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 afraid of Azariah, which was strange, for he himself did
not feel in the least afraid of Azariah but an almost uncontrollable
desire to go and sit on his knee.

Here is my boy Joseph: and, Azariah, you will be interested to hear that
we were talking about you for the last quarter of an hour.

Azariah raised his thick eyebrows and waited to be told how he had come
to be the subject of their talk, though he half knew the reason, for in
a village like Magdala it soon gets about that four preceptors have been
sent away unable to teach the rich man's son. He has made up his mind,
Dan said, to learn Hebrew and Greek from none but you. No, Father, I
didn't make up my mind. But I couldn't learn from the others and I told
you why. Are you sure that you can learn from me? Azariah asked. Joseph
became shy at once, but he liked to feel Azariah's friendly hand upon
his shoulder, and when Dan asked the scribe to be seated Joseph followed