hadst been
dead four days, and the Master came, methought he would ask straightway
concerning thy sickness that did take thee to the tomb, and that he
would speak comfort. But not so. Of Mary did he straightway ask and
to Mary did he bid me hasten, saying he had come. Aye, even though
half Jerusalem had gone to thy grave to mourn did he have eyes for
none. And when Mary did come--ah, that thou might'st have seen! At
the feet of him did she fall crying, 'Jesus--Jesus, if thou hadst been
here my brother had not died!' Tears wet her cheeks as she held her
face to his and her voice broke with sobs. Then beholding her, he too
did weep. And the Jews which looked on said, 'Behold, how much did he
love Lazarus.' Yet did I know he wept not for thee, my brother, but
rather because the heart of Mary was nigh broken with sorrow. Thus did
the scales drop from my eyes and I did see that the Master loveth our
Mary more than us all. So it seemeth good that I may be sister of the
King of the Jews."

Mary clasped her hands and lifted her eyes, "The Lord be good!" she
said softly. "The Lord be praised! Our brother hath been restored
from the tomb and the Master hath been acclaimed King of the Jews, even
as good Elizabeth prophesied a year ago."

"And while thou dost lift thy voice in praise, forget not that this is
the downfall of that crafty fox of an Idumean who hath climbed to the
throne of the Jews by one murder following another murder until the
name of Herod is but a hiss. But his days are numbered now!"

While Lazarus had been speaking Martha had turned back to the carved
chest and taken out the jeweled girdle. She held it toward Lazarus
saying, "Thou hast not yet seen this, my brother, nor my veil."

Lazarus took the jeweled belt and laughed. "It is fine. Anything
else, for it doth seem my eyes must behold thy finery before the
Kingdom be discussed."

"Look here! See this!" and Martha improved the chance to interest her
brother by taking again from the chest the shawl and the robe.

When he had hastily passed approval of them he turned to Mary and said:
"Where is thy finery? Open thou thy chest and bring forth thy
treasures also."

In reply Mary opened her chest and took out an alabaster vase of rare
design. She laughed as she showed it to him saying, "This, my
alabaster box of very precious ointment thou gavest me, is all my chest
contains, and the seal of it remains unbroken. Yet do I treasure it
ag