Agamemnon kept on to his own room, to consult his books. If only
he could invent something on the spur of the moment,­a set of
bedroom furniture, that in an emergency could be turned into
parlor chairs! It seemed an idea; and he sat himself down to his
table and pencils, when he was interrupted by the little boys, who
came to tell him that Elizabeth Eliza wanted him.

The little boys had been busy thinking. They proposed that the
tea-table, with all the things on, should be pushed into the front
room, where the company were; and those could take cups who
could find cups.

But Elizabeth Eliza feared it would not be safe to push so large a
table; it might upset, and break what china they had.

Agamemnon came down to find her pouring out tea, in the back
room. She called to him:­ "Agamemnon, you must bring Mary
Osborne to help, and perhaps one of the Gibbons boys would carry
round some of the cups."

And so she began to pour out and to send round the sandwiches,
and the tea, and the coffee. Let things go as far as they would!

The little boys took the sugar and cream.

"As soon as they have done drinking bring back the cups and
saucers to be washed," she said to the Gibbons boys and the little
boys.