He conjectured that the thief, supposed to have been on the roof, might have dropped the roll.

During the three months that had elapsed since Heraklas found the papyrus hanging from the palm, he had come often to this secret hiding-place.

He knew his mother would destroy the Christians' Book, if she saw it.
He knew the servants were not to be trusted in the matter.
Frequently, during the first month, he had thought that he would destroy the papyrus, and, as often, he had deferred doing so, so much was he always drawn back to reading it.

At the end of the second month, Heraklas read with even more eagerness than at first.
Here was something that even the maxims of Ptah-hotep had not attained.

Never had Heraklas seen such a book as this Gospel of John.