t hair; her complexion was as fair as that of
Jane was dark; her large blue eyes beamed with delight, and her cheerful
smile announced an unalterable good humor.

The senator Baruch, one of the most learned doctors of the law, occupied
at this supper the place of honor. He appeared to be a perfect gourmand,
for his green turban was almost constantly close to his plate; two or
three times even he was obliged to loosen the belt that confined his
flowing violet robe, adorned with long silver fringe. The gluttony of
this fat seigneur made Jane and Aurelia often smile and whisper, new
friends as they were, and seated next each other, and behind whom stood
I, Genevieve, not losing one of their words, and equally attentive to
all that was said by the guests.

The Seigneur Jonas, one of the richest bankers of Jerusalem, wearing a
little yellow turban, and brown robe, and having a pointed grey beard,
resembled a bird of prey; he conversed from time to time, in a
suppressed tone, with doctor Baruch, who replied to him but rarely, and
without interrupting himself in his eating, whilst the high priest
Caiphus, Gremion, Pontius Pilate, and the other guests, also pursued
their conversation.

Towards the conclusion of the supper, the doctor of law, beginning to be
satisfied, wiped his greasy beard with the back of his hand, and said to
the treasury-receiver, newly arrived in Judea:

'Seigneur Gremion, are you getting accustomed to our poor country? Ah!
'tis a great change for you, who arrive from Roman Gaul. What a long
voyage you had!'

'I like to visit new countries,' replied Gremion, 'and I shall
frequently have occasion to travel through this in order to overlook the
bill-collectors.'

'Unfortunately for the Seigneur Gremion,' said the banker Jonas, 'he
arrives in Judea at a most unhappy time.'

'Why so, seigneur?' inquired Gremion.

'Are not civil troubles always bad times?' replied the banker.

'No doubt, seigneur Jonas; but what troubles do you refer to?'

'My friend Jonas,' observed Baruch, the learned doctor, 'alludes to the
deplorable disorders which that vagabond of Nazareth everywhere draws
after him, and which increase every day.'

'Ah! yes,' said Gremion, 'that ancient journeyman carpenter of Galilee,
born in a stable, and son of a plough maker? He is running about the
country, they say, and you call him....'

'If we give him the name he deserves,' exclaimed the learned doctor in
an angry tone, 'he would b