he Sabbath is as heinous
as the butchering of a bullock. The preservation of life itself is
inhibited. Moses had the son of Shelomith stoned to death for gathering
sticks on it. Shammai occupied six days of the week in thinking how he
could best observe it. It is unlawful to wear a false tooth on the
Sabbath, and if a tooth ache it is unlawful to rinse the mouth with
vinegar."

"Yet," objected Reulah, "it is lawful to hold the vinegar in the mouth
provided you swallow it afterward."

No one paid any attention to him. Simon's indignation increased. Of the
thirty-nine Abhoth he quoted twelve; he showed that the Nazarene had
violated each one of these prohibitions against labor; he showed, too,
that by his subsequent speech and bearing he had practically scoffed at
the Toldoth, at the synagogue which had drawn it up as well.

"If the Sadducees were not in power, Jerusalem should hear of this. As it
is----"

Whatever resolution he may have intended to express remained unuttered. A
silence fell upon his lips; his guests drew back. At the step stood the
Nazarene, behind him his treasurer, Judas of Kerioth. For a second only
Jesus hesitated. He stooped, undid his shoes, and moved to where Simon
stood. The latter bowed constrainedly.

"Master," he said, "we awaited you."

At this his friends retreated into the little room. Reulah reached the
middle seat of the central mat first and held it, his nostrils quivering
at the envy of the others.

Preceded by their host, Jesus and Judas found places near together, and,
the usual ablutions performed, the customary prayers recited, lay, the
upper part of the body supported by the left arm, the head raised, the
limbs outstretched.

On the stools were dishes of stewed lentils, milk, and cakes of mashed
locusts. Reulah ate with the tips of his lips, greedily, like a goat.
Judas, too, ate with an air of hunger. The Master broke bread absently,
his thoughts on other things. These thoughts Simon interrupted.

"Rabbi"--and to his wide mouth came the sneer of one propounding a riddle
already solved--"it is not meet, is it, to thresh on the Sabbath day? Yet
since you permit your followers to do so, how are we to distinguish
between what is lawful and what is not?"

The Master raised his eyes. The dawn was in them, high noon as well.

"Show yourself a tried money-changer. Choose that which is good metal,
reject that which is bad."

Simon blinked as at a sudden light.

"But," he p