ill stood together marveling near
the cross of the repentant thief, when suddenly a temple servant came
rushing into their midst, breathless with haste.

"High priests and assembled council!" he exclaimed, "a fearful thing
has occurred in the holy place. I tremble in every limb."

"What is it?" cried Caiaphas in alarm. "Not the temple?"

"Has it fallen?" said Annas.

"No," said the servant, "not that, but the veil of the temple has been
rent in twain from the top to the bottom. I hastened hither with
staggering feet, and feared the whole world was bursting asunder with
the shock!"

"Dreadful!" exclaimed the priests and Pharisees, throwing up their
hands.

But Caiaphas said, "It is that wretch who has done this by his magic
arts. What a blessing it is that he is out of the world! Otherwise he
would bring all the elements into disorder."

Then all the priests and Pharisees raised up their voices and cried,
shaking their fists against Jesus, "Cursed be the ally of Beelzebub!"

"Now," said Caiaphas, "let us hurry home and see what has happened;
then we will come back at once. For I cannot rest until I have seen
this fellow's bones broken and the corpse flung into the grave of the
transgressors."

When Caiaphas and Annas and all the rulers of the Jews had departed,
Nicodemus said to Joseph of Arimathea, having overheard the parting
word-of Caiaphas, "Shall the holy body of the Son of God be delivered
over to such dishonor as to be flung into the grave of the evil-doers?"

"Listen, friends," said Joseph, "what I have decided to do. I will go
straightway to Pilate, and will implore him to give me the body of
Jesus. He can hardly refuse me this favor."

"Do so, by all means," said Nicodemus. "Hasten hither, and I will
bring the spices for him." They having departed, the holy women
tremblingly drew round the cross.

"Fear not, good women," said the centurion, "no harm shall happen to
you."

Then Mary Magdalene clasped the cross with both her arms, pressed it to
her breast and cried through her tears as she looked up at the silent
and lifeless form above, "O dearest Master, my heart hangs with thee on
the cross!"

Then entered a servant of Pilate, and addressing the centurion, said
unto him, "This is the command of my lord: Break the legs of the
crucified and take down their bodies. Everything must be over before
the eve of the Passover begins."

The centurion said: "It shall be done at once. Men,