"Eh, what? wool and hides!" cried the notary. "You can talk about those afterward. We came for this particular business that you know about."
One may observe that the notary was a cunning business man, who could dispense with preliminaries, he took the bull by the horns, and that was what Pomuchelskopp liked,--he knew how to pull up nettles.
He went up to the notary, shook his hand, and motioned him to the sofa. "Yes," said he, "it is a difficult, far-reaching piece of business."
"Hm? Well, we can make it long or short, as you like. But difficult? I have managed much harder case's. David has a bill for two thousand five hundred; I myself lent him last quarter eight hundred and thirty. Would you like the note? Here it is."
"It is good paper," said Pomuchelskopp, gently and composedly, and he stood up and took the money for it out of his pocket.
"Will you have mine too?" asked David.
"I will take yours also," said Pomuchelskopp, nodding his head with dignity, as if he were doing a great work for humanity. "But, gentlemen," he added, "I take them on this condition. Make out a bill, in my name, that you are indebted to me for the amount, and keep these notes and worry him with them. He must be only worried, for if we carry it too far he will get the money somewhere else, and the right time hasn't come yet."
"Yes," said the notary, "we understand; we can manage the business; but David has something else to tell you."
"Yes," said David, "I have a letter from P----, when he has been with his regiment, from Marcus Seelig, who writes me that he can buy up about two thousand dollars of the lieutenant's paper, and if you would like--what do you say?"
"Hm?" said Pomuchelskopp, "it is a good deal to take at one time; but--yes, you may get it for me."