"Thou hast the tongue of wisdom," said Caiaphas in a tone of dull indifference7, his eyes fixed8 vacantly on the range of blue hills at the verge9 of the horizon.
Annas glanced impatiently at the white worn face. "They are already spreading reports both in Jerusalem and in all Galilee that the man is alive again, that, forsooth, he has been seen of them. The temple resounds10 daily to the voice of their noisome11 praises and thanksgivings. I have counseled that they be thrust out," he continued frowning, "for what is it else than blasphemy12--lies. It cannot be true!" And the speaker started to his feet, and began to pace up and down the terrace of the roof garden. "The Sanhedrim seems satisfied that nothing will come of it," he went on angrily. "'Let be,' say they, 'the thing will die even as the man.' Pah! they are blind. Look you! here are the facts. The man's body disappears on the third day after the crucifixion, the Roman guards tell a drunken tale of earthquake and the appearance of an angel with a sword; lies, all lies! That I have managed--gold worketh wonders; they know now that they were drunken, and that his disciples13 stole the body away while they slept. So far, well. Then there is the matter of the rent veil before the Holy of Holies; a sore mischance, the fabric14 had been eaten of insects, there is no question of it, how else should it----"
"Who saw the thing done?" interrupted Caiaphas in a hollow tone.
"A half score of priests who were preparing the altar for the evening sacrifice. It was rent with a loud noise, say they, and the Holiest place revealed on a sudden. I have counseled that they hold their peace; it may be that they also are apostate15, but I dare not take the steps that I would in the matter because of the people. Of one thing I am certain, the man is dead; in that have we triumphed. I saw him die, and he is as assuredly perished as are the wretched malefactors that groaned17 that day on either side of his cross."
The face of Caiaphas blanched18 to the livid color of death. "Say no more," he gasped19 huskily, "I am not well."
Annas stared at him for an instant with something like contempt. "I will call a servant," he said at length. "Thou shouldst drink wine to strengthen thy heart."
"The man is strangely wrought20 upon by this thing," he thought within himself as he strode away. "He is like to a rope of sand; I must not look to him for help. Who is there then of stout21 heart and good courage? Issachar--Johanan--Alexander? they all be like wax which the sun hath melted. Stay! there is the young Saul of Tarsus, a Pharisee of the Pharisees, and zealous22 for the upbuilding of Israel; I will even dispatch a swift messenger for him. He will be an instrument of wrath23 in mine hand against the enemies of the Lord Jehovah."
As the sound of his footsteps died away, the sick man raised his head. "Begone!" he said with an irritable24 gesture to the servant who stood awaiting his pleasure. "Call my wife."
Even as he spoke25, the heavy curtains which hung over the doorway26 near at hand, parted, and the figure of a woman emerged onto the terrace.
"Where hast thou been?" said the invalid27, fixing his sunken eyes angrily upon her. "Dost thou not know that I cannot abide28 that clumsy hind29, Barak. Where is my cordial?"
"Here, my lord," said Anna soothingly30, pouring a few drops of some bright-colored liquid into a cup. Her slender hand trembled so violently as she did this that a portion of the contents was spilled, and lay a crimson31 pool between them on the white marble of the pavement.
The sick man shrank back among his pillows, his eyes starting from his head. "Ay! there it is again!" he muttered, huskily. "Blood, blood--the blood of the Nazarene! I shall always see it. Look!" he shrieked32, "it is crawling towards me!"
The woman sprang forward, her face colorless. "It is nothing!" she said, breathlessly, "nothing, my lord! See! it is gone. Come, drink the cordial, after that thou shalt rest; thou art weary."
Caiaphas looked into the cup. "It is blood," he said, shudderingly33, "yet must I drink it; God is just!" Then he lay back among his pillows once more, his eyes closed. After a time a faint color crept into his livid face.
The woman watched him patiently for a full hour, more than once her pale lips moving as if in prayer. From her dark eyes there seemed to stream forth34 a visible radiance of love which brooded in silent blessing over the helpless form at her side.
At length the sick man stirred a little, his eyes unclosed. "Has it been told thee what hath befallen our son?" he said, slowly and clearly.
The woman bowed her head. "It hath been told me," she whispered brokenly, "that his life was ended even as----"
"He was crucified," said Caiaphas, still in the same slow, clear tone, "even as was the Nazarene. God is just. Blood for blood, it is the law, and hath been from the beginning."
"God is also love," said Anna, looking fearfully into her husband's face.
He returned the look with one of full intelligence. "Do not fear," he said, gently, "it is best that the matter hath been spoken between us; it were like an open grave else. The madness hath passed from my brain now, and I see---" He paused, and so terrible a look came over his face that his wife cried out faintly.
"God is love," she repeated in a low voice, wringing35 her hands; "He will forgive. How couldst thou know that the Nazarene was the Anointed One? Yet, even he said, 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!' as they drove the nails into his hands."
"Woman!" said Caiaphas, with something of his old high-priestly authority, "hold thy peace, and forget that thou hast spoken blasphemy. Didst think then that I--I--the High Priest, was ready to confess that the Nazarene was the Messiah of Israel! I am ready to confess that he was an innocent man; and I am blood-guilty in that I brought about his death. God hath punished me by slaying36 my son, even as he punished David for his sin. After this once we will speak of the thing no more; it shall never again be named between us. Nor shall it be made known to any other. It were not meet that so shameful37 a thing be bruited38 about concerning the High Priest. Our flesh and blood is accursed."
The mother's face flushed hotly. "The lad was innocent!" she cried. "He was sinned against most foully39, but he himself sinned not. He is in Paradise, for he hath the word of the Lord."
"What meanest thou? Who told thee concerning the thing?" said Caiaphas, raising himself up and fixing his burning eyes upon her face.
"I had it from a lad named Stephen, who was even as a brother to him who was our son--Titus, he was called. As he hung upon the cross in agony, the Lord spake to him and said, 'This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise.'"
"Who is this Stephen?" said Caiaphas, in a low, terrible voice. "And whom dost thou call Lord?"
Anna trembled with terror, she tried to speak, but the words died upon her lips.
"Speak, woman!"
"Stephen is--the son of the Greek who took our child. The man hath been punished for his sin. He also perished with the Lord."
There was an awful silence. Then Caiaphas again spoke, and his voice was as the voice of a stranger in the ears of Anna. "This Stephen, the son of the malefactor16, doth he still live?"
"He--lives; but, oh my husband, I beseech40 thee--do not harm him, so innocent, so heavenly a one!"
But through the words of her entreaty41 sounded the inexorable tones of the High Priest's voice.
"Blood for blood! The iniquities42 of the fathers shall be visited upon the children, even unto the third and fourth generations. It is the law."
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
blessing
|
|
| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
accomplished
|
|
| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
remains
|
|
| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
rabble
|
|
| n.乌合之众，暴民；下等人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
followers
|
|
| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
thoroughly
|
|
| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
indifference
|
|
| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
fixed
|
|
| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
verge
|
|
| n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
resounds
|
|
| v.（指声音等）回荡于某处( resound的第三人称单数 )；产生回响；（指某处）回荡着声音 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
noisome
|
|
| adj.有害的，可厌的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
blasphemy
|
|
| n.亵渎，渎神 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
disciples
|
|
| n.信徒( disciple的名词复数 )；门徒；耶稣的信徒；（尤指）耶稣十二门徒之一 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
fabric
|
|
| n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
apostate
|
|
| n.背叛者，变节者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
malefactor
|
|
| n.罪犯 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
groaned
|
|
| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
blanched
|
|
| v.使变白( blanch的过去式 )；使（植物）不见阳光而变白；酸洗（金属）使有光泽；用沸水烫（杏仁等）以便去皮 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
gasped
|
|
| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
wrought
|
|
| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
zealous
|
|
| adj.狂热的，热心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
wrath
|
|
| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
irritable
|
|
| adj.急躁的；过敏的；易怒的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
spoke
|
|
| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
doorway
|
|
| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
invalid
|
|
| n.病人，伤残人；adj.有病的，伤残的；无效的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
abide
|
|
| vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
hind
|
|
| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
soothingly
|
|
| adv.抚慰地，安慰地；镇痛地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
crimson
|
|
| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
shrieked
|
|
| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
shudderingly
|
|
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
forth
|
|
| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
wringing
|
|
| 淋湿的，湿透的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
slaying
|
|
| 杀戮。 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
shameful
|
|
| adj.可耻的，不道德的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
bruited
|
|
| v.传播（传说或谣言）( bruit的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
foully
|
|
| ad.卑鄙地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
beseech
|
|
| v.祈求，恳求 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
entreaty
|
|
| n.恳求，哀求 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
iniquities
|
|
| n.邪恶( iniquity的名词复数 )；极不公正 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |