to admit to thy father when last in argument with him on the subject.  But, Sir, you will not forbid me the reading of Menander for no better reason than that a Greek asked that he might carve a statue after me, for what am I to blame, since yourself said my answer was commendable?  And in these words there was so plaintive an accent that Azariah’s heart was touched, for he guessed that the diverting scene in which the slave arranges for a meeting between the lovers was in the boy’s mind.

At that moment their eyes went together to the tally on the wall, and pointing to it Joseph said it bore witness to the earnestness with which he had pursued his studies for the last six months, and Azariah was forced to admit there was little to complain of in the past, but he had noticed that once a boy came late for his lessons his truancy became common.  Moreover, Sir, my time is of importance, Azariah declared, his hairy nostrils swelling at the thought of the half hour he had been kept waiting.  But may we finish Menander’s comedy?  Joseph asked, for he was curious to learn if Moschion succeeded in obtaining his father’s leave to marry the girl he had put in the family way.  The lovers’ plan was to ingratiate themselves with the father’s concubine and to persuade her to get permission to rear and adopt the child.  Yes, Joseph, the father relents.  But it would please me, Sir, to learn why he relents.  And Joseph promised that he would be for a whole year in advance of his time rather than behind it.  He did not doubt that he would be able to keep his promise, for he had found a new way to Tiberias; a deserted way it seemed to be at first, and most propitious, without the temptations of ball-players, but as the season advanced the lane became infested by showmen on their way to Tiberias:  mummers, acrobats, jugglers, fortune-tellers, star-mongers, dealers in charms and amulets, and Joseph was tempted more than once to stop and speak with these random folk, but the promise he had given Azariah was sufficiently powerful to inspire a dread and a dislike of these, and to avoid them he sought for a third way to Tiberias and found one:  a path through an orchard belonging to a neighbour who was glad to give him permission to pass through it every morning, which he did, thereby making progress in his studies till one day, by the stile over which his custom was to vault into the quiet lane, he came suddenly upon what seemed to him like a small encampment:  wayfarers of some sort he judged them to be, but of what sort he could not tell at first, there being some distance and the branches of an apple-tree between him and them.

But as he came through the trees, he decided in his mind that they were the servitude of some great man:  varlets, hirelings or slaves.  But his eyes fell on their baskets and—­deceived by the number and size of these—­the thought crossed his mind that they might be poulterers on their way to Tiberias.  But whatever their trade they had no right to encamp in the orchard, and he informed them politely that the orchard belonged to friends of his, and that large and fierce dogs were loose about the place.  For his warning they thanked him, saying they’d make off at once; remarking as they made their preparations for going that they did not think they were doing any harm by coming into the orchard, having only crossed the stile to rest themselves.