He sat waiting with his elbows on the table and his coat unbuttoned over a white waistcoat, and while waiting for the beefsteak he had ordered he looked at the pages of a French novel that lay on his plate.
Sedette col soprabito aperto sul panciotto bianco, appoggiando tutte e due le braccia sulla tavola, e, in attesa della bistecca ordinata, guardava in un romanzo francese poggiato sul piatto.