Page:Lazarus, a tale of the world's great miracle.djvu/75

Rh Caiaphas pushed the book impatiently away from him, and paced the room with rapid strides. The long sleeves of his robe waved backwards and forwards in the air, and now and then he clutched at them impatiently, as if their very stirring added to his irritation. What if, after all, this Nazarene were the Christ, and he, Caiaphas, should condemn Him to a felon's death? Surely no eternal punishment would be great enough for such an one; and for an instant the great Caiaphas trembled. Then he crossed the room and leaned on the window-sill, and looked out on the silent night. All was dark and still; a few stars only gave just sufficient light to bring out in vague relief the outline of the white walls of the houses of Jerusalem.

Presently he started at steps he heard that passed beneath the window. He leaned forward, and in clear tones called out: "Watchman, what of the night?" but his voice had not carried far enough, and instead of making answer, the watchman, mindful, perhaps, that he was outside the house of Caiaphas the High Priest, sang out in a clear, deep voice: "Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem, for the Lord hath comforted His people, He hath redeemed Jerusalem."

Caiaphas drew back. "He too," he muttered to himself. "Surely the world hath gone mad about this one Man; but it shall not be said that Caiaphas was thus led hither and thither, swayed by the voice of an ignorant people, lashed into fanaticism by the words of an impostor, who tries to cajole them by honeyed words and feigned humility. No, Caiaphas the High Priest shall still retain his power, and if this