“These ladies are young,” I said, “quite young, and so the cakes must be of the most sumptuous possible kind, not ordinary slices cut off large cakes, but small creations, each complete in itself and wrapped in a little paper frill. Do you understand what I mean?”
He said he did, thoroughly.
“I need scarcely say,” I added, “that many if not all of the cakes must be coated with sugar. Some ought to be filled with whipped cream. The others should contain or be contained by almond icing.”
The head waiter asked for information about the size of the party.
“There are only two ladies,” I said, “but they are bringing a young man with them. We may, as he is not here, describe him as a boy. Therefore there must be a large number of cakes, say four dozen.”
The head waiter’s eyebrows went up slightly. It was the first sign of emotion he had shown.
“I sha’n’t eat more than two myself,” I said, “so four dozen ought to be enough. I also want ices, twelve ices.”
This time the head waiter gasped. It was a cold, a remarkably cold, day, with an east wind and a feeling in the air as if snow was imminent.
“You mustn’t understand from that,” I said, “that the fire is to be allowed to go out. Quite the contrary. I want a particularly good fire. When the others are eating ices I shall feel the need of it.”
The head waiter asked if I had a preference for any particular kind of ice.