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33 THE KING OF SCHNORRERS. 33

mouth not in wisdom. If she had not been a heathen I should have suspected her of trickery, for I knew nothing of the amount of money in the bag, saving your assurance that it did not fall below seventeen shillings, and it would have been easy for her to replace the fish. Therefore, in the words of David, will I give thanks unto Thee, O Lord, among the heathen."

The mental vision of the irruption of Manasseh into the kitchen was not pleasant to Grobstock. However, he only murmured : " How came you to think of it so suddenly? "

" Looking at your clothes reminded me. I was wonder- ing if you had left anything in the pockets."

The donor started — he knew himself a careless rascal — and made as if he would overhaul his garments. The glitter in Manasseh's eye petrified him.

"Do you — do you — mind my looking? " he stammered apologetically.

"Am I a dog?" quoted the ScJmorrer with dignity. "Am I a thief that you should go over my pockets? If, when I get home," he conceded, commencing to draw dis- tinctions with his thumb, " I should find anything in my pockets that is of no value to anybody but you, do you fear I will not return it? If, on the other hand, I find anything that is of value to me, do you fear I will not keep it?"

"No, but — but — " Grobstock broke down, scarcely grasping the argumentation despite his own clarity of finan- cial insight ; he only felt vaguely that the Schnorrer was — professionally enough — begging the question.

" But what? " enquired Manasseh. " Surely you need not me to teach you your duty. You cannot be ignorant of the Law of Moses on the point."

"The Law of Moses says nothing on the point ! "

" Indeed ! What says Deuteronomy ? ' When thou reap-