'I adore plover's eggs!' cried Madame Bonanni, as he set a plate before
her containing three tiny porcelain bowls, in each of which a little
boiled plover's egg lay buried in jelly.
It was evident that she was speaking the truth, for they disappeared in
an instant, and were followed by a bisque of shrimps of the most creamy
composition.
'It is my passion!' she said.
She took her spoon in her hand, but appeared to hesitate, for she
glanced first at Margaret, then down at her green tea-gown, and then at
Margaret again. At last she seemed to make up her mind, and quickly
unfolding the damask napkin she tied it round her neck in a solid knot.
The stiff points stood out on each side behind her ears. She emitted a
sigh of satisfaction and went to work at the soup. Margaret pretended
to see nothing and made an indifferent remark to Logotheti.
Madame Bonanni made a good deal of noise, finally tipping up her plate
and scraping out the contents to the last drop.
'Ah!' she exclaimed with immense satisfaction. 'That was good!' 'Perfect,' assented Logotheti, who ate delicately and noiselessly, as
Orientals do.
'Delicious! said Margaret, who was hungry.
'I taught my cook the real way to make it,' Madame Bonanni said. 'I am
a good cook, a very good cook! I always did the cooking at home before
I came to Paris to study, because my mother was not able to stand long.
One of the farm horses had kicked her and broken her leg and she was
always lame after that. Well?' she asked suddenly turning to the
cheerful servant. 'Is that all we are to have to-day? I am dying of
hunger!' A marvellous salmon trout made its appearance a moment later.
'Oh yes!' exclaimed the prima donna. 'I am fond of eating! You may
laugh at me if you like, Logotheti. I am perfectly indifferent!' And she was. She did all sorts of things that surprised Margaret, and
when a dish of ortolans with a rich brown sauce was put before her, she
deliberately discarded her knife and fork altogether and ate with her
hands. By way of terminating the operation, she stuck every finger of
each hand into her mouth as far as it would go, licked all ten
thoroughly, and then looked at them critically before drying them on
her napkin. By this time Margaret was past being surprised at anything.
'Logotheti says that in the East they all eat with their fingers,' the
singer observed.
'It is much cleaner,' Logotheti answered imperturbably.