he Temple, of His
perpetual infringement of the Law, and eventually of His wish to wrest
the power out of the hands of the priesthood, and to set up His own
personal kingdom. And so cleverly did he mingle truth with lies, that
Annas looked at him more attentively, and lazily remarked: "There are
plenty of impostors and madmen in Judah."

"No! He is a dangerous person," Judas hotly contradicted. "He breaks
the law. And it were better that one man should perish, rather than the
whole people."

Annas, with an approving nod, said--

"But He, apparently, has many disciples."

"Yes, many."

"And they, it seems probable, have a great love for Him?"

"Yes, they say that they love Him, love Him much, more than themselves."

"But if we try to take Him, will they not defend Him? Will they not
raise a tumult?"

Judas laughed long and maliciously. "What, they? Those cowardly dogs,
who run if a man but stoop down to pick up a stone. They indeed!"

"Are they really so bad?" asked Annas coldly.

"But surely it is not the bad who flee from the good; is it not rather
the good who flee from the bad? Ha! ha! They are good, and therefore
they flee. They are good, and therefore they hide themselves. They are
good, and therefore they will appear only in time to bury Jesus. They
will lay Him in the tomb themselves; you have only to execute Him."

"But surely they love Him? You yourself said so."

"People always love their teacher, but better dead than alive. While a
teacher's alive he may ask them questions which they will find difficult
to answer. But, when a teacher dies, they become teachers themselves,
and then others fare badly in turn. Ha! ha!"

Annas looked piercingly at the Traitor, and his lips puckered--which
indicated that he was smiling.

"You have been insulted by them. I can see that."

"Can one hide anything from the perspicacity of the astute Annas? You
have pierced to the very heart of Judas. Yes, they insulted poor Judas.
They said he had stolen from them three denarii--as though Judas were
not the most honest man in Israel!"

They talked for some time longer about Jesus, and His disciples, and of
His pernicious influence on the people of Israel, but on this occasion
the crafty, cautious Annas gave no decisive answer. He had long had
his eyes on Jesus, and in secret conclave with his own relatives and
friends, with the authorities, and the Sadducees, had decided the fate
of the Prophet of Galilee. But he d