ah!" said Marcel, recovering himself the first. "Let us spend a
hundred francs for this once!"

"Yes," said Rodolphe, "they complain of our not being good customers.
Let's astonish them!"

"Ay," said Colline, "let us give ourselves up to the delights of a
splendid banquet! Do we not owe passive obedience to these ladies? Love
lies on devotion; wine is the essence of pleasure, pleasure the duty of
youth; women are flowers and must be moistened. Moisten away! Waiter,
waiter!" and Colline hung upon the bell rope with feverish excitement.

Swift as the wind, the waiter came. When he heard talk of Champagne,
Burgundy, and various liqueurs, his physiognomy ran through a whole
gamut of astonishment. But there was more to come.

"I have a hole in my inside," said Mimi. "I should like some ham."

"And I some sardines, and bread and butter," struck in Musette.

"And I, radishes," quoth Phemie, "and a little meat with them."

"We should have no objection," answered they.

"Waiter!" quoth Colline, gravely, "bring us all that is requisite for a
good supper."

The waiter turned all the colors of the rainbow. He descended slowly to
the bar, and informed his master of the extraordinary orders he had
received.

The landlord took it for a joke; but on a new summons from the bell, he
ascended himself and addressed Colline, for whom he had a certain
respect. Colline explained to him that they wished to see Christmas in
at his house, and that he would oblige them by serving what they had
asked for. Momus made no answer, but backed out, twisting his napkin.
For a quarter of an hour he held a consultation with his wife, who,
thanks to her liberal education at the St. Denis Convent, fortunately
had a weakness for arts and letters, and advised him to serve the
supper.

"To be sure," said the landlord, "they may have money for once, by
chance."

So he told the waiter to take up whatever they asked for, and then
plunged into a game of piquet with an old customer. Fatal imprudence!

From ten to twelve the waiter did nothing but run up and downstairs.
Every moment he was asked for something more. Musette would eat English
fashion, and change her fork at every mouthful. Mimi drank all sorts of
wine, in all sorts of glasses. Schaunard had a quenchless Sahara in his
throat. Colline played a crossfire with his eyes, and while munching his
napkin, as his habit was, kept pinching the leg of the table, which he
took for Phemie's knee. Marc