That was because he knew the cowardice of those who pretended to love him!... Ah, men are great and heroic and proud!... The only men who have not fled, those who tremble least, the best of you discuss and argue as though they had to do with a measure of wheat; and the women are silent and weep!... Well, what do you say, my sisters?... Is not this the moment to show your love?... And those whom he has healed, where are they, what are they doing?... You there, who want to flee, blind Bartimæus, the other one from Jericho, the other from Siloam: those eyes, which he has opened, you turn from me, because I have the courage to speak to you of him!... You, Simon the Leper, you, the other from Samaria, have you forgotten that, before he came, you were more hideous than death?... I see nothing around me but miracles in hiding!... The man whose hand was withered, the man who was healed of a dropsy on the Sabbath and the man of Gerasa possessed by a devil, who dares not lift up his head!... And, among the palsied, he of Bethesda who is running to the door, using his legs only to forsake the God who healed him!... Even those whom he raised from the dead are afraid!... Why, look at Lazarus: he is more pale than any of you!... And yet you saw death, you; you lay touching it for four long days.... Is it more terrible than men thought?... You do not answer?... (_A long pause._) JOSEPH OF ARIMATHÆA Listen, Magdalene.... I lack neither courage nor loyalty.... Notwithstanding the power of the priests, I have thrown open my house to those who followed him. I know the price which I shall have to pay.... I am prepared to sacrifice everything and life itself to him. But I know his will and I cannot disobey him.... Peter wished to defend him and drew his sword.... He made him put it up into the sheath.... I was at Gethsemane.... MARY MAGDALENE Since you were there, why did you not help Peter?... We save those whom we love; we listen to them afterwards!... But what will you do when you have destroyed him?... Oh, I am delaying too long with those who are afraid!... What am I doing here, among men who will do nothing?... I am wasting his last chances and his last minutes.... I will go to meet Verus; after him, we shall see.... (_She turns to the door. JOSEPH OF ARIMATHÆA and NICODEMUS block her way._) NICODEMUS Do not go out, Magdalene: it means destroying him and destroying us with him.... MARY MAGDALENE Ah, destroying you with him, that is the trouble!... Wait! (_She takes another step towards the door. NICODEMUS stops her resolutely._) NICODEMUS You shall not go out. MARY MAGDALENE I shall not go out?... True, you dare fight against a woman. I had not foreseen this great courage born of terror. You all shake your heads like empty cornspikes; and the women rejoice in at last discovering the cowardice of the men, showing itself suddenly more signal than their own!... JOSEPH OF ARIMATHÆA