as not long, however,
before he went to his father saying that he would like to go to
Arimathea, and in charge of Azariah.

You are asking too much, Joseph, his father answered him. No, I don't
think I am, and his honour Azariah doesn't think so, Joseph cried, for
his heart was already set upon this holiday. Azariah has perhaps
promised to teach you Hebrew. Isn't that enough? his father remarked.
Now you want him to take you to Arimathea. But if he likes to take me,
Joseph replied, and he cast such a winning glance at Azariah that the
scribe was moved to say that he would be glad to take charge of the boy
if his parents would confide him to his care. Whereupon Joseph threw his
arms about his father, but finding him somewhat indifferent he went to
his grandmother, who welcomed his embrace, and in return for it pleaded
that the boy should not be denied this small pleasure. But Dan, who only
half liked to part with his son, tried to hide his feelings from his
mother, who had guessed them already, with a joke, saying to Azariah
that he was a brave man to undertake the charge of so wayward a boy. I
shall not spoil him, and if he fails to obey he'll have to find someone
else to teach him Hebrew, Azariah answered. I think the rain is now
over, he said. Some drops were still falling but the sky was
brightening, and he returned from the window to where Joseph was
standing, and laying his hand on his head promised to come for him in
the morning.

We shall hear no more about fleas preventing thee from study, Dan said
to his son, and very much offended Joseph withdrew to his room, and
stood looking at the spot in which he had seen Samuel, asking himself if
the prophet would appear to him in Arimathea and if it would be by the
fountain whither the maidens used to come to draw water. Samuel and the
maidens seemed to jar a little, and as he could not think of them
together he fell to thinking of the rock on which the seer used to offer
sacrifices. It was still there and somebody would be about to direct
them to it, and it would be under this rock that Azariah would read to
him all that Samuel had said to Saul. But we shall be riding all day, he
said to himself, Arimathea must be a long long way from here, and he
fled downstairs to ask his father if Azariah would call for him at the
head of a caravan, whether he would ride on a camel or a mule or a
horse: he thought he would like to ride a camel, and awoke many times in
the night, on