enemies, Peter was still in the
court-yard warming himself at the fire. A woman, who was a serving-maid
in the house, looked at Peter sharply, and finally said to him:

"You were one of those men with this Jesus of Nazareth!"

Peter was afraid to tell the truth, and he answered her:

"Woman, I do not know the man; and I do not know what you are talking
about."

And to get away from her, he went out into the porch of the house. There
another woman-servant saw him and said: "This man was one of those with
Jesus!"

And Peter swore with an oath that he did not know Jesus at all. Soon a
man came by, who was of kin to Malchus, whose ear Peter had cut off. He
looked at Peter, and heard him speak, and said:

"You are surely one of this man's disciples; for your speech shows that
you came from Galilee."

Then Peter began again to curse and to swear, declaring that he did not
know the man.

Just at that moment the loud, shrill crowing of a cock startled Peter;
and at the same time he saw Jesus, who was being dragged through the
hall from Annas to the council-room of Caiphas, the other high-priest.
And the Lord turned as he was passing and looked at Peter.

Then there flashed into Peter's mind what Jesus had said on the evening
before!

"Before the cock crows to-morrow morning, you will three times deny that
you have ever known me."

Then Peter went out of the high-priest's house into the street; and he
wept bitterly because he had denied his Lord.

THE STORY OF THE EMPTY TOMB

After Jesus was taken before the high-priest where he was ridiculed and
the people spat upon him, he was taken before the Roman Governor,
Pontius Pilate, who ruled over Judea. He heard their complaints, but did
not find any cause for putting him to death. But at last he yielded to
their demands, although he declared Jesus was innocent of all wrong.

[Illustration: _He heard their complaints_]

And so Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, gave command that Jesus
should die by the cross. The Roman soldiers then took Jesus and beat him
most cruelly; and then led him out of the city to the place of death.
This was a place called "Golgotha" in the Jewish language, "Calvary" in
that of the Romans; both words meaning "The Skull Place."

With the soldiers, went out of the city a great crowd of people; some of
them enemies of Jesus, glad to see him suffer; others of them friends of
Jesus, and the women who had helped him, now weeping as they s