48
PARTISAN REVIEW
aggressive frame. It was evident that he was in high fettle this
afteriwon.
"Hey, Nudnick!" he bellowed suddenly.
"What d'you want?"
A
pale whining voice floated up from
the other side of the glazed glass partition. followed by the
presence of Mr. Nathan Nudnick himself, in the flesh, on the
threshold of Mr. Schmuck'c office, his pale bulging harassed little
eyes darting back and forth like a shuttle.
"Who was it said that about the man biting the dog?" said
Mr. Schmuck.
The look of habitual worriment on Mr. Nudnick's coun–
tenance deepened.
"A man should bite a dog?" he said incredulously. "What
kind of a ...
?"
"Qh for Christ's sake!" Mr. Nudnick said. "Write a letter
to the Times about it why don't you?"
"There's a Mr. John Doe here to see you," Miss Bitter–
man interrupted elbowing her way into the office.
"Doe? Who the hell's John Doe?" asked Mr. Schmuck.
"I don't know, sir. He says he wanted to see you about
something important."
"Aw, you know,'' Mr. Rosenberg said. "One of the Blu–
menthal accounts."
"Humph
I"
Mr. Schmuck blew a mighty wind through his
nose. "Alright, tell him to wait."
"Wait a minute," he called after the departing secretary.
"Get me the Blumenthal file will you? ... And close the door
after you."
"What about him?" he asked Mr. Rosenberg when the
door was shut, jerking his head toward the outer office.
Mr. Rosenberg grimaced and shrugged his shoulders, then
pointed emphatically to the floor with both thumbs down.
"Just another poor sucker,'' he said.
"vVhat do you mean another poor sucker?" Mr. Schmuck
said. "Say Nudnick, did you get that? That's what law school
does for 'em nowadays. Throwing up a case before he even
gets started."
Mr. Nudnick smiled apologetically, his hand groping for the
doorknob behind him.
"You'll excuse me gentlemen," he said unconvincingly. "I've
got work
to
do," edging himself out from under his partner's
contemptuous heavy-lidded stare.
