"He is a useful citizen, and a man of substance; and by what I hear, such as these are left alone so long as they abide quiet and peaceable.
Just now the Papists are being worse treated than we.

Methinks that is why father is so sorry for them." "Too much talk! too much talk!" cried Aunt Susan's voice from the adjoining kitchen.

"Hands lag when tongues wag; wherefore do your work in silence.

Is that almond paste ready, Keren Happuch?
Then bring it quickly hither; and your manchet and sugar, Keziah, for the skins are ready to be stuffed." And as the girls obediently brought the required ingredients, they found themselves in a long, low room, at the end of which a huge fire burned in a somewhat primitive stove, whilst a tall, angular, and powerful-looking dame, with her long upper robe well tucked up, and her gray hair pushed tightly away beneath a severe-looking coif, was superintending a number of culinary tasks, Jemima and a serving wench obeying the glance of her eye and the turn of her hand with the precision of long practice.
Certainly it was plain that Martin Holt's guests would not starve that night.

The herring pie was only the crowning delicacy of the board, which was to groan beneath a variety of appetizing dishes.
The Puritans were a temperate race, and the baneful habit of sack drinking at all hours, of perpetual pledgings and toastings, and the large consumption of fiery liquors, was at a discount in their houses; but they nevertheless liked a good table as well as the rest of their kind, and saw no hurt in sitting down to a generously supplied board, whilst they made up for their abstemiousness in the matter of liquor by the healthy and voracious appetite which speedily caused the good cheer to melt away.
Mistress Susan was so intent on her preparations that she scarcely let her nieces pause to eat their frugal midday dinner.