was done to further Joseph's interests
would be a greater favour than any that could be conferred on himself.

The letter was sent off by special messenger and Joseph was enjoined to
carry it himself at once to Hanan, which he did, since it was his
father's pleasure that he should do so. He would have preferred to be
allowed to pick his friends from among the people he met casually, but
since this was not to be he assumed the necessary reverence and came
forward in the proper spirit to meet Hanan, who expressed himself as
entirely gratified by Joseph's presence in Jerusalem and promised to
support his election for the Sanhedrin. But if the councillors reject
me? For you see I am still a young man. The innocency of Joseph's remark
pleased Hanan, who smiled over it, expressing a muttered hope that the
Sanhedrin would not take upon itself the task of discussing the merits
and qualifications of those whom he should deem worthy to present for
election. The great man purred out these sentences, Joseph's remark
having reminded him of his exalted position. But thinking his remark
had nettled Hanan, Joseph said: you see I have only just come to
Jerusalem; and this remark continued the flattery, and with an impulsive
movement Hanan took Joseph's hands and spoke to him about his father in
terms that made Joseph feel very proud of Dan, and also of being in
Jerusalem, which had already begun to seem to him more wonderful than he
had imagined it to be: and he had imagined it very wonderful indeed. But
there was a certain native shrewdness in Joseph; and after leaving the
High Priest's place he had not taken many steps before he began to see
through Hanan's plans: which no doubt are laid with the view to impress
me with the magnificence of Jerusalem and its priesthood. He walked a
few yards farther, and remembered that there are always dissensions
among the Jews, and that the son of a rich man (one of first-rate
importance in Galilee) would be a valuable acquisition to the priestly
caste.

But though he saw through Hanan's designs, he was still the dupe of
Hanan, who was a clever man and a learned man; his importance loomed up
very large, and Joseph could not be without a hero, true or false; so it
could not be otherwise than that Hanan and Kaiaphas and the Sadducees,
whom Joseph met in the Sanhedrin and whose houses he frequented,
commanded his admiration for several months and would have held it for
many months more, had it not bee