Міжнародний епізод

           “Isupposeit’stheFrenchwaiters,”saidthefirstspeaker.“Whydon’ttheyhaveFrenchwaitersinLondon?”“FancyaFrenchwaiterataclub,”saidhisfriend.TheyoungEnglishmanstartedalittle,asifhecouldnotfancyit.“InParisI’mveryapttodineataplacewherethere’sanEnglishwaiter.Don’tyouknowwhat’s-his-name’s,closetothethingumbob?TheyalwayssetanEnglishwaiteratme.IsupposetheythinkIcan’tspeakFrench.”“Well,youcan’t.”AndtheelderoftheyoungEnglishmenunfoldedhisnapkin.Hiscompaniontooknonoticewhateverofthisdeclaration.“Isay,”heresumedinamoment,“IsupposewemustlearntospeakAmerican.Isupposewemusttakelessons.”“Ican’tunderstandthem,”saidthecleverman.“WhatthedeuceisHEsaying?”askedhiscomrade,appealingfromtheFrenchwaiter.“Heisrecommendingsomesoft-shellcrabs,”saidthecleverman.Andso,indesultoryobservationoftheidiosyncrasiesofthenewsocietyinwhichtheyfoundthemselves,theyoungEnglishmenproceededtodine—goinginlargely,asthephraseis,forcoolingdraughtsanddishes,ofwhichtheirattendantofferedthemaverylonglist.Afterdinnertheywentoutandslowlywalkedabouttheneighboringstreets.Theearlyduskofwaningsummerwascomingon,buttheheatwasstillverygreat.ThepavementswerehoteventothestoutbootsolesoftheBritishtravelers,andthetreesalongthecurbstoneemittedstrangeexoticodors.