hicken a la Marengo_," said the Frenchman, "with a _soupcon_ of
garlic."

"No," said Von Barwig decidedly, "Miss Husted doesn't like garlic!"

"_A la Polenta_ is better," suggested the Italian.

"_Ein Bischen Limburger_," put in Poons, which was instantly frowned
upon by all.

Jenny was asked to take down the order, and the process of selecting
the dishes for the dinner was gone through; each ordering according to
his own taste. Jenny tried to write down everything they wanted, but
gave it up after she had filled three pages of suggestions and
scratched them out again. Finally Von Barwig ordered a nice little
dinner, including spaghetti and garlic. As Jenny was about to take the
order to Galazatti's, Miss Husted made her appearance. Jenny told her
that the professor had invited her to dinner, and she realised in a
moment what had happened. It was the old story; the professor was to
be the host. She suggested that she herself get up a little dinner for
the men, but Von Barwig wouldn't hear of putting her to the trouble and
so his ideas were carried out as usual. It was really a most enjoyable
dinner! To this day Miss Husted speaks of it as one of those gala
Bohemian affairs that must be seen and heard and eaten to be
appreciated. As she afterward told her friend, Mrs. Mangenborn, they
had a hip, hip hurray of a time. The dear professor was just as jolly
as he could be. Even Poons was tolerable, although she would not for
worlds sit next to him at the table. It was simply impossible for her
to describe the dinner in detail, but how Fico swallowed the spaghetti
without losing it down his shirt front was a mystery. How the man got
so much on his fork and swallowed it down by the yard nobody knew, it
was simply a sublime feat! But the toasts they drank (with the last of
the professor's claret), the songs they sang, the art they discussed!
Every word was a scream of laughter.

"Just listen to this," said Miss Husted, laughing at the very memory of
the joke. "Young Poons asked what was garlic, and the professor said:
'Garlic is a vegetable limburger!' The idea of such a thing!" Even
Mrs. Mangenborn consented to smile.

"And when Mr. Fico said, 'Wine is the enemy of mankind,' Mr. Pinac
jumped up and said, 'Is it? Then give me my enemy, that I may drink
him down.' Oh, it was a most enjoyable affair. I can't tell you all
that was said," went on Miss Husted. "But how the wit did flow! Wit
and wine; no,