"'Why do you come to me?' I asked.
"'Ah! Advocat Porter, my friend tell me you de best lawyer, and in my
trouble I want de best.' He stated his case, and I told him I would
undertake it for a thousand dollars.
"'_Mon dieu!_' he exclaimed, with a desponding shrug, 'it is not
possible to me for pay so much.'
"'Then you must employ some one else.'
"'But dere is none else dat be so good like you. Monsieur Brent is for
my wife--Got damn!--an' you is de best now, so my friend tell me.'
"'Very well, then, if you want my services, you must pay for them; and
you had better come to terms at once, for here is a note which I have
just received from Mr. Brent, telling me he wishes to see me, and I
expect it is to engage me to assist him in this very case.'
"'_O mon dieu! mon dieu!_' he exclaimed, in agony. 'Vell, I shall give
you one thousand dollar.'
"I immediately wrote a note for the amount, payable when the suit was
determined; but it was with great difficulty I could induce him to
sign it. At length he did, however, and I gained his case for him. He
came punctually to pay his note.
Pages:
833
834
835
836
837
838
839
840
841
842
843
844
845
846
847
848
849
850
851
852
853
854
855
856
857