'I adore plover's eggs!' cried Madame Bonanni, as he set a plate before

her containing three tiny porcelain bowls, in each of which a little

boiled plover's egg lay buried in jelly.

It was evident that she was speaking the truth, for they disappeared in

an instant, and were followed by a bisque of shrimps of the most creamy

composition.

'It is my passion!' she said.

She took her spoon in her hand, but appeared to hesitate, for she

glanced first at Margaret, then down at her green tea-gown, and then at

Margaret again. At last she seemed to make up her mind, and quickly

unfolding the damask napkin she tied it round her neck in a solid knot.

The stiff points stood out on each side behind her ears. She emitted a

sigh of satisfaction and went to work at the soup. Margaret pretended

to see nothing and made an indifferent remark to Logotheti.

Madame Bonanni made a good deal of noise, finally tipping up her plate

and scraping out the contents to the last drop.

'Ah!' she exclaimed with immense satisfaction. 'That was good!' 'Perfect,' assented Logotheti, who ate delicately and noiselessly, as

Orientals do.

'Delicious! said Margaret, who was hungry.

'I taught my cook the real way to make it,' Madame Bonanni said. 'I am

a good cook, a very good cook! I always did the cooking at home before

I came to Paris to study, because my mother was not able to stand long.

One of the farm horses had kicked her and broken her leg and she was

always lame after that. Well?' she asked suddenly turning to the

cheerful servant. 'Is that all we are to have to-day? I am dying of

hunger!' A marvellous salmon trout made its appearance a moment later.

'Oh yes!' exclaimed the prima donna. 'I am fond of eating! You may

laugh at me if you like, Logotheti. I am perfectly indifferent!' And she was. She did all sorts of things that surprised Margaret, and

when a dish of ortolans with a rich brown sauce was put before her, she

deliberately discarded her knife and fork altogether and ate with her

hands. By way of terminating the operation, she stuck every finger of

each hand into her mouth as far as it would go, licked all ten

thoroughly, and then looked at them critically before drying them on

her napkin. By this time Margaret was past being surprised at anything.

'Logotheti says that in the East they all eat with their fingers,' the

singer observed.

'It is much cleaner,' Logotheti answered imperturbably.




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