seph said, "Let not fear take possession of
thy heart but rather thank thy God that thy servant did hide behind the
tomb. Knowledge is better than swords. The young man hath life in his
veins. He hath a great work to do. He courts not death. With
knowledge aforetime of a plot, escape will be easy. But what is this
plot? Who is this enemy? Is it of Rome, or the Great Sanhedrin?"

Lazarus, who had been walking the floor while Joseph spoke, stopped
before Mary. "Yea, Mary," he said, "thank Jehovah that this hath been
revealed, for while the source and manner of the plot doth not appear,
yet there is safety in the warning. Soon will he be with us to hear
the news. From the fox that hath oft crossed his path on Galilean
hills hath he learned how to hide. From the hare that he hath seen
running before the wolf hath he learned the wisdom of flight. Until
the Passover is done must his whereabouts be kept dark. After this, a
far journey."

Eli, with both hands full of packages, had gone as far as the door and
stopped. He seemed waiting for something, and when Lazarus had
finished he said, "That which an enemy of thy friend dropped, was
picked up by the hand of Eli."

"What picked thou up? Money?" Lazarus asked.

"Nay--yet did I think that which he dropped and muttered curses over
was money else would my feet have made wider space between the tomb and
the place of his standing. An old and open tomb was it around which
the smell of sheep hung heavy, and a bush of thorns grew at its corner
and sent branches across the entrance. And when the enemy of thy
friend would have held the branches down to walk over them, a thorn
pierced his hand and he did curse. When he let go his hold of the
branches, they did leap up and catch his garment. And again did he
curse, saying he had suffered a loss. When he had gone and was well
hid in the distance, then did Eli go by the thorn bush to find what had
been lost, and there on the sharp thorn stuck a bit of the garment of
this cursing enemy. So I tore it loose to bring to Martha for I saw it
had pleasant threads woven in it. And when I stooped to pick up my
bundles at my feet, I found a treasure which I did bring Mary. Put thy
hand in my wallet and take out that which doth shine but is not money."

With hurried fingers Mary opened the wallet while the others stood
about looking eagerly on. When she had drawn out that which was not
money, and before those standing by h