"_Che vuol ella_?" he repeated, in a faint voice.
"_Gunk_! _gung_!" said the Senator, as solemnly as before.
"Non capisco."
"_Gunk gung_! _gunkety gunk gung_!"
The waiter shrugged his shoulders till they reached the upper part of his ears. The Senator looked for a moment at him, and saw that he did not understand him. He looked at the floor involved in deep thought. At last he raised his eyes once more to meet those of the waiter, which still were fixed upon him, and placing the palms of his hands on his hips, threw back his head, and with his eyes still fixed steadfastly upon the waiter he gave utterance to a long shrill gurgle such as he thought the frogs might give:
[Transcriber's Note: Transliteration of Greek.] Brekekekek koax koax, Brekekekek koax koax. [TN: /end Greek.]
[Illustration: Brekekekek koax koax!]
(Recurrence must be made to Aristophanes, who alone of articulate speaking men has written down the utterance of the common frog.)
The waiter started back. All the men in the café jumped to their feet.