, running water, and songs of birds, with a wonderful
light over all. Innumerable companies of men and women passed into that
Eden from out a deep abyss. They ascended slowly and solemnly out of the
gloomy depths to the shining heights. In front of all came a couple, our
first father, Adam, walking with Eve. Just behind them Abel, arm-in-arm
with Cain. Then crowded up the patriarchs, the judges, the kings, the
prophets, and the psalmists, among them Abraham and Isaac, Jacob, and
Joseph, Solomon and David, Zachariah and Josiah, Eleazar and Jehoiakim,
and quite at the back--an old man, walking alone, supporting himself on a
stick from which lilies sprouted--Joseph, her husband. He was in no
hurry; he stopped and looked round at Mary.

So all passed into Paradise.

That was what Mary saw, and then day dawned.

CHAPTER XXXVIII

In accordance with the orders, the Nazarene's grave was strictly
guarded. A heavy stone had been placed in the opening of the niche in
the rocks within which the body was laid, and, at the Governor's
bidding, the captain had sealed it at every end and corner. Two
fully-armed soldiers were stationed at the entrance with instructions
to keep off every suspicious person from the grave. And then, on the
third day after the entombment, an incredible rumour ran through
Jerusalem. _The Nazarene had risen_!

On the morning of that day, so it was said, two women went to the
grave, the mother of the dead man, and Magdalen, His devoted follower.
They were surprised to find that the guards were not there, and then
they saw that the stone had been rolled away. The niche in the rock
was empty, save for the white linen in which He had been wrapped.
These linen bandages were lying at the edge of the grave, their ends
hanging down. The women began to weep, thinking someone had taken the
corpse away; but presently they saw a white-robed boy standing by, and
heard him say: "He whom you seek is not here. He lives, and goes with
you to Galilee."

As if in some wild dream, the women staggered back from the grave.
There was a man in the garden whom at first they took to be the
gardener. They wanted to question him; He came towards them. With
youthful, beautiful, shining countenance, immaculate, without wounds
except the nail-marks on the hands. He stood before them. They were
terror-stricken. They heard Him say: "Peace be with you! It is I."
As the sun was so bright the women held their hand