"Jesus--forgive--save!" gasped the failing voice, then all was still.
Stephen looked once into the quiet face of the man on the cross, then down at the soldiers, who were beginning to stir a little. One of them sat up and threw his arms above his head and yawned.
"By Bacchus!" he exclaimed. "I must have slept,--a murrain on these night watches, the fellow could not have gotten away." Then his eye fell upon Stephen. "Who art thou?" he cried, springing to his feet; "and what art thou doing here? If now thou hast meddled with the malefactor--ha! the fellow is gone. Didst thou give him aught to help him to his death?"
"No, friend," answered Stephen quietly. "I but spoke to him of Jesus, the Redeemer; and if God will, that word hath helped him to eternal life."
The man to whom he had spoken made a motion as if to seize him, but the other, who had also awakened, held him back.
"Let be," he said in a low voice; "he hath done no harm; ’tis Stephen, the Nazarene."
The soldier dropped his arm. "Go," he commanded briefly; "we had orders to allow no one near the cross of this man."
Stephen bowed his head and passed on. He walked swiftly--as he had done before the dawn--but this time his face was steadfastly set towards Jerusalem, and upon it shone the light of a peace which the world had not given, and which from henceforth it was powerless to take away. Verily, when the day breaks, the shadows flee away.
"Do thou, Ben Obed, watch the man till such time as I shall send thee word. Then--thou art known unto him? A fortunate chance--say this to him, ’There is one ailing at my house, who desireth thy immediate presence.’ He will at once follow thee, and thou shalt fetch him without delay into the Council Chamber."
"Suppose that he will not follow me?" said the young man, fixing his black eyes upon the floor with a somewhat sullen expression.
Caleb looked at him keenly for a moment before replying. "If thou art zealous to secure for thyself the position whereof I have spoken, and the sum of silver which shall also be the reward of thy diligence, thou wilt not lack means to bring the man away from the multitude without exciting any tumult. It is not expedient for me to appear in this matter, else would I undertake it. But thou art not the only one, there is Malluch, or----"