"I wonder.... Perhaps.... Can you give me a table?"
Most of the head waiter's eyes were concealed by the upper strata of his cheeks, but there was enough of them left visible to allow him to look at John as if he were something unpleasant that had come to light in a portion of salad.
"Monsieur is a member?"
"Er—no."
"If you will please wait in the lobby, thank you."
"But I was wondering...."
"If you will wait in the lobby, please," said the head waiter, and, dismissing John from the scheme of things, became gruesomely obsequious to an elderly man with diamond studs, no hair, an authoritative manner, and a lady in pink. He waddled before them into the supper room, and Pat reappeared.
"Got that table?"
"I'm afraid not. He says...."
"Oh, Johnnie, you are maddening. Why are you so helpless?"