mouthfuls and in my polite way I discoursed on the condition of the drama in the Balkans. At last, she finished.
"Coffee?" I asked.
"Yes, just an ice cream and coffee," she answered.
I was part caring now, so I ordered coffee for myself and an ice cream and coffee for her.
" You know, there's one thing I thoroughly believe in," she said, as she ate the ice cream. "One should always get up from a meal feeling one could eat a little more."
"Are you still hungry?" I asked faintly "Oh, no. I'm not hungry, you see, I don't eat luncheon. I have a cup of coffee in the morning and then dinner, but I never eat more than one thing for luncheon. I was speaking for you.
"Oh, I see, "
Then a terrible thing happened. While we were waiting for the coffee, the head waiter, with an ingratiating smile on his false face, came up to us bearing a large basket full of peaches. They had the blush of an innocent girl; they had the rich tone of an Italian landscape. But surely peaches were not in season then? Lord knew what they cost. I knew a little later, for my guest, going on with her conversation, absentmindedly took one.
"You see, you've filled your stomach with a lot of meat" my one miserable little chop-"and you can't eat any more. But I've just had a snack and shall enjoy a peach.
The bill came and when I paid it I found that I had only enough for a quite inadequate tip. Her eyes rested for an instant the I left for the waiter and I knew that she thought me mean. But when I walked out of the restaurant I had the whole month before me and not a penny in my pocket.