n to mention the nature of Miss Gibbs' employment. "So I want
tea at four o'clock and it must be pretty--well, substantial."

Maggie fully endorsed the suggestion, and waited to see what Mrs. Rose
considered necessary for the meal.

"Tea and hot cakes, of course. And that lovely plum cake Martha made
for ..." Toni blushed, but went on bravely "... for our wedding-cake.
And then--is it possible to get shrimps, Maggie?"

"Why, yes, ma'am--don't you remember cook's shrimp savoury for Sunday
lunch? And you'd shrimp sauce with the fish last night."

"Of course, so we had. Well, when the man calls from the fish shop,
order some. You get them by the pint--or is it the pound?" said Toni,
vaguely remembering her aunt's orders on the occasion of a tea-party.

Maggie thought it was the pint; and in any case she would give the order
to the young man herself.

"Very well. And then--what else, Maggie? I do want a nice tea."

The little handmaiden eagerly racked her brain for some brilliant idea;
and finally suggested that Cook was very fond of making "shape."

"Shape? Oh, I see," said Toni a trifle dubiously. "You mean a
blanc-mange or a cream. But I don't think it would do for tea."

Maggie thought, respectfully, that it would do fine. In her last place
her mistress always had a shape when company was coming to tea.
But--suddenly her rosy face grew even more pink--perhaps she was wrong,
and anyway Mrs. Rose knew best.

Sorry for the girl's evident embarrassment Toni gave the order forthwith
for a cream; and then turned to the subject of dinner.

"Miss Gibbs will stay to dinner, and we will have it at half-past seven.
That gives us time to go on the river first; and the cab won't be here
till nine."

"Cook's sent you a mennyoo, ma'am." Maggie produced a somewhat crumpled
piece of paper. "She thought perhaps something of this sort would do."

Toni ran her eye over the paper, and her brow cleared.

"Soup, fish, sweetbread and green peas, chicken...." she gave the paper
back. "Yes, it will do beautifully, and I'm sure Miss Gibbs will like
Martha's trifle. Well, Maggie, that's all, I think. Have I forgotten
anything?"

The two girls stared at one another for a moment, their faces quite
solemn with the effort of concentration. Then Toni relaxed and spoke
gaily.

"No, that's all, I'm sure ... well, Maggie, what have you thought of
now?"

"Please, ma'am, the flowers."

"Yes, I'd forgotten! Good girl, Maggie! Well, get