American. [Addressing them] ’Pears as if they’d a prejudice against eggs here, anyway.

     [The English look at him, but do not speak. ]

German. [In creditable English] In these places man can get nothing.

     [The waiter comes flying back with a compote for the Dutch
     youth, who pays.]

German.  ‘Kellner, bezahlen’!

Waiter.  ‘Eine Krone sechzig’.

     [The German pays.]

American. [Rising, and taking out his watch—­blandly] See here.  If I don’t get my eggs before this watch ticks twenty, there’ll be another waiter in heaven.

Waiter. [Flying] ‘Komm’ gleich’!

American. [Seeking sympathy] I’m gettin’ kind of mad!

     [The Englishman halves his newspaper and hands the advertisement
     half to his wife.  The baby wails.  The mother rocks it.]

[The Dutch youth stops eating and laughs.  The German lights a cigarette.  The little man sits motionless, nursing his hat.  The waiter comes flying back with the eggs and places them before the American.]

American. [Putting away his watch] Good!  I don’t like trouble.  How much?

     [He pays and eats.  The waiter stands a moment at the edge of
     the platform and passes his hand across his brow.  The little
     man eyes him and speaks gently.]

Little man.  Herr Ober!

     [The waiter turns.]

Might I have a glass of beer?

Waiter.  Yes, sare.

Little man.  Thank you very much.

     [The waiter goes.]

American. [Pausing in the deglutition of his eggs—­affably] Pardon me, sir; I’d like to have you tell me why you called that little bit of a feller “Herr Ober.”  Reckon you would know what that means?  Mr. Head Waiter.

Little man.  Yes, yes.

American.  I smile.

Little man.  Oughtn’t I to call him that?

German. [Abruptly] ‘Nein—­Kellner’.

American.  Why, yes!  Just “waiter.”

     [The ENGLISHWOMAN looks round her paper for a second.  The Dutch
     youth stops eating and laughs.  The little man gazes from face
     to face and nurses his hat.]

Little man.  I didn’t want to hurt his feelings.

German.  Gott!

American.  In my country we’re very democratic—­but that’s quite a proposition.

Englishman. [Handling coffee-pot, to his wife] More?

ENGLISHWOMAN.  No, thanks.

German. [Abruptly] These fellows—­if you treat them in this manner, at once they take liberties.  You see, you will not get your beer.