d to do our will?"

Judas answered firmly, "I give you my word."

"But," continued Caiaphas, "wilt thou not repent of it? What induced
thee to take this step?"

Judas answered, "The friendship between him and me has been cooling
down for some time, and now I have quite broken with him."

"What has led to this?" asked Caiaphas.

Judas replied, "There is nothing more to be got from him and indeed I
am resolved to remain loyal to lawful authority, that is always the
best. What will you give me if I deliver him up to you?"

Then Caiaphas, speaking as if they were promising great things, said,
"Thirty pieces of silver, which shall be at once paid over to thee!"

"Hear that, Judas?" cried Dathan, "thirty pieces of silver, what a
gain!"

Before Judas could reply, Nathanael sprang to his feet, saying, "And
mark thee well, Judas, this is not all! If thou executest this work
right well thou shalt be cared for still further."

"And thou mayest become a rich and famous man," added a priest.

Judas said aloud, "I am contented," and added to himself, "Now the star
of hope is rising for me."

Then said Caiaphas to the rabbi who sat below the judgment seat arrayed
in blue velvet and gold, "Bring the thirty pieces of silver out of the
treasury, and pay it over in the presence of the council."

"Is this your will?" he added, putting the question to the Sanhedrin.

A great shout went up of "Yes, yes, it is."

But some there were present who did not join in that cry. One of
these, Nicodemus, stood up and asked the Sanhedrin, "How can you
conclude so godless a bargain?" Then turning to Judas, he said, "And
thou, abject wretch, dost thou not blush to sell thy Lord and master,
thou God-forgetting traitor whom the earth shall swallow up? For
thirty pieces of silver wouldst thou now sell that most loving friend
and benefactor? O, pause while there is yet time. That blood-money
will cry to heaven for vengeance, will burn like hot iron thy
avaricious soul!"

Judas, surprised by this sudden outburst, stood trembling and amazed.
Dathan, Caiaphas and the rest of the Sanhedrin displayed unmistakable
indignation at this unexpected intervention on the part of Nicodemus.

Josue said: "Don't trouble yourself, Judas, about the speech of this
zealot; let him go and be a follower of the false prophet. Thou dost
thy duty as a disciple of Moses in serving the rightful authorities."

Then came in the rabbi with the silver in a dish