the meaning of "hardly fare"

[kjc0123]

What is the meaning of "hardly fare" in the following sentences?

 

"Sir Leigh?" The manservant's words crackled through the intercom on the wall, and Sophie jumped.

"If you could join me in the kitchen a moment?"

Teabing scowled at the ill-timed intrusion. He went over to the intercom and pressed the button.

"R�my, as you know, I am busy with my guests. If we need anything else from the kitchen tonight, we will help ourselves. Thank you and good night."

"A word with you before I retire, sir. If you would."

Teabing grunted and pressed the button. "Make it quick, R�my."

"It is a household matter, sir, hardly fare for guests to endure."

Teabing looked incredulous. "And it cannot wait until morning?"

"No, sir. My question won't take a minute."

[woofgang]

He means that it is something that he doesn't want to mention in front of guests. Saying that it is a household matter is a polite way of letting  Teabing know that he doesn't want to talk about it in front of the guests. "Hardly" is a negative meaning "not or not enough" and "fare" means food or sustenance. In this case it is used in the same way as the word "food" is in the phrase "food for thought"

[Grunty]

It is also just possible that the word 'fair' has been spelt wrongly, but I still think that Woofgang is right.

[Peter Pedant]

No its a pun.

hardly fare for the guests means that they should not have to endure it or 'stomach it'.

Fare is of course food. Beer is also used in the phrase small beer to mean insignificant.

Hardly fair - means unfair to the guests.

I think he meant both in which case he is making a pun.

Pun is a play on words and this is good example. Puns are central to English sense of humour and difficult for everyone else to understand and impossible for them to find funny.