[As he speaks the waiter returns, bringing the little man’s
     beer, then retires.]

American.  That ’pears to be one up to democracy. [To the little
man] I judge you go in for brotherhood?

Little man. [Startled] Oh, no!

American.  I take considerable stock in Leo Tolstoi myself.  Grand man—­grand-souled apparatus.  But I guess you’ve got to pinch those waiters some to make ’em skip. [To the English, who have carelessly looked his way for a moment] You’ll appreciate that, the way he acted about my eggs.

     [The English make faint motions with their chins and avert their
     eyes.]

     [To the waiter, who is standing at the door of the buffet]

Waiter!  Flash of beer—­jump, now!

Waiter.  ‘Komm’ gleich’!

German.  ‘Cigarren’!

Waiter.  ‘Schon’!

     [He disappears.]

American. [Affably—­to the little man] Now, if I don’t get that flash of beer quicker’n you got yours, I shall admire.

German. [Abruptly] Tolstoi is nothing ‘nichts’!  No good!  Ha?

American. [Relishing the approach of argument] Well, that is a matter of temperament.  Now, I’m all for equality.  See that poor woman there—­very humble woman—­there she sits among us with her baby.  Perhaps you’d like to locate her somewhere else?

German. [Shrugging].  Tolstoi is ‘sentimentalisch’.  Nietzsche is the true philosopher, the only one.

American.  Well, that’s quite in the prospectus—­very stimulating party—­old Nietch—­virgin mind.  But give me Leo! [He turns to the red-cheeked youth] What do you opine, sir?  I guess by your labels you’ll be Dutch.  Do they read Tolstoi in your country?

     [The Dutch youth laughs.]

American.  That is a very luminous answer.

German.  Tolstoi is nothing.  Man should himself express.  He must push—­he must be strong.

American.  That is so.  In America we believe in virility; we like a man to expand.  But we believe in brotherhood too.  We draw the line at niggers; but we aspire.  Social barriers and distinctions we’ve not much use for.

Englishman.  Do you feel a draught?

ENGLISHWOMAN. [With a shiver of her shoulder toward the American] I do—­rather.

German.  Wait!  You are a young people.

American.  That is so; there are no flies on us. [To the little man, who has been gazing eagerly from face to face] Say!  I’d like to have you give us your sentiments in relation to the duty of man.

     [The little man, fidgets, and is about to opens his mouth.]

American.  For example—­is it your opinion that we should kill off the weak and diseased, and all that can’t jump around?