er
doubts.

"Lo we have heard of this from all the holy books,
That there were with him two in His deep anguish.
They hung in death by Him; He was Himself the third.
Heaven was all darkened o'er at that dread moment.
Say, if thou rightly canst, which of these crosses
Is that blest Tree of Fate which bore the Heaven's King."

_Elene._

[Illustration: The Queen's dilemma]

A Miracle to Reveal our Saviour's Cross

Judas, however, suggested that the crosses should be carried to the
midst of the city, and that they should pray for another miracle to
reveal the truth. This was done at dawn, and the triumphant band of
Christians raised hymns of prayer and praise until the ninth hour;
then came a mighty crowd bearing a young man lifeless on his bier. At
Judas's command they laid down the bier, and he, praying to God,
solemnly raised in turn each of the crosses and held it above the dead
man's head. Lifeless still he lay as Judas raised the first two, but
when he held above the corpse the third, the True Cross, the dead man
arose instantly, body and soul reunited, one in praising God, and the
whole multitude broke out into shouts of thanksgiving to the Lord
of Hosts, and the sacred relic was restored to the loving care of the
queen.

The Nails Sought for

Nevertheless Elene's longing was still unsatisfied. She called Judas
(whose new name in baptism was Cyriacus) and begged him to fulfil her
desires, and to pray to God that she might find the nails which had
pierced the Lord of Life, where they lay hidden from men in the ground
of Calvary. Leading her out of the town, Cyriacus again prayed on
Mount Calvary that God would send forth a token and reveal the secret.
As he prayed there came from heaven a leaping flame, brighter than the
sun, which touched the surface of the ground here and there, and
kindled in each place a tiny star. When they dug at the spots where
the stars shone they found each nail shining visibly and casting a
radiance of its own in the dark earth. So Elene had obtained her
heart's desire, and had now the True Cross and the Holy Nails.

Good News Brought to Constantine

Word of his mother's success was sent to the Emperor Constantine, and
he was asked what should be done with these glorious relics. He bade
Elene build in Jerusalem a glorious church, and make therein a
beautiful shrine of silver, where the Holy Cross should be guarded for
all generations by priests