The referee sat at one end of a large table, surrounded by his books, with his stenographer beside him; and to his left sat Bunce and a lawyer named Stires, the present "attorney of record" for the defendant.

I took my seat opposite them, introduced myself to the referee and waited.

In a few moments the door opened noisily and Gottlieb entered with much bustle, accompanied by a clerk carrying books and papers and by a perfectly strange man, arrayed in very new clothes, who seemed much embarrassed and doubtful as to what he should do.
"Good afternoon, gentlemen!" exclaimed Gottlieb breezily.

"I regret to have kept you waiting, but I was unavoidably detained.

Shall I sit down here?
Yes?
Very good.