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78 78 THE KING OF SCHNORRERS.

back, without perceptible pause, " You do not allow for vat I save by my piety. I fast twenty times a year, and surely dat is at least anoder guinea per annum."

" But you will have children," retorted da Costa.

Yankele shrugged his shoulders.

" Dat is de affair of de Holy One, blessed be He. Ven He sends dem He vill provide for dem. You must not forget, too, dat mid your daughter de dowry vould be noting so small as a hundred pounds."

" My daughter will have a dowry befitting her station, cer- tainly," said Manasseh, with his grandest manner ; " but then I had looked forward to her marrying a king of Schnorrers."

" Veil, but ven I marry her I shall be."

"How so?"

" I shall have schnorred your daughter — the most pre- cious thing in the world ! And schnorred her from a king of Schnorrers, too ! ! And I shall have schnorred your services as marriage-broker into de bargain ! ! ! "

CHAPTER IV.

SHOWING HOW THE ROYAL WEDDING WAS ARRANGED.

Manasseh Bueno Barzillai Azevedo da Costa was so im- pressed by his would-be son-in-law's last argument that he perpended it in silence for a full minute. When he replied, his tone showed even more respect than had been infused into it by the statement of the aspirant's income. Manasseh was not of those to whom money is a fetish ; he regarded it merely as something to be had for the asking. It was intellect for which he reserved his admiration. That was strictly not transferable.