Directly after coffee, Johnnie excused himself for a moment and left
the room. When he returned he said briskly, "Well, are you ready to
go?" As soon as we were in a cab and safely out of hearing of the Café
Aguacate, Johnnie lay back and laughed long and joyously.
But I was very serious. "Look here, Johnnie," I said to him solemnly,
"when you invite me to dine with you, don't you ever do _that_ again.
And I'll tell you one thing--when you dine with me you will probably
get the ordinary table d'hôte." I was an older man.
"Oh, that's all right," he cried. And then he too grew serious. "Well,
as far as I am concerned--as far as I am concerned," he said, "the war
is now over."