se
England stands supreme; there is nothing to compare with them, and they
possess the crowning merit of being entirely compatible with English
life. I cannot say whether it may be the effect of the crossing, or of
the climate on this side, or that the air of England is charged with
some subtle stimulating quality, given off in the rush and strain of
strenuous national life, but the fact remains that as soon as I find
myself across the Channel I want an English breakfast. It seems that I
am more English than certain of the English themselves, and I am sorry
that Mrs. Fothergill has been deprived of her French roll and butter.
I will see that you have it to-morrow, Mrs. Fothergill, and to make the
illusion complete, I will order it to be sent to your room."

"Oh no, Marchesa, that would be giving too much trouble, and I am
sure you want all the help in the house to carry out the service as
exquisitely as you do," said Mrs. Fothergill hurriedly, and blushing as
well as her artistic complexion would allow.

"I fancy," said Mrs. Sinclair, "that foreigners are taking to English
breakfasts as well as English clothes. I noticed when I was last in
Milan that almost every German or Italian ate his two boiled eggs for
breakfast, the sign whereby the Englishman used to be marked for a
certainty."

"The German would probably call for boiled eggs when abroad on account
of the impossibility of getting such things in his own country. No
matter how often you send to the kitchen for properly boiled eggs in
Germany, the result is always the same cold slush," said Mrs. Wilding;
"and I regret to find that the same plague is creeping into the English
hotels which are served by German waiters."

"That is quite true," said the Marchesa; "but in England we have no time
to concern ourselves with mere boiled eggs, delicious as they are. The
roll of delicacies is long enough, or even too long without them. When
I am in England, I always lament that we have only seven days a week and
one breakfast a day, and when I am in Italy I declare that the reason
why the English have overrun the world is because they eat such mighty
breakfasts. Considering how good the dishes are, I wonder the breakfasts
are not mightier than they are."

"It always strikes me that our national barrenness of ideas appears as
plainly in our breakfasts as anywhere," said Mrs. Gradinger. "There is a
monotony about them which--"

"Monotony!" interrupted the Colonel. "Why,