intently upon him. "Thou hast
looked upon his face--the face of Jesus?" he asked the Phoenician in a
whisper.

"Yea. In the home of his brethren have I been with him. But what dost
thou know of this Jesus?"

"That which my heart knoweth, my lips can not express save that I love
him. And in your ear would I whisper the knowledge you much desire."

"Let us move into the dark," the torch-bearer said, and they left the
chamber. Under a sealed shelf of bones they stopped. The scarred man
of great size and the bearded Phoenician stood in the dim light of the
torch held at a little distance, by the bearer.

"This thou couldst know," said the man of the scar. "The strength of
the Roman legions will not be in Jerusalem at the time of Passover.
Weak will be the forces of the Tower of Antonio."

"How knowest thou this?" and there was eagerness in the question.

"My lips are sealed further. Yet as I love the Galilean, my words come
to thee from the mouth of official Rome."

"Wilt thou be at the Passover?"

"That is my hope."

"And wilt thou lend aid in making the Galilean a king?"

"He is already a king--and more."

The Phoenician looked inquiringly into the calm eyes of the unknown.

"King of my heart he is." The words were offered as an explanation.
"Whether there is wisdom in acclaiming him a king over mankind, I know
not. From his own lips would I get my 'Yea' or 'Nay.'"

CHAPTER XX

THE LITTLE TALLITH

After Jael, the fisherman, had seen the warring waves of the Sea of
Galilee calmed by an exercise of universal power, self-centered, the
desire of his heart had been to see again the childhood friend he had
called king. This, however, did not come about for a number of months.
Shortly after the storm, the Galilean Prophet had gone on a long
pilgrimage, rumor only telling where. Moved by his great hope for the
healing of Sara and impatient at long delay, Jael, when he chanced to
hear that Jesus had turned his face homeward, forsook his nets, and
burdened by no more possessions than his staff and the scrip he hung
over his shoulder, he set out on the Damascus road leading north. As
he went he inquired of travelers along the way for one Jesus, a
Galilean Prophet. But it was not until he reached Magdala that he got
news. Here he overheard a party of pilgrims who stopped for the night,
telling about a wonder worker who was camping on the Plain of
Gennesaret a few miles to the north. The blind