The main goal of this paper is to present an alternative, real variable proof of the$T$(1)-theorem for the Cauchy integral. We then prove that the estimate from below of analytic capacity in terms of total Menger curvature is a direct consequence of the$T$(1)-theorem. An example shows that the$L$^{∞}-BMO estimate for the Cauchy integral does not follow from$L$^{2}boundedness when the underlying measure is not doubling.