It was poured through the cloth and allowed to drip. Molly lifted the colander, and when the soup had run through removed it _without squeezing_. The soup lay in the bowl like clear weak tea. Molly added a few drops of caramel (see Chapter XIII.), and then tasted it for seasoning. The caramel only made it a shade darker than it was, just a bright straw color. The boiling with the vegetables had reduced it to about five quarts. Intending it to be so reduced had caused Molly to omit part of the salt; if salted for _eight_ quarts and reduced to _five_ it would be too salt to use, as _salt never evaporates_. The soup was now put into a marbleized preserving-pan, which would give no more taste than a china bowl, and be ready to boil up when required. Mrs. Welles had, meanwhile, been cutting sandwiches, and already had quite a pile of thin slices of bread, which Molly now spread thinly with mayonnaise. When two loaves were cut up, Mrs. Welles put a thin layer of the chicken mixture on some of the slices Molly had spread with mayonnaise; then put another slice over it, and when a good many were done, the crust was cut off all round and each slice cut from corner to corner, thus making four little three-cornered sandwiches. When there were enough of these done, they treated the lobster in the same way, and when all were cut and arranged on dishes a _damp_ cloth was laid over them, and they were put in a cool place till just before they were needed. Everything was now ready. Mrs. Winfield’s reserve cups and saucers had all been got out and dusted; Mrs. Lennox had sent over a dozen. These were put in readiness, with piles of small plates, napkins, etc., on a large tray to be brought in and placed by the sideboard when the time came. OMELET SOUFFLÉ.—Molly beat four whites of eggs till they would not slip from the bowl, just before dinner, and then the yolks of two she beat four minutes with three table-spoonfuls of powdered sugar and one tea-spoonful of vanilla extract. When Marta was ready to put the dinner on the table, Molly turned the whites of the eggs on the yolks, and mixed them very gently, _lifting_ the yolks as it were _over_ the whites with the spoon, not stirring them; any quick movement with whites of eggs tends to liquefy them; then she buttered an oval dish and heaped the mixture lightly on it, a table-spoonful at a time, piling always towards the middle; then she sifted powdered sugar over it, and just before she went in to dinner she put it in the oven, which was moderately hot. “It will take about ten minutes to get a golden brown, Marta, and when you look at it be careful not to fully open the door, for the least draught may cause it to fall; and when it is nicely brown bring it in without waiting for anything. I will have the table ready for you.” CHAPTER XXXVII. GÂTEAU DE RIZ—FRENCH RICE CAKE—PREPARING CALF’S HEAD—MOCK-TURTLE SOUP—MORE NOODLES—PIGEON PIE.