The flowers that Claudius had sent the day before were conspicuously placed on a table in the drawing-room.

Mr.Barker, of course, took in the Countess, and Miss Skeat put her arm in that of Claudius, inwardly wondering how she could have overlooked the fact that he was so excessively handsome.

They sat at a round table on which were flowers, and a large block of ice in a crystal dish.
"Do you understand Russian soups ?" asked Margaret of Claudius, as she deposited a spoonful of a wonderful looking _pate_ in the middle of her _consomme_.
"Alas" said the Doctor, "I am no gastronome.

At least my friend Mr.
Barker tells me so, but I have great powers of adaptation.

I shall follow your example, and shall doubtless fare sumptuously." "Do not fear," said she, "you shall not have any more strange and Cossack things to eat.