"Yea. And the evil one he whispered with is one who knoweth thy friend
Jesus."
"Jesus!" exclaimed Lazarus and Mary in a breath. "Dost thou speak of our Jesus?"
"A plot against Jesus?" Lazarus asked. "Put thy goods down, thou fool, and tell what thou knowest."
"Already have I told that for which I was called a fool."
"What hast thou heard? Out with it!" and Lazarus helped Eli unload his bundles again.
With the party gathered closely about him Eli said, "There is naught to tell save that some one who hath been much about the Temple did make an offer of money for knowledge of the hiding-place of Jesus when he is not at Bethany. To do him harm was the purpose of the evil one, who did much thick-lipped whispering."
"What harm would this enemy of the Master do to him?" and Mary waited before Eli for an answer.
"Plotters plot death," he answered shortly, taking up his bundles.
"God of our fathers!" Mary cried. "What doth this mean? Lazarus, my brother Lazarus, Joseph, Father Joseph—let not harm come to him we love! Promise me—promise me!" and she held out her hands.
Taking her hands in his Joseph said, "Let not fear take possession of thy heart but rather thank thy God that thy servant did hide behind the tomb. Knowledge is better than swords. The young man hath life in his veins. He hath a great work to do. He courts not death. With knowledge aforetime of a plot, escape will be easy. But what is this plot? Who is this enemy? Is it of Rome, or the Great Sanhedrin?"