derous conflict. And once again they cursed the hated
name of Judas Iscariot the Traitor.

But the angry Judas, after each conversation, would go to the women and
weep. They heard him gladly. The tender womanly element, that there
was in his love for Jesus, drew him near to them, and made him simple,
comprehensible, and even handsome in their eyes, although, as before, a
certain amount of disdain was perceptible in his attitude towards them.

"Are they men?" he would bitterly complain of the disciples, fixing his
blind, motionless eye confidingly on Mary Magdalene. "They are not men.
They have not an oboles' worth of blood in their veins!"

"But then you are always speaking ill of others," Mary objected.

"Have I ever?" said Judas in surprise. "Oh, yes, I have indeed spoken
ill of them; but is there not room for improvement in them? Ah! Mary,
silly Mary, why are you not a man, to carry a sword?"

"It is so heavy, I could not lift it!" said Mary smilingly.

"But you will lift it, when men are too worthless. Did you give Jesus
the lily that I found on the mountain? I got up early to find it, and
this morning the sun was so beautiful, Mary! Was He pleased with it? Did
He smile?"

"Yes, He was pleased. He said that its smell reminded Him of Galilee."

"But surely, you did not tell Him that it was Judas--Judas Iscariot--who
got it for Him?"

"Why, you asked me not to tell Him."

"Yes, certainly, quite right," said Judas, with a sigh. "You might have
let it out, though, women are such chatterers. But you did not let it
out; no, you were firm. You are a good woman, Mary. You know that I have
a wife somewhere. Now I should be glad to see her again; perhaps she is
not a bad woman either. I don't know. She said, 'Judas was a liar and
malignant,' so I left her. But she may be a good woman. Do you know?"

"How should I know, when I have never seen your wife?"

"True, true, Mary! But what think you, are thirty pieces of silver a
large sum? Is it not rather a small one?"

"I should say a small one."

"Certainly, certainly. How much did you get when you were a harlot, five
pieces of silver or ten? You were an expensive one, were you not?"

Mary Magdalene blushed, and dropped her head till her luxuriant, golden
hair completely covered her face, so that nothing but her round white
chin was visible.

"How bad you are, Judas; I want to forget about that, and you remind me
of it!"

"No, Mary, you must not forget that. W