"Who would have thought the oven was so hot!" said Maria. "Won't it come all right with washing?"
"You might as well wash your beefsteak," said Matilda, turning away.
If the dish had gone in white, the meat had also gone in juicy; and if the one was brown the other was a chip.
"This will not do for breakfast," said Maria, lugubriously.
"It is like your potatoes," said Matilda, with the ineffable little turn of her head.
"Don't, Matilda! What shall we do? the coffee is ready."
"We shall have a brown breakfast," said Matilda. "The coffee will be the lightest coloured thing on the table." And the two girls relieved themselves with laughing.
"But, Matilda! what shall we do? We must have something to eat."
"We can boil some eggs," said Matilda. "Aunt Erminia likes eggs; and the coffee will be good, and the bread. And the potatoes will do to look at."
So it was arranged; and the bell was rung for breakfast only five minutes after the time. And all was in order.