es, a little calcimine is nothing, Goldstein, to
what them people can do to me. They're going to claim they got there a
year's verbal lease."

Goldstein shrugged his shoulders.

"That's all right," he commented. "They want to gouge you for fifty
dollars or so; and, with the price you're getting for the house,
Glaubmann, you can afford to pay 'em."

"Gouge nothing!" Glaubmann declared. "They just got done there a couple
hundred dollars' painting and plumbing, y'understand, and they're going
to stick it out."

Goldstein pursed his lips in an ominous whistle.

"A verbal lease, hey?" he muttered.

Glaubmann nodded sadly.

"And this time there is witnesses," he said; and he related to his
attorney the circumstances under which the original lease was made,
together with the incident attending Kovner's visit to Ortelsburg's
house.

"It looks like you're up against it, Glaubmann," Goldstein declared.

"But couldn't I claim that I was only bluffing the feller?" Glaubmann
asked.

"Sure you could," Goldstein replied; "but when Kovner went to work and
painted the house and fixed the plumbing he called your bluff,
Glaubmann; so the only thing to do is to ask for an adjournment
to-morrow."

"And suppose they won't give it to us?" Glaubmann asked.

Goldstein shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm a lawyer, Glaubmann--not a prophet," he said; "but if I know Henry
D. Feldman you won't get any adjournment--so you may as well make your
plans accordingly."

For a brief interval Glaubmann nodded his head slowly, and then he burst
into a mirthless laugh.

"Real estate," he said, "that's something to own. Rheumatism is a fine
asset compared to it; in fact if some one gives me my choice, Goldstein,
I would say rheumatism every time. Both of 'em keep you awake nights;
but there's one thing about rheumatism, Goldstein"--here he indulged in
another bitter laugh--"you don't need a lawyer to get rid of it!" he
said, and banged the door behind him.

* * * * *

If there was any branch of legal practice in which Henry D. Feldman
excelled it was conveyancing, and he brought to it all the histrionic
ability that made him so formidable as a trial lawyer. Indeed, Feldman
was accustomed to treat the conveyancing department of his office as a
business-getter for the more lucrative field of litigation, and he
spared no pains to make each closing of title an impressive and dramatic
spectacle.

Thus the _mise-en-scene_ o