They saw it was useless to remonstrate with him and for a moment remained silent, but Pinac determined to make another effort.
"You cannot afford such expense," he began. "It is too much."
"Pardon me," said Von Barwig, with quiet dignity, "I can always afford to invite my friends to dinner. I have had lessons all day, ever since early morning. Please, my dear Pinac, and you, Fico, old friend, do not refer to the financial side of our little festivity. It robs it of the zest of enjoyment, of comradeship. Let us eat and drink and be merry! The question is, what shall we have for dinner, not who shall pay for it?" And then without awaiting a reply, he opened the door and called for Jenny.
Pinac and Fico looked at each other. It was evident to them that Miss Husted had exaggerated Von Barwig's poverty, so their spirits rose at once.
"Jenny! We take dinner here. Get me the menu, Poons. Jenny, you will ask your good aunt, Miss Husted, to dine with us en famille—one of our old-time dinners. Now, what shall we have?" he said, scanning the well-thumbed menu that Poons had handed to him.
"It is an old one," suggested Fico.
"It is always the same. It is only the date they change," said Von Barwig. Pinac looked over his shoulder at the menu.
"Chicken à la Marengo," said the Frenchman, "with a soupçon of garlic."
"No," said Von Barwig decidedly, "Miss Husted doesn't like garlic!"
"À la Polenta is better," suggested the Italian.