Page:The Apocryphal Acts of Paul, Peter, John, Andrew and Thomas.djvu/340

 to him, "He whom I love is better than thee and thy possession. For thy possession, being earthly, returns to earth. But he whom I love is heavenly and shall bring me also into heaven. Thy riches shall pass away, and thy beauty shall be destroyed, so likewise thy garments and thy many works. And thou remainest alone with thy trespasses. But remind me not of thy actions to me. For I pray to the Lord that thou wouldest forget and think no more of the former pleasures and the bodily connection, which shall pass like a shadow. Jesus alone remains forever, and the souls which trust in him. Jesus himself shall free me from the filthy deeds which I did before with thee."

Upon hearing this, Charis, broken in his soul, turned to sleep, saying to her, "Think the matter over during the night! If thou wilt be with me as before, ere thou didst see the sorcerer, I will fulfill all thy wishes, and if it pleases thee on account of thy kind disposition toward him, I shall release him from the prison and set him free and let him go to another country. And I shall not grieve thee, for I know how much thou thinkest of the stranger. He made not a beginning with thee, but like thee he also deceived many other women. These have come to their senses and think differently. Now consider my words and make me not a reproach in the land of the Indians."

118. Thus speaking, he fell asleep. And she took ten denarii, and went secretly away to give them to the keepers of the prison in order to be permitted