Page:Lazarus, a tale of the world's great miracle.djvu/196

184 again: 'And it shall come to pass in that day that light shall not be clear nor dark. But it shall be one day which shall be known to the Lord, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, at evening time it shall be light.' Then again it saith (here the High Priest raised his voice to an even, monotonous pitch, as though prophesying in the Synagogue) in another place that 'the mountains shall be removed.' But all these signs are not yet come."

Then, with curling lip, Pontius Pilate asked in a tone of assumed indifference: "Dost remember a passage (for I too at times do read the prophets) in the prophet Malachi? 'And now, O priests, this commandment is for you. If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto My name, saith the Lord of Hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart. For the priests' lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at His mouth: for He is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts.'"

Caiaphas flushed a deep crimson, and his lips grew white at the words of Pilate.

In a bitter tone he answered: "Thou speakest in parables, noble Procurator; I understand thee not."

"My meaning was," said Pilate, smiling to himself, "to ask thee whether thou hast no fear, supposing that, after all, this were the Christ, that thou thyself mayst meet with eternal death, if so be thou hast wrongly understood the message of the Lord."

"Eternal life, eternal death, who knoweth of these things?" asked Caiaphas impatiently, yet with a troubled look.