"How good that pie smells! I do love veal and ham--I mean to say mouse
and bacon--"
[Illustration]
She dropped the sugar in confusion, and had to go hunting under the
tea-table, so did not see which oven Ribby opened in order to get out
the pie.
Ribby set the pie upon the table; there was a very savoury smell.
Duchess came out from under the table-cloth munching sugar, and sat
up on a chair.
"I will first cut the pie for you; I am going to have muffin and
marmalade," said Ribby.
"Do you really prefer muffin? Mind the patty-pan!"
[Illustration]
"I beg your pardon?" said Ribby.
"May I pass you the marmalade?" said Duchess hurriedly.
The pie proved extremely toothsome, and the muffins light and hot.
They disappeared rapidly, especially the pie!
"I think"--(thought the Duchess to herself)--"I _think_ it would be
wiser if I helped myself to pie; though Ribby did not seem to notice
anything when she was cutting it. What very small fine pieces it has
cooked into! I did not remember that I had minced it up so fine; I
suppose this is a quicker oven than my own."
[Illustration]
"How fast Duchess is eating!" thought Ribby to herself, as she
buttered her fifth muffin.
[Illustration]
The pie-dish was emptying rapidly! Duchess had had four helps already,
and was fumbling with the spoon. "A little more bacon, my dear
Duchess?" said Ribby.
"Thank you, my dear Ribby; I was only feeling for the patty-pan."
[Illustration: WHERE IS THE PATTY-PAN?]
"The patty-pan? my dear Duchess?"
"The patty-pan that held up the pie-crust," said Duchess, blushing
under her black coat.
"Oh, I didn't put one in, my dear Duchess," said Ribby; "I don't think
that it is necessary in pies made of mouse."
Duchess fumbled with the spoon--"I can't find it!" she said anxiously.
"There isn't a patty-pan," said Ribby, looking perplexed.
"Yes, indeed, my dear Ribby; where can it have gone to?" said
Duchess.
[Illustration]
"There most certainly is not one, my dear Duchess. I disapprove of tin
articles in puddings and pies. It is most undesirable--(especially
when people swallow in lumps!)" she added in a lower voice.
Duchess looked very much alarmed, and continued to scoop the inside
of the pie-dish.
"My Great-aunt Squintina (grandmother of Cousin Tabitha
Twitchit)--died of a thimble in a Christmas plum-pudding. _I_ never
put any article of metal in _my_ puddings or pies."
Duchess looked aghast, and tilted up the pie-dish.
"I have only four patty-pans, and they are all in the cupboard."
Duchess set up a howl.
"I shall die! I shall die! I have swallowed a patty-pan! Oh, my dear
Ribby, I do feel so ill!"
"It is impossible, my dear Duchess; there was not a patty-pan."
Duchess moaned and whined and rocked herself about.
"Oh I feel so dreadful, I have swallowed a patty-pan!"
"There was _nothing_ in the pie," said Ribby severely.
"Yes there _was_, my dear Ribby, I am sure I have swallowed it!"
"Let me prop you up with a pillow, my dear Duchess; where do you think
you feel it?"
"Oh I do feel so ill _all over_ me, my dear Ribby; I have swallowed a
large tin patty-pan with a sharp scalloped edge!"
[Illustration]
"Shall I run for the doctor? I will just lock up the spoons!"
"Oh yes, yes! fetch Dr. Maggotty, my dear Ribby: he is a Pie himself,
he will certainly understand."
Ribby settled Duchess in an armchair before the fire, and went out and
hurried to the village to look for the doctor.
She found him at the smithy.
He was occupied in putting rusty nails into a bottle of ink, which he
had obtained at the post office.
"Gammon? ha! HA!" said he, with his head on one side.
Ribby explained that her guest had swallowed a patty-pan.
"Spinach? ha! HA!" said he, and accompanied her with alacrity.
[Illustration: DR. MAGGOTTY'S MIXTURE]
He hopped so fast that Ribby had to run. It was most conspicuous. All
the village could see that Ribby was fetching the doctor.
"I _knew_ they would over-eat themselves!" said Cousin Tabitha
Twitchit.
[Illustration]
But while Ribby had been hunting for the doctor--a curious thing had
happened to Duchess, who had been left by herself, sitting before the
fire, sighing and groaning and feeling very unhappy.
"How _could_ I have swallowed it! such a large thing as a patty-pan!"
She got up and went to the table, and felt inside the pie-dish again
with a spoon.
"No; there is no patty-pan, and I put one in; and nobody has eaten pie
except me, so I must have swallowed it!"
[Illustration]
She sat down again, and stared mournfully at the grate. The fire
crackled and danced, and something sizz-z-zled!
Duchess started! She opened the door of the _top_ oven; out came a
rich steamy flavour of veal and ham, and there stood a fine brown
pie,--and through a hole in the top of the pie-crust there was a
glimpse of a little tin patty-pan!