ny's chest wouldn't let him read the interesting parts of the
Scriptures but kept him always at the Psalms and the Proverbs. And he
was always telling me about Hillel, who was a good man, but good men
aren't as interesting as prophets, Joseph rapped out. And wilt thou tell
us what he told thee about these pious men? Dan asked, a smile playing
about his long thin mouth. That the law didn't matter as long as we were
virtuous, Joseph muttered, and he was always explaining the stories that
I understood quite well when Granny told them. So it was Hiram that
confirmed you in your distaste for Hebrew, Dan said, and the child stood
looking at his father, not quite sure if it would be in his interest to
accept or repudiate the suggestion. He would have refused to give a
direct answer (such is the way of children) but the servant relieved him
of his embarrassment: Azariah was at the gate asking for shelter from
the rain.

From the rain! Dan said, rising suddenly. It is coming down very fast,
Mother, but we were so engaged in listening to Joseph that we didn't
hear it. Shall we ask him in, Joseph? The child's face lighted up. Now
isn't it strange, Rachel said, he should be here to-day? We haven't seen
him for months, and now in the middle of a talk about tutors--aren't you
going to ask him in? Of course, Dan said, and he instructed the servant
to ask the scribe to come upstairs. And now, Joseph, I hope you'll
listen to all that Azariah says, giving quiet and reasonable answers.
And not too many questions, mind!

Joseph promised to be good and quiet and to keep himself from putting
questions. I will listen attentively, he said, and he seized on the last
chance available to his tongue to tell that he had often seen Azariah in
the lanes. He doesn't see us, he walks like one in a dream, his hair
blowing in the wind. But when he does see us he speaks very kindly ... I
think I'd like to learn Hebrew from him. Rachel laid her finger on her
lips; the door opened and Azariah advanced into the room with a long
grave Jewish stride, apologising to Dan as he came for his sudden
intrusion into their midst, mentioning the heavy rain in a graceful
phrase. Joseph, who was on the watch for everything, could see that his
father was full of respect for Azariah, and hearing him say that it was
some years since Azariah had been in his house he began to wonder if
there had been a quarrel between them; it seemed to him that his father
was a little afrai