II
Albert produced a very passable meal. His cooking was erratic¹. It had itsmoments of brilliance² which tonight was exemplified by what he calledcheese pudding, and Tuppence and Tommy preferred to call cheesesoufflé. Albert reproved them slightly for the wrong nomenclature.
‘Cheese soufflé is different,’ he said, ‘got more beaten up white of egg init than this has.’
‘Never mind,’ said Tuppence, ‘it’s very good whether it’s cheese puddingor cheese soufflé.’
Both Tommy and Tuppence were entirely³ absorbed with the eating offood and did not compare any more notes as to their procedure. When,however, they had both drunk two cups of strong coffee, Tuppence leanedback in her chair, uttered a deep sigh and said:
‘Now I feel almost myself again. You didn’t do much washing before din-ner, did you, Tommy?’
‘I couldn’t be bothered to wait and wash,’ said Tommy. ‘Besides, I neverknow with you. You might have made me go upstairs to the book-roomand stand on a dusty ladder and poke⁴ about on the shelves.’
‘I wouldn’t be so unkind,’ said Tuppence. ‘Now wait a minute. Let’s seewhere we are.’
‘Where we are or where you are?’
‘Well, where I am, really,’ said Tuppence. ‘After all, that’s the only thingI know about, isn’t it? You know where you are and I know where I am.
Perhaps, that is.’
‘May be a bit of perhaps about it,’ said Tommy.
‘Pass me over my bag, will you, unless I’ve left it in the dining-room?’
‘You usually do but you haven’t this time. It’s under the foot of yourchair. No–the other side.’
Tuppence picked up her handbag.
‘Very nice present, this was,’ she said. ‘Real crocodile, I think. Bit diffi-cult to stuff things in sometimes.’
‘And apparently⁵ to take them out again,’ said Tommy.
Tuppence was wrestling.
‘Expensive bags are always very difficult for getting things out of,’ shesaid breathlessly. ‘Those basketwork ones are the most comfortable. Theybulge to any extent and you can stir them up like you stir up a pudding.

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