He therefore invited them to a little festival to celebrate the occasion.
He had been thinking over the book for seventeen years, had been eight years in writing it, and as it had taken such an important place in his life, he must be pardoned a little vanity about it now.

Paul had a written invitation sent him, and he thought the occasion was sufficiently important to come to Berlin on purpose.
On the appointed evening they all met at eight o'clock at Borchardt's in the Franzbsischen Strasse.

A dignified waiter, who in appearance and manner looked more like an ambassador, received the guests, and took them into a private room on the left side of the large room above the ground floor.

This little room was all lined with red like a jewel case, thick red portieres were over the doors, and the amount of gas with which it was lighted made it rather warmer than was comfortable.

A large table with divans on three sides of it nearly filled the room; it was beautifully decorated and covered with flowers.