Cucumber Sandwiches

You can't have High Tea without cucumber sandwiches.

Recipe from "The London Ritz Book of High Tea".

Peel a cucumber and slice it into transparencies on the sliding side of a grater, or by adroit use of a potato peeler.  Sprinkle these see-through discs with a little vinegar and salt.  After half an hour, drain away the excess cucumber juice by shuffling the slices in a sieve.  Cover a slice of lightly buttered paper-thin brown bread with two layers of cucumber, and top with another slice of bread.  Apply firm but delicate pressure with the palm of the hand.  Slice off the crusts, and cut into three rectangles.  Pile these neatly on a china serving plate, and cover with a lightly dampened cloth until tea is served.