va rog mult un sumar de 200 de cuvinte persoana a 3

...I was startled when the bill of fare was

brought, for the cost was much higher than I had

thought.

“I never eat anything for luncheon,” she said.

“I never eat more than one thing. A little fish per-

haps. I wonder if they have any sal mon.”

Well, it was early in the year for salmon and

it was not on the bill of fare, but I asked the waiter

if there was any. Yes, a beautiful salmon had just

come in, it was the first they had had. I ordered it for

my friend. The waiter asked her if she would have

something while they were cooking it.

“No,” she answered, “I never eat more than

one thing. Unless you had a little caviare. I never

mind caviare.”

My heart sank a little. I knew I could not order

caviare, but I could not very well tell her that. I told

the waiter to bring caviare. For myself, I chose the

The Luncheon

cheapest dish on the menu and that was a mut ton

chop.

Then came the question of drink.

“I never drink anything for luncheon,” she said.

“Neither do I,” I answered quickly.

“Except white wine,” she said as though I had

not spoken. These French wines are so light. They’re

wonderful for digestion.

“What would you like?” I asked.

She gave me a bright smile.

“My doctor won’t let me drink anything but

champagne.”

I turned pale. I ordered half a bottle. I said that

my doctor had absolutely forbidden me to drink

champagne.

“What are you going to drink then?”

“Water.”

She ate the caviare and she ate the salmon. Shetalked of art and literature and music, but I won-

dered what the bill would come to.

“I see that you like to eat a heavy luncheon. I

am sure it is a mis take. Why don’t you follow my

example and just eat one thing?”

“I am only going to eat one thing,” I said as the

waiter came again with the bill of fare.

She waved him aside with an airy gesture.

“No, no, I never eat anything for luncheon.

Just a bite. I couldn’t possibly eat anything more–

unless they had some of those giant asparagus. I

should be sorry to leave Paris without having one

of them.”

My heart sank. I had seen them in the shops

and I knew that they were terribly expensive.

“Madame wants to know if you have any of

those giant asparagus,” I asked the waiter. I tried

with all my might to make him say no. A happy

smile appeared over his broad face, and he told me

that they had some very large, and splendid. I or-

dered them.

We waited for the asparagus to be cooked. Pan-

ic caught me. It was not a question now how much

money I should have for the rest of the month, but

whether I had enough to pay the bill.

The asparagus appeared. They were great. Iwatched her eating them.

At last she finished.

“Coffee?” I said.

“Yes, just an ice-cream and coffee,” she an-

swered.

I ordered coffee for myself and an ice-cream

and coffee for her.

Then a terrible thing happened. While we

were waiting for the coffee, the head waiter

came up to us bringing a large basket full of huge

peaches.

“You, see.” she said, “you have filled your

stomach with a lot of meat and you can’t eat any-

thing more. But I’ve just had a bite and I shall enjoy

a peach.”

The bill came and when I paid it I found that

I had no money left. When I walked out of the res-

taurant I had the whole month before me and not a

penny in my pocket.

“Follow my example,” she said as we shook

hands, “and never eat” more than one thing for

luncheon.”

“I’ll do better than that,” I answered. “I’ll eat

nothing for dinner tonight!”

“Humorist!” she cried, jumping into a cab.

“You are quite a hu morist!”

But I have had my revenge at last. I do not

believe that I am a revengeful man, but when the

immortal gods take hand in the matter, it is pardon-

able to observe the result with self-satisfaction. To-

day she weighs twenty-one stones.​