Page:Lazarus, a tale of the world's great miracle.djvu/237

Rh and therefore doth he sin wilfully; and wilful sin is the worst of all, and cometh rarely. For most men sin because they think not, or are too busy, or too careless, or are choked with the cares of this world; nearly all would fain believe, but cannot; but this man doth believe and will not.'

"Then Truth held a mirror before my eyes, and in that mirror I saw a vision. I saw Caiaphas struggling with a man in armour, and the man's armour flashed forth blue lights like tongues of dying fire, and he upheld his sword. Then he thrust his sword into the side of Caiaphas, and the blood spurted forth in jet-black streams, as if the heart of him had been corrupt. And, hovering over the High Priest's body, I saw once more the black-winged angel whom the Spirit of Truth did call Satan, and he cried exultingly: 'Thou art mine, Caiaphas, thou art mine forever!'

"And while he spoke, the look of despair I had seen on Satan's face o'erspread the countenance of Caiaphas, filling me with such horror and such dread that I longed to see somewhere a pure heart, or a ray of sunlight to relieve my soul of this darkness and desolation. Then turned I to the Spirit and I said: 'I can look no longer at this vision, for the despair doth penetrate my heart. '

"Then he took the mirror from me. 'Look now at no vision, but the Truth,' he said. And, even while he spoke, I saw that Caiaphas paced the room impatiently, and looked ever towards the door. And presently I saw it opened and a man enter crouching and ashamed, like one who thinketh himself too vile to live; and, as he approached Caiaphas,