"A little DOG indeed! Just as if there were no CATS in Sawrey! And a PIE
for afternoon tea! The very idea!" said Cousin Tabitha Twitchit.
Ribby went on to Timothy Baker's and bought the muffins. Then she went
home.
There seemed to be a sort of scuffling noise in the back passage, as she
was coming in at the front door.
"I trust that is not that Pie: the spoons are locked up, however," said
Ribby.
But there was nobody there. Ribby opened the bottom oven door with some
difficulty, and turned the pie. There began to be a pleasing smell of
baked mouse!
Duchess in the meantime, had slipped out at the back door.
"It is a very odd thing that Ribby's pie was NOT in the oven when I put
mine in! And I can t find it anywhere; I have looked all over the house.
I put MY pie into a nice hot oven at the top. I could not turn any of
the other handles; I think that they are all shams," said Duchess, "but
I wish I could have removed the pie made of mouse! I cannot think what
she has done with it? I heard Ribby coming and I had to run out by the
back door!"
Duchess went home and brushed her beautiful black coat; and then she
picked a bunch of flowers in her garden as a present for Ribby; and
passed the time until the clock struck four.
Ribby--having assured herself by careful search that there was really no
one hiding in the cupboard or in the larder--went upstairs to change her
dress.
She put on a lilac silk gown, for the party, and an embroidered muslin
apron and tippet.
"It is very strange," said Ribby, "I did not THINK I left that drawer
pulled out; has somebody been trying on my mittens?"
She came downstairs again, and made the tea, and put the teapot on the
hob. She peeped again into the BOTTOM oven, the pie had become a lovely
brown, and it was steaming hot.
She sat down before the fire to wait for the little dog. "I am glad I
used the BOTTOM oven," said Ribby, "the top one would certainly have
been very much too hot. I wonder why that cupboard door was open? Can
there really have been some one in the house?"
Very punctually at four o'clock, Duchess started to go to the party. She
ran so fast through the village that she was too early, and she had to
wait a little while in the lane that leads down to Ribby's house.
"I wonder if Ribby has taken MY pie out of the oven yet?" said Duchess,
"and whatever can have become of the other pie made of mouse?"
At a quarter past four to the minute, there came a most genteel little
tap-tappity. "Is Mrs. Ribston at home?" inquired Duchess in the porch.
"Come in! and how do you do, my dear Duchess?" cried Ribby. "I hope I
see you well?"
"Quite well, I thank you, and how do YOU do, my dear Ribby?" said
Duchess. "I've brought you some flowers; what a delicious smell of pie!"
"Oh, what lovely flowers! Yes, it is mouse and bacon!"
"Do not talk about food, my dear Ribby," said Duchess; "what a lovely
white tea-cloth!.... Is it done to a turn? Is it still in the oven?"
"I think it wants another five minutes," said Ribby. "Just a shade
longer; I will pour out the tea, while we wait. Do you take sugar, my
dear Duchess?"
"Oh yes, please! my dear Ribby; and may I have a lump upon my nose?"
"With pleasure, my dear Duchess; how beautifully you beg! Oh, how
sweetly pretty!"