THE KING OF SCHNORRERS. 63
one eye. Caesar would not have come and conquered if he had really seen.
Wounded by that temporary twinkle in his client's eye, the patron moved on silently, in step with the military air.
" It is a beautiful night," observed Yankele in contrition. The words had hardly passed his lips before he became con- scious that he had spoken the truth. The moon was peep- ing from behind a white cloud, and the air was soft, and broken shadows of foliage lay across the path, and the music was a song of love and bravery. Somehow, Yankele began to think of da Costa's lovely daughter. Her face floated in the moonlight.
Manasseh shrugged his shoulders, unappeased.
" When one has supped well, it is always a beautiful night," he said testily. It was as if the cloud had overspread the moon, and a thick veil had fallen over the face of da Costa's lovely daughter. But Yankele recovered himself quickly.
" Ah, yes," he said, " you have indeed made it a beau- diful night for me."
The King of Schnorrers waved his staff deprecatingly.
" It is alvays a beaudiful night ven I am mid you,' 1 added Yankele, undaunted.
" It is strange," replied Manasseh musingly, " that I should have admitted to my hearth and Grobstock's table one who is, after all, but a half-brother in Israel."
" But Grobstock is also a Tedesco," protested Yankele.
" That is also what I wonder at," rejoined da Costa. " I cannot make out how I have come to be so familiar with him."
" You see ! " ventured the Tedesco timidly. " P'raps ven Grobstock had really had a girl you might even have come to marry her."
