'living-room' before dinner, the way you said they did when you
went to that dinner at the----"

"But I think that was to go with cocktails, mama, and of course
we haven't----"

"No," Mrs. Adams said. "Still, I think it would be nice. We
can make them look very dainty, on a tray, and the waitress can
bring them in. I thought we'd have the soup already on the
table; and we can walk right out as soon as we have the
sandwiches, so it won't get cold. Then, after the soup, Malena
says she can make sweetbread pates with mushrooms: and for the
meat course we'll have larded fillet. Malena's really a fancy
cook, you know, and she says she can do anything like that to
perfection. We'll have peas with the fillet, and potato balls
and Brussels sprouts. Brussels sprouts are fashionable now, they
told me at market. Then will come the chicken salad, and after
that the ice-cream--she's going to make an angel-food cake to go
with it--and then coffee and crackers and a new kind of cheese I
got at Worlig's, he says is very fine."

Alice was alarmed. "Don't you think perhaps it's too much,
mama?"

"It's better to have too much than too little," her mother said,
cheerfully. "We don't want him to think we're the kind that
skimp. Lord knows we have to enough, though, most of the time!
Get the flowers in water, child. I bought 'em at market because
they're so much cheaper there, but they'll keep fresh and nice.
You fix 'em any way you want. Hurry! It's got to be a busy