“Perhaps she’ll come up while you’re here,” said Bertha. “I’ll ask mother to write for her.”
“Thank you,” said Patty, “but I’m afraid she won’t. My father can’t leave for his vacation until July, and then we’re all going away together, but I don’t know where.”
Just then Elise came flying out to them, with the announcement that supper was ready, and they were to come right in, quick.
The table was spread in the large room which Patty had thought was the kitchen.
It probably had been built for that purpose, but other kitchens had been added beyond it, and for the last half century it had been used as a dining-room.
The table was drawn out to its full length, which made it very long indeed, and it was filled with what seemed to Patty viands enough to feed an army. At one end was a young pig roasted whole, with a lemon in his mouth, and a design in cloves stuck into his fat little side. At the other end was a baked ham whose crisp golden-brown crust could only be attained by the old cook who had been in the Bender family for many years.
Up and down the length of the table on either side was a succession of various cold meats, alternating with pickles, jellies and savories of various sorts.
After the guests were seated, Nancy brought in platters of smoking-hot biscuits from the kitchen, and Miss Aurora herself made the tea.
The furnishings of the table were of old blue and white china of great age and priceless value. The old family silver too was a marvel in itself, and the tea service which Miss Bender manipulated with some pride was over a hundred years old.
Patty was greatly impressed at this unusual scene, but when the plates were removed after the first course, and the busy maid-servants prepared to serve the dessert, she was highly entertained.