"I accept the apology; now listen attentively to these expenses for a week:

That was our consumption for last week. You will perceive I had a balance of one shilling and threepence. Sometimes this is more; last week I perceive it was five shillings, for we dined out two or three times, and this made a difference. If you look over the book you will see the expenses are sometimes a little over, and are other weeks under the sum stipulated, £2, but by the end of the quarter it all comes pretty square, and I have a little put by for what I call my coal fund."

"You do not provide coals, surely?"

'Sidney lays in a stock in summer of these, I am only a subscriber to the coal fund."

Augusta read over the list attentively, then said, "Does this do for servants and all?"

"Quite sufficient," said I; "there was a small piece of mutton left from Sunday's dinner which helped for the servants in the beginning of the week. Dorothy gave us capital soup from the beef bones on Friday, and from the bacon ribs flavoured some delicious green pea soup. The former, thickened with pearl barley and vegetables, was most excellent. My cook always manages to have some stock for soup on hand, every economical cook will manage to do this, and her pot aù feu always provide good gravies."

« but,

'Dorothy is a treasure; I wish Mrs. Grant resembled her." "She was well trained by Mrs. Ward," replied I; Augusta dear, to live on three or six hundred a year, one must look after small economies, one cannot play the fine lady on those sums."

"I am sure I only wish my cook would be as little of a fine lady as I am. Kate, I want to know how you manage about your cold meat. Hugh detests hashes, made dishes, or rechauffés

of any kind, and my servants won't eat cold meat except once only in a way."

"As a general rule," said I, "I disapprove of made dishes. My experience, small as it is, has taught me that to have the joint, roast or boiled, just the size to suit one's appetite, is in the end the cheaper way; so we divide it or take off chops or steaks as the case may be, thus avoiding a store of cold meat. Made dishes, to be palatable, must be well seasoned. This comes expensive; besides, in a general way, men do not care to dine on them."

"I agree with you there," said Augusta; "I am quite sure Hugh would not like to sit down to rissoles after a hard day's shooting. I shall make a note of the observation."

"Only," added I," remember these dishes do to help out a dinner, and if you have much cold meat it is well to understand how to have it dressed so as to be palatable."

"Certainly. Now there is another matter I want to discuss; Hugh never tires speaking of a dinner you gave him and Guy just before his marriage. French dishes, too, that I could not venture to attempt with a cook who often breaks down with the mere English ones."

"I remember the day you allude to, and the French cooking also, than which nothing could have been more simple, though I confess to the feeling of being anxious to convince Guy that it was possible to give a friend a comfortable dinner on our 'three hundred a year.' I will tell you our bill of fare. First we had consommé

"Consommé ! but that sounds very grand indeed, Kate."

"Not when it resolves itself into a little good, clear gravy soup and poached eggs, served separately in a hot-water dish, and any one can have that luxury. The only art required is to have the soup well flavoured and perfectly clear, and the eggs served hot. A sole nicely filleted, and a small leg of Welsh mutton that had been hung for a fortnight, these, with "potatoes à maître d'hotel," some oysters, and a chocolate cream, completed the affair."

"Hugh said it was perfectly cooked and perfectly served, and that the mutton tasted like venison."

"That's because we kept it hanging in the larder for a fortnight; remember this, Augusta, keep mutton as long as you can with safety."

"May I ask how you found this all out, Kate?"

"Partly by my cookery book and partly by my dear motherin-law's instructions: for many years she managed a large household with very limited means: the hints she gave me on these subjects I consider invaluable."

66 As yours will prove to me, I trust. Kate, I mean to turn over a new leaf, and brave even Mrs. Grant's displeasure; I will ask you for some of your receipts: when next we meet, I hope you will find me improved."

"You shall have them with pleasure; I shall write some out for you that I think will suit."

Thank you. Now tell me something about Lilla; I have not heard from her for an age."

"We had letters yesterday. She is still at Rome, but speaks of returning very soon, being most anxious to see her little godShe says she has had an attack of malaria, but is happily recovered. Her letters lately have been very brief and unsatisfactory."

son.

"I wish from my heart she was back amongst us, and that she had never seen Sir Compton. I always felt misgivings on the score of that marriage. But what of the small baronet? how is he?"

"She never names him."

"I do not like it at all," said Augusta. "Now I must say good-bye, having promised Hugh to go out with him this afternoon; and men, even the best of them, do not like to be kept waiting." Saying these words Mrs. Chandler departed.