Take counsel, Magdalene; think of him and reflect that, if he heard you.... MARY MAGDALENE Well, if he heard me, it would be as on the day when that one among you whom you all resemble reproached me with anointing his feet with too costly an ointment!... Have you forgotten what he said?... Whom did he declare to be right?... You have understood nothing!... For months and years, you have lived in his light; and not one of you has the least idea of what I saw because I loved him, I who did not come until the eleventh hour, I whom he drew from lower than the lowest slave of the lowest among you all!... NICODEMUS (_listening to the sounds outside_) Hush!... Listen!... Some one is walking outside the house.... (_To BARTIMÆUS._) Go see who it is.... BARTIMÆUS (_at the window_) It is a man wrapped in a cloak.... A Roman.... He has stopped.... He knocks at the door.... He is coming in.... The door was not closed.... MARY MAGDALENE (_running to the door of the Supper-room_) It is he, it is Lucius Verus!... Open the door to him! Open quickly!... I hear him!... (_They open the door of the Supper-room. LUCIUS VERUS appears in the embrasure. At the sight of the strange assembly of PERSONS CURED BY MIRACLES, CRIPPLES, BEGGARS and SICK, he stops and stands dumbfoundered on the threshold._) SCENE III THE SAME, LUCIUS VERUS MARY MAGDALENE (_running to VERUS with outstretched arms_) It is you, my Verus, it is indeed you!... An eye that looks me in the face, a sword, shoulders, hands that do not tremble!... Come! Come! What are we to do?... Have you seen him?... Where are we going?... How can we help him?... How many men do you need?... Where are yours? He is not only innocent, as you well know, he is so pure, he stands so high that the thoughts of men cannot reach him.... In his goodness he is bearing everything for the sins of the world; but we will not have him sacrifice himself for us.... A single glance from his eyes, a single word from his mouth, are worth all the lives of all other men.... VERUS (_icily_) Is this indeed the place where I was to meet you?... Who are these ... these men ... surrounding you?... MARY MAGDALENE They can be trusted.... They love him as well as he loved them; but they want a leader.... They were waiting for you.... They will follow you everywhere.... VERUS (_ironically_) I have not come to command this ... foreign ... troop.... I do not know what you mean. There is some misunderstanding; and we should not, I think, explain it here, before so many witnesses.... MARY MAGDALENE You are right.... (_To the others_) Leave us.... I will call you when the time comes for action.... (_ALL GO OUT, except MARY MAGDALENE and LUCIUS VERUS._) SCENE IV LUCIUS VERUS, MARY MAGDALENE VERUS (_sarcastically_)