"You mean," replied Aglais, "about their inability to hinder the abstraction. What?"
"That an act to which they are the only witnesses could not be stopped by them, because of it they were not witnesses, being buried in sleep."
"Consistent," said the Greek lady. "Yes; but a much weightier fact is that expectation of the disciples, to prevent the realization of which the Pharisees set their guard."
"What expectation? And why weightier? What can be weightier?" asked the general.
"That their Master would keep his word, and fulfil his prediction of rising from the tomb on the third day. If they saw him again alive within the promised time, they and the people would worship him as God; but, if the Pharisees could show the body on the third day, or could even account for it, that belief would die."
"Clearly," answered Paulus, "the disciples expected to see him again on and after the third day, waiting for his word to be fulfilled."
"Now, Paulus," pursued Aglais, "suppose this expectation of theirs not fulfilled; suppose that not one of those waiting for his word was conscious of any reason for believing it to have been realized—"
Paulus interrupted his mother.
"There is only one possible way in which they could be induced to believe it realized—namely, that he should be seen again alive."
"Quite so," she resumed. "But suppose that he has not been seen; suppose that not one of those who expected to see him again has thus seen him. How would they then feel on this Wednesday morning?"