Italian Sauce

Chop sufficient carrot to make a tablespoonful; chop one onion. Place them in a saucepan with three level tablespoonfuls of butter, a bay leaf and a blade of mace. Shake the pan over the fire until the vegetables are slightly browned. Drain off the butter and add to it two level tablespoonfuls of flour, a half cupful of good stock, a half cupful of strained tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Add a half teaspoonful of salt and a dash of cayenne. Strain. Stir until boiling, strain again and add four tablespoonfuls of sherry.