CHAPTER XVIII.
BLARNEY FLUFF About three o'clock that afternoon, La Fleur, Mrs.Tolbridge's cook, sat in the middle of her very pleasant kitchen, composing the dinner.

Had she been the chef of a princely mansion, she could not have given the subject more earnest nor intelligent consideration.

It is true the materials at hand were not those from which a dinner for princes would have been prepared.

But what she had was sufficient for the occasion, and this repast for a country gentleman in moderate circumstances and his wife was planned with conscientiousness as well as skill.

From the first she had known very well that it would be fatal to her pretensions to prepare for the Tolbridges an expensive and luxurious meal, but she had determined that they should never sit down to any but a good one.
Her soup had been determined upon and was off her mind, and she had prepared that morning, from some residuary viands, which would have been wasted had she not used them in this way, the little entree which was to follow.