ful death, which will not end, throughout the ages. Thirty pieces
of silver! Well, well. But that is the price of YOUR blood--blood
filthy as the dish-water which the women throw out of the gates of their
houses. Oh! Annas, old, grey, stupid Annas, chock-full of the Law, why
did you not give one silver piece, just one obolus more? At this price
you will go down through the ages!"

"Be off!" cries Caiaphas, growing purple in the face. But Annas stops
him with a motion of the hand, and asks Judas as unconcernedly as ever:

"Is that all?"

"Verily, if I were to go into the desert, and cry to the wild beasts:
'Wild beasts, have ye heard the price at which men valued their
Jesus?'--what would the wild beasts do? They would creep out of the
lairs, they would howl with anger, they would forget their fear of
mankind, and would all come here to devour you! If I were to say to the
sea: 'Sea, knowest thou the price at which men valued their Jesus?' If I
were to say to the mountains: 'Mountains, know ye the price at which men
valued their Jesus?' Then the sea and the mountains would leave their
places, assigned to them for ages, and would come here and fall upon
your heads!"

"Does Judas wish to become a prophet? He speaks so loud!" mockingly
remarks he of the bird-like face, with an ingratiating glance at
Caiaphas.

"To-day I saw a pale sun. It was looking at the earth, and saying:
'Where is the Man?' To-day I saw a scorpion. It was sitting upon a stone
and laughingly said: 'Where is the Man?' I went near and looked into
its eyes. And it laughed and said: 'Where is the Man? I do not see Him!'
Where is the Man? I ask you, I do not see Him--or is Judas become blind,
poor Judas Iscariot!"

And Iscariot begins to weep aloud.

He was, during those moments, like a man out of his mind, and Caiaphas
turned away, making a contemptuous gesture with his hand. But Annas
considered for a time, and then said:

"I perceive, Judas, that you really have received but little, and that
disturbs you. Here is some more money; take it and give it to your
children."

He threw something, which rang shrilly. The sound had not died away,
before another, like it, strangely prolonged the clinking.

Judas had hastily flung the pieces of silver and the oboles into the
faces of the high priest and of the judges, returning the price paid
for Jesus. The pieces of money flew in a curved shower, falling on their
faces, and on the table, and rolling abou