Did Sai Baba really appear as a Fakir to Appasaheb? What happened during that visit?

The text from Chapter 33 strongly implies that Sai Baba came to Appasaheb in the form of a Fakir to test him. It rhetorically asks why Baba would appear as a Fakir if not as a pretext for receiving Dakshina. On the very day Appasaheb resolved to give ten rupees, a strange Fakir appeared before him. However, because the Fakir was a stranger, Appasaheb became suspicious. Even though he had six rupees available at that moment, his hesitation and suspicion prevented him from offering the money. This incident is presented as a lesson on how devotees can falter despite their good intentions.