happened," said John sorrowfully, -"and what is yet to come; how that he should be delivered up to the -Romans, and should be mocked and spitefully entreated, spitted upon, -scourged and crucified. It lay heavily upon him so that even he, who -walked ever in the light of God, was exceeding sorrowful; and when he -looked to us for sympathy that last awful night, we--slept. God forgive -us!" - -"He hath forgiven us all things," said Peter. "He bore our sins in his -own body on the tree. For the love of him, shall we not gladly suffer -what shall yet befall us? for he told us plainly that the world would -hate us, even as it hated him; that we also should be persecuted, -scourged, and put to death. Yet how soon will all be past, and then we -shall go to him." - -In the silence which followed these words a loud knocking was heard at -the outer gate of the courtyard. Stephen arose quietly from his place -and descended the stair. When he had opened the door, he saw standing -in the street a man. He was meanly clad, as Stephen could see by the -dim light; therefore his voice was more gentle than usual as he said:-- - -"What wilt thou, friend?" - -"Is there here a young man called Stephen?" - -"I am he; wilt thou enter?" - -The man shuffled uneasily on his feet, then looked furtively up and down -the street. "There be a sick man who hath need of thee for healing and -strong words of thy faith," he said at length, fixing his eyes upon -Stephen. - -"Wouldst thou not rather inquire for one of the twelve?" - -"Nay, it was for one Stephen, a Greek, I was bidden to ask. The man I -have spoken of is also a Greek, and would not ask for healing at the -hands of a Jew." - -"The healing cometh from God," said Stephen gravely. "I will come -though. Where is the sick man?" - -"I will show thee where he lieth," said the man eagerly; "and I pray -thee to make haste, for his case is desperate." - -"Let me first speak to them that are within, I will join thee -immediately," said Stephen, stepping back into the courtyard and leaving -the door partly open. - -The man listened to the sound of his retreating steps as he ascended the -stair. "They be all above," he muttered, stepping softly within. "Now -if by any chance--Ha! what is this? A capital warm cloak, 'twill serve -to shelter me these chill nights. Body of Jove! but I am always in luck -of late!" - -When Stephen returned, the man was waiting humbly without as he had left -him. The two immediately set forth, the man going before; they walked -swiftly through the dark narrow streets, the stranger glancing -frequently over his shoulder to make sure that Stephen was following. -After a time he paused, "'Tis without the walls," he muttered hoarsely. -"We must pass through the Jaffa Gate." - -"There is moonlight," said Stephen rather absently, raising his eyes to -the heavens, where in truth his thoughts had been as he followed his -strange guide. - -"There is moonlight," repeated the man with a hoarse chuckle. "So much -the better." - -Stephen looked at the speaker more attentively than he had done at -first; the white light which poured down from above revealing clearly -every feature of the brutal face before him. He started visibly. "I -have somewhere seen thee before!" he exclaimed. "Nay I know now, thou -art of them who formerly----" - -The man laughed aloud. "I am Gestas; second in authority to Dumachus, -who was chief of our band--and your father. Since the Romans put an end -to him, along with Titus and the Nazarene, I have been chief." - -"And is it one of your followers who is in need of healing?" asked -Stephen, shrinking back a little with something of his old-time dread. - -"It is. Art thou afraid?" - -"No," returned Stephen quietly, "I am not afraid; surely of all men ye -are most in need of the mighty help of the risen Lord; 'twere most -fitting if so be that I may bring it into your midst." - -Gestas looked at him with an indescribable mixture of contempt and pity. -"Thou art a pretty enough fellow," he said, running his eyes over the -slender but well-knit figure. "A thought too pretty indeed. Why art -thou contented to pass thy days in the company of a band of crazy fools, -who will end as their Master did--though he merited it not--on the -cross. Why take the devil's wages without the devil's pleasures first? -If now, I die on the cross, it will be for reasons better than -preaching, praying, and the healing of dirty beggar folk." - -"Afterward is the judgment," said Stephen. - -"A fig for the afterwards!" cried Gestas. "Who knows anything about -that? But, come," he added with a sudden change in his tones, "it lacks -but an hour of midnight; thou must be gone before that time." - -"I am not in haste to be gone," said Stephen gently. "I will remain -until morning, if I can do anything to help." - -"There is naught that thou canst do--after midnight," said Gestas -gruffly. "If there is an afterwards," he muttered, "it will make no -difference to him." - -The two walked silently for a time, pausing at length at the edge of a -low-growing coppice, through the interlacing branches of which could be -seen the fitful flash of a dying fire. Making their way through the -thicket by a winding path evidently well known to Gestas, the twain -presently found themselves in the centre of the encampment. - -"Where is the dying man?" said Stephen, eager to begin his ministry of -love. - -For answer, Gestas seized him by the arm and hurried him forward into -the midst of a dark group of figures which seemed to be awaiting their -approach. "Thou art the dying man!" he whispered hoarsely. "Prepare -for thy afterwards swiftly." - -Half involuntarily, Stephen made a mighty unavailing effort to free -himself from the grasp of the ruffian who held him; life on a sudden -looked very sweet to him. It could not be that God had appointed such -an end as this for one who would serve him long and faithfully. Surely -he was too young to die. Yet not younger than Titus, who had gone by -the horrible way of the cross to be with him in Paradise. At the -thought a great peace possessed his soul. "Not my will but thine be -done," he murmured aloud, raising his eyes to the stars which glittered -keenly through the interlacing branches overhead. - -"So this is the man!" cried a rough voice, as a dozen hands bound him to -the trunk of a tree. "It may be that if he hath the power to heal, as -they say, he will be master also of other magic arts, which he will use -to our undoing. Best make way with him quickly." - -Stephen looked about on the crowd of evil faces which surrounded him, -and a great wave of pity for his tormentors swept over him. So far were -they from God, so deep in unfathomable depths of misery. For himself he -felt no fear; from earth to heaven was but a single step. - -"Men and brethren," he cried, and his voice rang out clear and sweet -upon the startled air. "Let me live for yet a little space, till I shall -declare unto you the words of life. For such as you, Jesus died upon -the cross; he will save you from out the misery of this present life, -and afterward give you the life that endeth not. Only believe on him -and forsake your evil ways." - -"Prate not to us of thy Jewish Messiah," cried one. "He is not for us, -even if what thou sayest be true. We must die as we have lived. We be -uncircumcised Greeks that care not for an everlasting abode with them -that spit upon us in this life." - -"Nay, but he died for the sins of the world, and he is risen from death -to abide forever with the Father which made the Greek as well as the -Jew, and loveth both alike." - -"Give to us a sign!" cried another. "If what thou hast said be true, -let the man Jesus come down out of the heavens and deliver thee, then -will we believe on him; nay, more, thou shalt be our leader in place of -Gestas here--who is too stupid to be chief." - -At this Gestas swore a great oath of rage. "Stand back, all of you," he -cried. "I will smite him; and there is none that shall deliver him out -of my hand, either on earth or in heaven." - -Then he raised his arm; Stephen caught the keen glitter of the steel. -He closed his eyes. His lips moved in prayer. Something smote him on -the breast, but it was not the soul-delivering blade, as he dimly -realized ere his senses left him. Gestas, stricken full in the heart by -an arrow sped from the bow of an unseen archer, had leapt straight into -the air without a cry, then falling limply, his head striking against -the prisoner, he lay, a grim unsightly heap, at Stephen's feet. - -The others stood for an instant aghast, then with wild cries of fear -they fled away into the thicket. - -"I fear the knaves have done for him, whoever he be," cried a voice, as -the figure of a young man bounded out of the bushes. - -"Nay, my son," said Ben Hesed, who had followed more deliberately, "the -miscreant had but raised his blade when my arrow smote him; let us loose -the man here and get away from this place with all speed, for they will -return and fall upon us, if they find that we be few." - -"I must fetch the white dromedary," said the voice of Seth, at his -elbow. "It is in yonder glade." - -"Be quick, then; there is no time to lose!" - -The moon had looked down for a full hour longer upon the dark motionless -something, which lay just where it had fallen on the soft grass, when -the thicket again opened and a man peered out. He looked about him -cautiously, then turned and spoke reassuringly to some one behind him. - -"There is no one here, Joca; come on!" - -"It was a bolt from heaven assuredly which smote him; for there is -naught missing save the man," said the other, looking keenly about in -his turn at the familiar scene; "Let us get away from this place; I am -sick of it." - -"Ay! we will return to Greece where the old gods yet rule; I like not -the ways of the god of this land; but first--" And the speaker -cautiously approached the body of Gestas. "He hath something about him, -which we shall have more need of than he. Ah! here it is, ten good -pieces--if he have not already spent some of them." - -"But there were to have been thirty pieces more." - -"Ay! and more's the pity that they be lost to us." - -"Why need they be lost to us, man?" - -"What meanest thou?" - -Joca whispered something in his companion's ear, whereat the other -chuckled hoarsely. - -"Why not?" he cried, "thou art a son of Minerva to have thought it." - -The servant of Annas had waited outside the Jaffa gate for nearly two -hours; he was growing impatient at last. - -"I will not stay longer," he muttered, "something hath miscarried in the -matter; it will be to-morrow--if the knave hath not failed me -altogether." - -But even as he spoke he saw a man approaching him. He at once stood -forth in the full moonlight, bidding his companions remain within the -shadow of the wall. - -The man came up to him swiftly. "Art thou he who hath thirty pieces of -gold to give in exchange for a strange commodity?" - -"I am he. Hast thou the commodity?" - -"Ay! it is here; wilt thou see it?" - -The Jew shuddered at sight of the bag which the other tendered him. -"No!" he said shortly. "Take the money and be gone." Then he turned to -one of the slaves who waited his orders. "Take this," he commanded, -"and fetch it to the palace." - - - - - CHAPTER XXI. - - NOT A SPARROW FALLETH. - - -Something more than two years after the events narrated in the preceding -chapter, a little group of men might have been seen standing in the -portico of a building known as the Synagogue of the Nazarenes. They -were conversing in low tones, but their excited gestures and gloomy -faces betrayed the fact that the topic which they were discussing was -not a pleasant one. - -"There is unquestioned and open partiality on the part of the apostles -toward them that be of Hebrew birth and descent," said one bitterly. -"Though we be circumcised and walk after the law in all diligence, the -fact that we are Greeks can be neither overlooked nor forgiven." - -"I mind not what they think;" cried another sturdily, "a Greek is as -good as a Jew any day, and we be all servants of one Master, even -Christ; but it is not just that our widows and fatherless be neglected -in the daily distributions, for we have all given freely of our -substance into the common fund." - -"I like not to boast, my Andronicus," said the third man almost in a -whisper, "but I cannot forbear the thought that had I retained in mine -own power what I aforetime laid down at the apostles' feet--freely and -in all humility of mind, these tales of neglect would not now be coming -to our ears." - -None of the three had observed that a fourth man had joined himself to -the group, till the newcomer spoke. "The neglect of which thou dost -complain, my brothers," he said in a deep musical voice, "is not a -neglect born of contempt for us because we are Greeks. I know these men -through and through; they rest not day nor night, but labor incessantly, -and in all unselfishness and love for the church, yet is the burden too -heavy for them. Christ healed many that were sick and fed many that were -hungry. Yet there remain multitudes of them that are blind, of them -that are lepers, of them that hunger, who were also blind, leprous, and -hungry, when our Master walked the earth. They came not unto him, and -how could he succor them, being burdened with this humanity which doth -irk us all?" - -"What thou hast said, my Stephen, is true," admitted Andronicus. "But -it is also true that among the Jewish widows there is no lack, while -Priscilla and her little ones remained two days without food. Had she -refrained from joining herself to us, she would have continued to -receive aid from the Temple treasury; the woman herself declared it, and -I could not gainsay her had I wished it. If there be not neglect born -of contempt, there is assuredly a lack of wisdom." - -"What hath been done for Priscilla?" - -"My wife ministered to her necessities, as well as to those of Julia and -Eunice." - -"Hast thou spoken of this to Peter?" asked Stephen, looking troubled and -turning to one of the others. - -"Nay, I have not spoken of it; there should be no need to speak, say I." - -"Forget not the word of the Master, 'Judge not that ye be not judged,' -said Stephen, gravely. "We must look carefully within before we lightly -censure any man--least of all the chosen and anointed ones of our Lord." -Then after a thoughtful pause he added, "I will myself speak with John -concerning these things." - -The man who had first spoken, and who was called Apelles, looked after -him as he walked away. "From him I can suffer reproof as from no other;" -he said, "he hath within him the very spirit of the ascended One." - -"Like the ascended One, he hath also enemies in high places;" said -Andronicus, significantly, "the continued attempts made upon his life -bear witness to the fact." - -"What dost thou mean? He was threatened, it is true, by certain of the -Sadducees because of his boldness in declaring the resurrection in their -very midst, but no man laid hands on him." - -"The Herodians, and especially the Pharisee from Tarsus, are bitter -against him for some reason, which perhaps we understand not wholly. -Hast thou forgotten his rescue by Ben Hesed more than two years ago; and -also what happened thrice since--when by the barest chance he escaped -with his life?" - -"True, he has been mercifully preserved amidst great dangers; but each -time there was a simple enough cause for the peril without attributing -it to an enemy," said Apelles, thoughtfully. "Once it was from robbers, -who would have slain him from the mere lust of murder, as is their wont. -Again, a heavy stone fell from the wall above as he spake to the people, -barely missing his head in its descent." - -"Yes; I know all that thou wouldst say;" broke in the other, "but -listen! Yesterday a basket of fruit was sent him, bearing a scroll -inscribed thus: 'This fruit is for the saintly Stephen, from one who -believes that the apples of Paradise are none too fair for such as he.'" - -"A pretty conceit assuredly!" - -"A most lovely conceit! Had he eaten, as the sender supposed that he -would do, even now would the apples of Paradise be within his grasp." - -"What meanest thou?" - -"'I will not eat of this fair fruit,' said Stephen, 'instead I will bear -it to the aged Clement, who hath only of late joined himself to us,' but -while he waited for a convenient season for taking the gift, the fruit -stood without on the ledge of the window, and the birds came and pecked -it. Before they could fly away after their stolen meal the little -creatures dropped dead." - -"Horror! the fruit was poisoned then?" - -"Assuredly. Now thou seest that he hath an enemy." - -"But who?" - -"I have my suspicions, and have warned him. His answer was this, 'He is -with me alway even unto the end; until my appointed time there is -nothing that shall be able to hurt me; neither shall I fear what man can -do to me.'" - -"Wonderful! I have confessed that Jesus is the Christ, but I fear me my -faith in him is but a poor thing compared with that of Stephen; had the -like happened to me I should have fled the city." - -"'Twas what I urged upon him. Go away from Jerusalem, I said. There be -Jews in every city of Greece who would gladly hear thee of the Christ; -in the land of thy fathers shalt thou dwell in safety. But he shook his -head. 'The day is not far distant,' he made answer, 'when not alone to -the Jews shall this salvation be preached, but unto every people and -kindred and tongue beneath the heavens; for Christ came to save the -world, and therefore shall the world be saved; but it is not I who am -called to this work; my place is here.'" - -While the two Greeks thus spoke one to another of Stephen, the young man -himself was passing rapidly through the streets towards his home, his -thoughts busied chiefly with what Andronicus had told him concerning the -daily ministrations. "The matter must be looked to," he said to -himself. "The twelve are not sufficient for the work, God be praised. -So mightily hath the spirit worked with and for us, that the day is not -far distant when the cross shall cease to be a symbol of shame and -hissing among men and shall everywhere be hailed the sacred token of -deliverance." - -Communing thus within himself he lifted up his eyes and beheld the -square which lay before the palace of Pilate. "It was here," he -murmured, "that they brought him on the day of his death. It was here -that the people cried out 'Crucify him--Crucify him!' Ah, that awful -day--nay rather that day of days, decreed from the foundations of the -world!" Then he passed on into the square, being minded to look for a -moment on the very place where he knew the Man of Sorrows had stood so -patiently on that last day of his earthly life. As he approached the -mosaic of many-colored marbles which marked the place of the judgment -seat, a Roman chariot containing two men and drawn by a pair of powerful -black horses dashed into the square. - -"Dost see that fellow yonder, Herod?" exclaimed the man who stood behind -the driver. "I mean the one with the white robe. 'Tis that beggarly -Greek, Stephen, who hath been setting the city on an uproar of late with -his driveling cant. I hate the whole blasphemous brood, but he is most -contemptible of all." - -"I will engage to run him down, if thou sayest it," said the man who -held the reins, and across whose white tunic streamed a scarf of the -imperial purple. - -"Be it so!" answered his companion with a malignant scowl. "'Twill be a -happy accident that rids the world of such an one." - -"An accident of course," said the other with a brutal laugh. "Who would -dare question it?" And he brought the long lash with a whistling curl -about the glossy flanks of the horses; they leapt forward as one. -Something else also leapt forward. There was a cry, and the sound of -the iron hoofs was horribly dulled for an instant, then the chariot -thundered on, and swept into the avenue beyond the palace. - -"By the gods, Alexander!" cried Herod. "Didst see the man who leapt -forward from behind? He dragged the beggar forth just in time; another -instant and he would have been crushed beneath our wheels." - -"I saw, yes," answered the other, grinding his teeth. "The wretch bears -a charmed life." - -"We will drive back to inquire of the accident," pursued Herod with a -sneering laugh. "Pollux there struck something softer than the -pavement. Hey! Pollux, my beauty? If it chanced to be the man's head -he will prate no more of dead malefactors--nor yet of live ones. How -now, fellow!" he shouted, reining in his struggling horses as they -approached the borders of the crowd which had instantly gathered at the -scene of the accident. "Was the man hurt seriously?" - -"Not seriously, they say, your Highness," replied the man to whom he had -spoken, bowing low at sight of his royal questioner; "but the stranger -who rescued him hath beyond doubt suffered a mortal wound." - -"The more fool he!" cried Herod contemptuously. As the horses again -sprang forward in obedience to the lash, he turned to his companion with -a wicked laugh. "'Twere a pretty pastime for our leisure to root out -these pestiferous fellows from the Holy City, and 'twould doubtless -cover a multitude of sins." - -"May we count on thine assistance, my prince?" said Alexander eagerly. -"We who are against the Nazarenes grow fewer each day; already the -greater number of Pharisees either believe or regard them with -tolerance. These all declare openly that the dead carpenter of Galilee -is alive and is like to return any day to rule over Israel." - -Herod's face darkened. "Let him return and attempt it!" he cried -angrily. "Behind me--is Rome." - - - - - CHAPTER XXII. - - BY THE THORNY WAYS OF HIS SIN. - - -Upon a couch in the house of John lay the stranger who had rescued -Stephen from death. About him were gathered those of the household who -chanced to be at home when the sad little procession had arrived. - -"He gave his life for mine," said Stephen, solemnly, looking down at the -quiet face across which the shadow of approaching death had already -fallen. "And God hath accepted the sacrifice; it is not his will that -he be restored. Would that I knew to whom I owe this debt of gratitude -before he goes hence." - -"He will recover consciousness, I think, shortly," said Mary, laying her -cool white fingers on the brow of the sufferer. "He is assuredly not a -Jew," she added, gazing intently at the dark face upon the pillows. -"Fetch me a basin and sponge, my daughter; it may be that the cool water -will revive him." - -The girl to whom she had spoken hastened to obey. As she stooped to -pour water from a jar which stood without in the courtyard, a young man -hurriedly entered the enclosure. - -"Where is Stephen?" he cried, as his eye fell upon the maiden. "I heard -but just now that Herod had crushed him beneath his chariot wheels. A -brutal deed. He that told me was an eye-witness." - -"By the mercy of God," answered the girl with a half sob, "he hath -escaped with a bruise; another was smitten in his place, and he is -dying. I must hasten with the water!" and she sprang up and hurried -away. - -The young man followed, and approaching the group that surrounded the -couch, he looked over the shoulder of the young girl as she held the -basin ready for the hand of Mary. He started as his eye fell upon the -wounded man. - -"He is an Egyptian!" he exclaimed. - -Even as he spoke, the man opened his eyes. "Water!" he gasped faintly. -Stephen raised the languid head while the skilful hand of Mary held the -cup. - -"Lay him down again, gently--so," she said in a low voice. - -Then Stephen bent over the pillow. "Canst thou tell us who thou art, -and why it was that thou didst choose the life of another rather than -thine own?" - -The dull eyes brightened a little, "Did I save him? Ah, yes--thanks be -to the gods! thou art alive. Did any hurt befall thee?" - -"Nay--but I live, alas, because thou art to die." - -"It is well, not only that thou wilt live, but that I shall die, if the -God whom thou dost proclaim will but count my worthless life a sacrifice -for my many sins." - -"Nay, my brother," said Stephen, "if thou dost but believe on Jesus the -Christ, there is no sacrifice needed for sin; he gave himself a -sacrifice for our transgressions because of the love which he bare us." - -"It cannot be that he loves me," said the sick man. "Listen till I -shall tell thee all. I am an Egyptian, my name is Amu----" - -The maiden who still stood at his bedside grew very white at the sound -of that name, and the newcomer, who was watching from behind, reached -quietly out and took the basin from her nerveless fingers. "Anat," he -whispered, "'tis a common enough name." - -"It is he," she returned, "I know the voice--but listen!" - -"Early in life," continued the Egyptian, his voice gathering strength, -"I was even as others, neither better, nor worse,--'tis not of those -days I would speak, but of the days when I was a man grown--then it -chanced that there came a certain stranger out of the wilderness with -his wife and child, and sojourned in Egypt. He possessed gold and -bought for himself a plot of land not far from the river. This he -tilled with industry, so that after a time he gained more gold and -bought still another bit of tillage. Not much, for land was costly in -the neighborhood of the river. I was his neighbor and I was not -unfriendly to him, for he was a stranger and knew not the ways of the -people, nor at the first the proper grains to cast into the earth. And -because I helped him in such small matters he loved me and clave to me, -as also his wife; and I was ever an honored guest in their house. After -a time, there came a great sickness over all the region about the upper -Nile, because the river failed to overflow his banks at the proper -season. The people were wasted by it, and they died by hundreds and by -thousands. My father and my brothers died; and the plot of land which -had been theirs came to me. - -"After a time the man who had come out of the wilderness was likewise -stricken, and his wife; and when it presently appeared that they both -must die, he sent for me and spake to me after this manner, 'My friend, -who hath been to me even as a brother in this land of strangers wherein -we have sojourned, I am sorely stricken, both I and the mother of the -children, and it must presently come to pass that we be gathered to our -fathers; but before my soul passes I would fain speak to thee of my -little ones who will be left desolate, if so be that the plague spares -them.' 'Speak,' I made answer, 'I will do with them as thou dost -command.' Then he told me how that he was a Greek born in Antioch, and -the son of a rich man. After his father died a fierce quarrel arose -betwixt the two brothers over the division of the inheritance; and when -after many days the bitterness still continued, it came to pass that he -smote his brother and wounded him sore; then taking what he would he -fled away into the wilderness. There he took to himself a wife from the -tribes that wandered in the desert and afterward came to dwell in Egypt. - -"'Now I pray and beseech thee,' he said to me, 'by all that thou boldest -sacred, that thou wilt take my two children and the price of the -land--when thou shalt have sold it--and fetch them to my brother, for I -have heard that he yet liveth, and say to him this: Thy brother is dead. -He sendeth thee the money that he took away--and more; and here are also -his two children. Let them find favor in thy sight, I pray thee, for -they are desolate.' - -"I promised my neighbor that I would do what he desired of me; and I -sware it by the temple of Ptah Hotep, and by the sacred Nile, and by the -soul of my father. And when he had told me his brother's name and how -to find him, he turned himself about on his bed and spoke no more. In -that same day both he and his wife perished. Of the two children one -was likewise stricken, and I watched her many days till she recovered. -Afterward I perceived that she had become blind by reason of the plague. - -"That season I could not sell the land, for there were none to buy; so I -planted the crops and reaped them, and the children ate and were -satisfied; but the money I received for the grain I kept, for I said the -laborer is worthy of his wages. The next season I also planted and -reaped, and the next; and at the time of the third harvest a man came to -me and said, 'Wilt thou sell this land for thy neighbor's children?' and -I answered him 'Nay, I will not sell. My neighbor owed me money and he -died without repaying me, therefore is the land mine!' And after a time -I came almost to believe what I had said. But I waxed exceeding bitter -against the two children, who were as yet only babes; so I sent them -away to a woman who dwelt in the tombs above the river; and I paid her -to keep them. Afterward she died, and the two continued to dwell alone -in the tombs. They grew and waxed strong--though no one cared for them, -for the boy was lusty and brave; he had become a water-carrier. Still I -kept a watch upon them, for I feared lest they should in some way find -out what I had done; though I confessed it to no one, not even my wife. -After a time the fear grew upon me so that I could neither eat nor -sleep, and I resolved to rid myself of the two. I had not yet grown -evil enough to wish to slay them, so I turned the thing over in my mind -for many days; at the last I was resolved what to do. I would sell them -for slaves, then would they be taken away and I should be free from my -fears; not only so, but I should receive gold, with which to buy more -land. But when I would have accomplished my desires upon them, they -fled away into the desert, and assuredly perished; for though I searched -for them long, I could never find what had become of them." - -"Why didst thou search for them," said Seth suddenly, as the man paused -to drink from the cup which Mary again held to his parched lips. - -"I searched for them," replied the man, his eyes resting upon his -questioner's face with a startled expression, "because--Nay, I hardly -know why. I had repented me of my desire to make slaves of them, but I -was not ready to give up the land." - -"What became of Besa?" - -"I found him dead in the tomb where he thought the twain were hidden," -answered the Egyptian as if in a dream. "But who art thou that dost -question me?" and he half raised himself in the bed, his livid face -growing yet more ghastly with the painful effort. - -"We are the children of the man thou didst wrong," said Seth fiercely. -"Tell me, what was the name of our kinsman, that we may yet seek him as -our father willed?" - -"His name was Erastus; but, alas, he is dead now these many years. I -sought him that I might render an account of what I had done, for I -feared death on account of my sin. Neither dared I pray any more to the -avenging gods; for had I not foresworn myself in their names? So, -because there was no longer any comfort for me in the lands which I -possessed, nor in my children, nor in anything in the whole land of -Egypt, I became a wanderer in far countries. Here in Jerusalem not many -days since, I chanced to hear a wondrous thing, 'that they which had -sinned might find peace and forgiveness in one Jesus of Nazareth, who -had lived upon earth that he might save them which were lost.' That -same day I beheld him that had spoken these words; and I drew near, -desiring to ask him still further of the matter, when on a sudden I saw -that he was in mortal peril. I scarce know what followed; but I longed -to save him, if only that I might hear once more the strange story of -the man Jesus. Tell me"--and the man's glazing eyes sought -Stephen--"thou hast heard all--is there forgiveness for such as I?" - -"There is forgiveness for every one that doth repent and believe in the -Lord Jesus," said Stephen softly. "Surely thou mayest pass in peace, my -brother; for God hath led thee even by the thorny ways of thy sin unto -himself." - -The dying man's eyes again brightened, his lips moved; then he stretched -out his hand toward the youth and the maiden, who had sunken to their -knees by his bedside. "Wilt thou also forgive?" he murmured. - -"Yes--yes. We forgive thee fully, as also we hope to be forgiven," -cried Seth, pressing his lips to the cold hand which had so cruelly -wronged him. - -"Thy mother--her name was Zarah," faltered the Egyptian--"she was the -daughter--of--" his voice failed him; thrice he made an unavailing -effort to speak, then the eternal silence fell softly upon him. - -"He hath passed into the presence of the Love that hath led him through -all the weary way of his life," said Mary solemnly. "There will he find -peace." - - - - - CHAPTER XXIII. - - IN THE SYNAGOGUE OF THE NAZARENES. - - -"For what have we been called together at this time, knowest thou?" -asked a man of his neighbor in the crowd assembled before the synagogue -of the Nazarenes. "Seeing that this is not the prescribed day for -worship." - -"'Tis that we may consider the matter of which the Grecians have been -murmuring of late," replied the other. "Their widows, say they, are -neglected in the daily ministrations." - -"Not more than the widows of our own blood; the fault lieth with the -young men to whom of late the apostles have been forced to give a part -of the work. But see, the doors are opened." - -The twain, together with the rest of the quiet and orderly multitude, -passed into the porch, where each person paused for an instant to dip -his hands into the brazen urn of water which stood without the door; -this constituting the ceremonial washing of hands required before -entering into the sacred enclosure. - -The scene within did not differ materially from that which might have -been seen in any other of the four hundred and eighty synagogues of -Jerusalem. Against the wall opposite the entrance, beneath a canopy of -purple cloth, stood the wooden chest or ark, containing the scrolls of -the law. Above this ark burned the perpetual light, token of the visible -glory of the Lord as it was revealed in that first temple which their -forefathers had reared in the wilderness. This sacred light was a -three-fold symbol, for it also served to remind the worshipper of the -human soul, which is the breath of God; as it is written, "The spirit of -man is the candle of the Lord." And of the divine law--"For thy -commandment is a lamp; and thy law is light." - -Here also facing the congregation was the desk from which the ruler of -the synagogue was wont to preside over the worship; and at one side, -elevated upon a raised platform, twelve wooden seats were provided for -the twelve apostles--the visible heads of the Church; it being the -custom in all synagogues to thus elevate above the common rank those who -were considered the most enlightened. In these, as in all other -respects, did the disciples walk orderly as after the law; being yet -minded, despite the warning of the Master, to put the strong new wine of -the Kingdom into the ancient bottles of Judaism. - -On this day, after that the congregation had seated themselves in due -order--the men upon one side of the room, the women and children upon -the other, separated by a low wooden partition--the service was begun by -the chanting of the sacrificial psalms; after which the whole -congregation arose and repeated as with one voice the benediction called -"The Creator of Light." - -"Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who createst -light and formest darkness; who makest peace and createst all things. -He in mercy causes the light to shine upon the earth and the inhabitants -thereof, and in goodness renews every day the work of creation. Blessed -art thou, the Creator of Light." - -And also this--"the Great Love." - -"With great love hast thou loved us, O Lord our God; thou hast shown us -great and abundant mercy, O our Father and King, for the sake of our -forefathers who trusted in thee! Thou who didst teach them the love of -life; have mercy upon us and teach us also to praise thee, O Lord, who -in love hast chosen thy people!" - -Then did Matthias--who on this day had been chosen to lead the worship, -and who like the rest of the congregation wore the fringed garment -prescribed by law and the phylacteries upon his head and upon his left -arm--arise, and cry aloud in the words of the ancient prayer which was -called the Kadish; all the people joining heartily in the Amens. - -"Exalted and hallowed be his great name in the world which he created -according to his will; let his kingdom come in your lifetime, and in the -lifetime of the whole house of Israel very speedily!" - -"Amen!" - -"Blessed be his great name, world without end." - -"Amen!" - -"Blessed and praised, celebrated and exalted, extolled and adorned, -magnified and worshipped, be thy holy name; blessed be he far above all -benedictions, hymns, thanks, praises, and consolations which have been -uttered in this world." - -"Amen!" - -"May the prayers and supplications of all Israel be graciously received -before their Father in heaven." - -"Amen." - -"May perfect peace descend from heaven, and life, upon us and all -Israel." - -"Amen!" - -"May he who makes peace in his heaven confer peace upon us and all -Israel." - -"Amen!" - -Then followed the eighteen benedictions, of which the first sentence -only was repeated in a loud voice by the leader, the rest being recited -by the congregation in unison. Save this prayer, which all repeated -aloud and with a joyous tone of full expectation; for they knew him to -whom they prayed. "To Jerusalem thy city in mercy return, and dwell in -it according to thy promise; make it speedily in our day an everlasting -building, and soon establish therein the throne of David. Blessed art -thou, O Lord, who buildest Jerusalem." And so to the end, closing with -the words, "Our Father, bless us all unitedly with the light of thy -countenance; for in the light of thy countenance didst thou give to us, -O Lord our God, the law of life, loving kindness, justice, blessing, -compassion, life, and peace. May it please thee to bless thy people -Israel at all times, and in every moment with peace. Blessed art thou, O -Lord, who blessest thy people Israel with peace!" - -Then followed the reading from the scriptures. Afterward Peter arose in -his place and spoke to the people; he brought again to their remembrance -the words of their risen Lord, 'how that they should continue to dwell -together in all peace and love, forbearing one another and loving one -another in expectation of that great day, perhaps nigh at hand, when he -should return bringing his reward with him for them that had been -faithful in all things.' He spoke also of the matter which had been -troubling the minds of many during the days that were past. - -"God knoweth, brethren," he said, "that we would not willingly neglect -any, who by the grace of our Lord have joined themselves with us; least -of all them who by reason of their affliction are dependent upon our -bounty. If any have been neglected it is because of the weakness of the -flesh. The work hath waxed too great for us; for besides this duty of -the daily distribution of bodily food to them that lack, there remaineth -also the duty whereunto we were set apart by the Master himself--of -preaching the good tidings of salvation from sin and from death unto all -men. 'It is not reason that we should set aside the work of God to -serve tables'--and it is manifest that we cannot longer do -both--'wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest -report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this -business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the -ministry of the word.'" - -And when he had finished speaking, Philip arose in his place. - -"If I read aright your faces, my brothers," he said, looking around -about upon the multitude, "this good saying hath pleased you all. Let -us therefore choose, and that there may no longer be any thought of -jealousy betwixt Jew and Greek--which thing also must be displeasing -unto him, who according to his word, is at this time in our midst--let -it come to pass that of the seven which we shall choose, three shall be -Hebrews, three Greeks and one a proselyte. Then shall there be no -longer need nor excuse that any should murmur concerning this matter of -the dispensations." - -And these sayings being approved of them which were assembled, one -Aristarchus arose and presented the name of Stephen for the honorable -office of deacon. "For he is," declared the speaker, "as is known unto -you all, a man full of faith and of the Spirit." - -And all the people cried with one voice: "Worthy! He is worthy!" - -Then did they in the same manner choose also Philip and Prochorus, -Nicanor, Timon, and Parmenas; and also, according to the word of Philip, -Nicolas of Antioch, who was a convert to the Jewish faith. And these -seven stood up before the apostles and before all the congregation of -the people; and when the apostles had prayed they laid their hands upon -them, in token that thus were they set apart unto the sacred duties of -their calling. - - - - - CHAPTER XXIV. - - THE WARNING. - - -The bell which hung beside the porter's lodge jangled sharply, and the -porter, after first peering out to see who stood before the door, -promptly opened. "My master is within," he said, making his obeisance. -"I pray thee enter, reverend sir, thou wilt find my lord Annas upon the -terrace. He is expecting thee." - -Without a word the newcomer strode past and disappeared within. The -porter stared after his retreating figure for a moment in silence, then -he shook his head slowly. "His look is dark and threatening," he -muttered, "it bodes no good for them that believe, when at night and at -morning and also at midday those that hate us gather themselves in -secret conclave. There be mischiefs brewing, I fear me; a dark cloud -which will break ere long and bring swift destruction upon the -church--unless the Lord send help, and that right speedily." - -"And what hast thou found to grumble about now, Simon?" said a cheery -voice at his elbow. - -The old man looked up sharply. "Ah, Iddo, didst thou hear me? I am -indeed falling into indiscreet habits in my solitude when I prate aloud -of my fears. Had it been Aaron now, in thy stead--but why do I say so? -I am not ashamed to own that I believe on the Nazarene." - -"Thou art in good company, assuredly," said the young man, "though an -open avowal of thy faith would doubtless cost thee thy snug quarters. -The lord of this house is not likely to be of them which are daily being -added to the church. Hast thou heard that of the priests themselves we -are continually gaining in great numbers? 'Tis wonderful; all Jerusalem -will be with us in another year; as for these worldly old hypocrites, -let them be; they will die in their sins and the world will be better -without them. Even the Master had no good word for such. Whited -sepulchres called he them, and pronounced against them the woes which -they assuredly have merited. Nothing can stand against us now, for the -Lord is with us!" - -But Simon shook his head. "Thou art young, Iddo," he said querulously, -"and hast much to learn. There is a storm at hand and it will blow no -good to the church; I have said it, and thou wilt see. Do I not stand -at this gate and see them that go in and out? I hear also many -things--for the Lord hath preserved my ears, and they that enter mind me -no more than yonder stone bench--listen!" and the old man held up a -shaking hand. "Yesterday I admitted two--four--five of them that be rich -and mighty--I will not name them. They remained within, three whole -hours by the shadow on yonder dial, then they came out together. - -"''Tis a goodly thought of Annas to first put out of the way the -pestilential Greek,' quoth one, 'the witnesses will not be hard to -find.' - -"'I trow not,' said another with a laugh, 'words are cheap both for the -buying and selling; as for the fellow Stephen, he doeth more mischief -among the common people in a week than the slow-witted hinds whom they -call apostles could accomplish in a month.'" - -"Stephen," cried Iddo, aghast. - -"Hist, boy! Now thou seest that though I am old--and as thou hast said, -given to over-much foreboding--there is a deadly mischief on foot." - -"The Lord will smite them if they lay but a finger on Stephen," -exclaimed the young man indignantly. "'Tis such as he that the Lord's -flock hath need of; daily doth he work great miracles of healing, and -his voice is heard in every synagogue persuading men to believe on Jesus -the Christ. Men listen gladly; and to listen is to be convinced of the -truth." - -"Ah, boy! 'tis because of these very things that they hate him; were he -less than he is, they would not lay a finger on him." - -"But surely God will protect him!" - -"God spared not his own son," said the old man solemnly. "He suffered -him to be tortured and to be slain at the hands of these very men; and -the servant is not greater than his Lord." - -The other was silent for a time; all the brightness had faded out from -his face. "Who is within now?" he said, at length. - -"Saul of Tarsus," replied Simon, briefly. - -"I shall warn them of the household of John of this thou hast told me?" - -"Assuredly, but let it not be bruited abroad; there is nothing to be -gained by it, and perhaps much to be lost. If the young man Stephen--" -but the clang of the bell interrupted him, and he hastened to open. -"Enter, my lord, I pray thee. It is so, my lord Annas is within, and -with him the Rabbi Saul." - -Iddo bowed with instinctive respect as the tall, gaunt figure swept by -him and disappeared adown the passageway. "He is no longer High -Priest," he said, in a half whisper, "and it perchance hath irked him to -resign the office." - -"There are other reasons for his haggard look," said the old man sagely; -"but it is not for such as I to prate concerning the affairs of -Caiaphas. The Lord hath dealt with him, as he doth also deal with all -men; perchance that he may draw them to himself at the last." - -"Nay; dost thou think then that it is possible for such as the murderers -of our Lord to be forgiven?" - -"'Tis assuredly not for us to set limits upon the compassion and love of -the Father of our Lord Jesus--who also prayed for them in his agony. If -he can save me, he is able to save any one; for I know my own heart how -that it is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked." - -"That is a true word, my Simon," said the young man, humbly. "No one -knoweth it better than I, who was ever prone to do evil as the sparks -fly upward.--I must away; if Stephen could but be persuaded to leave -Jerusalem----" - -"'Twas what I would have said," broke in Simon, eagerly. "Let him -go--and at once. There is no need that he remain to fall into the net -which these are making ready for him. It may be that it was by the good -providence of God that I chanced to hear what I did." Then as he opened -the door that the young man might pass out, he whispered, "Let them all -beware of the Pharisee from Tarsus." - -"'Tis a word of wisdom," said Iddo to himself, as he strode rapidly -away. "Yet would he dare molest us who walk orderly after the law? If -now we kept not the fasts, nor observed the solemn feasts, nor prayed at -the times of the morning and evening sacrifice--but all of these things -we observe and do. Yet have I heard Stephen proclaim in the synagogues -that there was now no further need for the priestly slaughter of flocks -and herds, because that Christ had given himself a sacrifice for the -sins--not only of the Jews--but for the sins of the whole world. Even -the apostles say not such things, it must be that he is over-bold--being -a Greek. Some one should speak to him of the matter." - -Revolving these thoughts in his mind, the young man came at length into -the street where was the house of John the apostle. It was narrow, and -still, and hot; the feet of the few passers-by--mostly women passing to -and from the public fountains with their water-jars--making no noise in -the yellow dust. Iddo paused a moment with bent head; he smiled, and -his eyes sparkled with joy. "She is singing," he said aloud. And he -hurried forward faster than before--almost stumbling indeed in his haste -over some small brown object, which squatted silently in the hot -sunshine before the door which he sought. - -"What is this?" he cried, looking down, and discovering that the -obstacle was none other than a small brown child; that there were, in -fact, three of them, a boy and a girl--and betwixt the two a baby, -smaller and browner than either. - -"We be listening," said the girl solemnly, shaking the dark curls out of -her eyes and looking up at her questioner. "The baby hath gone to sleep -because he likes it; we come every day. Wilt thou sit down here? the -dust is soft, and the music is like angels singing." - -Iddo smiled. "Thou art right, little one," he said; "'tis like the -voice of an angel." - - "I lift up mine eyes to the hills. - Whence cometh my help? - My help is from Jehovah, - Maker of heaven and earth," - -chanted the melodious voice within, then it dropped to a pleading -cadence, - - "May He not suffer thy foot to be moved! - May He not slumber that keepeth thee! - Behold, the Keeper of Israel - Shall neither slumber nor sleep. - Jehovah keep thee from all evil! - He will keep thy life. - Jehovah keep thy coming and going - Henceforth and for ever!" - - -The listener sighed involuntarily; then he stretched forth his hand and -laid it upon the bell--paying no heed to the solemn little voice at his -feet, "If thou dost pull the rope the singing will stop." - -Almost immediately the door opened, and a sweet voice cried, "Ah, 'tis -thou, Iddo Ben Obed! Enter, I pray thee," then observing the young man's -serious face, she added, "What hath befallen thee, friend? thou art as -solemn as that great image in the desert which men call the sphinx." - -"I have reason," answered Ben Obed, "as thou must hear presently." - -"I must first speak to the little ones.--Enter, friend, thou wilt find -my brother within. Why didst thou not knock, little one?" she -continued, stooping to raise the sleeping child, "the sun is too hot for -the babe; it breedeth mischief at this season. Stay--I will give thee -some pomegranates, then must thou go home where it is cool. To-night if -thou wilt come and knock on the door thou shalt enter, then I will sing -to thee, and also tell thee a story of how the babe Jesus came through -the wilderness to the land of Egypt." And having kissed the smooth -brown cheeks in token of dismissal, she watched the two as they trudged -away down the street, the sleepy baby toddling between. - -Ben Obed was already seated upon the stone bench in the cool shadow of -the house, talking in low tones to a young man of about his own age, who -with bent brows and serious air was paying him diligent heed. - -"I can scarce believe that such talk is more than idle threatening," he -was saying. "Since the day that Gamaliel gave counsel in the Sanhedrim -that we be left in peace, there hath been no active persecution. They -must see by this time that the Lord is with us, therefore is the good -counsel of Gamaliel proven; surely there can be none amongst them bold -enough to fight against God. And this said I to Simon--or words of like -import. I reminded him also that we are well looked upon by all the -people, and how--being in all points disposed to keep the law--even the -priests are daily joining themselves to our numbers. But he hath a -different opinion; moreover, he bade me tell all of this household to -beware Saul of Tarsus." - -"What danger is threatened?" asked Anat, anxiously. - -Iddo Ben Obed raised his eyes to her face, and there was that in their -fiery gaze that brought the warm color to the maiden's cheek. - -"Danger is threatened to Stephen," he said slowly, "though how great is -that danger we cannot tell." - -The face of Anat grew deathly pale. "Tell me--" she said, breathlessly, -"all that thou hast heard." - -Iddo dropped his eyes to the ground. "They will imprison him if he -continues to preach that the Christ is mightier than the law," he said -coldly. "What more I know not. 'Twill be best for him to leave -Jerusalem." - -Anat turned swiftly and went away into the house. - -That evening she told the three children the story which she had -promised them; and sang to them wild songs of the desert--vaguely -remembered from the days when she dwelt in Egypt; and afterward the -Psalm of the watchful Love, which she had sung in the morning. Then she -gave the little ones into the hand of their mother, and went softly up -to the housetop. A lonely figure stood by the parapet, looking away -toward the afterglow which burned in solemn splendor behind the -mountains. She hesitated for a moment, then went lightly forward. - -"Hast thou heard," she said softly, "the evil tidings which the son of -Obed brought to this house to-day?" - -"I have talked with John concerning it." - -"And what said he? Surely he urged thee to flee the peril?" And the -girl's voice thrilled with passionate entreaty. - -The young man turned. "Anat--beloved," he said softly, "I know all that -thou wouldst say; and there is much in my heart that I would fain say to -thee--only that the time is short. Already for me the daylight fades -and the night cometh when I can no more work for the Master, while for -thee there yet remaineth many years wherein to glorify his name; and -this shalt thou do, and in the doing find peace--the peace that passeth -understanding." - -The girl had sunken to her knees beside him, her slender frame shaken -with a tempest of weeping; but a great calm fell upon her soul as -Stephen rested his hands upon her bowed head--his voice tremulous in -that sweetest of all benedictions: "The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: -the Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: the -Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace." - - - - - CHAPTER XXV. - - THE WRATH OF MAN. - - -"Thou hast the witnesses?" - -"I have the witnesses, my lord; but there was no small difficulty in -persuading any man to serve. A score refused outright, reviling me -moreover and threatening me with death should I dare to molest the -fellow. I placated them as best I was able, saying that I but desired -to assure myself that the reports which I had heard against so excellent -a man were false. Yet do I fear that these may fetch him word so that -he will escape out of our hands." - -"He shall not escape. What witnesses hast thou?" - -"One Esek--a money lender--who for the sum of ten shekels of silver hath -consented to witness; and with him two of mine own underlings, who will -speak that which is put into their mouths with all diligence, both on -account of the reward which I have promised if they shall acquit -themselves well, and because of the scourging which awaits them should -they fail. One of them is Iddo Ben Obed--a young man of some promise, -who hath by my orders frequented their synagogue much of late, and can -therefore speak understandingly of the thing. To him have I promised -sure advancement if he shall please the Council this day." - -"Thou art a faithful servant, Caleb, and shall thyself not fail of thy -reward," said Annas approvingly. "Now see to it that the Council -Chamber be prepared with all speed; we must accomplish the thing -quickly, lest this favorable opportunity pass by us. Hast thou the man -under espionage, that thou mayest lay hands upon him without delay?" - -"He is at this moment engaged in his duties of almoner, my lord, -distributing amongst the rabble of Jerusalem that which is little better -than stolen from the Temple treasury, in that it is withholden from us -unlawfully. Afterward he hath the intent to harangue the people -according to his custom." - -"He will find a different audience to-day," interrupted Annas grimly, -"and one that cannot be led away by specious words. In what synagogue -wilt thou find him?" - -"To-day they purpose to assemble in Solomon's Porch, that they may -entrap the multitude. The fellow Stephen will interpret the prophets, -wickedly alleging--as do they all--that holy men, such as Moses, Isaiah, -and all the prophets, foretold as the Messiah the fruit of the accursed -tree." - -"Little need to suborn witnesses when they openly profane the holy -places of the earth with such blasphemies. But go now; keep the fellow -under thine own eye till I shall send thee word, then fetch him with all -speed, together with the witnesses. Stay a moment--see that there is no -tumult made when he is arrested." - -Caleb smiled as he again bowed himself before his superior. "I have -devised a cunning plan wherewith to entrap him without tumult," he -replied. - -"All is going well," said Annas to himself when he was left alone. "Our -patient and apparently fruitless toil is at last about to be rewarded. -Besides Caleb, who shall in no wise lose his reward, we must not forget -that we owe much to the discretion and zeal of Malluch and Zared, who -have diligently spoken against this man and his words to the people. -The sum agreed upon was forty pieces of silver for each of them--a -goodly sum for such as they, yet if to-day's descending sun finds the -man dead I will command that it be made fifty. But here is our Pharisee -from Tarsus; I must deal wisely with him. I would that he were a -Sadducee, the doctrine of the resurrection is a mischievous one, and one -moreover which these blasphemous Nazarenes preach without ceasing. -Greetings to thee, my son. This will prove a glorious day with us, if -it shall witness a signal victory over unrighteousness." - -The newcomer received this friendly greeting with chilling hauteur. -"God knoweth that I long to see the workers of iniquity put to -confusion," he said, throwing himself into a chair and fixing his stern -eyes upon his companion. "But lying and deceit are hateful to my soul. -Neither shall anything prosper that is accomplished thereby." - -The face of Annas hardened. "Thou speakest in riddles, friend," he said -coldly. "Whom dost thou accuse of lying and deceit?" - -"It hath come to my ears that certain ones have been hired to speak evil -of the man Stephen; that these have stirred up the people against him so -that they are ready to lay hands upon him. It is true that the man hath -spoken freely and openly in every synagogue, alleging that the carpenter -of Galilee was the Christ foretold by the Prophets, and that he hath -risen from the dead and is become the first-fruits of them that sleep." - -"And hath he convinced the learned Saul of the truth of these things?" -said Annas with a sarcastic smile. "Nay, that were a victory indeed." - -Saul laughed aloud, a harsh, unmirthful sound. "I am of all men least -likely to become a victim of this monstrous delusion. The man should -not be suffered to speak further, for he hath the cunning tongue of a -great orator, and convinces the people mightily. Neither I, nor any who -have disputed with him have been able to undo the mischief that he hath -wrought. But I like not that we suborn liars to serve our cause." - -"We forbade these men to speak the name of the Nazarene some three years -ago, letting them go with but a scourging, according to the counsel of -the most sapient Gamaliel, whose pupil thou art. But how did they obey -the commands of the most holy Council, and how hath the advice of -Gamaliel profited our cause? Since that day they have not ceased to -bruit the hateful name of Jesus of Nazareth about Jerusalem, till the -very beggars of our streets pray to him openly. If we have employed -discreet men to assist us in rooting out this menacing evil, what is it -but the part of wisdom? Do not the Nazarenes also feed and clothe the -men who are daily spreading this poison to the confusion of Israel? -This man Stephen, being a Greek, not only doth not himself observe the -law, but he is forever bringing to the mind of the people the words and -practices of the Nazarene, who would be well forgotten by this were it -not for such pestilent fellows. He diligently reminds the multitude how -that the man worked miracles on the Sabbath day, declaring that God -would have mercy and not sacrifice, and how he openly prophesied the -destruction of the Holy Temple. The carpenter from Galilee, he -blasphemously alleges, was God made manifest in the flesh; therefore his -acts and words are greater than the law of Moses, and rather to be -observed than any priestly commands. For such as this fellow there is -but one remedy, as it is written also, 'The mouth of them that speak -lies shall be stopped.'" - -Saul was silent for a moment. Before his mental vision there arose the -face of Stephen, as he had seen him many times during the furious -controversies which had of late taken place in the synagogues, glowing -with high courage, hope and confidence, and illumined withal by a -mysterious light at which he had more than once inwardly marveled. Then -his face hardened. "It is just that this apostate be put to death," he -said. "This is no time for half-way measures; but let it be done -according to the law and without fear of the people." - -"Thou hast said!" cried Annas. "This will we do, for the time is ripe. -Listen, this very day he shall be brought before the Council; witnesses -are at hand that every word may be established according to the law. As -it is written, 'in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall -be established.'" - -"Who are the witnesses?" - -"Reputable men--most reputable men. One Esek, a Jew, who dwells near to -their synagogue, and----" - -"Do these testify freely?--without money, I mean?" again interrupted -Saul with an irritable gesture. - -"It is the custom, my son, to compensate witnesses for the loss of time -entailed upon them in the pursuance of their duty," began Annas -smoothly. - -But Saul broke in rudely. "I will have none of it," he cried, springing -to his feet and striding stormily up and down the room. "Hired -agitators amongst the people; hired witnesses against a man who, -whatever his accursed beliefs, is at least incapable of such meanness." - -Annas also arose, and with an air of awful dignity fixed his piercing -eyes upon the flushed face of the young man. "Thou dost assuredly -forget," he said slowly, "the respect due him in whose presence thou art -standing. As the head of the high-priestly family, which for many -generations has acceptably served Jehovah in that most holy office, I am -not lightly to be accused to my face of that which my soul abhorreth, as -also it is written: 'I hate and abhor lying, but thy law do I love.' -Twice hast thou cast this thing in my teeth, and in so doing thou hast -proven thyself unworthy of the high confidence which I have given thee; -unworthy of the love which I have freely bestowed upon thee; -unworthy----" - -"Stay, I beseech thee!" cried Saul, raising his hand. He had grown -deathly pale, and trembled visibly. "It is true, I have forgotten -myself. I am well nigh mad because of the failure of all that I had -confidently hoped for. Day after day have I gone forth to do battle for -Israel, and day after day have I been worsted. I am of all men most -unworthy, in that I have failed--miserably failed. I will return to -Tarsus, and thou shalt see my face no more." - -"Nay, my son," said Annas softly, "because thou hast acknowledged thy -fault, it is forgiven. And dost think that I have not watched thee in -this thy struggle against iniquity; that my heart has not bled for thee? -Possess now thy soul in patience, trust in the Lord--and in me--and it -shall assuredly come to pass. Thou shalt see the confusion of thine -enemies; for the honor of Israel shall this day be vindicated right -gloriously. As for the thing that thou hast spoken of, it shall be even -as thou hast said. There is no lack of them that can witness against -this man. Ay! and that will witness right gladly for the glory of -Jehovah. Surely there is no need for us to say, 'Who will come up to the -help of the Lord?--to the help of the Lord against the mighty?' Israel -shall arise in her might, and shall gird herself against them that would -do her violence, that would plague her with idolatrous and blasphemous -practices. Too long have we held our peace in the presence of this -devouring evil; the very stones of the Temple will cry out if we longer -submit to them that profane its sanctity." - -"As in the case of the Nazarene, it will be possible to do nothing of -ourselves," said Saul bitterly. "And the Romans--they care for none of -these things." - -"Ah--there we have gained a signal victory over our enemies," said Annas -triumphantly. "Herod is with us this time, though not openly. I have -taken good care that reports should reach his ear from time to time how -that these fellows continually proclaim the return of the crucified one -to reign over Israel. He loves his paltry throne, and actually fears -that the thing may come to pass. Not many days since he sent for me. He -was lying at full length among his purple cushions. - -"'Hast thou heard what these Galileans are saying,' he said, scarcely -tarrying for the accustomed greetings. - -"'They are saying many things that are unlawful,' I answered him, 'but -nothing more dangerous to the peace and prosperity of the nation than -that the dead malefactor--whom they claim is alive--will shortly return -to rule over Israel.' - -"'Dost thou believe that the man is alive?' he asked, fixing his eyes -upon me. - -"'If he be not alive,' I said, 'the sedition is none the less to be -feared, for these fellows are capable of forcing the people to believe -what they will. Wilt thou not then take measures against them who alone -art in power?' - -"'I cannot,' he whined fretfully, 'I fear the people--I fear the -man--the--the dead man. I am not well. Hast thou not a law which will -stop their prating?' - -"'We have a law--yes,' I made him answer; 'but we cannot enforce it, -since----' - -"'The law--the law,' he interrupted. - -"'The law is this--He that blasphemeth the name of the Lord shall surely -be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him. The -stranger, as well as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth -the name of the Lord shall be put to death.' - -"'Carry out your law upon these men,' he cried, throwing himself back -upon the cushions. - -"'Not so,' I answered, 'lest we fall upon evil times afterward. We be -law-abiding in all points--civil as well as religious--and it is not -lawful for us to put any man to death.' - -"'There shall no harm come to thee,' he cried, 'I swear it. There is -now no governor in Jerusalem. I am a Roman. I am the law.' - -"'Give me a warrant sealed with thy seal,' I said. And he gave it -straightway." - -"Hast thou this writing with thee?" said Saul. - -Annas drew a parchment from his bosom and gave it into the outstretched -hand of the young man without a word. - -"Inasmuch," he read aloud, "as the peace of Jerusalem and all Judaea is -endangered by malicious persons, who proclaim that a crucified -malefactor, to wit, one Jesus of Nazareth, is alive, and will shortly -overturn the present government that he may himself rule; and as these -persons moreover blasphemously affirm that said malefactor is the -Jehovah-sent Messiah, I, Herod, do empower the Senate of the people of -Israel, called also the Sanhedrim, to deal with such seditious persons -according to their judgment and after their laws, which do fully provide -for the scourging, imprisonment, and putting to death of all persons -whether Hebrew or alien, who believe, affirm, and declare mischievous -doctrines of the like. Signed and sealed, to the glory of Jehovah and -the peace of the nation, this fifth day of Nisan, in the Asmonean -Palace." - -"God hath given them into our hand, my son," said Annas solemnly. "We -must deal with them even as Elijah dealt with the prophets of Baal, and -'let not one of them escape.'" - - - - - CHAPTER XXVI. - - UNTIL THE DAY BREAK. - - -In the morning of that same day, before it was yet dawn, Stephen arose -and went away out of the city. - -After the supreme renunciation of the night before, he had experienced a -strange, a wonderful peace: the world had vanished from out his sight; -he felt that he had already entered upon the life beyond. And while he -yet marvelled and rejoiced because of this, he slept. How many hours -had elapsed before he awoke he did not know; it was dark in the -house-place, and the darkness lay heavily upon him like a pall. With -the darkness there had also fallen the icy shadow of his approaching -doom; before the shrouded face of this awful impalpable presence peace -and joy fled away in affright. He strove to pray, but his tongue clave -to the roof of his mouth. Near by he could hear the regular, peaceful -breathing of John and Andrew; somehow the sound added an intolerable -poignancy to his anguish. For the first time he realized to the full -the utter loneliness of the soul. "They love me," he said within -himself bitterly,--"but they sleep." - -After a time he arose, and wrapping his cloak about him, stole out into -the courtyard. The fresh wind as it smote him brought with it a sense -of relief. The stars glittered keenly overhead against the dark blue of -the heavens; the fragrance of a tall white lily abloom beside the little -cistern hung heavy upon the air. An irresistible impulse to go -swiftly--somewhere--anywhere--came upon him. Undoing the fastening of -the outer door, he slipped out, feeling a quick thrill of satisfaction -in the fact that he had accomplished this noiselessly. The cocks were -crowing as he started swiftly down the street, first one, then another, -then half a dozen at once, dying away into silence only to break forth -again as some faint challenge from a distance rang out triumphantly. - -As yet there was little token of day, but the keeper was drowsily -undoing the fastenings of the city gate, in due anticipation of the -market-men, who would soon be coming from every quarter. Stephen -hesitated for an instant, then slipped through the opening without being -observed. Before him lay the Roman road, hard and white, stretching -dimly away into the darkness. All the young life in him leapt up at the -sight. - -"I have but to follow this road," he thought, "it will bring me to -safety. And why, after all, should I remain? Wicked men have laid a -snare for me, and it hath been made known to me in the mercy of God. It -must needs be that I escape; I am young, I can and will do good service -to them that believe for many years. What shall it profit any man if I -perish now?" - -He was walking the more swiftly as he communed thus with himself, and -hearing, or fancying that he heard, a sound as of pursuit behind him, he -thrust his fingers into his ears and ran, the road still dimly unrolling -itself out of the darkness before him like a dusky ribbon from the loom -of night. After he had gone thus for a long distance--his breath being -well-nigh spent and his laboring heart knocking loudly for relief--he -paused, and withdrawing his fingers from his ears, listened. There was -no sound save the soughing of the wind in the gnarled branches of the -trees and the shrilling of insects in the lush grass. He sank down for -a moment to rest. - -"If I go away now--as indeed those older and wiser than myself have -advised--I can remain till the present danger be passed, afterward I can -return, and--there is Anat. The world is wide, there is no need that we -remain at Jerusalem. We two will go away into far countries and among -strange peoples, that we may spread the Gospel among all nations, even -as the Master commanded. It is right that this should be, else why do -these thoughts come to me. As for means for my journey, I have here in -my pouch the money with which I was to buy provisions to-day, this would -the apostles gladly give me for my present needs--ay, and more. Yes, I -will go--I must go." And he arose and girding himself resolutely, -started once more upon his journey. - -"I will go," he repeated to himself more than once. "I must go." But -after a time he ceased to walk swiftly; at length he stopped altogether -and turned his face toward the East. Faint rosy flushes--momently -brightening--merged finally into long tremulous beams of pure unearthly -light, which shot up as if in an ecstasy of triumph over the conquered -gloom. Stephen's heart expanded at the sight. He sank upon his knees. - -"'Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe,'" he murmured -aloud. "'Who createst light and formest darkness, who makest peace and -createst all things! He in mercy causes the light to shine upon the -earth and the inhabitants thereof, and in goodness renews every day the -work of creation. Blessed art thou, the Creator of Light!'" - -Something in the familiar and well-loved words spoken in that dewy -solitude seemed to sweep away the paralyzing and unworthy fear from out -his soul. He looked at the Roman road, showing hard, white and dusty in -the morning light, it no longer appeared alluring. He thought again of -his resolve to use the money from the almoner's fund to make good his -escape, and the honest crimson rose to his cheek. - -"I am no better than a thief," he cried aloud. "I will go back; and if -it needs be that I suffer, God help me, for the flesh is weak." - -As he arose to his feet he saw with a shock of surprise that he had -paused near to the little rocky knoll, called, from its strange -resemblance to a human skull, Golgotha. Upon the bald summit of this -place of death stood a cross, and upon the cross hung the figure of a -man--naked save for his scanty rags which fluttered fitfully in the -light breeze, the clear light of the dawn revealing with ghastly -insistency his drawn features, and the purple wounds in his hands and -feet. At the foot of the cross lay two Roman soldiers, evidently -detailed to watch the dying man; they were snoring loudly, a -half-emptied wine-skin upon the grass between them revealing the manner -in which they had beguiled the night watches. - -As Stephen gazed at this horrible sight, the figure on the cross writhed -feebly, the blue lips parted. "God! daylight again, and I live--live--" -were the words which gushed out from them in a quavering shriek. - -Sick with a fear that he could not control, Stephen approached the -cross, treading carefully lest he should awaken the brutal sleepers at -its foot. - -"Water!" cried the sufferer. "Yes, I see it--a brown stream running -over its pebbles--a lake deep and cool. I will hide in it, my hands are -burning--no, no, they are dead." - -"Here is water," said Stephen in a trembling voice, holding his flask to -the lips of the dying wretch--for he hung low, his feet almost touching -the ground. - -But the man could not drink; he opened his glazing eyes, apparently not -seeing the face of angelic pity at his side, for he fell to babbling -disconnectedly of many things, mingling frightful curses on his -tormentors with prayers to the pagan gods. - -Stephen sent up a swift prayer for help; he could pray now. "Listen!" -he cried, not heeding the fact that a group of wayfarers had stopped and -were regarding him with open-mouthed amazement. "Listen--thou mayest yet -be saved. Jesus of Nazareth can save thee! Master, hear--I beseech -thee--and save!" - -The dim eyes were turned upon him now; there was a gleam of -understanding in them. "Art thou--Jesus--of Nazareth?" - -"Nay, I am but his servant. Call upon him quickly to forgive--to save." - -"Jesus--forgive--save!" gasped the failing voice, then all was still. - -Stephen looked once into the quiet face of the man on the cross, then -down at the soldiers, who were beginning to stir a little. One of them -sat up and threw his arms above his head and yawned. - -"By Bacchus!" he exclaimed. "I must have slept,--a murrain on these -night watches, the fellow could not have gotten away." Then his eye -fell upon Stephen. "Who art thou?" he cried, springing to his feet; -"and what art thou doing here? If now thou hast meddled with the -malefactor--ha! the fellow is gone. Didst thou give him aught to help -him to his death?" - -"No, friend," answered Stephen quietly. "I but spoke to him of Jesus, -the Redeemer; and if God will, that word hath helped him to eternal -life." - -The man to whom he had spoken made a motion as if to seize him, but the -other, who had also awakened, held him back. - -"Let be," he said in a low voice; "he hath done no harm; 'tis Stephen, -the Nazarene." - -The soldier dropped his arm. "Go," he commanded briefly; "we had orders -to allow no one near the cross of this man." - -Stephen bowed his head and passed on. He walked swiftly--as he had done -before the dawn--but this time his face was steadfastly set towards -Jerusalem, and upon it shone the light of a peace which the world had -not given, and which from henceforth it was powerless to take away. -Verily, when the day breaks, the shadows flee away. - - - - - CHAPTER XXVII. - - IN THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW. - - -"Do thou, Ben Obed, watch the man till such time as I shall send thee -word. Then--thou art known unto him? A fortunate chance--say this to -him, 'There is one ailing at my house, who desireth thy immediate -presence.' He will at once follow thee, and thou shalt fetch him -without delay into the Council Chamber." - -"Suppose that he will not follow me?" said the young man, fixing his -black eyes upon the floor with a somewhat sullen expression. - -Caleb looked at him keenly for a moment before replying. "If thou art -zealous to secure for thyself the position whereof I have spoken, and -the sum of silver which shall also be the reward of thy diligence, thou -wilt not lack means to bring the man away from the multitude without -exciting any tumult. It is not expedient for me to appear in this -matter, else would I undertake it. But thou art not the only one, there -is Malluch, or----" - -"I will fetch him," said Ben Obed looking up hastily; "have I not said -that I would do it?" - -"The reward is sure," pursued Caleb. "And thou wilt have moreover the -approval of thine own conscience in the matter, in that thou art, in -serving thine own interests, also serving God--and doubt not that thine -obedience will be as a sweet savor before him." - -"What will they do with the--with Stephen?" asked the young man shifting -uneasily about in his place. "He is--that is--I think--" and he stopped -short, his eyes fixed eagerly on the face of his superior. - -Caleb straightened himself, and his face hardened. "I have not asked -the question of them above me in authority. To receive an order and to -obey it without question, comment, or opinion hath ever been my way. It -should also be thy way if thou hast a desire to advance thyself in life. -As also it is written, 'Seest thou a man diligent in his business, he -shall stand before kings.' This have I done; not once, but many times," -and the speaker drew himself up to his full height, and passed his beard -through his hand with the same impressive gesture that he had observed -many times--and admired--in the lordly Annas. "Go now, young man," he -continued, "and acquit thyself well, as becometh the son of a wise and -diligent man. So shall thy mother rejoice in the day of thy birth." - -"They will imprison him," muttered Iddo Ben Obed to himself as he turned -away. "He hath assuredly spoken contrary to the law; and why should I -not witness to the truth? A man must faithfully perform the duties -whereunto he is called without partiality. This Stephen is a Greek--at -least by his father--and is it lawful to set the son of a malefactor in -a place of authority? I say not. If he were once out of the way I -could win the maid Anat. I know that I could. I can give her a home -and abundance of all that she hath need of. I will do this thing. He -hath brought it upon himself, for I have thrice warned him to leave -Jerusalem. He will not leave, and why?--he thinks forsooth that I am -blind." - -And having come to the place where the daily distributions were wont to -be made, he mingled with the multitude and waited for the appearance of -the seven, as the deacons were now commonly called. They appeared at -last, laden with the day's alms, and began to make distribution among -the waiting poor. Iddo noticed that Stephen's face was very pale, and -that blue shadows lay beneath his dark eyes. He smiled evilly. "He is -afraid," he sneered. And being now determined upon the course which he -meant to follow, he allowed his jealous hatred of the man to spring up -unchecked, and because hatred is a plant of quick and easy growth, -especially when nourished by envy, it came to pass that within the half -hour Ben Obed had seen every trace of love, justice and pity in his soul -quite destroyed. "I hate him," he whispered to himself, clenching his -fists. "I care not what they do with him. I hate him." - -The distribution took an unusually long time that morning, and Iddo -noticed with a scowl how that all the poor widows and little children -lingered for a word with the youngest of the seven--Stephen, the -well-loved of the poor, as he was often called. - -"Hypocrite!" said Iddo beneath his breath. As he uttered the word he was -startled to feel a light touch on his shoulder; turning quickly, his eye -fell upon the messenger appointed by Caleb. - -"'Tis the time," said the man with a wink. "Bring him outside now; I -will be at hand should you need help." - -Ben Obed nodded. He could not trust himself to speak, the hatred had -grown so mighty that it struggled to cry out. He approached Stephen -cautiously, and laid his hand upon his arm. - -"There is one--who is ailing--at my house," he said with difficulty. -"Wilt thou come with me?" - -Stephen looked up with a smile. "Peace be with thee, Ben Obed, and to -all that are within thy house; yes, I will come with thee, but let me -first speak with this woman, who hath patiently waited for me since the -beginning of the distribution. What is it that thou wouldst ask of me, -woman?" - -"I have brought hither my babe," answered the woman in a low, anxious -voice. "He doth not wake and smile on me as formerly, but only sleeps. -Surely it is not well with him." - -"If he sleep he shall do well," said Stephen, unconsciously quoting the -words of his Master when told of the sickness of Lazarus. "And if God -will that he wake in heaven, then wouldst thou have a child growing to -manhood among the angels. Dost thou not covet this for thy child?" - -"Nay, for I love him too much to wish him out of my arms," said the -mother, dashing the bright drops from her eyes; "and I have not seen -heaven." - -"My business with thee is urgent," whispered Ben Obed imperatively. -Stephen did not seem to have heard. He laid his hand on the child's -head, "Thy will concerning this little one be done, O Father, in the -name of Jesus." - -"But thou hast not asked for his healing!" cried the mother. - -"I have asked for the best that heaven holds for him, or for any one of -us," said Stephen gently. "But see, thy child hath awakened," then he -turned to Ben Obed. "I will go with thee," he said simply, but there -was that in his eyes that caused Iddo to drop his own to the earth. - -Once on the street Stephen walked swiftly, so swiftly that Ben Obed had -some difficulty in keeping up with him. He exchanged glances with the -messenger of Caleb who was following at a discreet distance, and the man -rapidly overtook them. - -"We will go this way," said Ben Obed in a hard voice. But Stephen was -silent. Something in his still face angered the young man at his side -beyond control. "Why dost thou not speak?" he cried in a choked voice, -scarce knowing what he said. - -"There are times when silence is more excellent than speech," said -Stephen. - -Ben Obed cursed the temple under his breath, then he grasped his -companion by the arm. "At least I am not a hypocrite," he said -violently. "I have been commanded to fetch thee before the Council of -the Sanhedrim that thou mayest answer for thy heresies. And I am going -to do my duty. Lay not the consequences of thine own despicable folly at -my door." - -"I had not expected this at thy hands," said Stephen with a look of full -understanding. "I had rather that it had been another--but it matters -not." There was a slight tremor in his voice as he spoke the last -words. - -Ben Obed laughed aloud. "Thou wouldst rather that it were another, for -then mightest thou hope to escape; but it is not another, it is I, Ben -Obed, and because thou hast cheated me out of the woman I love, I--hate -thee." - -Stephen was silent. The twain, followed by the ill-omened messenger, -presently came to the temple enclosure. Without a word Ben Obed hurried -his companion through the crowded courts, neither heeding the curious -looks with which they were regarded, till at length they stood before -the closed door of the great Chamber of Council, called also the "Hall -of Squares." - -Caleb with a detachment of temple police stood on guard. He was looking -anxious and worn, but his eye brightened as it fell upon Stephen. -Motioning to the guard to close in around the prisoner, he himself -listened at the closed door; presently he laid a cautious hand upon the -fastening and with an air of deep solemnity introduced his head into the -sacred apartment. Apparently receiving some signal from within, he -immediately withdrew it. "Pass in," he said briskly, laying a -compelling hand upon Stephen's shoulder. - -There was an awful stillness in the great room as the two entered, -followed by the lesser officers, who ranged themselves on either side of -the accused man. Then a murmur ran about the circle. At the sound -Stephen raised his eyes and looked calmly about him. These were the men -who had slain his Lord; they would also slay him--he knew it--and yet -the knowledge brought with it only a singular joy. "They hate me, -because I am like him," he said within himself, and the glory of that -thought became visible upon his face. - -Jonathan, the High Priest, was speaking now; with an effort the prisoner -compelled himself to listen. "Thou art arraigned before this sacred -assembly and Senate of Israel on the charge of blasphemously speaking -against Jehovah; against this most Holy Temple; and against the laws and -institutions of Moses and of the Prophets, ordained by Jehovah to speak -his pleasure to the children of men. We shall hear these charges -confirmed by witnesses, according to our laws which thou hast despised, -but which thou shalt tread under foot no longer with impunity. Fetch -the first witness.--Dost thou, Ezek, recognize in this man that Stephen -who hath blasphemed God, the temple, and the law?" - -"I do, most worshipful and High Priest of Jehovah. This is the man." - -"Tell us now what thou hast heard him say." - -"I have heard him say that the malefactor, Jesus of Nazareth, who of -late died the accursed death, after having been duly and righteously -convicted of his crimes before this most sacred Council--I have heard -him declare, that this man was Jehovah made manifest in the flesh. And -that therefore his precepts and commands are more binding than the -precepts of Moses, who was a sinful man like unto ourselves." - -"Hast thou heard him say aught concerning the temple?" - -"I have heard him say that the Nazarene shall shortly return to destroy -this place, so that not one stone shall remain upon another, and that -all things which Moses commanded shall be done away. The Gentiles -moreover and them that are alien shall see these things and rejoice, for -that this Jesus shall hereafter come in the clouds of heaven and gather -his elect from the uttermost parts of the earth. The Nazarenes have the -intent moreover to possess the earth, and to overthrow all powers and -governments and all gods that have ever ruled among men, to the end that -they may establish the man Jesus upon the throne of power." - -"Didst thou hear the man declare these things?" - -"I did, most sacred High Priest." - -"Enough!--Iddo Ben Obed, thou mayest stand forth. Dost thou know this -man?" - -"I do, my lord." - -Stephen looked up at the sound of this voice, and a keen spasm of pain -swept across his face. - -"Look at him!" whispered Issachar to his neighbor. "He evidently fears -this witness more than the other--though his testimony was sufficiently -damning." - -"And what hast thou to say concerning him?" continued the monotonous -voice of the High Priest. - -"He hath spoken blasphemously against Moses and against this holy place, -even as hath already been said in your hearing, declaring that God -regardeth neither this temple nor the holy city of Jerusalem, inasmuch -as the Lord Jesus did in his lifetime pronounce against them anathema; -he also----" - -"Hold! How is it that thou dost call the Nazarene Lord? Art thou also -one of them?" - -The witness turned pale. He cast a murderous look at Stephen. "No," he -said fiercely. "I but repeat the word which these men make use of in -their blasphemous harangues to the people; the words slipped from me -unawares." - -"Proceed." - -"He hath declared that neither by laws of man's devising nor by temples -of man's building can Jehovah be pleased. That all these things shall -be brought to naught; but that the words of the Nazarene shall remain." - -"Enough! There is no need for further testimony. Let the accused stand -forth." - -Stephen obeyed. And all that sat in the Council, looking steadfastly on -him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel. - - - - - CHAPTER XXVIII. - - THE LIFTED VEIL. - - -Then said the High Priest, after the manner of the formal procedure, -"Are these things so?" - -And Stephen, looking about on the seventy men before whom he stood, the -heads and leaders of that forlorn remnant of the chosen people, desolate -because of their rebellion against the God who had borne with them so -long and patiently, was moved to bring again the wonderful promises of -Jehovah to their minds. So plain did it all appear to him, filled as he -was with that spirit of light which the Lord had vouchsafed according to -his word, and which he had also promised to pour out freely upon all -men. A glorious hope was stirring in his breast as he looked from one -to the other of the stern faces before him. Hatred indeed and stubborn -self-satisfaction he saw written thereon, but what could stand before -the all-powerful spirit of truth? What if it should be granted him to -mightily convince these men; to see, perchance, some such glorious -exhibition of God's grace as had been manifested at Pentecost. - -"Men, brethren and fathers, hearken!" he began, and at the sound of that -inspired voice every eye was fastened upon him. "The God of glory -appeared unto our father Abraham and said unto him: 'Get thee out of thy -land and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall show -thee.' Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans and dwelt in -Haran; and from thence, when his father was dead, God removed him into -this land, wherein ye now dwell. He gave him no inheritance in it, not -even so much as to set his foot upon; but he promised that he would give -it to him and to the generations after him, when as yet he had no child. - -"And God spake thus unto him, 'Thy children shall sojourn in a strange -land, and they shall be enslaved and evil entreated for the space of -four hundred years. But the nation which hath persecuted them I will -judge; I, Jehovah, have declared it. And after that shall thy children -come forth out of bondage and they shall serve me in this place.' And -he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham after that -Isaac was born, circumcised him on the eighth day. And to Isaac in due -time was born Jacob; Jacob also had twelve sons, whom we call the -patriarchs. And the patriarchs, moved with jealousy against Joseph -their brother, sold him into Egypt. Nevertheless God was with him, and -delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom -before Pharaoh, King of Egypt, insomuch that Pharaoh made him governor -over all the land. - -"Now there came a mighty famine, which extended throughout all Egypt and -Canaan, and the people were wasted by it. Our fathers also had no food, -but Jacob, hearing that there was corn in Egypt, sent forth his sons to -fetch some. And when that was consumed which they brought, they went -again the second time; and Joseph made himself known unto his brethren, -and he brought them into the presence of Pharaoh. After that, Joseph -sent for Jacob his father, and for all his kindred, numbering in all -three score and fifteen souls. They went therefore into the land of -Egypt, and Jacob died there, and in due time the patriarchs, our -fathers, also; and they were buried in Shechem, in the land which -Abraham had bought for a burial place. - -"But as the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had given unto -Abraham, the people grew and multiplied, till there arose another king -over Egypt which knew not Joseph. - -"The new king dealt deceitfully with our nation, wickedly compelling our -fathers that they should cast out their babes to die. At this time -Moses was born, and he was beautiful in the sight of God. Three months -was he nourished in his father's house, and when he was cast out, -Pharaoh's daughter rescued him and brought him up as her own son. So -Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he became -mighty in word and deed. - -"Now when he was well nigh forty years of age, it came into his heart to -visit his brethren, the children of Israel. And seeing one of them -suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, -smiting the Egyptian that he died--supposing that his brethren would -understand how that God by his hand was giving them deliverance; but -they understood not. And the day following he came again upon two of -them at strife, and urged them to be at peace, saying:-- - -"'Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one another?' - -"But he that did his neighbor wrong thrust him away, saying, 'Who made -thee a ruler and a judge over us? Wouldst thou kill me, as thou didst -kill the Egyptian yesterday?' - -"And Moses fled at this saying, and became an exile in the land of -Midian. Here he took to himself a wife, and two sons were born to him. -And when forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him as he wandered -one day in the wilderness of Sinai; and the angel was as a burning flame -of fire in a bush of the mountain--the bush burned, yet was not -consumed. When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight; and as he drew -near to behold, there came a voice of the Lord, saying: - -"'I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of -Jacob.' - -"Then Moses trembled, and hid his face, and the Lord said unto him: - -"'Loose the shoes from thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is -holy ground. I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are -in Egypt, and have heard their groaning, and I am come down to deliver -them. Now come, I will send thee into Egypt.' - -"So it came to pass that this very Moses, whom the people of Israel had -refused, saying, 'Who made thee a ruler and a judge?' God sent to be -both a ruler and a deliverer, by the hand of the angel which appeared to -him in the bush. And this man, Moses, led the Israelites forth, working -great signs and wonders in Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the -wilderness, for the space of forty years. - -"This is that Moses which said unto the children of Israel, 'A prophet -shall God raise up unto you from among your brethren like unto me.' -This is that Moses that was with the people in the wilderness, with the -angel which spake to him in the Mount of Sinai, who also received the -law at the hands of the living God to give unto us. But our fathers -refused him their obedience, and thrust him away from them, turning back -in their hearts unto Egypt and saying unto Aaron: - -"'Make us gods which shall go before us, for as for this Moses, which -led us forth out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of -him.' Then made they for themselves a golden calf, and brought a -sacrifice unto the idol, rejoicing in the works of their hands. - -"But God turned, and gave them up to serve the host of heaven; as it is -written in the book of the prophets: - -"'Did ye offer unto me slain beasts and sacrifices forty years in the -wilderness, O house of Israel? And afterward ye took up the tabernacle -of Moloch, and the star of the god Rephan, the figures which ye made to -worship them. I will carry you away beyond Babylon.' - -"Our fathers had the tabernacle of the testimony in the wilderness, -according to the covenant of God unto Moses, who fashioned it like unto -the figure that was revealed unto him. This tabernacle also our fathers -brought into the promised land, when they entered it with Joshua, God -thrusting out the heathen nations from before their faces, and in it -they worshipped unto the days of David, who, finding favor in the sight -of God, asked that he might build a habitation for the God of Jacob. -And Solomon, his son, built a temple. Howbeit the Most High dwelleth not -in houses made with hands; as saith the prophet-- - - "'The heaven is my throne, - And the earth the footstool of my feet; - What manner of house will ye build me? saith the Lord, - Or what is the place of my rest? - Did not my hands make all things?'" - - -Here the speaker paused and looked about upon the faces of his audience; -some were sneering outright, others whispering to their neighbors, while -others still regarded him with looks of malignant hatred. Not one of -all the seventy had apprehended his meaning, he thought bitterly. Not -one cared for his words. Of what use to continue the sublime -retrospect. A wave of fiery indignation swept away the last remnant of -fear, and in a voice ringing with inspired passion, he burst out: - -"Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! Ye do always -resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the -prophets did not your fathers persecute? And they killed them which -showed before of the coming of the Righteous One, of whom ye have now -become the betrayers and murderers. Ye who received the law as it was -ordained by angels and kept it not!" - -For an instant there was a breathless silence, that mighty arrow tipped -with a living fire had found lodgment in every heart. Then a low, -murderous hiss ran about the circle. With one accord the assembly rose -to their feet, but some invisible power held them back. - -Stephen, the despised follower of the crucified Nazarene, was looking up -steadfastly. Angels had lifted for him the dark veil of mortality; the -hall of judgment and the faces of his infuriated judges faded from -before his eyes; he saw instead the unspeakable glories of the New -Jerusalem, God enthroned amid innumerable companies of angels, and Jesus -standing with outstretched hands to receive him. In an ecstasy of joy -he cried out: - -"Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the -right hand of God!" - -Only a glimpse, but what mattered it now to him that the dark flood of -hatred had broken loose and was sweeping him away with wild tumult -towards certain death. He did not see the infuriated mob of his -executioners; he scarce realized that he was being dragged through the -streets followed by a yelling multitude, roused from their apathy by the -familiar scent of blood. - -"Beyond the gates--it is the law!" - -"This is the place--here are stones in abundance! Quick! or the -Nazarenes will be to the rescue." - -"Let the witnesses cast the first stones--it is the law!" - -"Well thrown, Esek! Again--here is a larger one! Now the other, -quickly!" - -But the other witness, with face as white as that of the dying man, had -broken through the circle and fled away shrieking towards the city--"My -God! my God! they are killing him!" - -"Let be, the law is fulfilled. Quick, or he will yet be rescued--the -mob is increasing. What is that he is saying?" For the victim, -blood-stained, faltering, had dragged himself to his knees. - -"Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." - -A shower of stones and fierce yells; he is sinking, but again he speaks. -Saul can hear it, for he stands near, guarding the garments of them that -are fulfilling the law. They can all hear, for he cries in a loud -voice, that his murderers may remember it afterward for the comfort of -their guilty souls: - -"Lord, lay not this sin to their charge." And when he had said this, he -fell asleep. - - - - - CHAPTER XXIX. - - THE WATCHFUL LOVE. - - -Anat was spinning in the cool shadow of the house; the stones of the -little court had been newly washed, and a refreshing odor of cleanliness -mingled with the fragrance which poured out from the snowy bells of the -lilies beside the cistern. Close to her feet snuggled the three small -brown children, listening while she sang. After a time the singer -faltered a little; she was chanting the Psalm of the Watchful Love: - - "Jehovah is thy keeper, - Jehovah thy abode on thy right hand; - The sun shall not hurt thee by day, - Neither the moon by night." - - -She paused. What was that deep, dull roar? Her face paled a little. - -"Sing!" cried the boy imperatively, pulling at her robe. - -"Sing!" echoed the baby, looking up at her with his soft, starry eyes. - -As for the little maiden, she contented herself with softly stroking the -girl's sandaled foot. - - "Jehovah keep thee from all evil." - -Yes, she could surely hear a sound of tumult--what could it be? - - "He will keep thy life, - - ---"O my God! Keep him--keep him!-- - - "Jehovah keep thy coming and thy going - Henceforth and forever!" - - -The singer started to her feet with a cry. The street door had burst -open violently, a man rushed in, ghastly, breathless, with wild staring -eyes; she at first failed to recognize Ben Obed. - -"My God! they are killing him!" - -"Where?" - -"Outside the Damascus Gate--they are stoning him!" - -Anat stood for an instant like some beautiful soulless statue of -despair. Then a wild fire leapt to her eyes. - -"Tell them!" she said, and fled away out of the open door, away--away -toward the Damascus Gate. - -Women stared after her, men stretched forth their hands to grasp her, -but she heeded them not; her feet seemed leaden, the minutes hours. The -Damascus Gate--would she ever reach it? Again and again Ben Obed's -awful cry sounded in her ears: - -"My God! they are killing him!" - -The gate--the gate at last; but it is choked with people coming in. -Men, she dimly saw, men with long robes and broad phylacteries; men to -whom the gate-keepers did reverence while they shrank back with -involuntary fear. Men who drew away from her white robe and whiter face -muttering, "A mad woman--a mad dog!" - -At last she has struggled through them, outside the Damascus Gate at -last. Where--where? Yes, yonder is a crowd, it must be there. - -"Let me through, for God's sake! Let me through!" - -Staring stupidly at her, the crowd separated. There upon the ground, -half-hidden under a pile of stones, lay--something. She threw herself -upon her knees, pulling madly at the rough, broken rock with her -delicate fingers. Then she gave a long, heart-broken scream and fell -forward in merciful unconsciousness. - - * * * * * - -"My daughter." There was no answer, though the black eyes were wide -open. Mary hesitated an instant, her sad lips moved in prayer. "Anat, -my child," she said, softly. "Wilt thou not look once more upon his -face before they bear him hence. I would that thou see for thy comfort -that God hath set upon him the visible seal of his love, in that the -peace that passeth understanding is writ thereon." - -The girl rose feebly. "Take me to him," she said, putting out her hand. - -And Mary led her into the peaceful chamber where they had laid him. The -afternoon sun shot long rays of splendor across the face on the pillow, -beautiful with the beauty of youth and of holiness, and touched with the -sublimer beauty of death. The look that he had worn when he cried out at -sight of Jesus waiting to receive him yet lingered there, his face was -as the face of an angel who slept. - -"For so he giveth his beloved sleep," murmured Mary, who stood at her -side. At that word the maiden turned and the pent-up fountain of her -tears broke forth. And the two wept together--but not as those without -hope. - -And so as the sad hours crept by, devout men carried forth the dead -Stephen to his burial, making great lamentation over him. And the poor -to whom he had daily ministered, and them that he had healed and -comforted from all the city and the country round about followed him to -the tomb; and the streets of the city were filled with the sound of the -wailing and loud crying. - -As for the men which had done this thing, they hid themselves; and some -of them exulted because that an enemy was dead, and some were ashamed, -while others still--amongst them Saul of Tarsus--listened to the sound -of the wailing, and shook their fists. - -"It is the beginning of lamentations for such as blaspheme the law," -said these. "To-morrow they will forget this dead man in the multitude -of their own distresses." - -In the house of John, the family sat that evening on the house-top as -was their wont, and they talked together of him that had gone; and while -they mourned indeed they also rejoiced, for they knew that he had fought -a good fight, and that while the earth-clouds hung dark and threatening -above their heads, this beloved one had passed through and beyond and -was safe forever more. - -John remembered the words of Jesus how on that last night he had said to -them, "Let not your hearts be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also -in me. In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I -would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, and I will come -again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be -also." - -While he yet spake, another came suddenly into their midst, a ghastly, -despairing figure, his garments hanging in rags about him, his face torn -and bleeding. And as they looked in amazement and affright, the man -spoke and his voice was hoarse and weak, as of one who had wept many -hours. - -"I am a dying man," he said, "for I will expiate my guilt before -to-morrow's sun rise upon the earth. But first I must confess before -you what I have done, then if thou wilt slay me for it I shall rejoice, -in that I shall be spared the further guilt of taking my own wretched -life." - -"Ben Obed!" cried Anat, with a sudden premonition of what he was about -to confess. - -"Yes, Ben Obed, apostate--false witness--false friend--murderer." And -he poured out in rapid disjointed sentences the story of his part in -that awful day's work. There was silence when he had finished, and the -wretched man turned blindly as if to go away, but John laid a detaining -hand upon his arm. - -"Stay," he said, and there was the boundless love and forgiveness of -Jesus in his voice. "Thou hast indeed sinned, and grievously, but he -forgave thee at the last, even as did Christ when he prayed for them -that slew him. And thinkest thou not that he would bid thee live--live -to carry on the task which he has left unfinished?" - -"I am unworthy," groaned Ben Obed. - -"Which of us is worthy?" said Peter. "Behold, I denied the Lord himself -with curses, yet he bade me care for the church, saying unto me, 'Simon, -Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as -wheat; but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not. And when -thou art converted strengthen thy brethren.' I wot that this word was -not for me only, but for all them that have been tempted beyond that -they can bear." - -And when Ben Obed heard this, he fell on his knees weeping, and they all -prayed with him that he might yet be restored and his sins forgiven. -When presently he rose up, his face was full of hope. "Behold," he -cried, "the Lord hath forgiven me, for the burden hath been eased from -off my soul. Yet must I go away from this place whither the spirit -shall lead me." Then he turned to Anat. "Canst thou also forgive?" he -asked, and his voice trembled. - -The maiden was silent, but only for a moment. She rose in her place, and -stretched out her hand toward the young man. "I forgive thee," she said -slowly, "as I know he would have me forgive." - -Ben Obed kissed the extended hand humbly, then he went away whither the -Spirit led him, and no one of them saw his face more while they lived. -But in after years John heard of one who preached Christ among the -slaves of Alexandria, suffering many things for Christ's sake, and at -the last dying beneath the scourge. The name of this man was Ben Obed, -so said the pilgrim who told the thing. - - - - - CHAPTER XXX. - - A FLASK OF CRYSTAL. - - -"The beasts are gone, and there is an end of it; but I care not." - -"Thou wouldst have told a different tale not many years since." And the -speaker laughed. "Poof! I am cold," he continued, stooping to stir the -fire. "We might as well have gone back before the sun set; there is no -fuel here." - -The other man shrugged his shoulders indifferently, and spread his lean -fingers over the scanty fire. But he said nothing; after a time his -companion spoke again in a slow, meditative way, as if to himself: - -"My lord will say this: 'A poorer than I hath need of the beasts, -therefore he hath taken them. Would that he had asked me, and I would -have given him freely; nevertheless if he hath need, it is in itself -sufficient to excuse the deed.'" - -"Verily," broke in the other with a sneer, "and because of this senile -madness the tribe waxes poorer day by day. Abu Ben Hesed is a fool! I, -Ben Kish, say so. What inheritance will my sons have that is worth the -having if these things continue?" - -"Senile madness, dost thou call it? And what says Ben Abu, who succeeds -as chief when the old man shall be gathered to his fathers?" - -"I have no dealings with him," answered Ben Kish sullenly. "He harps -continually on the same string. 'Do this because the Nazarene commanded -it. Forbear the other because the Nazarene declared that it was wrong.' -What do I care for this dead Nazarene or his sayings? Moreover I do not -believe the tales that they tell of him, nor do any believe in Judaea, -save them that be poor and have nothing to lose thereby. I asked -concerning the thing when I went up to Jerusalem of a great Rabbi, whom -I saw in the temple. I had paid my vows and offered my sacrifice -according to the law, and I heard the man speaking to the people -concerning this new doctrine of the Nazarene. 'Blasphemous,' he called -it; 'a cunning device of Satan to entrap the foolish of heart, and above -all, contrary to the law of Moses.' Moreover, them that practise these -unlawful sayings in Jerusalem are shortly to be dealt with." - -"Said he so indeed?" exclaimed the other man, who was called Simeon. -"Then is it something more than senile madness that doth ail our -worshipful lord; the devil himself hath a hand in it." - -"Listen," said Ben Kish, leaning toward his companion, "I am minded to -tell thee what he further said to me in private. Swear to me that thou -wilt not reveal it?" - -"By the temple!" cried Simeon readily. - -Ben Kish looked behind him and on either side as if he feared that some -one might be lurking near. The glimmering wastes of desert showed vast -and empty, stretching away beneath the keen sparkle of countless stars; -the night wind wandering in the hollow darkness cried aloud for -loneliness; the crouching camels stared at the meagre fire and chewed -their cuds in drowsy contentment. "I have a feeling that some one is -near--and listening," he said, shivering a little, and throwing a fresh -handful of fuel on the dying fire. - -The other man laughed, but he also shivered. "There is always that -feeling in the desert at night," he said. "It must be the stars, that -look down like large eyes out of heaven; or the wind, that hath in it -the sound of a woman wailing for her dead. But what hast thou to say to -me?" - -"Thou hast sworn?" - -"I have sworn--and by the temple; what more wouldst thou?" - -"I spoke with him concerning our chief," said Ben Kish, "of how he came -up to Jerusalem and fell in with them that told him of the Nazarene, and -how that since that time he doth continually exhort and preach to us -concerning the man, calling him the Messiah, the Holy and Righteous One -foretold by the prophets and by Moses. - -"'Alas,' said the Rabbi, 'he hath been snared by evil counsels, and he -will also lead away after him all that hear.' - -"'He hath not so led me,' I said, 'for I believe not on a man who -commands that if an enemy smite thee on one cheek, thou immediately turn -to him the other that he may smite again; and if a thief take away thy -camel let him have thy horse also; it is unjust!' - -"'It is not only unjust; it is unlawful,' said this wise Rabbi. 'An eye -for an eye, a tooth for a tooth is the law--a good law and wise.'" - -"Yet must we submit to the chief of our tribe," said the man who -listened, "that is also the law." - -"Nay, friend," cried Ben Kish triumphantly, "listen still further. I -said something of the like to the wise Rabbi, and he made me answer -thus: 'The unbeliever and the blasphemer shall be cast forth and his -inheritance shall be given to them which are faithful, for thus is it -written in the law. If, therefore, there be them amongst you which are -able, rise up and overcome this man who hath spoken thus blasphemously, -and cast him forth that the inheritance be thine; so may the Lord ever -prevail against false prophets and workers of iniquity.'" - -"Holy Jerusalem!" exclaimed Simeon under his breath. "Smite Ben Hesed? -Cast Ben Hesed forth from his own tribe? The man wot not of whom he was -speaking." - -"One must use discretion with such an one," admitted Ben Kish. "I have -already spoken of the matter with the father of my wife. He is a wise -man, as thou knowest, and he hath moreover a bitterness against Ben -Hesed because that he spake severely to him of his dealings with the two -Egyptian brats, whom we found half dead in the desert some years ago. -The man was ready to believe the word of strangers rather than the word -of his sister's son, which was unjust; Pagiel moreover hath not -forgotten the matter--nor will he forget." - -"If Ben Hesed be cast forth, who would then be chief?" said Simeon, -drawing his beard thoughtfully through his hand and looking intently -into the coals. - -Ben Kish studied the face opposite him in silence for a moment before -replying. "Who else should it be but Pagiel, the next of kin?" he said -at length. - -"And after him?" - -"After him, the husband of his daughter, since his sons are both dead." -And Ben Kish drew himself up proudly and looked about him as if he were -already chief. - -"Ah!" - -"Hast thou aught to say against it?" demanded the son of Kish sharply, -half involuntarily laying his hand upon the knife in his girdle. "Dost -thou then prefer a chief who sends for his enemy when he hath been -despoiled of him, and reasons with him forsooth, and gives him a present -and soft words, instead of rising up and smiting him, as is the fashion -of men since the world began? ay, and will be, despite the driveling -commands of any number of false prophets. Betray me if thou wilt. Go to -Ben Hesed and say: 'The son of Kish hath devised evil against thee in -his heart, therefore smite him.' Would he smite me, the doting -greybeard? Pah, I spit in his face!" And he leaned forward and spat -venomously into the fire. - -The other man laughed silently at sight of his rage. "I will not go to -Ben Hesed with this tale," he said at length; "have I not sworn--and by -the temple? Say on, friend, how wilt thou bring this thing to pass?" - -Ben Kish looked at him suspiciously. "I will say no more," he said -sullenly. "If thou wilt side with the follower of the Nazarene, who is -become a fit prey for the vultures because of his blasphemous folly, -well. But I tell thee that strange things will come to pass. Thou wilt -see it." - -"I have not said that I believe in the Nazarene," said his companion. -"The old law is good; as for Ben Hesed, I----" he stopped short and -stared fixedly at a certain red coal which winked sleepily at him from -the midst of the fire, and from which he seemed presently to have gotten -some further inward light, for he went on more briskly. "I also have an -account to square with Ben Hesed, therefore thou mayest speak freely -with me; I promise thee that I will help on the lawful issue in this -matter, and that right diligently." - -"Dost thou swear this?" - -"By the soul of my father; by the God of the Covenant, and by the stars -of heaven." - -"Well then, to-morrow Ben Hesed will set forth for Jerusalem--never mind -how I know, thou wilt see--he will set forth, he and certain chosen ones -of his who also believe on the Nazarene; and we will remain behind in -charge of the stuff--of the women, of the children, the young men, the -maidens, the tents and the furniture thereof, the herds and the flocks." - -"But he will return." - -"He will not return, he nor any that go forth with him, nor shall any -know what hath befallen him." - -"And how canst thou accomplish this?" - -Ben Kish looked about him once more; the stars were very bright -over-head now, and the lonely wind wailed loudly in his ear; it swept -away with a moan into the empty desert, the loose sand leaping up -beneath the trail of its unseen garments. - -"There be many things under the sun," he said at length, his face -whitening a little--"of which thou hast not heard, and of which I have -heard only a moon since. This is one of them." And he drew from his -breast a tiny flask of crystal, filled with a colorless liquid. "I have -but to drop the contents of this flask into water," he whispered, -leaning forward, and laying his hand upon his companion's breast, "and -they that drink thereof will sleep--sleep sound and long." - -"What meanest thou?" exclaimed the other, drawing back into the -friendly darkness. - -"They will wake no more who drink, either for war or peace; the desert -shall work its will upon them who have trodden under foot the law." - - - - - CHAPTER XXXI. - - A SCARLET THREAD. - - -"These matters whereof thou hast spoken to us are good, my lord; of the -truth of them am I well convinced, because of thy wisdom in showing -forth the prophecies which are writ by the hand of holy and righteous -men in the Scriptures," and Pagiel bowed himself before Ben Hesed with a -solemn countenance. - -Ben Hesed laid aside the parchment roll from which he had been reading, -and a smile of exceeding sweetness dawned in his keen eyes. "My heart -is rejoiced, son of my sister," he said gently, "because thou hast -believed these wondrous tidings. It shall be well with thee, both in -this present world and in the world to come; even as our glorified Lord -hath declared, 'Blessed is he that hath not seen and yet hath believed.' -Would that every one in this company of ours could also find the light." - -"'In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be -established,' as is it written, my lord. If now of those holy men who -consorted with the Nazarene in his life-time, one could come into the -desert and preach to us of him that was crucified there would remain not -one of us all who should not believe." - -"I have thought of that--many times," said Ben Hesed, drawing his heavy -brows together. "Surely I ought to do this thing, that all they that -dwell in this land may hear the good tidings of this exceeding great -joy. To my enemy also could be preached the words of love and good -will, then would peace reign in the desert. His will should be done on -earth even as in heaven, no more shedding of blood, no more strife, no -more hatred. And why indeed should not these things be?" and the -speaker's face glowed. "It is most simple--most easy. We have but to -obey--obey exactly the words of the holy Jesus." - -"Most easy--most simple," murmured Pagiel, rolling up his eyes -sanctimoniously. "It will doubtless soon come to pass; then will the -lion lie down with the lamb, even as it is written." - -"I will do it," cried Ben Hesed, "and I will set forth without delay. -Some one of them can surely be spared, if not of the apostles, the young -man Stephen, a most learned, most holy one. I will also fetch the two -Egyptians, who will by this time have grown wise in the faith. Thou -wilt love them now, my Pagiel, because of the love of Christ in thy -heart. Love is the fulfilling of the law." - -"Assuredly!" cried the other, with a venomous gleam in his eye, "the -fulfilling of the law; very good--very true. We must all think of the -law." - -"We need think of but two laws now, God be praised," said Ben Hesed. -"Even as it was declared by the Crucified One, 'Thou shalt love the Lord -thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy -mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like -unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two -commandments hang all the law and the prophets.'" - -"Wilt thou that I command the beasts to be made ready for the start?" -suggested Pagiel with an impatient glance at Ben Hesed's abstracted -face. "On such an errand there can scarce be too great speed." - -"Thou art right. Make ready, and at once; I will take thee with me, -also my sons, and ten men which are skilled with the bow, since it may -be that we fall in with evil company by the way." - -"Resist not evil, as saith the Nazarene," quoth Pagiel piously. "Will -it not be better, my lord, to leave me in charge of the women and little -ones, since I am next of kin to my lord?" - -Ben Hesed looked sharply into the meek face of Pagiel. "I will leave -thee in charge," he said; but he looked thoughtfully at the man more -than once within the hour. - -As for Pagiel, he was glad because that the eye of man is not able to -read the heart. He laughed within himself as, with the help of Ben -Kish, he made ready the beasts of burden and the provisions, for he -thought that his day was come. And he laughed yet again aloud when Ben -Hesed set forth on his journey, taking with him his two sons together -with ten men who were skillful with the bow. - -His wife heard him laugh as he stood in the door of the tent, and she -asked him, "What is it that hath pleased the heart of my lord?" - -"To every man cometh a time to rejoice," he made answer, "and long -enough have I eaten out my heart in bitterness. Make ready now a -supper, for we will feast this night." Then he turned to his -son-in-law. "Where is Simeon?" - -"Nay, I know not," answered Ben Kish. "He is perhaps with the herds." - -"Go and fetch him," commanded Pagiel. - -Ben Kish made search for the man Simeon; but he found him not, neither -with the herds nor anywhere about the encampment. "The man is gathering -fuel," he said scowling, "or he hath gone perchance after some wild -beast to slay it." But at the setting of the sun Simeon had not -returned. Nor did he come that night. - -"I hope," said Ben Kish, "that a wild beast hath slain him." - -All that day Ben Hesed, with his two sons and the ten men who were -skilful with the bow, made haste on their journey and stayed not. -"For," said Ben Hesed, "I should have done this thing many moons since; -I alone am not sufficient for the work." - -At evening an encampment was made so that they might rest and be -refreshed. As the servants were gathering fuel for the fires, one of -them saw a man running toward the place where they were, and he went and -told Ben Hesed, saying, "Behold, we have seen an appearance as of a man -running. How can this be, seeing that we are already a day's journey in -the wilderness?" - -But even as he told the thing, the runner approached the encampment, and -he fell on his face before Ben Hesed. - -"It is Simeon," said Ben Hesed. "Raise him up and give him water that -he may speak. He hath perchance evil tidings." - -So they raised him up and offered him water, but he would not drink -until he had seen the skin from which the water was taken; then he drank -deep and long. - -"What doth this mean," said Ben Hesed, "art thou then smitten with -madness, or hast thou tidings of evil?" - -"Tidings of evil, alas, my lord," said Simeon, bowing himself before his -chief. And he told Ben Hesed all that the son of Kish had said; also -how that he had showed him the crystal flask in the desert by night. -"The water-skin wherein the potion was mingled is marked," he said. "I -went away by stealth into the desert that I might meet thee as thou -camest out, but it chanced that thou camest out by another way, and I -was not able to overtake thee till now." He showed them, moreover, the -water-skin bound with a scarlet thread about its nozzle. - -Ben Hesed rose up after that Simeon had told him all, and he went away -into the desert alone for the space of three hours, that he might take -counsel with the Almighty concerning the thing. When he returned he -called four of the strong men unto him, and he said to them, "The moon -is full to-night, therefore get ye up and make haste to return to the -encampment. And when thou art returned seek out Pagiel and the son of -Kish and say to them: 'My lord hath commanded the presence of you both -that he may speak unto you concerning a matter of importance.' Say no -more than this to the men, and if they come with you willingly, well, -but if they will not come, then fetch them straightway. We will remain -in this place until thou shalt return." - -So the four men made haste all that night to return, and in the morning -they stood before the tent of Pagiel and called for him to come out--for -he slept late because of the feasting. - -Pagiel came forth after a space and heard what the men had to say. And -he bowed his head before the messengers of Ben Hesed. "I will arouse my -son," he said, "that we may obey the commands of my lord. He would -doubtless give to us some further directions concerning the herds." - -"Awake!" he cried in the ear of Ben Kish. "Awake to see an evil day, for -my heart mistrusts me concerning the man Simeon. Thou shouldst not have -told him." - -"I told him at thy bidding," cried Ben Kish; "and thinkest thou that we -could carry out this thing without adherents? If thou fearest Ben -Hesed, why not refuse to go? Tell the men that thy wife is ailing and -that I am with the herds. When they shall search for me I will flee in -the opposite direction." - -Pagiel shook his head gloomily. "Thy counsel is evil, son of a -herdsman," he replied. "My wife is already at the fountain, and for -thee would they make instant search. We had best go peaceably, for if -we refuse they will suspect evil of us--It may be after all that he hath -heard nothing; and at the worst, Ben Hesed is a merciful man." - -So the two came forth with great show of willingness, and they went with -the messengers of Ben Hesed into the wilderness a day's journey. - -At evening they stood in the presence of Ben Hesed, and he spoke to them -of the crystal flask straightway. "Thus wouldst thou have slain more -than a half-score of souls of thine own kindred," he said, his eyes -burning with a fire that was terrible to see. "And that without warning -and without mercy. What hast thou to say in thy defense?" - -The face of Pagiel became the color of death when he heard these words, -and he would have fallen had not Ben Kish held him up. "Thou art -unjust," cried the son of the herdsman, boldly. "Prate not of mercy to -righteous men. An enemy hath told thee this lie concerning us. Twice -hast thou believed the word of a stranger before the word of thy near -kinsman. Thou art unjust!" - -"Is the thing not true then?" said Ben Hesed, mildly, though his eye yet -burned with that still and terrible light. - -"It is not true," cried Ben Kish. "I swear it by----" - -"Hold!" said Ben Hesed, sternly. Then he turned to Pagiel. "Is this -tale of the poisoned water true, or is it a lie?" - -"It is a lie--a foul lie--a blasphemous lie," cried Pagiel stoutly, the -color stealing back to his livid face. "Would I, thinkest thou, lift up -my hand against my next of kin? An enemy hath dealt deceitfully with -thee--may God requite him!" - -"God will requite him," said Ben Hesed solemnly; "and he will also -requite thee. Hear now what I shall say. We are by swift dromedaries a -day's march from the encampment; this distance ye can accomplish on foot -without undue fatigue to yourselves within the space of three days. -Return, therefore, in peace, and we will proceed on our journey." - -Pagiel bowed himself before his lord. "Thou art a just man," he cried. -But in his heart he called Ben Hesed a fool. - -"Wilt thou give us provisions that we faint not by the way?" asked the -son of Kish, looking suspiciously into the calm face of his chief. - -"Assuredly," answered Ben Hesed, "both of food and of water." And he -arose and gave command to his servants that provision should be made for -the sustenance of the two men, during a three day's journey, of the best -of the corn, of the dates, and of the cheeses of goat's milk which they -had provided. A skin of water also commanded he to give them. And so -they presently set forth, Ben Hesed and his company upon their swift -dromedaries, their faces turned toward Judaea; Pagiel and the son of -Kish walking slowly in the opposite direction, bearing upon their backs -the provision which Ben Hesed had given them. - -No sooner was the caravan out of sight and hearing than Pagiel threw -down his burden and burst into a loud laugh; and he kissed. Ben Kish on -both his cheeks. "Verily," he cried, "thou art a son worth the having; -for this day thou didst save me from the incredible folly of confessing -to yonder hoary knave all that was in my heart--the words were even upon -my lips. Ha, ha! The wisdom of Ben Hesed is very foolishness compared -with the wisdom of the son of Kish. Give me to drink, son, for I thirst -already because of my laughter." - -Ben Kish let down the water-skin from his shoulder. Then he stared at -it, his eyes bulging from his head in terror. About the nozzle was -bound a scarlet thread. - - - - - CHAPTER XXXII. - - BEN HESED IN JERUSALEM. - - -On the fifth day of his journey Ben Hesed reached Jerusalem. And he -encamped without the city, saying to his servants, "Bide ye here while I -offer a sacrifice in the temple; afterward I will seek out the men with -whom I have business." - -So he went his way into the city, he and his two sons, leaving the men -in the encampment. And he went straightway into the temple and offered -a burnt offering for his tribe by the hand of the priest, casting also a -goodly sum into the treasury for a thank-offering, as he came out, -because that he had completed his journey in safety. "We will go now to -the house of John the Apostle," he said to his sons, his face shining -with peace. - -But as the three of them went their way through the streets, they came -suddenly upon a great concourse of people gathered about the doors of a -synagogue. They could see that the synagogue also was crowded, the -doors standing open because of the pressure of the multitude. - -Ben Hesed paused for a moment, and it seemed to him that he could hear -the sound of heavy blows and of groaning from within. The multitude -also heard, and they cried aloud and gnashed their teeth at the sound. - -"Fetch the blasphemers forth!" cried one. - -"Stone them!" howled another. - -"What is this that is taking place within the synagogue?" asked Ben -Hesed of one who stood next him in the crowd. - -The man glanced carelessly at his questioner. "They are scourging two of -the Nazarenes," he replied. "There is no use to try to get in, friend," -he added. "One must come early to secure a good place for seeing the -sport. Fetch the blasphemers forth and stone them," he yelled, putting -his hand to his mouth. "Ha! they will fetch them forth; we shall see -them after all!" And he struggled through the crowd toward the steps of -the synagogue. - -"What is the meaning of this tumult?" said Ben Hesed again, and this -time he put his question to a respectable-looking man in the garb of a -carpenter, who stood eying the scene with an inscrutable expression upon -his face. - -The man turned at the sound of his voice, and looked at him -suspiciously. "Whence dost thou come that thou shouldst ask?" he said -coldly. Then with another searching glance he added, "They are merely -torturing some of the followers of the Nazarene under the scourge. It -is lawful." - -"Lawful!" cried Ben Hesed. "Who is it that dares call such an outrage -lawful? Room here! that I may look further into this matter." - -But the carpenter laid a warning hand upon his arm. "Hist, man," he -whispered. "If thou art indeed a friend of the Nazarenes, hold thy -peace; else wilt thou shortly find thyself where thou canst advantage -neither thyself nor them that believe." - -His last words were drowned in the savage yell with which the multitude -greeted the appearance of a detachment of temple police armed with drawn -swords. These marched rapidly down the steps of the synagogue--the -crowd opening to let them pass--half dragging, half carrying the limp -figures of two men, whose blood-stained garments and drawn, ghastly -faces betrayed what they had suffered within. After them poured out the -congregation, gesticulating and talking excitedly. - -"Stubborn fools," Ben Hesed heard one man say. "They have but to -confess the crucified Nazarene accursed, to escape all. If they will -not do that, let them die." - -"Where are they taking these men?" said Ben Hesed to the carpenter, who -still stood at his elbow. - -"To the prison, to recover from this scourging, when they will receive -another--or worse--if they repent not of their blasphemous folly," -answered the man in a hard voice. "Let us get out of this crowd, for -God's sake," he whispered in the next breath, "or we shall both be -seized." - -The upper end of the street was comparatively clear of people, and here -they presently found themselves. - -"Thou art then a stranger in Jerusalem?" queried the carpenter, wiping -the great drops from his forehead. "And a follower of the man Jesus? -Ay, I thought so. Verily, thou must needs know that it were best to get -thee back into thine own country--and as speedily as possible; Jerusalem -is no place for them that believe. I myself am going this very day with -my wife and little ones; only this morning I saw the spies of Saul in -our street." - -"Thou blowest both hot and cold, friend," said Ben Hesed severely; "but -a moment since---- - -"Yes, yes, I know what thou wouldst say. I spoke of their blasphemous -folly, but"--and he lowered his voice to a whisper and looked anxiously -about--"one of the temple police stood at my elbow; I have a family to -feed, therefore I must needs be cautious." - -"'Trust in the Lord and do good, so shalt thou dwell in the land, and -verily thou shalt be fed.' Why didst thou not hold thy peace altogether -rather than speak deceitfully?" - -The man shrugged his shoulders. "I have no mind to be either scourged -or stoned for the faith," he said; "I saw the stoning of Stephen and--" - -"What is it that thou art saying?" cried Ben Hesed aghast. - -"The stoning of Stephen--hast thou not heard of it? The very day after -his death this persecution broke out. Saul of Tarsus and the -Sanhedrim----" - -"Where is John?" interrupted Ben Hesed. "And the other apostles--what of -the women?" - -"Some of the apostles are in prison," answered the man; "others are in -hiding. Many of the disciples are fled from the city. Some are in -their graves; they alone are safe," and the speaker shivered with -apprehension, and again looked furtively about him. - -"'Verily, they build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity," -said Ben Hesed solemnly. "'Therefore shall Zion for your sakes be plowed -as a field, and Jerusalem shall become as heaps; and the mountain of the -house as the high places of the forest.'" - -"I cannot tarry longer," said the carpenter impatiently. "If thou art a -discreet man thou wilt leave Jerusalem before nightfall. For my part I -would that I had never heard of the Nazarene. Farewell." - -Ben Hesed looked after his retreating figure thoughtfully. "What shall -be the end of these things, O Lord?" he murmured. "Behold many shall be -purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly -and shall not understand; the wise shall understand." - -"Wilt thou that we return unto the encampment?" said his younger son. -"We shall not be able to find them that we would; and we are not -sufficient in number to succor the distressed." - -The eyes of Ben Hesed flashed. "Return if thou wilt, son, and hide -beneath the robe of thy mother; but as for me, the Lord hath brought me -up to Jerusalem at this time that I might smite the destroyer." - -"I am no coward, and that thou knowest right well, my father," answered -the young man haughtily; "but remember, I pray thee, that we have left -the tribe with no leader--now that Pagiel hath been proven false. If we -should all three fall, what of our wives, our little ones, our flocks -and our herds? Verily they would come upon evil days, and shall not a -man set them of his own household before them which are strangers? -Return thou, my father, we will remain." - -"Thou hast spoken not unwisely, son," admitted Ben Hesed. "We must even -go cautiously about this matter; and if presently it appear that there -is a likelihood of bloodshed, thou, Ben Abu, shalt return with two of -the strong men. As for me I am already old; if I fall, it matters not. -Come, let us be going." - -So they went their way towards the house of John; past the market-places -where excited groups were discussing the reign of blood which had begun -in Jerusalem; past the synagogues crowded with people--for the scourging -of the Nazarenes was going forward briskly in many places at once; -through dark alleys and beneath covered archways, where men garbed as -temple police lurked to entrap the unwary; till at length they had come -to the street which they sought. It was choked with people from end to -end; but a singular and almost breathless silence prevailed. - -"What hath befallen here?" asked Ben Hesed of a woman who stood holding -a baby in her arms. The woman turned upon him a white frightened face. -"Alas," she cried. "They refused to fly when they were warned, -declaring that God would take care of them. And now it hath come to -pass that Saul himself hath entered into their dwelling. God help them!" - -"Dost thou speak of the household of John?" asked Ben Hesed. - -"Yes, yes.--My God, he has seized them!" and the woman burst into a -hysterical shriek as a deep low murmur arose from the multitude. - -"Shame! Shame!" cried several voices at once. "Leave the women in -peace!" - -"Room there! Silence!" cried a harsh voice. "Use your swords, men, to -clear the way!" - -There was an instant scattering amongst the crowd, mostly composed of -women and children--two or three of the more timid ones bursting into -loud screams at sight of the glittering weapons. - -"Forward!" commanded the leader, a swarthy undersized man, from whose -scowling face and fiery eyes the frightened children hid their faces. - -So this was the dreaded Saul of Tarsus. Ben Hesed looked at him with -undisguised contempt. "Murderous coward!" he muttered beneath his -breath. - -But now the prisoners, bound with heavy chains, were filing past. Three -women, their faces wrapped in their mantles, in whom he nevertheless -recognized Mary, the mother of Jesus, Anna, the wife of Caiaphas, and -Anat the Egyptian girl. Behind these walked a young man, also bound, -whose bleeding face and torn garments betrayed the fact that he had not -failed to defend those committed to his charge. - -"If we had but come an hour earlier we might have held the place," -exclaimed Ben Hesed clenching his fists. "Let us follow and see whither -they will take them. It is useless to attempt a rescue now." - -"To the Temple," came the second command. "Close up there, and march -more rapidly. Save thy tears, woman; thou wilt have further need for -them." - -"Coward!" cried Ben Hesed again. - -And this time it was evident that the quick ear of Saul had caught the -sound, for he turned and fixed a murderous look upon the speaker. "Dog -of an apostate!" he hissed, "thy day is coming." - -"Callest thou me dog?" cried Ben Hesed in a fury, and would have closed -with the Pharisee on the spot, had not his two sons held him. - -"Let be," whispered the younger of the twain, "or we shall not be able -to save them." - -Ben Hesed drew back, muttering fiercely. "I will slay him for that -word," he said. "Let us follow them in." - -But this it presently appeared was impossible; for the prisoners being -now arrived at the Temple, were conducted by way of the Court of the -Women into the lesser chamber of judgment. And immediately the doors -were shut. - - - - - CHAPTER XXXIII. - - THE MERCY OF ISRAEL. - - -The light which streamed in from the single window high up in the -massive wall revealed a square room, ceiled and paved with stone. It -was empty save for an oaken table, behind which in a high-backed chair -sat an old man of severe and reverend aspect. On either side of him -stood two officers of the temple police, motionless as statues and armed -with long spear-pointed staves. All this Anat, who was the first of the -women to pass into the chamber, saw with a single timid glance. She -shrank back before the stern eyes of the man in the chair, and reaching -out one manacled hand touched the robe of Mary, who was just behind her. -The mother of Jesus took the little trembling hand and held it firmly. - -Saul advanced to the table and laid upon it a slip of parchment, at the -same time whispering a few words into the ear of the old man, who -frowned slightly and nodded once or twice as his eye passed slowly from -one to the other of the four prisoners. - -"Where is the man John?" he demanded suddenly. - -No one answered. - -"Can ye not speak?" he cried, striking the table with his clenched fist, -"or hath it come to pass that your scurrilous tongues are already -withered in your mouths?" - -"If thou art questioning me," said Seth calmly, "I wot not where the -apostle is; he went forth on some errand of mercy early this morning, -leaving me in charge of the house. We be law-abiding citizens, dwelling -in a law-abiding city, wherefore hath it come to pass that we are thus -dragged through the streets in chains?" - -"That shalt thou shortly hear," replied Annas grimly. "Hast thou -examined these prisoners?" he asked, turning to Saul. - -"I examined them briefly before making the arrests, according to my -custom," answered Saul. "For I would not that I transgress the law in -this work of purging the holy city of them that blaspheme. I found all -of these prisoners obstinate and stiff-necked, unwilling to renounce -their sins and to make confession of their unrighteousness, therefore I -have brought them before thee for further examination and sentence." - -"This being so, the law must take its course with them," said Annas -sternly. "Do thou, Mary of Nazareth, stand forth. Remove the veil from -off thy face." - -With a firm step the mother of Jesus advanced and stood before the -table; she threw back the shrouding mantle, her beautiful, pallid face -shining forth as if illumined with a strange inward radiance. - -Annas looked at her for an instant, then he dropped his eyes and fell to -turning over the parchments which lay before him. - -"Art thou the mother of the Man of Nazareth?" - -"I am." - -"Thou didst teach him to believe unholy and blasphemous things regarding -himself when he was a child," said Annas, still looking down at the -table; "therefore did he continue to delude himself and others when he -was grown, and at the last perished miserably on the accursed tree. -Hath not God punished thee sufficiently for thy presumptuous sin that -thou dost still persist in pretending that thy son is the Messiah of -Israel?" - -"He is the Messiah of Israel," said Mary, her deep eyes shining. -"Wherefore my soul doth magnify the Lord, for he hath regarded the low -estate of his hand-maiden; behold from henceforth all generations shall -call me blessed. He is the Messiah of Israel, but he is also much more, -he is the Prince of Peace, the Saviour of the world. For the Lord hath -shewed strength with his arm, he hath scattered the proud in the -imaginations of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their -seat, and exalted them of low degree. And God hath delivered his holy -child Jesus from death and from the power of the grave, and hath set him -down at the right hand of power for ever more." - -"Daughter of Abraham," said Annas, lifting his shaking hand, "thou hast -blasphemed. Thou knowest the penalty." - -"Father," cried an agonized voice, "forbear this last awful sin, lest -God smite thee in his wrath and consume thee to ashes!" - -At the sound of this voice the face of Annas changed. He rose to his -feet and stared for a moment at the shrouded figure which knelt before -him. - -"Who--who is it that speaks to me?" he said, and his voice trembled. - -"It is I--thine own daughter, Anna; dost thou not know me? I beseech -thee by the mercies of Jehovah that thou raise not thy hand against the -mother of the Christ." - -"Woman, I know thee not. Get thee up and stand back. Out of thine own -mouth art thou already condemned." - -"I care not for myself--death were welcome. But take heed to thyself, I -beseech thee, before thou layest violent hands upon this holy woman." - -Annas laughed contemptuously. "Have we not crucified the carpenter?" he -said, "and are unscathed; is the mother of the carpenter more exalted? -Nay, we shall deal with her after the law; the law is just." - -At this Seth started forward. "Prate not of the law who art a -murderer!" he said in a choked voice. "The man Jesus was guiltless and -ye did condemn him. Guiltless also are these women; release them, but -do with me as thou wilt--the servant is not greater than his lord." - -Annas trembled with rage. He essayed to speak, but the words died on -his lips. - -"Now seest thou what manner of perverse and pestilent apostates these -are," said Saul. "Furthermore, the man is an alien. There is no need -that we continue to argue this matter with them. Israel is ever merciful -and just, according to the commands of Jehovah, therefore let them be -publicly scourged without the gates; if the stripes be wholesome to -bring them back to their right minds and to a knowledge of the truth, -well. They will then confess right gladly that the man of Nazareth and -all his works are of the devil. After this shall a blood offering be -made for them; so shall they be cleansed from their iniquities. But and -if they will not so confess, let their sin abide upon them; let them die -the death appointed in the law of Moses for such as are blasphemers." - -"Justice and mercy are in the words of thy mouth," said Annas slowly. -Then he turned to the prisoners: "Forty stripes save one shall be laid -upon each and every one of you to-morrow at about this hour, according -to the magnitude of your offences and the law of Moses, who thus -appointed it for the peace of Israel. Afterward--if ye will not -confess--ye shall die the appointed death." - -"Mercy--have mercy!" cried Anna, laying hold of his robe. "We cannot -but believe the things which we have seen and heard. Nay, thou wouldst -thyself believe if the Lord should reveal himself to thee." - -Annas drew away with a gesture of abhorrence. "Unhand me, woman," he -said sternly. "Satan hath blinded thee to the truth; I will pray for -thee that thou be undeceived at the last. Take them away." - -"Thrust these blasphemers into the inner prison," commanded Saul a -half-hour later, "and remember that thou answerest for them with thine -own life. Come not to me on the morrow with any whining tale of angel -or devil, and think thus to excuse thyself for their escape. Let them -be missing at the third hour to-morrow, and thou thyself shalt suffer in -thine own body the penalty to which these are condemned. Thou hast -heard." - -The chief jailer shrugged his shoulders. "I have heard, my lord. This -night at every watch will I inspect the prisoners. But I pray thee send -also additional guards, for life is precious to me, and I have not -forgotten what hath happened more than once when these Nazarenes have -been imprisoned; peradventure the man himself might appear." - -"Coward!" growled Saul. "The man hath perished off the face of the -earth, so likewise shall perish all who believe on him. If thou art one -of these, room shall be made for thee within." - -"Nay, my lord, nay," cried the jailer trembling. "I do not believe--I -swear it; but there have been strange things of late, and the devil -himself hath powers----" - -"I will send a guard," interrupted Saul shortly. "Hold thy peace and do -thy duty, and all shall be well with thee. Admit no one." - -The chief jailer bowed himself almost to the ground before the Pharisee, -whose renown had by this time spread throughout Jerusalem, and in whose -presence the temple officials from the highest unto the lowest trembled. -"I will admit no one," he said, and he again made obeisance as Saul -strode through the prison gate. - -"Lock the gate and double bar it," he cried irritably to the guard. -"Then stand there for your lives; if these prisoners get away, and I -have to die for it, be sure that not one of you shall escape. Thrust the -man into the stocks," he added to the turnkey, who stood at his elbow; -"as for the women, chain them to the floor. I will come after a little -and look to them. Food? No; let them fast. Give them water." - -In the inner prison, where the darkness seemed only the more intense -because of the feeble rays of daylight which struggled through the -little square of grating above the door, were the four who were -condemned to death. The young man Seth made fast in the stocks, the -three women chained to heavy rings which were riveted into the stone -floor. - -"Dost think that He will deliver us?" whispered Anat, laying hold of the -robe of Mary and pressing it to her lips. - -"He will deliver us, beloved, in his own best way," answered Mary -tenderly. "If the way lie through the dark valley, then will the end -thereof be only the more glorious." - -"But the scourging--the shame, how--how shall we endure it?" wailed -Anat piteously. - -"He also endured--being divine," said Mary, her voice trembling; "and -shall we who are but mortal shrink back? Think not of the morrow, save -as thou dost think that to-morrow we shall stand before Him in clothing -of immortality." - -"But if we fail, deny him?" faltered Anat. "I know not my own -heart--whether I can endure unto the end." - -"He will give thee grace when the need comes. Wouldst thou at this -moment deny him?" - -"No--ah, no." - -"Neither wilt thou deny him on the morrow. He giveth his strength in due -season, and to-morrow is in his hand." - -As for Anna, the wife of Caiaphas, she sat silent, her head bowed upon -her knees. Mary thought that perhaps she slept, and in her tender heart -she hoped that this was so. - -Every hour the chief jailer flashed the light of his torch into their -prison. "Where now is he that delivereth?" he cried tauntingly. And -again, "If angels visit thee during the night watches cry aloud, for I -have sworn by my life to deliver thy bodies to judgment on the morrow." -Being insensible--as indeed are most mortals to celestial sights and -sounds--he did not perceive that the whole place was filled with the -airs of heaven and with the rustling of angelic pinions. - -At midnight the drowsy guards were awakened by a loud knocking upon the -outer gate of the prison. - -"Open!" cried a voice. "Open at once, in the name of the Sanhedrim." -The governor of the prison looked out, and beholding by the light of the -lantern that it was Caleb himself who knocked, he opened cautiously and -admitted him. - -"I have orders," said Caleb, "to speak a word in private with one of the -women who are in ward here; this is the token of my authority," and he -displayed before the eyes of the chief jailer the signet ring of Annas. - -"But the Pharisee Saul--" began the jailer. - -Caleb waved his hand impatiently. "Fetch the woman out to me and at -once," he said. - -"They are chained to the floor," grumbled the jailer, "and I will not -fetch out any one of them, were it by the order of Herod himself. Go -thou in." - -So Caleb went into the prison, the jailer following close upon his -heels. "Which is the woman called Anna?" he said. "I have here a -message for her." - -And when the daughter of Annas had been pointed out to him, he thrust -into her hand a packet. "Use what is within to save the honor of thy -house," he whispered. "It is sent thee in mercy by the hand of Annas." -Then he turned swiftly and went out. - -Anna opened the packet, a vague hope stirring at her heart; but she -shrank back with a shiver as the flash of the departing light fell upon -the blade of a dagger. - - - - - CHAPTER XXXIV. - - AT THE THIRD HOUR. - - -On the morrow a great crowd had assembled about the prison which held -the four who were condemned to public scourging and to death; for evil -tidings travel fast, and there is ever an ignoble multitude who reckon -as high holiday a spectacle of human agony. - -Yet there were those who looked in one another's faces with sombre and -despairing eyes. "The last days are at hand," they murmured, "the days -of wrath and of burning. For shall not God avenge his own elect which -cry day and night unto him? Yea, he will avenge them, and that right -speedily." But still the sun poured down with impartial splendor, -gilding alike the gloomy walls of the blood-stained prison, and the -yellow curls of the year-old babe. And the placid heaven gave no sign -of the invisible hosts of glory behind its azure wall. - -Exactly at the third hour, Saul accompanied by a strong guard approached -the prison. His face was pale and haggard, but upon it was stamped a -look of savage determination before which the mob fell back with a dull -low murmur. - -The governor of the prison greeted him with manifest joy. "The -prisoners which thou didst commit to my charge are safe--quite safe, my -lord," he said, rubbing his hands. "We had no visions; neither angels, -earthquakes, nor demons. We are----" - -"Fetch them forth," said Saul, with a peremptory gesture and a fierce -look at the jailer, before which that functionary drew back with an -apologetic obeisance. - -"Yes, certainly, at once, my worshipful lord; just as soon as we shall -be able to undo the chains. Here you," he roared, addressing the -turnkey, "fetch the four from the inner prison." - -So presently the condemned came forth into the prison yard, and stood -before Saul. Their faces were calm, even joyful, and the Pharisee -ground his teeth as he looked at them. - -"Hast thou counted the cost of thy perverseness?" he said abruptly. - -"We have counted the cost," replied Mary of Nazareth in a firm voice, -"and the reward is exceeding glorious above all that it hath entered -into the heart of man to imagine." - -"Thinkest thou so?" answered Saul. "Those of thy company may be of a -better mind. Take heed to what I shall say," he added, turning to the -other three. "The Sanhedrim is full of mercy and compassion; and while -it will without faltering carry on the work which it hath undertaken of -cleansing and purifying Israel of this monstrous and blasphemous belief -in a perished malefactor, it also offers pardon freely to all who -confess and forsake the error of their ways. If now at this last hour -ye will acknowledge that the Nazarene was an impostor inspired by the -father of lies; that he justly died the accursed death; that his body -moreover was stolen by his followers from out the tomb in which it was -buried, for the express purpose of confirming this accursed blasphemy; -if ye shall now make confession of these things, it is the merciful -mandate of them which are in authority that ye be immediately released -without further scathe or punishment. Ye have heard. Wilt thou, -maiden, so confess, thereby securing to thyself bodily safety and the -blessing of the Almighty?" - -There was a breathless silence for an instant, then Anat raised her -large dark eyes to the face of the Pharisee. "Sir, I have heard thy -offer of safety, and this is my answer. I believe on the Lord Jesus -Christ, because I who was once blind now see; I believe that he was put -to death upon the cross that he might draw all men unto him and heal -them from their sins, even as Moses lifted up the serpent in the -wilderness that the stricken Israelites might look and be saved; I -believe that he arose from among the dead on the third day, and is set -down forever at the right hand of God. These things I do affirm and -believe in this the last hour of my mortal life." - -"Thou art condemned," said Saul slowly, but his face was more white than -the face of the maiden. - -"Young man," he said, turning to Seth, "wilt thou confess to the things -which I have already enumerated, that thou mayest live out thy days in -peace?" - -"I cannot deny him on whom I have believed, even for the sake of -life--and life is sweet," faltered Seth, on whom the shadow had lain -very heavily all the night. - -"Thou art condemned," repeated Saul in a hollow voice. - -"Woman, who by reason of thine exalted birth shouldst have remained a -mother in Israel, wilt thou renounce these vile errors after which thou -hast strayed? In so renouncing thou shalt find again a father's, a -husband's forgiveness and favor. For so I am bidden to say unto thee." - -Anna trembled and was silent. - -"Dost thou so acknowledge thy sin?" said Saul; and it seemed to them -that listened that there was a note of entreaty in his stern voice. - -"God of my fathers!" cried the wife of Caiaphas, looking up into the -dazzling blue of the sky. "Help me to know without shadow of doubt what -is truth; and enable me to witness to it without faltering." Then she -turned to Saul. "Tell my husband and my father, that the forgiveness -and favor of God is rather to be desired than the forgiveness and favor -of any mortal, however beloved. I believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the -Messiah of Israel; and if I must now die for that belief, I die -willingly." - -Saul bowed his head without speaking. "Close up about the prisoners," -he commanded the guard, who had stood silent witnesses of the scene, -"and conduct them to the place of punishment." - - * * * * * - -Abu Ben Hesed had not been idle during the hours which had passed since -he had seen the prisoners disappear behind the closed door of the -judgment hall. He had followed them to the prison; and from a temple -underling who was not insensible to the glitter of gold as seen through -the fingers of the desert chief, he had made shift to find out the -number of guards, the strength of the walls and the general plan of the -prison. - -"A safe prison, truly," he said to his informant, as the gold changed -hands--neither apparently being aware of the transaction. - -"Safe as the tomb," assented the temple official, slyly rubbing the coin -with a corner of his robe. "Once within yonder walls, a man is seen no -more till he is fetched out." Then he fell to eying the hand of Ben -Hesed, fancying that he again saw there a gleam of something yellow. He -was not mistaken; and his face grew proportionately genial as a second -coin joined the first in his own greedy palm. - -"I am but lately arrived in Jerusalem," said Ben Hesed, "and have as yet -not witnessed the punishment of any of these apostates. 'Twere a goodly -sight to see a blasphemer suffer?" - -"Ay, a goodly sight. I have seen many. Man, but they be obstinate! -Wouldst thou witness a grand spectacle, then be without the Damascus -Gate to-morrow. 'Twill be in the very place where they stoned the -pestilent Gentile, Stephen." - -"They will stone only the man, I suppose?" said Ben Hesed with apparent -unconcern. - -"They will scourge all four--forty stripes save one," and the fellow -smacked his lips in anticipation. "I myself am to handle one of the -scourges, and I understand the business as none other in Jerusalem. I -can fetch the blood every time; thou wilt see." And he winked at Ben -Hesed, and cautiously clinked the gold pieces with the air of a man who -is at peace with himself and all the world. - -Ben Hesed could with difficulty keep his hands from the throat of the -wretch. - -"After the scourging, the Sanhedrim will give them one more chance to -renounce their evil beliefs," continued the official, "a mere form, for -they are all as stubborn as the father of lies himself. A few stones -will suffice to finish them. So perish all who blaspheme the law!" - -"I shall be there," declared Ben Hesed. "Ah, stay, should they change -the hour and place bring me word, and I will recompense thee with as -much again as thou hast already in thy hand. I am not minded to lose -the sight. Thou wilt find me encamped just without the Damascus Gate." - -"I will bring thee word, son of Abraham, I swear it by the veil of the -Temple. Peace be with thee." - -An hour later Ben Hesed held a council of war in his camp. "We cannot -take the prison," he said, drawing his heavy brows together. "For they -would straightway rouse the Romans at the citadel, which is but a -stone's throw from the outer wall of the place. We must wait till they -fetch them out to-morrow, and may the Almighty give us the wisdom and -the strength which we need. Ay, and he will give it," he added, his eye -flashing fire. "It is ever the pleasure of Jehovah to show forth his -power by the hand of the few, even as by the hand of Gideon with three -hundred men he overthrew the hosts of the Midianites and Amalekites, -which were as the grasshoppers for multitude." - -Then directed he the twelve men who were with him after what manner they -should do on the morrow, and every man of them lay down and slept. But -Ben Hesed slept not all the night, for he prayed mightily unto God that -he would deliver them which were persecuted out of the hand of the -destroyer; and he prayed also for him that was wasting the church, that -his eyes might be opened. At the coming of the dawn he also laid down -for a space, for he said, "I will both lay me down in peace and sleep; -for thou Lord only makest me to dwell in safety. The Lord will save the -afflicted people, he will give me the necks of his enemies, for God is a -God of great deliverances." - -Very early the people began to pour out from the Damascus Gate, that -they might secure good places for the seeing. They brought with them -food and drink also, that they might make merry. Ben Hesed looked at -them and he waxed exceeding angry. - -"Behold!" he said, "these dwellers in the holy city are come out as to a -holiday, with laughing and feasting. They are become as the dwellers in -Sodom, and as the inhabitants of the earth before the flood, for they -delight themselves in blood and in violence. They make merry and eat -and drink to-day, but the days shall come wherein they shall mourn and -cry aloud, and their tears shall be their meat day and night." - -As the third hour drew nigh, the people began to crane their necks -toward the gate through which the condemned were to come forth, and they -grew impatient and murmured as the moments dragged by. - -"What now if they have already confessed?" said one woman. "We shall -have put ourselves to this trouble for naught. Nay, but I believe that -they have confessed." - -"Mayhap," said her neighbor, "but I shall not give up the matter before -noon, now that I am here. Verily," she added with a shrug, "I am glad -now that I did not go over to their number; I came near it once when the -man Peter preached in our street that their Messiah would come back and -that right speedily. If what they tell about the Nazarene being alive -were true, he would certainly come in these days." Then they fell to -gossiping in neighborly fashion about their husbands, the linen that -they had spun, and the preparations for the approaching feast-day, -stopping suddenly to listen as a loud and ever growing murmur of sound -arose from within the gates. - -"They are coming!" cried the multitude as with one voice. - -"They are coming!" said Ben Hesed, tightening his grasp on the strong -bow upon which he was leaning. The little band of fourteen men had -established themselves on a rocky eminence directly above the spot where -the scourging was to take place, well screened from observation by a -tangle of low-growing shrubs. - -The procession, headed by a strong detachment of temple guards, soon -came in sight, the prisoners heavily chained walking two by two. Behind -them followed a number of Sanhedrists, among whom the women pointed out -to one another the famous Saul of Tarsus, as second only in interest to -the condemned prisoners. - -"They do say," whispered one, "that he enters without ceremony into the -houses wherein dwell them that believe on the Nazarene, and that he -drags them forth to prison and to death without mercy." - -"That is true," returned her neighbor. "I chanced to be in the house of -Mary when he came there--for as thou knowest, she was a kind soul, -whatever her sins, and ready always to lend from her store for the -convenience of them that lacked--indeed one might say as much of them -all." - -"And how didst thou escape?" - -"I simply repeated what the man bade me, without ado; but I had like to -have fainted. How I reached my home afterward I scarce know; my husband -hath forbidden me to speak with any of them hereafter--though God knows -the command was needless. But see! They are about to bind them to the -posts for the scourging." At the next breath the speaker screamed aloud -in terror, grasping her neighbor by the arm. A swift something had -smitten the man who was advancing to lay hold on Mary of Nazareth, and -with a wild yell of agony he leapt high into the air, falling stone dead -at his victim's feet. - -Before the startled multitude had time to recover themselves, a very -whirlwind of destruction, savage, swift, merciless, had swept down upon -them from the rocky eminence above their heads, the wild battle-cry of -the desert sounding in their guilty ears like the trumpet call of the -last day. And the people fled from before it in a frenzy of mad fear, -running, stumbling, falling, the strong trampling the weak under foot, -amid a wild tumult of shrieks, curses and entreaties to God to spare -them. - -The temple guard, encouraged by the ringing voice of Saul of Tarsus, -made at the first some faint show of resistance, then they too turned -and fled for their lives. - -"Cowards!" shouted Saul angrily; "there are but a handful of them." - -But his voice was drowned in the general uproar. Seizing a spear from -the hand of one of the flying guard, he flung himself into the thickest -of the fight, striking out right and left in a sort of blind fury. Then -something struck him full in the forehead, a wave as of fire flashed -before his eyes, the spear dropped from his nerveless fingers, and he -fell--down--down into darkness and silence. - - - - - CHAPTER XXXV. - - ON THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS. - - -"Neighbor, dost think it is safe for us to come down? Verily, for -myself, I shall take the risk, if risk there be, for my limbs are as -stiff as those of yonder dead man." - -By way of answer, the other man shook a warning finger at the speaker, -and proceeded to clamber up still further into the branches of the tree -in which these two spectators of the stirring scene which had just -transpired were hidden. "Wait a little," he whispered, "till I shall -make sure that the fellows have gone. By the thunderbolts of Jove!" he -exclaimed with a laugh, as he presently descended to a level with his -companion, "that was a greater sight than the stoning which we came out -to see; I would not have missed it--no, not for ten shekels of silver!" - -"Have they gone?" said the first querulously. "I tell thee that my limbs -have lost all feeling, so long have I sat here without moving." - -"Thou mayest thank the gods that thou art alive to complain, friend. -But come down, come down; there is naught to hurt thee now, and we must -look to these dead men." - -"Who were the rescuers, thinkest thou?" - -"Nay, I know not. There were thirteen of them, for I counted; verily, I -believe that the multitude thought them the twelve apostles headed by -the Nazarene himself." And the speaker threw back his head and laughed -again. - -"Nay, there were fourteen," said the other, with an obstinate shake of -the head. "I also counted, and I never make a mistake. They were wild -men out of the desert, I opine," he added sagely. "I have seen the like -many times when crossing to Egypt, for I have traveled in my day." Then -he looked anxiously about him. "There is no one dead here save the man -yonder," he said, "and he was smitten at the first. We had best make -haste and return to the city; this affair is nothing to us." - -"Hold, dost thou not see a body yonder in the shadow of the bush? By -the rod of Moses, I think I saw him move; let us look to it." - -"We had best leave the whole matter alone, I tell thee," insisted his -companion with irritation. "Thanks be to Jehovah, I have had nothing to -do with it so far--save to look on; and I tell thee that I will not lay -a finger to yonder body, be it dead or alive. Come, I am going to the -city." And without stopping for further parley, the speaker began to -run toward the city gate, apparently not hearing the loud cries to stop -which his companion sent after him. - -"Coward!" muttered the one who was left; then he walked over to the -body, which lay face downward in the shadow of the bushes, and -deliberately turned it over, starting back with a cry of surprise as the -identity of the unconscious man became apparent. - -"'Tis Saul of Tarsus! So the wolf is himself bitten for once; but not -unto death, I am thinking." He sprinkled the face of the wounded man -with water, and forced a little wine between his clenched teeth. "Only -a bruise," he continued reflectively, as he examined the body with care. -"I suspect that the Nazarenes would thank me should I thrust him through -as he lies. He is a hard man--a hard man. Yet that is nothing to me. -Ha! he is reviving already. Another sip of the wine, friend; thou hadst -a sharp blow, and it hath confused thy senses somewhat; but thou wilt -shortly----" - -"Did the blasphemers escape me?" said Saul in a hollow voice, sitting up -and looking about him. Then his eye fell upon the four empty posts which -had been set up for the scourging, and he groaned aloud. - -"Be thankful rather that thou hast thyself escaped with so slight an -injury," said the man who still stood at his side, flask in hand. -"Another sup of----" - -"Hold thy peace, fellow," said Saul savagely, springing to his feet. -"The cowardly knaves!--to flee from their duty before a dozen -peasants,--where are they? Which way did they go?" And he fixed his -angry eyes on his rescuer, who was calmly girding himself. - -"Thou hast bidden me hold my peace, Pharisee; and I am not the man to be -bidden twice. Farewell, and a good recovery to thee." And the man -turned resolutely away. - -"Stay, friend. I should not have spoken thus to one who had done me a -kindness," said Saul. "Grant me thy pardon, and tell me, I beseech thee, -what thou canst of this affair--if thou wast witness to it. God knows -that it was untimely; another hour might have seen four penitent ones -restored to the fold of Israel." - -"Thinkest thou so, Pharisee?" said the other carelessly. "Now for -myself I think otherwise. Another hour would have seen four corpses -yonder, where now we see but one. The affair was timely enough for the -Nazarenes." - -"Thy name, man?" - -"My name, Pharisee, is Festus; I am a free-born Roman, resident of -Jerusalem yonder for a score of years back, but answerable to no man for -my beliefs or practices. If it pleaseth me to believe on a crucified -man instead of on Jove or Jehovah, thou canst neither scourge nor stone -me for it. And now, most courteous rabbi, let me advise thee to return -with all haste into Jerusalem, and in future to moderate thy zeal, lest -thou come to an untimely end." With which bit of advice, received by -Saul in contemptuous silence, the man strode away toward Jerusalem. - -Left to himself the baffled Pharisee examined the ground carefully, -pausing at length to question several peasants who had left their work -in the neighboring fields to gather at the scene of the disaster. - -"Didst thou see which way the knaves fled?" he asked of one. - -The man looked at him stupidly. "They be fled along the road yonder," -he said, pointing with his finger to the highway. - -"Which way, north or south?" - -"They went that way, master," said the peasant, pointing toward the -north, which was indeed the opposite direction from that which Ben Hesed -and his company had taken. - -"He asked me which way the knaves were fled," said the man to his -companions, as they stood staring after the departing figure of Saul. -"Assuredly the knaves who came out to look upon the death of the just -went that way, since it took them back to Jerusalem. As for the -Nazarenes and those that saved them this day, God be with them, I did -not look to see which way they fled. Jehovah grant them a swift journey -and a safe abiding-place from the hand of that pestilent Pharisee." - -"Thou hast spoken!" cried the others with an air of enjoyment, after -which they went peacefully back to their labors. - -In the meantime Saul was hastening back to Jerusalem with rage in his -heart; bruised, baffled, humiliated as he was, he lost no time in -seeking Annas that he might acquaint him with the untoward occurrence of -the morning. - -"I will pursue them," he said, "even unto strange cities. Within this -hour will I set forth." - -Annas looked thoughtful. "Thou sayest," he said, "that they be fled -towards the north. It hath come to my ears of late that there be many -of these accursed apostates who have taken refuge in Damascus. So that -there is now a goodly company of them dwelling in fancied security in -that city, waxing fat and flourishing, as doth this pestilent weed of -evil wherever it taketh root. The men who have this day interfered with -the just sentence of the law, have doubtless accomplished the mischief -through the connivance of some person who hath played traitor to the -cause, and are now fled to Damascus, thinking to find there a refuge -from the wrath of Israel." - -"Who is the traitor?" - -Annas hesitated for an instant. "There be foes among them of a man's -own household in these days," he said in a half whisper. "Caiaphas hath -disappeared, I know not whither; but I fear--I fear." - -"Damascus is under Aretas, Emir of Petra, now," said Saul after a pause. -"With him thy house hath friendly relations. Give me therefore letters -that I may carry fire and the sword into the camp of Jehovah's enemies. -I will not let so much as one of them escape me," and he ground his -teeth savagely. "I will fetch them chained to Jerusalem, that they may -perish in sight of the walls which they have dishonored." - -"Thou hast spoken wisely and well, my son. I will procure the letters -for thee at once, so that thou mayest start without delay. As for -matters in this city, there shall be no sparing of pains nor effort to -carry on to its completion the good work which we have begun. Jehovah -hath prospered us mightily so far. We hear of no more blasphemous -gatherings in Solomon's Porch; no more preaching of a false Messiah in -the synagogues; no more healing of vile beggars in the name of the -accursed one; no further prating about apostles or disciples. Men walk -soberly in these days as they have not since the days of the malefactor. -Let us continue in this good cause, my son, and we shall have triumphed -gloriously. This disgraceful heresy, which is even as a spot of foul -leprosy on the fair body of Israel, shall be utterly purged away. Then -indeed may we hope once more for the coming of the Anointed One." - -The eyes of the young man flashed fire. "Amen and Amen!" he cried. -"May Jehovah hasten the day!" But his brow was gloomy and forbidding as -ever, when an hour later he had finished the visitation of the prisons -wherein groaned many that believed. - -"Neither scourgings, threatenings, revilings, nor torture of any degree -hath the power to move these Nazarenes," declared the chief-jailers; -"and the women yield no whit easier than the men." - -"A spot of leprosy indeed," muttered Saul to himself, "it hath by -stealth crept into the very life-blood of the nation; and how hardly -shall the deadly leprosy be cleansed." - -Another hour and he was in the saddle pressing forward with all haste -towards Damascus, for he hoped to overtake the fugitives before night. -With him traveled a well-armed escort of tried and experienced men, to -whom had been promised large rewards should the mission be successful. -The journey to Damascus was a long one, the roads were rough and -ill-made moreover, so that progress was necessarily slow. Hasten as he -might, Saul could not hope to reach Damascus before the better part of a -week. As for them that had escaped, it was impossible for him to decide -whether or not they were still before him. Now and again he heard from -the khans along his route, of a troop of horsemen with whom were -traveling also women, but when on the third day he actually overtook -such a company of wayfarers it turned out to be merely a caravan of wine -merchants, traveling with their wives and little ones. - -"I will at all events press on to Damascus," he decided, "for even -should I not immediately lay hand upon the ones I seek, there are in -that city other lost sheep of the house of Israel which I must needs -bring back into the fold." - -On this journey for the first time in many months Saul found time to -think. Habitually taciturn and forbidding, his subordinates did not -venture to address the haughty Pharisee save when it became necessary; -so for long hours the man sat silent, while his beast picked its slow -and difficult way along the rocky roads. - -Strangely enough his thoughts wandered again and again from the object -of his journey; in these vernal solitudes the wily words of Annas faded -from his mind. Something in the pure-eyed flowers that leaned in shy -welcome from the roadside grass put him in mind of Stephen, the dead -apostate, as he bitterly termed him. Before his mental vision there -arose again that never-to-be-forgotten face; now radiant with the fire -of youth and enthusiasm, as he remembered it in many a heated debate -over law and prophecy; now stern and unrelenting as he pronounced the -terrible arraignment which yet echoed in the ears of the Pharisee: "Ye -stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears; ye do always resist -the Holy Ghost; as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets -have not your fathers persecuted? And they have slain them which shewed -before the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have now become the -betrayers and murderers!" Then pallid beneath the icy shadow of -approaching death, yet shining with a mysterious glory as he cried out, -"Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the -right hand of power." And yet again, touched with the mystic seal of -the great deliverer as he had lain "asleep" on the stony ground beyond -the Damascus Gate. - -In vain did he endeavor to shake off these haunting visions, resolutely -repeating aloud commands, prohibitions and long passages of the law, -rigorously observing the ceremonial washings and cleansings whenever the -company halted beside a running stream. All was in vain, "Ye who -received the law as it was ordained by angels, and kept it not!" sounded -the inexorable voice. And with and through it, mingled the wail of -women bereft of their little ones, the groanings of strong men beneath -the scourge, the sullen clang of prison doors, and the clank of chains. - -On the fifth night of his journey the agony became so intolerable that -he left his tent and wandered out beneath the open heavens. "My God!" -he groaned aloud, "have I not kept thy law, and loved thy statutes? Yet -have I no peace: my days are consumed with anguish. Surely thou hast -hated iniquity and thou hast loved righteousness; behold now I have done -all these things that thy name might be exalted before the people, that -blasphemy and deceit might cease from out the land." And he vowed a -great sacrifice before the Lord of fat sheep and oxen. But again came -the haunting voice, "O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain -beasts and sacrifices for the space of forty years. But behold, I will -carry you away beyond Babylon--who have received the law ordained of -angels and have kept it not." - -"I have kept the law!" he cried aloud, and the hills replied in -melancholy echoes, "the law--the law." - -Then there crowded into his thought the faces of the four who had -escaped out of his hand, and he remembered the look in the eyes of the -maiden as she said, "I believe that he was put to death upon the cross -that he might draw all men unto him and heal them from their sins, even -as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness that the stricken -Israelites might look and be saved," and with these words there mingled -the solemn voices of prophecy, "Surely he hath borne our griefs and -carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and -afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised -for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with -his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have -turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid upon him the -iniquity of us all." - -"God, if it be true," he murmured; and for a moment the soft radiance of -that ever brooding presence of love had well nigh penetrated his dark -soul, then he lifted his head stubbornly. "I cannot believe," he cried. -"I will not believe.--Shall I, a Pharisee of the Pharisees, accept a -Messiah who hath died the accursed death? I am mad. I will not -believe--unless I too can see the heavens opened." - -He laughed aloud as he spoke the words, and the sound of his laughter -fled away through the silent night to the dark hills which caught it and -tossed it back upon him in mocking echoes. - -On the morrow they journeyed in the plains of Anti-libanus, a vast arid -burning desert, wherein was neither water nor verdure, and the men and -the beasts were parched by reason of the great heat. Certain ones of -the company therefore besought Saul that they might tarry by the way. -"Let us rest till the heat of the day be past," they said, "then shall -we with ease reach the village of Kaukab; there will we abide till -morning, that we may enter Damascus before the hour of the great heat." - -"We will not tarry," replied Saul, "until we reach Damascus." And there -was that in his eye which forbade remonstrance. So they toiled on -silently beneath the burning Syrian sky. The village of Kaukab--which -is being interpreted the village of the Star--was reached, and passed; -and now before them lay the city of Damascus in all its beauty. "The -City of the Paradise of God," for so has it been called in every age, -embowered in gardens of palm and roses, its walls and towers of snowy -whiteness shining like "a handful of pearls in a goblet of emerald." A -land of flowing streams, a city of cool fountains, set like a bit of -heaven in the midst of a barren and thirsty land. - -The exhausted wayfarers paused for a moment that they might feast their -eyes upon the beauty of the scene, but Saul, with an imperative gesture, -bade them hasten. - -"We are not come to Damascus as one who journeyeth for his pleasure," he -cried savagely; "we seek the blood of them that confess the accursed -Jesus." - -But even as he spoke the sacred name, some invisible power smote him to -the earth; and a great light, brighter even than the fierce shining of -the noonday sun, blazed round about him. In the midst of this terrible -light he beheld a form upon which he gazed appalled; then was there the -sound of a voice, and the words were these: - -"Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" - -True to the utter fearlessness of his soul, the man also has a question -to ask, "Who art thou, Lord?" - -And the answer came clear and decisive, "I am Jesus whom thou -persecutest; it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks." - -Then indeed did the strong man tremble, and he made answer from out the -depths of his soul, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" - -"Arise, go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do." - -The majestic presence was gone; the light faded to the light of an -earthly noontide. Yet Saul still lay upon his face in the dust of the -Damascus road. The men that journeyed with him stood speechless, staring -at one another with livid faces. They had seen the blazing light, they -had heard the strange and awful sound of a voice, but their eyes had -been holden to the vision of the glorified Jesus. - -Presently Saul arose from the earth, the first command of his -newly-acknowledged Lord ringing in his ears, "Arise, go into the city." -But when he opened his eyes that he might obey the words, he opened them -upon darkness. He was blind. - -And they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. - - - - - CHAPTER XXXVI. - - THE AMULET. - - -It was high noon in the desert encampment. The shadows of the palms, -which had boldly displayed themselves in the early cool of the morning, -had gradually retreated before the triumphant progress of the sun, till -now they lay a shrunken heap about the slender stems of the trees, which -in their turn scarcely dared murmur to their children of the coming -hours, when the burning tyrant overhead should again be brought low and -the shadows reign triumphant. Through the shimmering air came the -insistent voice of dropping water, telling over and over again of great -depths of refreshing hid away in the secret places of the rock, safe -from the thirsty ball of fire above, safe from the hungry sands which -crept uneasily to and fro about the rocky margin of the fountain. - -The camels crouched in the meagre shade, their large, heavy-lidded eyes -half closed; they heard and understood both the faint murmur of the -palms and the voice of the water; therefore were they silent, being -satisfied. But from within the tent of goat's hair close at hand there -came the sound of voices. "These men," grunted an old camel, "they be -forever making a noise with their mouths; why cannot they be silent, and -look and listen as do we?" - -This is what the voices were saying: - -"God is good, my husband, and as yet I have scarce had room in my soul -for more than the sense of that goodness which hath snatched me from the -jaws of death, and with life hath also restored to me the more precious -treasure of thy love. Tell me how it chanced that thou hadst a hand in -our rescue?" - -"It is not unknown to thee, beloved, how that for many months my soul -was a very hell of fear and remorse. I was blood-guilty; I knew that -upon my head rested the blood of an innocent man; nay more, I knew in my -inmost soul that my crime was yet more deadly--that I, even I, had -condemned to an accursed death the very Son of God. Yes, I believed; -but alas, it was even as the devils, who believe and tremble and -yet--are devils still. I cast thee forth because thou didst also -believe, I, black-hearted wretch that I was, did pronounce upon thee a -curse, then my angel fled and the curse recoiled upon mine own head. I -will not tell thee--I cannot--how I tried to strangle the ever-growing -misery in my soul; how I flung myself, heart and strength, into the -deadly persecutions against them that believed; all the while with the -mean hope that the fire would drive thee back from the heavenly path -which thou wast climbing into the black road down which I was plunging -alone. I saw and gloried in the death of Stephen; I gloated over the -agonies of them that suffered beneath the scourge; I outdid Saul of -Tarsus in the work of denouncing men and women whose only crime it was -to believe on God manifest in the flesh. There is a hell, for I have -sojourned there. - -"One day I was told that thou wast in prison; that on the morrow thou -wouldst be scourged--stoned. Issachar himself told me, with an air of -mock sympathy. - -"'She is less to me,' I declared to him coldly, 'than the stones beneath -my feet.' But I lied when I said it. That night I begged Annas on my -knees to have mercy. - -"'I will have mercy,' he said. 'I will send a message to the woman -within the hour,' and he called Caleb. I waylaid the man, and offered -him gold to show me the message; he showed it me. - -"That night I went to my chamber resolved to die before the light of -another day, but each time that I lifted the dagger to my breast -something seemed to hold my hand. At last I flung it from me and sank -upon my knees, crying aloud, 'God be merciful to me a sinner! God be -merciful to me a sinner!' Again and again I repeated the words till at -last there came into my soul a great peace. God was merciful--I knew, I -felt it; and then and there I made confession of all my guilt before -him. 'I am guilty of the blood of him whom thou didst send to save me,' -I cried, 'yet he prayed in his last agony, saying, Father, forgive them, -for they know not what they do.' - -"I rose up forgiven, and the morning dawned. 'I will go,' I said, 'to -the place where she is to suffer, and there before them all I will make -confession of my guilt and my belief; then shall I die also.' - -"But when I had come to the place outside the Damascus Gate--very early, -for I could not wait--I fell in with the man Ben Hesed, and because my -soul was full even to overflowing, I told him all. 'I will die,' I said, -'with them.' - -"'Nay,' he cried, 'rather must thou live, that thou mayest overlay the -wickedness of the past with the pure gold of righteousness.' - -"Thou knowest the rest, beloved." - -Then the voices ceased for a space, and the sound of the falling water -again filled the stillness. - -That evening when the shadows were displaying themselves once more in -triumph, and the voice of the fountain had sunken to a low murmur -because of the more insistent voices of the women who were filling their -jars at its cool brim, Ben Hesed held converse with them whom he had -snatched from death. Their talk was sweet and comforting, as of those -whose feet had trod the margin of the river of death, from whose hither -bank the traveler can hear faint echoes of the heavenly melodies of the -redeemed, and where every breeze wafts the perfume of the blossoming -tree of life. - -"It is good to have been near death," said Mary of Nazareth, "because it -is good to have touched the boundary of the life more abundant. There -is no terror to them that believe on him that hath conquered death; 'he -that believeth hath everlasting life.'" - -Afterward, while the day merged slowly into the night, they told Ben -Hesed of all that happened to them since he had left them in Jerusalem; -of the last days of Stephen, of his death and burial; of that stern -enemy, Saul of Tarsus, and his unrelenting hatred of them that believed. - -"Nay," said Anat, after a pause, "I know that he would have rejoiced -truly had we but confessed as he bade us; there was a look in his eyes -that was not all hatred; perchance God is leading him into peace by some -sure way of his own, even as he led the Egyptian, Amu. Surely, God's -ways are unsearchable." - -"That is a true word," said Ben Hesed musingly. "But tell me of the -Egyptian, Amu." - -So Anat told him how that he had rescued Stephen from death by the -sacrifice of his life, together with all the story of their own wrong at -his hands. "I would that God had given him one more breath," said the -girl sighing, "for then would he have told us the name of our mother's -kindred." - -Ben Hesed looked at the clear profile of the girl as she sat looking -away into the afterglow which still burned dully at the horizon, and a -haunting memory of the past suddenly awakened in his breast. "Hast thou -aught that belonged to thy mother, maiden?" he said, and there was a -strange thrill in his voice. - -"I had anklets of wrought silver when I came out of Egypt," said Anat -slowly, without turning her head; "also a necklace of coins; but when I -was healed of my blindness I made an offering of these baubles to the -Lord's poor. It was all that I had to give." Then she was silent for a -moment. "I kept but one piece from the necklace; I thought that I should -like that one small bit of my mother's past. It is a strange coin." - -"Show it to me," said Ben Hesed. - -Without a word Anat took from off her neck the slender chain of wrought -silver, from which hung the one token that bound her to an unknown past. - -Ben Hesed took it, his iron fingers trembling like those of a woman. In -that simple amulet lay a strange power, for no sooner had he examined it -in the fading light, than all else before his bodily eyes vanished. It -was a bright morning now, and the sun was shining merrily on a caravan -of strangers out of Egypt. He was trading with them, horses and sheep -and cheeses of goat's milk, receiving in exchange bales of cloth and -divers weapons of war, together with utensils of wrought brass and jars -of pottery. - -"Give me also the horse," said the chief merchant, pointing to the -animal which Ben Hesed himself bestrode. "I will give thee for it a -bale of scarlet and another of fine linen for thy women." - -"Women of the desert do not wear scarlet nor fine linen," he answered. -"Dekar is the prince of all the herd; I will not sell." - -"Nay then, I will give thee gold--fifty pieces," persisted the merchant. - -"Give me an hundred," he had said, "and the beast is thine." - -So the merchant gave him an hundred pieces of gold for the horse--which -was truly a great price, but he paid it without murmuring for he knew -that he could again sell for a greater to the king of Egypt. - -Of the gold pieces there was one of strange device, and this Ben Hesed -gave to his eldest-born, that she might hang it upon her necklace. The -maid was beautiful to look upon, and Ben Hesed felt for her a great -tenderness, which was a thing quite by itself and apart from the pride -which filled his breast when he looked upon his mighty sons. The name -of this maid was Zarah, which signifies the Dawn; and truly she was fair -and pure as the first beams of the new day, ere yet mortals have sullied -it with sin. - -It came to pass--Ben Hesed saw it all once more because of the wonderful -amulet which he held in his hand--that one day a stranger came to the -encampment alone. He was sick and exhausted because of the hardness of -his journey, and he begged of Ben Hesed that he might sojourn for a -space with his tribe till he should recover himself. And Ben Hesed made -him welcome, as was ever his custom, and the stranger tarried many days; -the women also ministered unto him, for he was both comely and young. - -And when he was recovered, he came to Ben Hesed and said to him, -"Behold, I have received kindness at thy hand, and the springs of life -are again strong within me. Now, I pray thee, give thy servant further -of thy bounty; for there is yet one thing that I would ask of thee." - -And Ben Hesed said, "Speak, my son, for my hand is open to satisfy the -utmost wish of him that is an honored guest within my borders." - -Then the young man bowed himself and said, "If I have found favor in the -sight of my lord, give to me thy daughter Zarah for my wife; for I love -her with my soul." - -Ben Hesed looked at the young man long and earnestly, and his heart went -out to him. - -"Tell me," he said, "all of thy past; for thou hast asked of me the most -precious thing that I possess, the maiden who is called the Dawn. Speak -freely, for as my soul liveth, if thou dost keep back aught that I -should know, thou shalt die accursed!" - -At this the young man groaned aloud; but he told him how that he had -disputed with his brother over the inheritance, and had smitten him that -he died--for so he believed at the time. - -And when Ben Hesed heard all he rose up, and his voice was cold and -stern. "Go," he said, "that I see thy face no more. Thinkest thou that -I will give my daughter to one that is a murderer? Go, lest I fall upon -thee in wrath." - -And he went straightway without a word, but he found the maiden, Zarah, -beside the fountain, and he told her all that had passed. That night -when all were sleeping, the two rose up and fled away from the -encampment and were seen no more. - -When Ben Hesed found that they were gone, he said only one word: "My -daughter is dead." And from that time no one durst speak to him of the -matter. But he did not forget, though long years were passed. And now -as he held the coin of strange device once more in his hand, he knew it -for the token which he had given the maiden, Zarah, so long ago. And as -he looked into the face of Anat, he saw that the Dawn was again risen. - -Then he called the two, and he told them all the story, and when he had -finished, he said, "Long ago hath the bitterness passed from my soul; -but there hath remained ever an aching wound which the years have not -healed. God hath given me many wonderful mercies, but none more -wonderful than this, that the children of my daughter have returned to -her father's house." - -Then they fell on his neck and kissed him; and all that were in the -encampment rejoiced, and the rejoicing continued many days. - -Afterward, by the word of messengers which Ben Hesed sent to Jerusalem, -they learned that the great persecution was at an end, because that -Annas was now dead, and the others of his family were too much taken up -with disputing over the inheritance of lands and houses, to trouble -themselves further about the religious beliefs of any man. As for Saul -of Tarsus, strange tales were told of him; some said that he was dead; -others that he was blind; while others still declared that he had been -rebuked of the Lord in a vision, and that he now believed. But this -tale was not credited of many. - -"Let us return to Jerusalem," said Mary of Nazareth, "for I would fain -know whether my son John be safe; then there is also the house to be -looked to." - -So they went back to Jerusalem for a space. Ben Hesed and his -grandchildren also. - -But Anna and her husband went not all the way. "Jerusalem is hateful to -me," said Caiaphas, "and, moreover, we should be in peril of our lives -at the hand of our kindred. We will go away into Galilee, for I would -fain behold all the places where the Lord lived and taught, and where -also he passed his childhood." - -So the two parted from the others after that they had passed the -wilderness, and they traveled humbly as pilgrims; sojourning long in all -the places where Jesus had been in his life-time; and this did they for -many years, till that Caiaphas was grown to be an old man. - -"I am not worthy," he said humbly, "to write of all that he taught and -suffered, that should be writ by the hand of one that loved him while he -yet lived; but I can gather up the tales that are told of his sinless -childhood." - -And so as they journeyed he made inquiry everywhere concerning the child -Jesus; insomuch that after a time the children would point him out and -whisper, "Yonder old man is the prophet of the Child Jesus." - -And after many years he made a book of these tales, and it was called -"The Gospel of the Infancy." He took great pleasure and comfort in the -work, and it occupied all the closing years of his life. - -"One thing only do I regret," he said to his wife many times, "and that -is that I did not begin this work while the mother of our Lord yet -lived; for she could have told me whether it be truly set forth; but now -I shall never know." - -"Thou wilt know, beloved, afterward," said Anna, her eyes shining with a -wise and tender light. "For it must needs be that angels watched with -awe each moment of that earth-life; be sure that it is all writ in -heaven." - - - - - - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STEPHEN *** - - - - -A Word from Project Gutenberg - - -We will update this book if we find any errors. - -This book can be found under: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/41655 - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no one -owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and -you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission -and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth in the -General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and -distributing Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic works to protect the -Project Gutenberg(tm) concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a -registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, -unless you receive specific permission. 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