his lips. He
contemplated the tumultuous and threatening crowd with a sort of
painful commiseration, as if he had pitied these men for their blindness
and iniquity.

Insults were offered him on all sides. The soldiers themselves treated
him with so much brutality that the blue mantle he wore over his white
tunic was already almost torn from his back. Jesus, to so many outrages
and ill treatment, opposed an unalterable placidity, and on his pale and
handsome features Genevieve did not see the least impatience or the
least anger betray itself. Suddenly these words were heard circulating
through the crowd:

'Ah! here he comes, the Seigneur Pontius Pilate!'

'He will at length pronounce sentence of death against this cursed
Nazarene.'

'Luckily 'tis not far from hence to Golgotha, where they execute
criminals; we can go and see him crucified!'

In fact, Genevieve soon saw the Governor, Pontius Pilate, appear at the
door of his house; no doubt he had been just aroused from sleep, for he
was enveloped in a long morning robe; his hair and beard were in
disorder; his eyes, red and swollen, appeared dazzled at the rays of the
rising sun; he could scarcely conceal several yawns, and seemed greatly
annoyed at having been awakened so early, having, perhaps, as usual
prolonged his supper until daybreak. So, addressing Doctor Baruch in a
tone of harshness and ill-humor, like a person anxious to abridge an
interview that was unpleasant, said to him:

'What is the crime of which you accuse this young man?'

'If he were not a malefactor, we should not have brought him to you.'

Pontius Pilate, annoyed at the short reply of Doctor Baruch, continued
impatiently, and stifling another yawn:

'Well, since you say he has sinned against the law, take him; judge him
according to your law.'

And the governor turned his back upon the Doctor, shrugging his
shoulders, and re-entered his house.

For a moment Genevieve thought the young man saved, but the reply of
Pontius Pilate produced much indignation amongst the crowd.

'Such are the Romans, then,' said some; 'they only seek to keep up
agitation in our poor country, that they might rule it more easily.'

'This Pontius Pilate evidently appears to protect this cursed Nazarene!'

'As for me, I am certain the Nazarene is a secret agent of the Romans,'
added one of the emissaries: 'they make use of this seditious vagabond
for their dark projects.'

'There is no doubt of it,' added