Then Aseneth was very angry; she blushed as red as fire, and darted an ugly glance at her father sideways, and said, “How can you talk to me so, father?  Would you give me to a creature like that, the son of a Ganaanitish labourer, who has been in prison—­yes, and sold as a slave—­and only got out of prison because he contrived to explain a dream of Pharaoh’s, for all the world like the old women?  Certainly not!  If I marry any one it will be Pharaoh’s eldest son.”  So Potipherah, disappointed as he was, said no more; and Aseneth hurried away to her own chamber.  But she looked out of the window.

As she went out, there ran in a young man, one of Potipherah’s servants, and said, “My lord, Joseph is just stopping before our gates.”  So Potipherah and his wife and all their retinue rose and went forth to meet Joseph; and the gates of the court towards the east were thrown open, and the chariot drove in, drawn by four milk-white horses with harness of gold; and in the chariot stood Joseph, clad in a tunic of white linen and a blood-red mantle shot with gold.  On his head was a crown with twelve great gems, and above each gem was a ray of gold; in his hand was an olive branch with leaves and fruit.  But fairer than all his equipment was his face, for he was more beautiful than any of the sons of men.  And just as all the young nobles of Egypt were mad about Aseneth, so all the ladies of Egypt were in love with Joseph; but he had not a word to say to any of them, for they were all worshippers of idols, and Joseph worshipped the true God—­the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

So the chariot entered the courtyard of Poti-pherah’s palace, and the gates were shut.  Now Aseneth stood at her window, and when she saw Joseph and the beauty of his countenance, she was smitten to the heart, her knees trembled, and she almost swooned.  A great fear came upon her, and she heaved a deep sigh and said, “Alas, alas, what have I said? what have I done?  Pity me, O God of Joseph, for it was in ignorance that I spoke against him.  Did I not call him a Canaanitish labourer’s son? and lo, now he has come into our house like the sun out of heaven.  Fool that I was to rail against him as I did!  If only my father would give me to him as his slave and drudge, I would serve him till I dropped dead at his feet.”

Meanwhile Joseph, who had caught sight of Aseneth standing at her window, had come into the house, and they had washed his feet and set a table for him by himself (for Joseph would not eat with the Egyptians).  And he said to Potipherah, “Who was the woman whom I saw looking out of the window when I came in?  Some stranger?  If so, she must leave this house.”  “Nay, my lord,” said Potipherah, “she is our daughter.”  And he went on to tell how Aseneth disliked the company of men, and indeed had hardly seen a strange man before that day; and Joseph was glad to hear that she hated strange men, and said, “If she be your daughter, I will love her from this day forth as a sister.”