At length only old man Hubai remained.
"What are you waiting for?" Morris demanded.
"Me poor man," Hubai said. "Me no got carfare, me no got Trinkgeld, me no got nothing."
Morris handed him a quarter and he shuffled off toward the backstairs. Meantime Abe staggered to his feet and passed his hand over his forehead.
"Tell me, Mawruss," he said, "what is all this about?"
"It's just what I says just now, Abe," Morris exploded. "That expert seen the wrong fiddle. The fiddle you gave Geigermann is no more three hundred years old than I am."
"Why ain't it?" Abe asked.
For answer Morris handed him the label. On the obverse side Abe read the inscription:
| Nicolaus Amati Cremonensis Faciebai Anno 1670. |
"Now turn it over," Morris said; and Abe described on the reverse side a familiar oval mark bearing the following inscription: