Page:Zangwill-King of schnorrers.djvu/317

303 A ROSE OF THE GHETTO. 303

" But your maiden squints ! " he cried resentfully.

" An excellent thing ! " said Sugarman. " A wife who squints can never look her husband straight in the face and overwhelm him. Who would quail before a woman with a squint? "

" I could endure the squint," went on Leibel dubiously, " but she also stammers."

" Well, what is better, in the event of a quarrel ? The difficulty she has in talking will keep her far more silent than most wives. You had best secure her while you have the chance."

" But she halts on the left leg," cried Leibel, exasperated.

" Gott in Himmel! Do you mean to say you do not see what an advantage it is to have a wife unable to accompany you in all your goings? "

Leibel lost patience. Why, the girl is a hunchback ! " he protested furiously. My dear Leibel," said the marriage-broker, deprecat- ingly shrugging his shoulders and spreading out his palms. " You can't expect perfection ! "

Nevertheless, Leibel persisted in his unreasonable attitude. He accused Sugarman of wasting his time, of making a fool of him.

" A fool of you ! " echoed the Shadchan indignantly, " when I give you a chance of a boot and shoe manu- facturer's daughter. You will make a fool of yourself if you refuse. I daresay her dowry would be enough to set you up as a master-tailor. At present you are compelled to slave away as a cutter for thirty shillings a week. It is most unjust. If you only had a few machines you would be able to employ your own cutters. And they can be got so cheap nowadays."

This gave Leibel pause, and he departed without having