Why did you not commence by saving yourself, you who were
to save the world?'

'You call yourself the son of God, O Nazarene the divine!' added the
banker Jonas: 'we will believe in your celestial power if you descend
from your cross. We only ask of you this little prodigy! Come, son of
God, descend! descend then! Ah! you prefer resting nailed on that beam,
like a bird of night at a barn-door? Free thyself: you might be called
Jesus the crucified, but never Jesus the son of God!'

'You appear to have much confidence in the Almighty!' added Doctor
Baruch: 'call on him then to assist you! If he protects you, if you are
really his son, why does he not thunder against us, your murderers? Why
does he not change this cross into a bed of roses, from whence you could
fly in a glory to heaven?'

The shouts and jests of the soldiers accompanied these disgraceful
outrages of the pharisees; suddenly Genevieve saw Jesus stiffen in all
his limbs, make a last effort to lift up his bleeding and wearied head
to heaven: a last ray seemed to illumine his celestial expression; a
heart-rending smile contracted his lips, and he murmured in a faint
voice: 'My God! my God! take pity on me!'

His head then fell on his bosom, the friend of the poor and afflicted
had ceased to live!

Genevieve knelt down and burst into tears. At this moment she heard a
voice exclaim behind her:

'Ah! here is the fugitive slave! Ah! I was certain of finding her in the
traces of this cursed Nazarene, on whom they have at length done
justice. Seize her! bind her hands behind her back. Oh! this time my
vengeance shall be terrible!'

Genevieve turned round and saw her master, the Seigneur Gremion.

'Now,' said Genevieve, 'I can die; since he, alas, who promised slaves
to break their chains is dead.'

* * * * *

Although I had to endure the most cruel torments on the part of my
master, I did not die, since I wrote this narrative for my husband
Fergan.

After having thus recounted what I knew and what I had seen of the life
and death of the young man of Nazareth, I would think it impious to
speak of what has happened to myself from the sad day when I saw the
friend of the poor and the afflicted expire on the cross. I will only
say, taking as an example the resignation of Jesus on the cross, I will
endure patiently the cruelties of Seigneur Gremion, from attachment to
my mistress Aurelia; suffering all in order not to quit he