"I don't see why you need have been so mysterious about it," she said glumly.
"I didn't mean to be mysterious; I was only anxious not to make a mess of the affair.

It's all very fine to assume a lofty scorn of the pleasures of the table, but there is great virtue in a really good feed, especially when low-living and high-thinking have been the order of the day." "Coarsely put," said Miss Oman, "but perfectly true." "Very well.

Now, if I leave the management to Mrs.Gummer, she will probably provide a tepid Irish stew with flakes of congealed fat on it, and a plastic suet-pudding or something of that kind, and turn the house upside-down in getting it ready.

So I thought of having a cold spread and getting the things in from outside.

But I don't want it to look as if I had been making enormous preparations." "They won't think the things came down from heaven," said Miss Oman.
"No, I suppose they won't.