ce was built, like other large Oriental houses, round a
quadrangular court, into which entrance was gained by a passage running
from the street through the front part of the house. This passage or
archway is called in the Gospels the "porch," and was closed at the end
next the street by a heavy folding gate with a wicket for single
persons. This wicket was kept on this occasion by a maid. The interior
court upon which this passage opened was paved or flagged and open to
the sky, and as the night was cold the attendants had made a fire here.
The rooms round the court, in one of which the examination of Jesus was
proceeding, were open in front--separated, that is to say, from the
court only by one or two pillars or arches and a railing, so that our
Lord could see and even hear Peter.

When Jesus was led in bound to this palace, there entered with the crowd
of soldiers and servants one at least of His disciples. He was in some
way acquainted with the high priest, and presuming on this
acquaintanceship followed to learn the fate of Jesus. He had seen Peter
following at a distance, and after a little he goes to the gate-keeper
and induces her to open to his friend. The maid seeing the familiar
terms on which these two men were, and knowing that one of them was a
disciple of Jesus, very naturally greets Peter with the exclamation,
"Art not thou also one of this man's disciples?" Peter, confused by
being suddenly confronted with so many hostile faces, and remembering
the blow he had struck in the garden, and that he was now in the place
of all others where it was likely to be avenged, suddenly in a moment of
infatuation, and doubtless to the dismay of his fellow-disciple, denies
all knowledge of Jesus. Having once committed himself, the two other
denials followed as matter of course.

Yet the third denial is more guilty than the first. Many persons are
conscious that they have sometimes acted under what seems an
infatuation. They do not plead this in excuse for the wrong they have
done. They are quite aware that what has come out of them must have
been in them, and that their acts, unaccountable as they seem, have
definite roots in their character. Peter's first denial was the result
of surprise and infatuation. But an hour seems to have elapsed between
the first and the third. He had time to think, time to remember his
Lord's warning, time to leave the place if he could do no better. But
one of those reckless moods which ove