Page:Lazarus, a tale of the world's great miracle.djvu/291

Rh between the chosen few and their Messiah; and, humble as a little child, he answered: "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head."

But Jesus proceeded to wash his feet, saying the while: "He that is washed needeth not but to wash his feet, and is clean every whit, and ye are clean." Then, turning His full gaze upon Iscariot, He said, with a deep yearning in His voice: "But not all."

Then all watched with wonder to see whether Jesus would wash the feet of Judas too.

But even Judas was not omitted from His loving hands. There was breathless silence while he washed the feet of the man whom all suspected now to be the traitor. And, while He did so, Jesus raised His mournful eyes to those of Judas and gazed at him repoachfully.

"Wilt thou too not be clean?" the look seemed to say. "There is yet time to draw back; it must be that I die, but it needs not be through thee. Thou hast planned thy scheme, they are waiting for thee without; thou knowest My plans, and art to tell them whither I go this night; but go not. Let Me draw thee to Me by the bonds of love. Let Me cleanse thy soul of all its filth. Return to Me; I am still here waiting, waiting. Time is passing quickly, a life's remorse awaits thee in this world, a dreadful death; in the next an eternity of pain. Draw back."

All that it seemed to say; but Judas shifted uneasily on his seat, as though the touch of Jesus scorched his nerves, and he kept his eyes down, as though searching the water in the copper basin, that in the light of the lamp shone more ruddily than his own red hair.