THE BOOK OF BETTY BARBER.
me and shouted, at the top of his voice, ‘I kept my limbs supple by the use of this ointment, one shilling a box.’”
“Father William it was,” said Lucy, “dear Father William.”
“‘Dear Father William’ do you call him?” said Minora indignantly. “If you were as sore and tired and bruised as I am, you wouldn’t say, ‘Dear Father William.’ ‘Dear Father William,’ indeed!”
“You don’t understand, Minora,” said Thirteen-fourteenths, “he was taking the book to Lucy. She had asked him to get it, and had told him what a troublesome, mischief-making book it was.
“Which way did he go when he left you?” asked Lucy.
“I don’t know,” said Minora, “I chased him a long way down the road leading to the tree, but when I tumbled I didn’t see which way he went. I shall have to find out, for I promised Queen Harmony to get the book.”
“Then you have been to the Queen,” said Thirteen-fourteenths. “How did you get on? What did she say? Where is Major C?”
“One question at a time,” said Minora.
“There’s someone coming,” cried Lucy, “I can hear the tramp of horses.”
“I can hear bells,” said Minora.
“Who can it be?” asked the Fraction.
The sounds came nearer and nearer. Then down the road dashed a smart sleigh, drawn by six galloping horses, and driven by somebody dressed in bright, bright red.
The sleigh moved so quickly that the three watching had no time to do anything but to stare in wonder.
“Who was it?” said Lucy.
“Was there anything inside?” asked Thirteen-fourteenths.
“Something red,” said Minora.
“Did you ever see anyone drive so quickly?” said all three at the same moment.
“It came from Paint Land, and went down the road to the tree,” said Thirteen-fourteenths, who had been examining the sign-post,
