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Just what the dinner was I will try to tell you, for I think that it willinterest you to know what people here think a very simple dinner. Thatis, people of any degree of fashion; for the unfashionable Americans, whoare innumerably in the majority, have, no more than the Altrurians, seensuch a dinner as Mrs. Makely's. This sort generally sit down to a singledish of meat, with two or three vegetables, and they drink tea or coffee,or water only, with their dinner. Even when they have company, as theysay, the things are all put on the table at once; and the average ofAmericans who have seen a dinner served in courses, after the Russianmanner, invariable in the fine world here, is not greater than those whohave seen a serving-man in livery. Among these the host piles up hisguest's plate with meat and vegetables, and it is passed from hand tohand till it reaches him; his drink arrives from the hostess by the samemeans. One maid serves the table in a better class, and two maids in aclass still better; it is only when you reach people of very decided formthat you find a man in a black coat behind your chair; Mrs. Makely,mindful of the informality of her dinner in everything, had two men.
I should say the difference between the Altrurians and the unfashionableAmericans, in view of such a dinner as she gave us, would be that, whileit would seem to us abominable for its extravagance, and revolting in itsappeals to appetite, it would seem to most of such Americans altogetheradmirable and enviable, and would appeal to their ambition to give such adinner themselves as soon as ever they could.
Well, with our oysters we had a delicate French wine, though I am toldthat formerly Spanish wines were served. A delicious soup followed theoysters, and then we had fish with sliced cucumbers dressed with oil andvinegar, like a salad; and I suppose you will ask what we could possiblyhave eaten more. But this was only the beginning, and next there came acourse of sweetbreads with green peas. With this the champagne began atonce to flow, for Mrs. Makely was nothing if not original, and she hadchampagne very promptly. One of the gentlemen praised her for it, andsaid you could not have it too soon, and he had secretly hoped it wouldhave begun with the oysters. Next, we had a remove--a tenderloin of beef,with mushrooms, fresh, and not of the canned sort which it is usuallyaccompanied with. This fact won our hostess more compliments from thegentlemen, which could not have gratified her more if she had dressed andcooked the dish herself. She insisted upon our trying the stewedterrapin, for, if it did come in a little by the neck and shoulders, itwas still in place at a Thanksgiving dinner, because it was so American;and the stuffed peppers, which, if they were not American, were at leastMexican, and originated in the kitchen of a sister republic. There wereone or two other side-dishes, and, with all, the burgundy began to bepoured out.
Mr. Makely said that claret all came now from California, no matter whatFrench chateau they named it after, but burgundy you could not err in.His guests were now drinking the different wines, and to much the sameeffect, I should think, as if they had mixed them all in one cup; thoughI ought to say that several of the ladies took no wine, and kept me incountenance after the first taste I was obliged to take of each, in orderto pacify my host.
You must know that all the time there were plates of radishes, olives,celery, and roasted almonds set about that every one ate of without muchreference to the courses. The talking and the feasting were at theirheight, but there was a little flagging of the appetite, perhaps, when itreceived the stimulus of a water-ice flavored with rum. After eating it Iimmediately experienced an extraordinary revival of my hunger (I amashamed to confess that I was gorging myself like the rest), but Iquailed inwardly when one of the men-servants set down before Mr. Makelya roast turkey that looked as large as an ostrich. It was received withcries of joy, and one of the gentlemen said, "Ah, Mrs. Makely, I waswaiting to see how you would interpolate the turkey, but you never fail.I knew you would get it in somewhere. But where," he added, in aburlesque whisper, behind his hand, "are the--"
"Canvasback duck?" she asked, and at that moment the servant set beforethe anxious inquirer a platter of these renowned birds, which you knowsomething of already from the report our emissaries have given of theircult among the Americans.
Every one laughed, and after the gentleman had made a despairing flourishover them with a carving-knife in emulation of Mr. Makely's emblematicattempt upon the turkey, both were taken away and carved at a sideboard.They were then served in slices, the turkey with cranberry sauce, and theducks with currant jelly; and I noticed that no one took so much of theturkey that he could not suffer himself to be helped also to the duck. Imust tell you that there a salad with the duck, and after that there wasan ice-cream, with fruit and all manner of candied fruits, and candies,different kinds of cheese, coffee, and liqueurs to drink after thecoffee.
"Well, now," Mrs. Makely proclaimed, in high delight with her triumph, "Imust let you imagine the pumpkin-pie. I meant to have it, because itisn't really Thanksgiving without it. But I couldn't, for the life of me,see where it would come in."
Through the Eye of the Needle: A Romance Page 15
