now about him," he commanded.

Then the stranger said that he himself, whose name was Jacob, having a
daughter who was very ill, had gone to Capernaum to implore the Master
to heal his child. The Master had answered him, saying: "Return to thy
home: she is healed!" And he had found his daughter standing at the
threshold of his house, having risen from her couch when the gnomon had
marked the third hour, the same moment when he had made his supplication
to Jesus.

The Pharisees admitted that certain mysterious arts and powerful herbs
existed that would heal the sick. It was said that the marvellous plant
known as "baaras" grew even in Machaerus, the power of which rendered
its consumer invulnerable against all attacks; but to cure disease
without seeing or touching the afflicted person was clearly impossible,
unless, indeed, the man Jesus called in the assistance of evil spirits.

The friends of Antipas and the men from Galilee nodded wisely, saying:
"It is evident that he is aided by demons of some sort!"

Jacob, standing between their table and that of the priests, maintained
a silence at once lofty and respectful.

Several voices exclaimed: "Prove his power to us!"

Jacob leaned over the priests' table, and said slowly, in a
half-suppressed tone, as if awe-struck by his own words:

"Know ye not, then, that He is the Messiah?"

The priests stared at one another, and Vitellius demanded the meaning of
the word. His interpreter paused a moment before translating it. Then
he said that Messiah was the name to be given to one who was to come,
bringing the enjoyment of all blessings, and giving them domination over
all the peoples of the earth. Certain persons believed that there were
to be two Messiahs; one would be vanquished by Gog and Magog, the demons
of the North; but the other would exterminate the Prince of Evil; and
for centuries the coming of this Saviour of mankind had been expected at
any moment.

At this, the priests began to talk in low tones among themselves.
Eleazar addressed Jacob, saying that it had always been understood that
the Messiah would be a son of David, not of a carpenter; and that he
would confirm the law, whereas this Nazarene attacked it. Furthermore,
as a still stronger argument against the pretender, it had been promised
that the Messiah should be preceded by Elias.

"But Elias has come!" Jacob answered.

"Elias! Elias!" was repeated from one end of the banqueting-hall to the
othe