“Why not?  Kiss away!” said Judas as in consent.

Peter kissed him vigorously, and said aloud in his ear—­

“But I almost choked you.  The others kissed you in the usual way, but I kissed you on the throat.  Did it hurt you?”

“A little.”

“I will go and tell Him all.  I was angry even with Him,” said Peter sadly, trying noiselessly to open the door.

“And what are you going to do, Thomas?” asked John severely.  He it was who looked after the conduct and the conversation of the disciples.

“I don’t know yet.  I must consider.”

And Thomas thought long, almost the whole day.  The disciples had dispersed to their occupations, and somewhere on the other side of the wall, Peter was shouting joyfully—­but Thomas was still considering.  He would have come to a decision more quickly had not Judas hindered him somewhat by continually following him about with a mocking glance, and now and again asking him in a serious tone—­

“Well, Thomas, and how does the matter progress?”

Then Judas brought his money-box, and shaking the money and pretending not to look at Thomas, began to count it—­

“Twenty-one, two, three....  Look, Thomas, a bad coin again.  Oh! what rascals people are; they even give bad money as offerings.  Twenty-four... and then they will say again that Judas has stolen it... twenty-five, twenty-six....”

Thomas approached him resolutely... for it was already towards evening, and said—­

“He is right, Judas.  Let me kiss you.”

“Will you?  Twenty-nine, thirty.  It’s no good.  I shall steal again.  Thirty-one....”

“But how can you steal, when it is neither yours nor another’s?  You will simply take as much as you want, brother.”

“It has taken you a long time to repeat His words!  Don’t you value time, you clever Thomas?”

“You seem to be laughing at me, brother.”

“And consider, are you doing well, my virtuous Thomas, in repeating His words?  He said something of His own, but you do not.  He really kissed me—­you only defiled my mouth.  I can still feel your moist lips upon mine.  It was so disgusting, my good Thomas.  Thirty-eight, thirty-nine, forty.  Forty denarii.  Thomas, won’t you check the sum?”

“Certainly He is our Master.  Why then should we not repeat the words of our Master?”

“Is Judas’ collar torn away?  Is there now nothing to seize him by?  The Master will go out of the house, and Judas will unexpectedly steal three more denarii.  Won’t you seize him by the collar?”

“We know now, Judas.  We understand.”

“Have not all pupils a bad memory?  Have not all masters been deceived by their pupils?  But the master has only to lift the rod, and the pupils cry out, ‘We know, Master!’ But the master goes to bed, and the pupils say:  ‘Did the Master teach us this?’ And so, in this case, this morning you called me a thief, this evening you call me brother.  What will you call me to-morrow?”