Some people had the more modest cream tea, cups of tea served with scones piled high with clotted cream and jam.
The invitation is a modest one to tea, and in his schoolboy experience he orders the servant to get "something very nice, a muffin, some buttered toast, or something else of the sort".
If anything, the modest turnout of local Tea Partiers seemed to suggest that he may be facing less domestic opposition than was commonly thought.
Anamarie Regino, her nails painted pink to match the tiny butterfly barrettes in her hair, sits on the floor of her family's modest Albuquerque home, playing tea party.
In contrast with the pampered Mr Gandhi, great-grandson of Jawaharlal Nehru and son of Sonia Gandhi, Congress's behind-the-scenes boss, Mr Modi comes from a low caste and a modest background as a tea-seller; his success is down to drive and ambition.
"Three Cups of Tea" had a modest start when it was released in hardcover in 2006 but took off after it was published in paperback.
We stop off for a cup of tea at his modest flat, which boasts a pleasant view of Bergen's central harbour.
There were cans of beans, a jumbo box of Corn Flakes, tea bags, a modest collection of mismatched dishes and a gallon of whole milk in the refrigerator.
There is a creamy satin bridal gown, circa 1853, with a full skirt, veiled bonnet and two bodices: one with short sleeves for the ceremony, one with more modest long sleeves for afternoon tea.
The menu changes every two weeks, and gives you about three or four choices for each of three savory courses, followed by a pre-dessert soup of cold rice and tea, then a modest plate of Korean cookies.
