ny article of metal in _my_ puddings or pies."

Duchess looked aghast, and tilted up the pie-dish.

"I have only four patty-pans, and they are all in the cupboard."

Duchess set up a howl.

"I shall die! I shall die! I have swallowed a patty-pan! Oh, my dear
Ribby, I do feel so ill!"

"It is impossible, my dear Duchess; there was not a patty-pan."

Duchess moaned and whined and rocked herself about.

"Oh I feel so dreadful, I have swallowed a patty-pan!"

"There was _nothing_ in the pie," said Ribby severely.

"Yes there _was_, my dear Ribby, I am sure I have swallowed it!"

"Let me prop you up with a pillow, my dear Duchess; where do you think
you feel it?"

"Oh I do feel so ill _all over_ me, my dear Ribby; I have swallowed a
large tin patty-pan with a sharp scalloped edge!"

[Illustration]

"Shall I run for the doctor? I will just lock up the spoons!"

"Oh yes, yes! fetch Dr. Maggotty, my dear Ribby: he is a Pie himself,
he will certainly understand."

Ribby settled Duchess in an armchair before the fire, and went out and
hurried to the village to look for the doctor.

She found him at the smithy.

He was occupied in putting rusty nails into a bottle of ink, which he
had obtained at the post office.

"Gammon? ha! HA!" said he, with his head on one side.

Ribby explained that her guest had swallowed a patty-pan.

"Spinach? ha! HA!" said he, and accompanied her with alacrity.

[Illustration: DR. MAGGOTTY'S MIXTURE]

He hopped so fast that Ribby had to run. It was most conspicuous. All
the village could see that Ribby was fetching the doctor.

"I _knew_ they would over-eat themselves!" said Cousin Tabitha
Twitchit.

[Illustration]

But while Ribby had been hunting for the doctor--a curious thing had
happened to Duchess, who had been left by herself, sitting before the
fire, sighing and groaning and feeling very unhappy.

"How _could_ I have swallowed it! such a large thing as a patty-pan!"

She got up and went to the table, and felt inside the pie-dish again
with a spoon.

"No; there is no patty-pan, and I put one in; and nobody has eaten pie
except me, so I must have swallowed it!"

[Illustration]

She sat down again, and stared mournfully at the grate. The fire
crackled and danced, and something sizz-z-zled!

Duchess started! She opened the door of the _top_ oven; out came a
rich steamy flavour of veal and ham, and there stood a fine brown
pie,--and through a hole in the top of