Allen was of course at the end of the table, carving the dinner and sparring with my Lady.

The dinner was not so good as usual; for the French cook was ill; and her Ladyship kept up a continued lamentation during the whole repast.

I should never have found out that everything was not as it should be but for her criticisms.

The soup was too salt; the cutlets were not exactly comme il faut; and the pudding was hardly enough boiled.

I was amused to hear from the splendid mistress of such a house the same sort of apologies which--made when her cook forgot the joint, and sent up too small a dinner to table.