Page:Zangwill-King of schnorrers.djvu/35

21 THE KING OF SCHNORRERS. 21

some explanations. And Manasseh would come again the next Friday. That was certain. Manasseh would be like grim death — his coming, though it might be postponed, was inevitable. Oh, it was too terrible. At all costs he must revoke the invitation ( ?). Placed between Scylla and Charybdis, between Manasseh and his manservant, he felt he could sooner face the former.

" Da Costa ! ' ! he called in agony. " Da Costa ! "

The Schnorrer turned, and then Grobstock found he was mistaken in imagining he preferred to face da Costa.

"You called me?" enquired the beggar.

"Ye — e — s," faltered the East India Director, and stood paralysed.

"What can I do for you?' said Manasseh graciously.

" Would you mind — very much — if I — if I asked you — ; '

"Not to come," was in his throat, but stuck there.

"If you asked me — " said Manasseh encouragingly.

"To accept some of my clothes," flashed Grobstock, with a sudden inspiration. After all, Manasseh was a fine figure of a man. If he could get him to doff those musty garments of his he might almost pass him off as a prince of the blood, foreign by his beard — at any rate he could be certain of making him acceptable to the livery servant. He breathed freely again at this happy solution of the situation.

"Your cast-off clothes?" asked Manasseh. Grobstock was not sure whether the tone was supercilious or eager. He hastened to explain. " No, not quite that. Second- hand things I am still wearing. My old clothes were already given away at Passover to Simeon the Psalms-man. These are comparatively new."

"Then I would beg you to excuse me," said Manasseh, with a stately wave of the bag.