the bigshot in the third-floor apartment had been surrounded by notes and stark novels the first time she came to dun him about the rent ( only three days overdue that time , but of course if you gave them an inch they took a mile ) , and after she had taken care of her business and he had.promised to deliver a check to her by noon the following day , she asked him if the collected works of george stark were now required reading for a career before the bar .