Page:Alice Lauder.pdf/182

it seemed to take its pleasure sadly enough, standing alone in a wilderness of tree-stumps; and the simple meal was served with true bush hospitality by the round-faced Irish landlady, who pressed upon the two ladies all the dainties at her command—fresh trout from the mountain stream and yellow-brown scones hot from the oven, mushrooms with the delicate ortolan flavour of wild pastures, and lastly, as a special bonne bouche, a preserve made of the Cape gooseberry, which often grows wild in the bush, and, skilfully treated, turns into a delicious confection. The landlady hospitably watched every mouthful they ate, and anxiously plied them still with more and more scones and tea; and when at last convinced against her will that her guests could practically eat and drink no longer, she led the way with great pride to a little stuffy parlour upstairs, and with a smile of triumph opened a new foreign piano, which reposed in a chaste seclusion of crochet covers and photograph albums. Clare smiled, too, and looking very dignified in the eldest of the elderly black silks which Mrs. Mead allowed her to take in her travels, sat down and began to play some of her favourite Chopin, while the landlady, who evidently saw no reason for retiring, offered Alice in succession the photo albums, a heavy