'What is the crime of which you accuse this young man?'
'If he were not a malefactor, we should not have brought him to you.'
Pontius Pilate, annoyed at the short reply of Doctor Baruch, continued impatiently, and stifling another yawn:
'Well, since you say he has sinned against the law, take him; judge him according to your law.'
And the governor turned his back upon the Doctor, shrugging his shoulders, and re-entered his house.
For a moment Genevieve thought the young man saved, but the reply of Pontius Pilate produced much indignation amongst the crowd.
'Such are the Romans, then,' said some; 'they only seek to keep up agitation in our poor country, that they might rule it more easily.'
'This Pontius Pilate evidently appears to protect this cursed Nazarene!'
'As for me, I am certain the Nazarene is a secret agent of the Romans,' added one of the emissaries: 'they make use of this seditious vagabond for their dark projects.'
'There is no doubt of it,' added the other emissary; 'the Nazarene has sold himself to the Romans.'