"Give me a plate of roast beef," said Ben.
"Yes, sir. Coffee or tea?"
The waiter went to the lower end of the dining-room, and called out, "Roast beef."
After a brief delay, he returned with the article ordered, and a cup of coffee.
There were two potatoes with the meat, and a small piece of bread on the side of the plate. The coffee looked muddy, and not particularly inviting.
Ben was not accustomed to the ways of restaurants, and supposed that, as in shops, immediate payment was expected.
"Here's the money—twenty cents," he said, producing the sum named.
"Pay at the desk as you go out," said the waiter.
Ben looked up, and then for the first time noticed a man behind a counter in the front part of the room.