that men are bound to
remember the valiant deeds of nations; he himself had never even heard
the story of which she spoke. This obstinacy angered the queen
greatly, and she demanded to be taken at once to the hill of Calvary,
that she might purify it, for the sake of Him who died there; but
Judas only repeated:

"I know not the place, nor aught of that field."

_Elene._

Queen Elene was yet more enraged by his stubborn denials, and
determined to obtain by force an answer to her questions. Calling her
servants, she bade them thrust Judas into a deep dry cistern, where he
lay, starving, bound hand and foot, for seven nights and days. On the
seventh day his stubborn spirit yielded, and Judas lifted up his voice
and called aloud, saying:

"Now I beseech you all by the great God of heaven
That you will lift me up out of this misery.
I will tell all I know of that True Holy Cross,
Now I no longer can hide it for heavy pain.
Hunger has daunted me through all these dreary days.
Foolish was I of yore; late I confess it."

_Elene._

He Guides her to Calvary

The message was brought to Elene where she waited to hear tidings, and
she bade her servants lift the weakened Judas from the dark pit; then
they led him, half dead with hunger, out of the city to the hill of
Calvary. There Judas prayed to the God whom he now feared and
worshipped for a sign, some token to guide them in their search for
the Holy Cross. As he prayed a sweet-smelling vapour, curling upwards
like the incense-wreaths around the altar, rose to the skies from the
summit of the hill. The sign was manifest to all, and Judas gave
thanks to God for His great mercy; then, bidding the wondering
soldiers help him, he began to dig. By this time all men knew what
they sought, and each wished to uncover the holy relic, so that all
dug with great zeal, until, under twenty feet of earth, they
uncovered three crosses, so well preserved that they lay in the earth
just as the Jews had hidden them.

Three Crosses Found

Judas and all rejoiced greatly at this marvel, and, reverently raising
the three crosses, they bore them into the city, and laid them at the
feet of Queen Elene, whose first rapture of joy was speedily turned to
perplexity as she realised that she knew not which was that sacred
Cross on which the King of Angels had suffered. "For," she said, "two
thieves were crucified with him." But even Judas could not clear h