Great was the indignation of the insulted cooks, and a general cry of "Who did it?" arose. The poor maid who waited on them declared with tears that not a soul had been in, and she herself only absent five minutes getting the ice-water. Florence felt that her guests had been outraged, and promised to find out the wretch, and punish him or her in the most terrible manner. So the irate young ladies ate their lunch before it cooled, but forgot to criticise the dishes, so full were they of wonder at this daring deed. They were just beginning to calm down, when a loud sneeze caused a general rush toward the sofa that stood in a recess of the dining room. A small boy, nearly suffocated with suppressed laughter, and dust, was dragged forth and put on trial without a moment's delay. Florence was judge, the others jury, and the unhappy youth being penned in a corner, was ordered to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, on penalty of a sound whipping with the big Japanese war-fan that hung on the wall over his head. Vainly trying to suppress his giggles, Phil faced the seven ladies like a man, and told as little as possible, delighting to torment them, like a true boy. "Do you know who put those cards there?" "Don't you wish _you_ did?" "Phil Gordon, answer at once." "Yes, I do." "Was it Alf? He's at home Saturdays, and it's just like a horrid Harvard Soph to plague us so." "It was--not." "Did you see it done?" "I did." "Man, or woman? Mary fibs, and may have been bribed." "Man," with a chuckle of great glee. "Do I know him?" "Oh, don't you!" "Edith's brother Rex?" "No, ma'am." "Do be a good boy, and tell us. We won't scold, though it was a very, very rude thing to do." "What will you give me?" "Do you need to be bribed to do your duty?" "Well, I guess it's no fun to hide in that stuffy place, and smell nice grub, and see you tuck away without offering a fellow a taste. Give me a good go at the lunch, and I'll see what I can do for you." "Boys are such pigs! Shall we, girls?" "Yes, we _must_ know." "Then go and stuff, you bad boy, but we shall stand guard over you till you tell us who wrote and put those insulting cards here." Florence let out the prisoner, and stood by him while he ate, in a surprisingly short time, the best of everything on the table, well knowing that such a rare chance would not soon be his again. "Now give me some of that candy, and I'll tell," demanded the young Shylock, bound to make the best of his power while it lasted. "Did you ever see such a little torment? I can't give the nice bonbons, because we haven't decided who is to have them." "Never mind. Pick out a few and get rid of him," cried the girls, hovering round their prey, and longing to shake the truth out of him. A handful of sweeties were reluctantly bestowed, and then all waited for the name of the evil-doer with breathless interest.