John went out into the night to seek his master.  “Sir,” said the youth, when he stood before him, “what does it mean?  They say that you have turned water into wine.  I have often thought that you were different from all of us.  You must be from Heaven.”

“And why not you also, John, who look up to it?  Can anyone attain the height who has not come from it?”

John remained standing by his side for a while.  It was not always easy to grasp what he meant.

On their homeward way by night, the mother unburdened her anxious heart to her son.  “You are so good, my child, and help people wherever you can.  Why are you often so rough of speech?”

“Because they do not understand me,” he replied; “because you, none of you, understand me.  You think that if a man works at his wood in the carpenter’s shop, then he’s doing all that is necessary.”

“Wood?  Of course a carpenter has to work with wood.  Do you want to be a stonemason?  Think, stones are harder than wood.”

“But they give fire when struck together.  Wood gives no sparks, nor would the Nazarenes yield any sparks, even if lightning struck them.  They are like earth and damp straw.  They are incapable of enthusiasm:  they are only capable of languid irritation.  But you’ll not build a kingdom of heaven with irritation.  I despise the wood that always smokes and never burns.”

“My son, I fear you will make such enemies of them that——­”

“That I shall not be able to stay in Nazareth.  Isn’t that what you mean, mother?”

“I am anxious about you, my son.”

“Happy the mother who is nothing worse.  I am quite safe.”  He stopped and took her hand.  “Mother, I’m no longer a child or a boy.  Do not trouble about me.  Let me be as I am, and go where I will.  There are other tasks to be fulfilled than building Jonas a cottage or Sarah a sheep-pen.  The old world is breaking up, and the old heaven is falling into ruin.  Let me go, mother; let me be the carpenter who shall build up the kingdom of heaven.”

The constellations spread themselves across the sky.  Mary let her son go on before, down to the little town; she walked slowly behind and wept.  She stood alone and had no influence with him.  Every day he became more incomprehensible.

To what would it lead?

CHAPTER XI

A strange excitement prevailed among the people in Galilee, and spread through Samaria and Judaea even to Jerusalem.  A new prophet had arisen.  There were many in those days, but this one was different from the rest.  As is always the way in such times, at first a few people paid heed feverishly, then they infected others with their unrest, and finally roused families and whole villages which had hitherto stood aloof.  So at last all heeded the new prophet.  At the time of the foreign rule old men had spoken of the King and Saviour who was to make the chosen people great and mighty.  Expounders of the Scriptures had from generation to generation consoled those who were waiting and longing.  Men had grown impatient under the intolerable foreign oppression, and a national desire and a religious expectation such as had never before been known in so high a degree had manifested itself.