"You might try smoked beef," suggested Rupert. "When that wood goes at all it smokes like one o'clock. If you hung the beef up over it, it would be smoked enough for anyone by the time that it was done." I began to rub my chin. Considering the breakfast we had had, from my point of view the situation commenced, for the first time, to look really grave, I wondered if it would not be possible to take the whole eight somewhere where something really eatable could be got. But, when I broached the subject, I learned that the thing could not be done. The nearest hostelry was the "Boy and Blunderbuss," and it was certain that nothing eatable could be had there, even if accommodation could be found for us at all. Nothing in the shape of a possible house of public entertainment was to be found closer than the market town, eight miles off; it was unlikely that even there a Christmas dinner for nine could be provided at a moment's notice. Evidently the only thing to do was to make the best of things. When the meeting broke up Madge came and said a few words to me alone. "I really think you had better not stay." "Does that mean that you had rather I went?" "No; not exactly that." "Then nearly that?" "No; not a bit that. Only you must see for yourself how awfully uncomfortable you'll be here, and what a horrid house this is." "My dear Madge"--everybody called her Madge, so I did--"even if I wanted to go, which I don't--and I would remind you that you contracted to give me an old-fashioned Christmas--I don't see where there is that I could go." "Of course, there's that. I don't see, either. So I suppose you'll have to stay. But I hope you won't think that I meant you to come to a place like this--really, you know." "I'm sorry; I had hoped you had." "That's not what I mean. I mean that if I had thought that you were coming, I would have seen that things were different." "How different? I assure you that things as they are have a charm of their own." "That's what you say. You don't suppose that I'm so silly as not to know you're laughing at me? But as I was the whole cause of your coming, I hope you won't hate the others because of me." She marched off, brushing back, with an impatient gesture, some rebellious locks which had strayed upon her forehead.