Page:Lazarus, a tale of the world's great miracle.djvu/325

Rh spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why smitest thou Me?"

It was long past midnight, and Caiaphas was waiting; but Annas was loath to let the Christ depart without having wrung from Him any self-convicting words. This in itself was a defeat to one who knew so well the phases of success.

" 'T is useless to sit all night with a dumb, obstinate madman," exclaimed Annas. "Lead Him to Caiaphas and tell him from me that he need fear no more that the lying preaching of this Man shall deceive the nations, for that His tongue doth now refuse its office."

So once more the weary figure was moved away, still bound; and all through the night Annas sat on, wondering strangely; and no man durst come near him to ask him what he thought. And when Jesus passed out into the courtyard to be led to Caiaphas, the people who had remained outside pressed against the gate, and seeing armed men and lanterns and the quiet figure they all knew so well, they cried out with a great cry that reached the ears of Annas in his chamber: "Shall He die? Shall He die?"