hat it ever existed,--no one will know that it once contained
hundreds of souls consecrated to God, who spent their days in imploring
his mercy upon sinners. But God will know all, he never forgets,--the past
and the future are equally present to him. He it is who reveals to me
events which took place so long ago, and on the day of judgment, when
all must be accounted for, and every debt paid, even to the farthing,
he will remember both the good and the evil deeds performed in places
long since forgotten. With God there is no exception of persons or
places, his eyes see all, even the Vineyard of Naboth. It is a
tradition among us that our convent was originally founded by two poor
nuns, whose worldly possessions consisted in a jar of oil and a sack of
beans. On the last day God will reward them for the manner in which
they put out this small talent to interest, and for the large harvest
which they reaped and presented to him. It is often said that poor
souls remain in purgatory in punishment for what appears to us so small
a crime as not having made restitution of a few coppers of which they
had unlawful possession. May God therefore have mercy upon those who
have seized the property of the poor, or of the Church.

CHAPTER XVII.

Jesus before Pilate.

It was about eight in the morning, according to our method of
counting time, when the procession reached the palace of Pilate. Annas,
Caiphas, and the chiefs of the Sanhedrin stopped at a part between the
forum and the entrance to the Praetorium, where some stone seats were
placed for them. The brutal guards dragged Jesus to the foot of the
flight of stairs which led to the judgment-seat of Pilate. Pilate was
reposing in a comfortable chair, on a terrace which overlooked the
forum, and a small three-legged table stood by his side, on which was
placed the insignia of his office, and a few other things. He was
surrounded by officers and soldiers dressed with the magnificence usual
in the Roman army. The Jews and the priests did not enter the
Praetorium, for fear of defiling themselves, but remained outside.

When Pilate saw the tumultuous procession enter, and perceived how
shamefully the cruel Jews had treated their prisoner, he arose, and
addressed them in a tone as contemptuous as could have been assumed by
a victorious general towards the vanquished chief of some insignificant
village: 'What are you come about so early? Why have you illtreated this
prisoner s