CHAPTER XVIII
BLARNEY FLUFF
About three o'clock that afternoon, La Fleur, Mrs. Tolbridge's cook, satin the middle of her very pleasant kitchen, composing the dinner. Had shebeen the chef of a princely mansion, she could not have given thesubject more earnest nor intelligent consideration. It is true thematerials at hand were not those from which a dinner for princes wouldhave been prepared. But what she had was sufficient for the occasion, andthis repast for a country gentleman in moderate circumstances and hiswife was planned with conscientiousness as well as skill. From the firstshe had known very well that it would be fatal to her pretensions toprepare for the Tolbridges an expensive and luxurious meal, but she haddetermined that they should never sit down to any but a good one.
Her soup had been determined upon and was off her mind, and she hadprepared that morning, from some residuary viands, which would have beenwasted had she not used them in this way, the little entree which was tofollow. Her filet, which the butcher had that morning declared he neverseparated from the contiguous portions for any one, but had very soonafterward cut out for her, lay in the refrigerator, awaiting her pleasureand convenience. The vegetables had been chosen, and her thoughts werenow intent upon a "sweet" which should harmonize with the other courses.
On a chair, by the door opening into the garden, sat George, thedoctor's man, who was coachman, groom, and gardener, and who, havingpicked a basket of peas, had been requested to shell them. By an openwindow, Amanda, the chambermaid, was extracting the stones from a littledish of olives.
George was working rapidly and a little impatiently.
"Madam," said he, "do you want all these peas shelled?"
La Fleur turned and looked at him with a pleasant smile.
"I want enough to surround my filet, but whether you shell enough for usto have any, depends entirely on your good will, George."
"Of course I'll shell as many as you want," said he, "but I've got a lotto do this afternoon. There is the phaeton to be washed, that I don'twant the doctor to come home and find muddy yet; and I ought to have doneit this morning, madam, when I was walking about the garden with you, atellin' you what I had and a hearin' what I ought to have."
"I was so glad to have you go with me, and show me everything," said LaFleur, "because I do not yet exactly understand American gardens. It issuch a nice garden, too, and you do not know how pleased I was, after youleft me and I was coming to the house, to see that fine bed ofaubergines. When will any of them be ripe, do you think, George?"
The man looked up in surprise.
"There is nothing of that sort in my garden," said he. "I neverheard of them."
"Oh, yes, you have," said La Fleur, "you call them egg-plants. You see,I am learning your American names for things. And now, Amanda, if youhave finished the olives I'll get you to make a fine powder of thosethings which I have put into the mortar. Thump and grind them well withthe pestle; they are to make the stuffing for the olives."
"But, madam, what is to become of the sewing Mrs. Tolbridge wants me todo? I have only hemmed two of the dozen napkins she gave me to do daybefore yesterday."
"Now, Amanda," said La Fleur, "you ought to know very well, that withouta meal on the table, napkins are of no use. You might have the mealswithout napkins, but it wouldn't work the other way. And I am sure thosenapkins are not to be used for a week, or perhaps several weeks, and thisdinner must be eaten to-day. So you can see for yourself--"
At this moment there was a knock at the inner door of the kitchen.
"Who can that be!" exclaimed La Fleur. "Come in."
The door opened, and Miss Panney entered the kitchen. La Fleur rose fromher seat, and for a moment the two elderly women stood and looked ateach other.
"And this is La Fleur," said Miss Panney; "Mrs. Tolbridge has beentalking about you, and I asked her to let me come in and see you. I wantto speak to you for a few minutes, and I will sit down here. Don't youstand up."
La Fleur liked people to come and talk to her, provided they were theright sort of people, and came in the right way. Miss Panney's salutationpleased her; she had a respect for people who showed a proper recognitionof differences of position. If Miss Panney had been brought into thekitchen by Mrs. Tolbridge and in a manner introduced to La Fleur, thelatter would have regarded her as something of an equal, and would nothave respected her. Had the old lady accosted her in a superciliousmanner, La Fleur would have disliked her, even if she had supposed shewere a person to be respected. But Miss Panney had filled all therequirements necessary for the cook's favorable opinion. In the few wordsshe had spoken, she had shown that she was a friend of the mistress ofthe house; that she had heard interesting things of the cook, andtherefore wished to see her; that she knew this cook was a woman ofsense, who understood what was befitting to her position, and wouldtherefore stand when talking to a lady, and, moreover, in consequence ofthe fact that this cook was superior to her class, she would waive theprivileges of her class, and request the cook to sit, while talking toher. To have waived this privilege without first indicating that she knewLa Fleur would acknowledge her possession of it, would have been damagingto Miss Panney.
Upon the features of La Fleur, which were inclined to be bulbous, therenow appeared a smile, which was very different from that with which sheencouraged and soothed her conscripted assistants. It was a smile thatshowed that she was pleasurably honored, and it was accompanied by aslight bow and a downward glance. Then turning to the man and the maid,she told them in a low voice that they might go, a permission of whichthey instantly availed themselves.
Miss Panney now sat down, and La Fleur, pushing her chair a little awayfrom the table, availed herself of the permission to do likewise.
"I have eaten some of your cooking, La Fleur," said Miss Panney, "and Iliked it so much that I wished to ask you something about it. For onething, where did you get that recipe for that delicious ice, flavoredwith raspberry?"
The cook smiled with a new smile--one of genuine pleasure.
"To make that ice," she answered, "one must have more than a recipe: onemust be educated. Tolati, my first husband, invented that ice, and nochef in Europe could make it but himself. But he taught me, and I make itfor Dr. and Mrs. Tolbridge. It has a quality of cream, though there is nocream in it."
"I never tasted anything of the kind so good," said Miss Panney, "andI am a judge, for I have lived long and eaten meals prepared by thebest cooks."
"French, perhaps," said La Fleur.
"Oh, yes," was the reply, "and those of other nations. I have travelled."
"I could see that," said La Fleur, "by your appreciation of my work.French cooking is the best in the world, and if you have an English cookto do it, then there is nothing more to be desired. It is like the Frenchchina, with the English designs, which they make now. I once visitedtheir works, and was very proud of my countrymen."
"The conceited old body," thought Miss Panney; but she said, "Verytrue, very true. It is delightful to me to think that my friends herehave a cook who can prepare meals which are truly fit, not only tonourish the body without doing it any harm, but to gratify the mostintelligent taste. I have noticed, La Fleur, that there is alwayssomething about your dishes that pleases the eye as well as the palate.When we say that cooking is thoroughly wholesome, delicious, andartistic, we can say no more."
"You do me proud," said La Fleur, "and I hope, madam, that you may eatmany a meal of my cooking. I want to say this, too: I could not cook forDr. and Mrs. Tolbridge as I do, if I did not feel that they appreciate mywork. I know they do, and so I am encouraged to do my best."
"Not only does the doctor appreciate you," said Miss Panney, "but hishealth depends upon you. He is a man who is peculiarly sensitive to badcooking. I have known him all his life, and known him well. He wasgetting in a bad way, La Fleur, when you came here, and you are alreadymaking a new man of him."
"I like to hear that," said La Fleur. "I have a high opinion of Dr.Tolbridge. I know what he i
s and what he needs. I often sit up late atnight, thinking of things that will be good for him, and which he willlike. We all work here: every one of the household is industrious, butthe doctor and I are the only ones who must work with our brains. Theothers simply work with their bodies and hands."
Miss Panney fixed her black eyes on the bulbous-faced cook.
"The word conceit," she thought, "is imbecile in this case."
"I am glad you are both so well able to do it," she said aloud. "And youlike it here? The place suits you?"
"Oh, yes, madam," replied La Fleur; "it suits me very well. It is notwhat I am accustomed to, but I gave up all that of my own accord. Life ingreat houses has its advantages and its pleasures, and its ambitions,too; but I am getting on in years, and I am tired of the worry and bustleof large households. I came to this country to visit my relatives, and torest and enjoy myself; but I soon found that I could not live withoutcooking. You might as well expect Dr. Tolbridge to live without reading."
"That is very true, La Fleur," said Miss Panney; "and it seems to me thatyou are in the very home where you can spend the rest of your days mostprofitably to others, and most happily to yourself. And yet I hear thatyou are considering the possibility of not staying here."
"Yes," answered La Fleur, "I am considering that; but it is not because Iam dissatisfied with anything here. It is altogether a differentquestion. I am very much attached to the family I first lived with inthis country. They are in trouble now, and I think they may need me. Ifthey do, I shall go to them. I have quite settled all that in my mind. Iam now waiting for an answer to a letter I have written to Mrs. Drane."
"La Fleur," said Miss Panney, "if you leave Dr. Tolbridge, I think itwill be a great mistake; and, although I do not want to hurt yourfeelings, I feel bound to say that it will be almost a crime."
The cook's face assumed an expression of firmness.
"All that may be," she said, "but it makes no difference. If they needme, I shall go to them."
"But cannot somebody else be found to go to them? You are not asnecessary there as you are here, nor so highly prized. They let you go oftheir own accord."
"No one else will go to them for nothing," said La Fleur, "and Ishall do that."
Miss Panney sat with her brows knit.
"If the Dranes have become poor," she said presently, "it is natural thatyou should want to help them; but it may not be at all necessary that youshould go to them. In fact, by doing that, you might embarrass them verymuch. There are only two of them, I believe,--mother and daughter. Dothey do anything to support themselves?"
"Miss Cicely is trying to get a situation as teacher. If she can do that,she can support her mother. At present they are doing nothing, and I fearhave nothing to live on. I know my going to them would not embarrassthem. I can help them in ways you do not think of."
"La Fleur," said Miss Panney, "your feelings are highly honorable toyou, but you are not going about this business in the right way. I haveheard of the Drane family, and know what sort of people they are. Theywould not have you work for them for nothing, and perhaps buy with yourown money the food you cook. What should be done is to help them tohelp themselves. If Miss Drane wishes a position as teacher, one shouldbe got for her."
"That is out of my line," said La Fleur, shaking her head, "out of myline. I can cook for them, but I can't help them to be teachers."
"But perhaps I can, and I am going to try. What you have told meencourages me very much. To get a position as teacher for Miss Draneought to be easy enough. To get Dr. Tolbridge a cook who could take yourplace would be impossible."
La Fleur smiled. "I believe that," she said.
"Now what I do is for the sake of the doctor," continued Miss Panney. "Ido not know the Dranes personally, but I have no objection to benefitthem if I can. But for the sake of a friend whom I have known all hisdays, I wish to keep you in this kitchen. I am not afraid to say this toyou, because I know you are not a person who would take advantage of theopinion in which you are held, to make demands upon the family which theycould not satisfy."
"You need not say anything about that, madam," replied La Fleur. "Nobodycan tell me anything about my work and value which I did not know before,and as for my salary, I fixed that myself, and there shall be no change."
Miss Panney rose. "La Fleur," she said, "I am very glad I came here totalk to you. I did not suppose that I should meet with such a sensiblewoman, and I shall ask a favor of you; please do not take any steps inthis matter without consulting me. I am going to work immediately to seewhat I can do for Miss Drane, and if I succeed it will be far better forher and her mother than if you went to them. Don't you see that?"
"Yes," said La Fleur, "that is reasonable enough, but I must admit that Ishould like to see them."
Miss Panney ignored the latter remark.
"Now do not forget, La Fleur," she said, "to send me word when you get aletter, and then I may write to Miss Drane, but I shall go to work forher immediately. And now I will leave you to go on with your dinner. Ishall dine here to-day, and I shall enjoy the meal so much better becauseI know the chef who prepared it."
La Fleur resumed her seat and the consideration of her "sweet."
"She is a wheedling old body," she said to herself, "but I suppose Iought to give her something extra for that speech."
The next morning Mrs. Tolbridge came into the kitchen. "La Fleur," saidshe, "what is the name of that delicious dessert you gave us last night?"
The cook sighed. "She will always call the 'sweet' a dessert," shethought; and then she answered, "That was Blarney Fluff, ma'am, withsauce Irlandaise."
Mrs. Tolbridge laughed. "Whatever is its name," she said, "we all thoughtit was the sweetest and softest, most delightful thing of the kind we hadever tasted. Miss Panney was particularly pleased with it."
"I hoped she would be," said La Fleur.
The Girl at Cobhurst Page 18