"The breakfast fishballs," suggested Mary Anne.
"Excellent!" exclaimed her mistress. "And after that we might have ..."
"Marmalade," suggested Mary Anne.
"And buckwheat cakes," Selma interrupted.
"Of course," her mother acquiesced, "that will have to do ... with lots of bread and butter.... And now," she added cheerfully, turning to her guests, "we'll all go into the drawing-room and guess conundrums till dinner is ready. How fortunate it was that we had had our oysters before the accident!"
"My dear," said Mr. Livermore in a whisper, "I fear that Bates is hopelessly intoxicated."
"Oh, Lemuel, what are we to do?" gasped the hostess, clutching the hat-rack for support.
They were alone together in the hall and face to face with a dilemma.
"I give it up," said Mr. Livermore.