Play Holy Moses

[Johnyxxx]

Hi,

Can somebody help me understand the bold text?

‘“Where’s that George of yours?” he said to me at last – with additions. “Where’s that George? Fetch him out, and I’ll teach him to come playing the holy Moses to my own daughter. Fetch him out, I say, and we’ll finish it here and now.” And all pitched high, and half his words no more English than the mewing of a cat. ‘But I kept my temper and answered him quite moderate and as pleasantly as I knew how. “I don’t want to meddle in anybody’s quarrels,” I said. “So long as George so does his work in this house as will satisfy my eye, I am not responsible for his actions in his off-time and out of bounds.”

Crewe by Walter de la Mare, 1929

Thank you very much.

 

[J&K Tutoring]

I've never heard anyone use the phrase "playing the holy Moses", but I'll make a guess.

In the Bible, Moses was a prophet. He led the Israelites out of bondage and into the Promised Land. My guess is this George has been trying to convince the daughter to leave her father and go away with him.

I'd like to add that, while older literature is interesting, English is continually evolving. Something more contemporary might be more helpful in learning to communicate 'today'.