e they go along the road in a crowd,
like a flock of sheep, kicking up the dust. But you are wise, Thomas,
you creep on behind, and I, the noble, magnificent Judas, creep on
behind like a dirty slave, who has no place by the side of his masters."

"Why do you call yourself magnificent?" asked Thomas in surprise.

"Because I am so," Judas replied with conviction, and he went on
talking, giving more details of how he had deceived the enemies of
Jesus, and laughed at them and their stupid stones.

"But you told lies," said Thomas.

"Of course I did," quickly assented Iscariot. "I gave them what they
asked for, and they gave me in return what I wanted. And what is a lie,
my clever Thomas? Would not the death of Jesus be the greatest lie of
all?"

"You did not act rightly. Now I believe that a devil is your father. It
was he that taught you, Judas."

The face of Judas grew pale, and something suddenly came over Thomas,
and as if it were a white cloud, passed over and concealed the road
and Jesus. With a gentle movement Judas just as suddenly drew Thomas to
himself, pressed him closely with a paralysing movement, and whispered
in his ear--

"You mean, then, that a devil has instructed me, don't you, Thomas?
Well, I saved Jesus. Therefore a devil loves Jesus and has need of Him,
and of the truth. Is it not so, Thomas? But then my father was not a
devil, but a he-goat. Can a he-goat want Jesus? Eh? And don't you want
Him yourselves, and the truth also?"

Angry and slightly frightened, Thomas freed himself with difficulty from
the clinging embrace of Judas, and began to stride forward quickly.
But he soon slackened his pace as he endeavoured to understand what had
taken place.

But Judas crept on gently behind, and gradually came to a standstill.
And lo! in the distance the pedestrians became blended into a
parti-coloured mass, so that it was impossible any longer to distinguish
which among those little figures was Jesus. And lo! the little Thomas,
too, changed into a grey spot, and suddenly--all disappeared round a
turn in the road.

Looking round, Judas went down from the road and with immense leaps
descended into the depths of a rocky ravine. His clothes blew out with
the speed and abruptness of his course, and his hands were extended
upwards as though he would fly. Lo! now he crept along an abrupt
declivity, and suddenly rolled down in a grey ball, rubbing off his
skin against the stones; then he jumped up and a