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50 50 THE KING OF SCHNORRERS.

"I would if you wrote them," rejoined Grobstock, with a grimace.

" I got six copies of his Lingua Sacra" Manasseh de- clared with dignity, " and a dozen of his translation of the Pentateuch."

" You can afford it ! " snarled Grobstock, with grim humour. " I have to earn my money."

"It is very good of Mr. da Costa, all the same," inter- posed the hostess. " How many men, born to great posses- sions, remain quite indifferent to learning ! "

"True, most true," said da Costa. " Men-of-the-Earth, most of them."

After supper he trolled the Hebrew grace hilariously, assisted by Yankele, and ere he left he said to the hostess, "May the Lord bless you with children ! "

"Thank you," she answered, much moved.

" You see I should be so pleased to marry your daughter if you had one."

"You are very complimentary," she murmured, but her husband's exclamation drowned hers, " You marry my daughter ! "

" Who else moves among better circles — would be more easily able to find her a suitable match? "

" Oh, in that sense," said Grobstock, mollified in one direction, irritated in another.

" In what other sense ? You do not think I, a Sephardi, would marry her myself! "

" My daughter does not need your assistance," replied Grobstock shortly.

" Not yet," admitted Manasseh, rising to go ; " but when the time comes, where will you find a better marriage broker? I have had a finger in the marriage of greater men's daughters. You see, when I recommend a maiden