Page:Lazarus, a tale of the world's great miracle.djvu/32

20 Caiaphas would have desired for his daughter, though he himself could not have lived it.

Besides, he recognised in Lazarus a spirit of meekness that he fancied might make the mouldings of a creature in his hands; and Lazarus, by the side of Rebekah, with ambition and craft, would be a powerful colleague in the council chamber.

"He is spoilt by his own goodness," Caiaphas would tell himself."

Long did Rebekah muse. Then, turning to her maidens, said: "Thinkest thou that Lazarus doth believe in this Nazarene?"

" 'T is so said," one of them made reply, not wholly without malice. It was a satisfaction to see one who made others suffer suffer a little in return. "They say that Mary and Martha and Lazarus do receive the Nazarene in their house at Bethany, and that they believe He is the Christ."

A scowl came over Rebekah's handsome face. "Tush! 'T is foolishness! He would not be so great a fool," she retorted scathingly. "He knoweth that, at most, 't is but a prophet. Yet I hear that this Nazarene hath so much persuasion that even wiser men than Lazarus are bewitched. Even my father doth say so much," she added with the vehemence that, with her, always ended argument. Then, changing suddenly her tone, she said softly, so as barely to be heard, and coming to where the maidens were still seated on their cushions: "Come, listen, I have somewhat to tell ye."

Then, when they rose, she came close and whispered so that both could hear: "Methinks I, too, would like to hear this Man. How can this be