Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume VIII/Pseudo-Clementine Literature/The Clementine Homilies/Homily XII/Chapter 19

Chapter XIX.&#8212;Evasions.

While the woman thus spoke, Peter seemed to be in suspense on account of many reasonings.&#160; But I came up and said, &#8220;I have been going about seeking you for a long time.&#160; And now, what is in hand?&#8221;&#160; But Peter ordered me to lead the way, and wait for him at the boat; and because there was no gainsaying when he commanded, I did as I was ordered.&#160; But Peter, as he afterwards related the whole matter to me, being struck in his heart with some slight suspicion, inquired of the woman, saying, &#8220;Tell me, O woman, your family, and your city, and the names of your children, and presently I shall give you the drug.&#8221;&#160; But she, being put under constraint, and not wishing to speak, yet being eager to obtain the drug, cunningly said one thing for another.&#160; And so she said that she was an Ephesian and her husband a Sicilian; and in like manner she changed the names of the three children.&#160; Then Peter, supposing that she spoke the truth, said, &#8220;Alas! O woman, I thought that this day was to bring you great joy, suspecting that you are a certain person of whom I was thinking, and whose affairs I have heard and accurately know.&#8221;&#160; But she adjured him, saying, &#8220;Tell me, I entreat of you, that I may know if there is among women any one more wretched than myself.&#8221;