t the
same time, he cherished hidden thoughts in his mind. And while he
remained ever the same modest, restrained and unobtrusive person, he
knew how to make some especially pleasing remark to each. Thus to Thomas
he said:

"The fool believeth every word: but the prudent taketh heed to his
paths."

While to Matthew, who suffered somewhat from excess in eating and
drinking, and was ashamed of his weakness, he quoted the words of
Solomon, the sage whom Matthew held in high estimation:

"'The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul: but the belly of
the wicked shall want.'"

But his pleasant speeches were rare, which gave them the greater value.
For the most part he was silent, listening attentively to what was said,
and always meditating.

When reflecting, Judas had an unpleasant look, ridiculous and at the
same time awe-inspiring. As long as his quick, crafty eye was in motion,
he seemed simple and good-natured enough, but directly both eyes became
fixed in an immovable stare, and the skin on his protruding forehead
gathered into strange ridges and creases, a distressing surmise would
force itself on one, that under that skull some very peculiar thoughts
were working. So thoroughly apart, peculiar, and voiceless were the
thoughts which enveloped Iscariot in the deep silence of secrecy, when
he was in one of his reveries, that one would have preferred that he
should begin to speak, to move, nay, even, to tell lies. For a lie,
spoken by a human tongue, had been truth and light compared with that
hopelessly deep and unresponsive silence.

"In the dumps again, Judas?" Peter would cry with his clear voice and
bright smile, suddenly breaking in upon the sombre silence of Judas'
thoughts, and banishing them to some dark corner. "What are you thinking
about?"

"Of many things," Iscariot would reply with a quiet smile. And
perceiving, apparently, what a bad impression his silence made upon the
others, he began more frequently to shun the society of the disciples,
and spent much time in solitary walks, or would betake himself to the
flat roof and there sit still. And more than once he startled Thomas,
who has unexpectedly stumbled in the darkness against a grey heap, out
of which the hands and feet of Judas suddenly started, and his jeering
voice was heard.

But one day, in a specially brusque and strange manner, Judas recalled
his former character. This happened on the occasion of the quarrel for
the first plac