Then
said Titus, "The stone is rolled away from the grave. The grave is
open."

"Yes," said another, "and the garden door is bolted." Then they went
with fear and trembling to the door of the sepulchre, and one looking
in, said, "I do not see the corpse."

Then another going farther inside said, "Here is the linen cloth lying
in which the body was wrapped. He has gone out of the grave."

Titus said, "He must have risen again, as no one came into the garden."

Then said the third soldier, "It has happened thus as the priests
feared."

And Titus answered, "He has fulfilled his word!" "Now, what shall we
do?" said the soldiers.

"There is nothing else to be done," said one, "excepting to hasten to
the Pharisees and tell them what has happened."

All replied at once, "That we will," and they hastened away.

CHAPTER X.

CONCLUSION.

I.--THE STORY THAT TRANSFORMED THE WORLD

Written by Mr. Stead at Ober-Ammergau the night after witnessing the
performance of the Passion Play.

This is the story that transformed the world!

This is the story that transformed the world!

Yes, and will yet transform it!

Yes, thank God, so the answer comes; and will yet transform it until
the kingdom comes!

This is the story that transformed the world. I awoke shortly after
midnight, after seeing the Passion Play at Ober-Ammergau, with these
words floating backward and forward in my head like a peal of bells
from some distant spire. Backward and forward they went and came, and
came and went.

This is the story that transformed the world!

This is the story that transformed the world. And then in the midst of
the reiterated monotone of this insistent message came the glad
response from I know not where, "Yes, and will yet transform it!" And
then the two met and mingled, strophe and anti-strophe, one answering
the other, "This is the story that transformed the world. Yes, and
will yet transform the world!"

[Illustration: He is risen.]

I tried to sleep, but could not. It was as if church bells were
pealing their sweet but imperious music within my brain. So I got up
and wrote.

All is silent save the ticking of the watch by my bedside; silent as
the stars which gleam down from the blue sky above the cross-crowned
crag, which stands like some giant sentinel keeping watch over the
village, at its foot. Herod, our host, sleeps soundly, and Johannes,
wearied by his double service of waiter at the hotel