Who appeared to Appasaheb in the form of a Fakir, and why did it cause suspicion?

The text in Chapter 33 strongly implies that it was Sai Baba himself who appeared before Appasaheb in the form of a Fakir to test him and give him an opportunity to fulfill a promise. Appasaheb became suspicious and hesitated because the Fakir who appeared on that day was a stranger and not the one he was presumably accustomed to. This suspicion caused him to doubt the visitor's authenticity, and even though he had money nearby, he did not offer it, demonstrating how a devotee can falter when the divine appears in an unfamiliar guise.