For a few moments they sat in silence.

“I will arrange,” said the Judge, at last, “for you and Mr. Hasbrook to meet.  I must explain to you, as a matter of fairness, that he is a rich man, and will be able to pay you for your services.  He is asking a great deal of you, and he should expect to pay for it.”

Montague sat in thought.  “I have not really had time to get my bearings in New York,” he said at last.  “I think I had best leave it to you to say what I should charge him.”

“If I were in your position,” the Judge answered, “I think that I should ask a retaining-fee of fifty thousand dollars.  I believe he will expect to pay at least that.”

Montague could scarcely repress a start.  Fifty thousand dollars!  The words made his head whirl round.  But then, all of a sudden, he recalled his half-jesting resolve to play the game of business sternly.  So he nodded his head gravely, and said, “Very well; I am much obliged to you.”

After a pause, he added, “I hope that I may prove able to handle the case to your friend’s satisfaction.”

“Your ability remains for you to prove,” said the Judge.  “I have only been in position to assure him of your character.”

“He must understand, of course,” said Montague, “that I am a stranger, and that it will take me a while to study the situation.”

“Of course he knows that.  But you will find that Mr. Hasbrook knows a good deal about the law himself.  And he has already had a lot of work done.  You must understand that it is very easy to get legal advice about such a matter—­what is sought is some one to take the conduct of the case.”

“I see,” said Montague; and the Judge added, with a smile, “Some one to get up on horseback, and draw the fire of the enemy!”

And then the great man was, as usual, reminded of a story; and then of more stories; until at last they rose from the table, and shook hands upon their bargain, and parted.

Fifty thousand dollars!  Fifty thousand dollars!  It was all Montague could do to keep from exclaiming it aloud on the street.  He could hardly believe that it was a reality—­if it had been a less-known person than Judge Ellis, he would have suspected that some one must be playing a joke upon him.  Fifty thousand dollars was more than many a lawyer made at home in a lifetime; and simply as a retaining-fee in one case!  The problem of a living had weighed on his soul ever since the first day in the city, and now suddenly it was solved; all in a few minutes, the way had been swept clear before him.  He walked home as if upon air.

And then there was the excitement of telling the family about it.  He had an idea that his brother might be alarmed if he were told about the seriousness of the case; and so he simply said that the Judge had brought him a rich client, and that it was an insurance case.  Oliver, who knew and cared nothing about law, asked no questions, and contented himself with saying, “I told you how easy it was to make money in New York, if only you knew the right people!” As for Alice, she had known all along that her cousin was a great man, and that clients would come to him as soon as he hung out his sign.