that would follow his murder.  Pilate is my friend, and whoever kills me makes sure of his own death.  I do not doubt that what thou sayest is true, Joseph, but Pilate may be recalled, and it may suit the next Roman to let the priests have their way.  I am going to Egypt to-morrow, he said suddenly.  To Egypt, Joseph repeated, and memories awoke in him of the months he spent in Alexandria, of the friends he left there, of the Greek that he had taken so much trouble to perfect himself in, and the various philosophies which he thought enlarged his mind, though he pinned his faith to none; and reading in his face the pleasure given by the word Egypt, Nicodemus pressed him to come with him:  all those who are suspected of sympathy with Jesus, he said, will do well to leave Judea for a year at least.  Alexandria, as thou knowest, having lived there, is friendly to intellectual dispute.  In Alexandria men live in a kingdom that belongs neither to Caesar nor to God.  But all things belong to God, Joseph replied.  Yes, answered Nicodemus; but God sets no limits to the mind, but priests do in the name of God.  Remember Egypt, where thou’lt find me, and glad to see thee....

On these words the men parted, and Joseph descended into the valley a little puzzled, for the traditionalism of Nicodemus seemed to have undergone a change.  But more important than any change that may have happened in Nicodemus’ mind was the journey to Egypt, that he had proposed to Joseph.  Joseph would like to go to Egypt, taking Jesus with him, and as he walked he beheld in imagination Jesus disputing in the schools of philosophy, but if he were to go away to Egypt the promise to his father would be broken fully.  If his father were to fall ill he might die before the tidings of his father’s illness could reach him; a year’s residence in Egypt was, therefore, forbidden to him; on the top of the Mount of Olives he stopped, so that he might remember that Nicodemus’ disposition was always to hear the clashing of swords; spears are always glittering in his eyes for one reason or another, he said, and though he would regret a friend’s death, he would regard it as being atoned for if the brawl were sufficiently violent.  He has gone to Egypt, no doubt, because it is pleasing to him to believe his life to be in danger.  He invents reasons.  Pilate’s recall!  Now what put that into his mind?  He may be right, but this Mount of Olives is peaceful enough and the road beyond leading to my house seems safe to the wayfarer even at this hour.  He followed the road in a quieter mood, and it befell that Esora opened the gates to him, for which he thanked her abruptly and turned away, wishing to be alone; but seeing how overcast was his face, she did not return to her kitchen as she had intended, but remained with him, anxious to learn if the rumours she knew to be current had reached his ears.  She would not be shaken off by silence, but followed him down the alley leading to Jesus’ cottage, answering silence by silence,