Page:Zangwill-King of schnorrers.djvu/94

80 80 THE KING OF SCHNORRERS.

"Me ! ven?" exclaimed Yanked indignantly.

" Why, this very night. When you asked young Wein- stein for his dead father's clothes ! "

" But he had already given them away ! " protested the Pole.

" What of that ? If anyone had given away my clothes, I should have demanded compensation. You must really be above rebuffs of that kind, Yankele, if you are to be my son-in-law. No, no, I remember the dictum of the Sages : ' To give your daughter to an uncultured man is like throw- ing her bound to a lion.' "

" But you have also seen me schnorr mid success," re- monstrated the suitor.

" Never !" protested Manasseh vehemently.

" Often ! "

" From whom ? " From you ! " said Yankele" boldly.

From me! " sneered Manasseh, accentuating the pro- noun with infinite contempt. " What does that prove ? I am a generous man. The test is to schnorr from a miser."

"I viil schnorr from a miser ! " announced Yankele des- perately.

" You will ! "

"Yes. Choose your miser."

" No, I leave it to you," said da Costa politely.

"Veil, Sam Lazarus, de butcher shop ! "

" No, not Sam Lazarus, he once gave a Schnorrer I know elevenpence."

" Elevenpence? " incredulously murmured Yankele.

" Yes, it was the only way he could pass a shilling. It wasn't bad, only cracked, but he could get no one to take it except a Schnorrer. He made the man give him a penny change though. 'Tis true the man afterwards laid