"But we don't know how to make eggs '_à la Meyerbeer_'," I protested, thinking of the _pons asinorum_ in Euclid that had caused me bitter anguish. "To make eggs '_à la Meyerbeer_'," read Letitia, "you butter a silver dish, and break into it twelve fresh eggs--" "Twelve!" I cried. "My dear, we should be ill. We should die of biliousness. Six eggs apiece!" "Twelve _fresh_ eggs, Archie. I'm giving you Filippini's recipe. You break the eggs into a silver dish, and cook them on the stove for two minutes. Then cut six mutton kidneys in halves--" "Six kidneys and twelve eggs!" I exclaimed. "Surely this is a recipe for--for--horses." "We are not obliged to eat it all at once, silly! After cutting the mutton kidneys in halves, you broil or stew them according to taste, then add them to the eggs and serve with half a pint of hot _Perigueux sauce_, thrown over." "What's _Perigueux sauce_?" "See No. 191," continued Letitia, in a somewhat stupefied tone. "How confusing! No. 191. Here it is. _Perigueux sauce_: Chop up very fine two truffles. Place them in a sautoire with a glass of Madeira wine. Reduce on the hot stove for five minutes. Add half a pint of _Espagnole sauce_. For _Espagnole sauce_, see No. 151." "What a labyrinth!" I said, feeling quite muddled; "it's like following a maze. We may as well see the thing through. What does No. 151 say?" "No. 151. _Sauce Espagnole_. Mix one pint of raw, strong, mirepoix--" "Raw, strong what?" "Raw, strong mirepoix--oh, Archie, see No. 138. In one minute I shall forget what we really wanted to make. Isn't it positively bewildering? See No. 138. Stew in a saucepan two ounces of fat, two carrots, one onion, one sprig of thyme, one bay leaf, six whole peppers, three cloves, and, if handy, a hambone cut into pieces. Add two sprigs of celery, and half a bunch of parsley roots, cook for fifteen minutes." "And then--what do you get?" I asked putting my hands to my fevered brow. "That's for the mirepoix," she replied; "and the mirepoix is for the _Espagnole sauce_. You mix one pint of raw strong mirepoix with five ounces of good fat (chicken's fat is preferable). Mix with the compound four ounces of flour, and moisten with one gallon of white broth. See No. 99." "Heavens! Can't they bring it to a head? The twelve eggs and the six kidneys are waiting, Letitia." "It _is_ most exasperating, but we won't be worsted, Archie. See No. 99. White broth. There's half a page about it. I--I really don't believe that this flat is large enough to hold all the ingredients for this dish. You place in a large stock-urn, on a moderate fire, a good heavy knuckle of fine white veal with all the _débris_, or scraps of meat, cover fully with water, add salt, carrots, turnips, onions, parsley, leeks, celery. Boil six hours--" "What--what are we trying to make?" I asked helplessly.