Piff. (_Coming to his rescue, cutting a piece, and putting it on his plate._) Allow me, sir. Peters, the brown bread and butter. Pet. (_Looking for it._) It is not on the table, sir. Piff. No brown bread and butter; dear me, how remiss! (_Crosses l. and rings bell. Peters also crosses l.c. door, Allen looks cautiously round and sees they are not watching him, and stealthily reaches over and secures a knifeful of gravy. He is about having a second and has the knife close to his mouth, when he becomes aware that Piff has returned and is watching him. He tries to hide the knife out of sight. Peters has returned with bread and butter._) Piff. (_Severely._) Peters, remove your master’s knife. Don’t you see that it is in his way? (_Peters does so, and then holds the bread and butter to Allen, who takes a thin slice, folds it up, and holds it in his left hand while taking the pâté on a fork in his right. He puts first the pâté and then the bread and butter into his mouth and swallows them._) Piff. I must apologize for serving you your breakfast in here, sir. Of course, you will not have it in the drawing-room as a rule. Allen. No, a’ coorse not. No; us alius used to have it in the kitchen at home. Piff. Yes, sir. Must have been very convenient. But I think I’ll get you to put up with the breakfast parlour in future, sir--when the room’s ready. Have you quite finished, sir? Allen. (_Humbly suggesting._) I think I’d like a little more o’ that pie. (_Looking longingly at pie the other side of table._) You see, I alius wur a hearty eater. (_Said as apology_). Piff. Yes, sir, I’m delighted to hear it, sir; but I wouldn’t eat any more breakfast, sir. You will find it is considered correct among _bons vivants_ to eat a very sparse dejeuner. My late lamented master, the Count de Fizziani, never partook of anything but a cup of weak tea and a little dry toast, and he was one of the oldest families in Europe. (_Allen rises, Peters bows as he does so, and Allen returns the bow and comes dozen R._) Allen. Ah, I shouldn’t ’a’ thought as anyone could ‘a’ lived long on that. (_He bows_). Piff. No necessity to bow, sir. Allen. He did it. (_Indicating Peters_). Piff. He’s paid for it. Allen. I allus seem to want a good feed myself in the morning. (_Takes out an old clay pipe and prepares to fill it. Goes down r. and sits in chair. Peters is clearing away the breakfast things_). Piff. Are you thinking of smoking, sir? Allen. Yes; I allus has a whiff or two arter breakfast. Piff. It’s very soothing, sir. My late lamented master, the Count de Fizziani, used to follow precisely the same course. But I wouldn’t smoke a pipe, sir. Pipes are going out in good society. (_Takes cigarette case from pocket and offers it to Allen. Takes pipe from Allen and puts it on corner of table R.c._) I have some cigarettes here, sir, which I think you will like, sir. These are much more _comme il faut_, sir. This case is a present from my late lamented master, the Count.