Becker; there was
her famous peccary pie, with ravansara sauce, followed by her
delicious preserved mango and seaweed jelly. Nor did she hesitate to
draw upon the raw material of the colony now and then for a new hash
or soup, taking care, however, to keep in view the maxim that
prudence is the mother of safety--an adage that was rather roughly
handled by the renowned French linguist, Madame Dacier, who, on one
occasion nearly poisoned her husband with a Lacedemonian stew, the
receipt for which she had found in Xenophon.
Luckily Becker's wife did not know Greek, consequently he ran no risk
of being entertained with a classic dinner; but he was often reminded
by his thoughtful partner of Meg Dod's celebrated receipt: before you
cook your hare, first--catch it.
Sophia desired earnestly to have a share in the culinary government;
but having shown on her first trial, too decided a leaning towards
puddings and pancakes, her second essay was put off till she became
more thoroughly penetrated with the value of the eternal precept
_utile dulci_, which signifies that, before dessert it is requisite to
have something substantial.
As soon as they had finished their afternoon meal, Willis departed on
one of his customary mysterious excursions; and Jack, who, like the
birds that no sooner hop upon one branch than they leap upon another,
had also disappeared.
Pages:
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121