ouths. But by the next day
they had recovered their speech and cried out: the fishmonger's son is
going by to his lessons and dare not play at ball. Azariah would whip
him if he did. One a little bolder than the rest dangled a piece of rope
in his face saying: this is what you'd get if you stayed with us. He was
moved to run after the boy and cuff him, but the quires under his arms
restrained him and he passed on, keeping a dignified silence. Soon
thou'lt be reading to us in the synagogues! was the last jeer cried
after him that day, but for many a day he caught sight of a face
grinning at him through the hedge, and the way to his lessons became
hateful.

As he showed no sign of anger, the persecution grew wearisome to the
persecutors, and soon after he discovered another way to Azariah. But
this way was beset with women, whose sex impelled a yearning for this
tall lithe boy with the gazelle-like eyes. Joseph was more inclined to
the welcome of the Greek poets and sculptors who stopped their mules and
leaning from high saddles spoke to him, for he was now beginning to
speak Greek and it was pleasant to avail himself of the advantages of
the road to chatter his Greek and to acquire new turns of phrases. Why
not? since it seemed to be the wish of these men to instruct him. My
very model! a bearded man cried out one morning, and stopping his mule
he bent from the saddle towards Joseph and asked him many questions.
Joseph told him that he was on his way to his lessons and that he
passed through this lane every morning. At these words the sculptor's
eyes lighted up, for he had accepted Joseph's answer as a tryst, and
when Joseph came through the lane next day he caught sight of the
sculptor waiting for him and--flattered--Joseph entered into
conversation with him, resisting, however, the sculptor's repeated
invitation that Joseph should come to sit to him--if not for a statue,
for a bust at least. But a bust is a graven image, Joseph answered, and
as the point was being debated a rich merchant came by, riding a white
horse that curveted splendidly, and Joseph, who was interested in the
horse, referred the difficulty they were engaged in to the merchant.
After some consideration of it he asked the meaning of the scrolls that
Joseph carried in his hand, feigning an interest in them and in Azariah.
Who is he? he asked, and Joseph answered: a very learned man, my tutor,
to whom I must be on my way. And with a pretty bow he left