Page:Zangwill-King of schnorrers.djvu/106

92 92 THE KING OF SCHNORRERS.

The Schnorrer's heart gave one wild, mad throb of joy. He laid his hand on the only other chair.

" I don't mind if I do," he said, with responsive amia- bility.

"Then go home and have you?' dinner," said the Rabbi.

Yankee's wild heart-beat was exchanged for a stagnation as of death. A shiver ran down his spine. He darted an agonised appealing glance at Manasseh, who sniggered inscrutably.

" Oh, I don't tink I ought to go avay and leave you midout a tird man for grace," he said, in tones of prophetic rebuke. " Since I be here, it vould be a sin not to stay."

The Rabbi, having a certain connection with religion, was cornered ; he was not able to repudiate such an opportunity of that more pious form of grace which needs the presence of three males.

" Oh, I should be very glad for you to stay," said the Rabbi, " but, unfortunately, we have only three meat-plates."

" Oh, de dish vill do for me."

" Very well, then ! " said the Rabbi.

And Yanked, with the old mad heart-beat, took the fourth chair, darting a triumphant glance at the still sniggering Manasseh.

The hostess rose, misunderstanding her husband's optical signals, and fished out a knife and fork from the recesses of a chiffonier. The host first heaped his own plate high with artistically coloured potatoes and stiff meat — less from dis- courtesy than from life-long habit — then divided the re- mainder in unequal portions between Manasseh and the little woman, in rough correspondence with their sizes. Finally, he handed Yankele the empty dish.

"You see there is nothing left," he said simply. "We didn't even expect one visitor."