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40 40 THE KING OF SCHNORRERS.

tion with a beautiful brunette who was tasting the cool of the evening in a sedan chair, and it was with a touch of asperity that she said : " Cook complains of being insulted by a saucy fellow who brought home your fish."

" Oh ! " said poor Grobstock. Was he never to be done with the man?

" How came you to send him to her? "

His anger against Manasseh resurged under his wife's peevishness.

"My dear," he cried, "I did not send him anywhere — except to the devil."

" Joseph ! You might keep such language for the ears of creatures in sedan chairs."

And Mrs. Grobstock flounced out of the room with a rustle of angry satin.

When Wilkinson reappeared, limp and tired, with his pompousness exuded in perspiration, he sought his master with a message, which he delivered ere the flood of interro- gation could burst from Grobstock's lips.

" Mr. da Costa presents his compliments, and says that he has decided on reconsideration not to break his promise to be with you on Friday evening."

" Oh, indeed ! " said Grobstock grimly. " And, pray, how came you to carry his box ? "

" You told me to, sir ! "

"/ told you ! "

" I mean he told me you told me to," said Wilkinson wonderingly. " Didn't you ? "

Grobstock hesitated. Since Manasseh would be his guest, was it not imprudent to give him away to the livery- servant? Besides, he felt a secret pleasure in Wilkinson's humiliation — but for the Schnorrer he would never have known that Wilkinson's gold lace concealed a pliable per-