The Brook Kerith | Page 6

parents
speechless for a moment. Come to hate Hebrew, they repeated one after
the other till frightened by their solemnity Joseph blurted out: you
wouldn't like Hebrew if the scholar's fleas jumped on to you the
moment you began. And pulling up his sleeves Joseph exhibited his
arms. How could I learn Hebrew with three fleas biting me and all at
one time, one here, another there and a third down yonder. He always
has three or four about him. No, Father, don't, don't ask me to learn
Hebrew any more. But, Joseph, all Hebrew scholars haven't fleas about
them. An unbelieving face confronted them, and Joseph looked as if he
were uncertain whether he should laugh or cry: but seeing that his
parents liked his story he began to laugh. We've tried several preceptors
but you're hard to please, Joseph. Now what fault did you find
with--and while Dan searched his memory for the name Joseph
interjected that the little fellow whose back bulged like Granny'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 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