And they answering said: "He is guilty of death."
A disgraceful scene of insult and cruelty followed, in which the priests themselves seem to have set the example. "The men that held Him mocked Him and struck Him. And they did spit on His face and buffeted Him. And they blindfolded Him and smote His face with the palms of their hands, saying:
Prophesy unto us, O Christ! who is he that struck Thee?"
While all this was going on before Annas and Caiaphas, another scene was taking place in the courtyard below where the servants were waiting to hear the result of the trial. The night was cold and they had made a fire and were standing round it warming themselves. Peter, who had come into the court, was warming himself with the rest. The light was full upon his face, and the portress, who had let him in, after looking at him attentively, said:
"Thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth."
Peter was frightened and denied before them all: "Woman, I know Him not."
And the cock crew.
A little later another maid saw him and said to the standers by:
"This man was with Jesus of Nazareth."
Again he denied and with an oath: "I know not the Man."
An oath this time, and his Master is "the Man."
About an hour after, when it had got about among the servants that one of the disciples of the Galilean had dared to come in amongst them, they came about Peter and said:
