THE BOOK OF BETTY BARBER.
said Minora, “she won’t approve of that, will she? However, I’ll take care of it, and take it to her. Thank you, Thirteen-fourteenths. I never looked which page of the book I had snatched from Father William.”
“There’s someone coming through the wood,” said Half-term. “If it is Father William, he has not wasted much time.”
“There are several someones,” said Minora, whose ears were very quick.
“I do hope Father William hasn’t brought any of those Nonsense people with him,” said Thirteen-fourteenths.
“Hush! Listen!” said Minora. “Five pairs of feet.”
“I can see black and white,” said Miss Crimson Lake.
“There’s Ellessdee,” cried Thirteen-fourteenths. And Ellessdee, followed by four black and white figures, came running along the path.
“There he is,” shouted Ellessdee, and they all made a rush at the Fraction, gathered round him, and all began talking, or rather gasping, for they were very much out of breath.
“They told us where it was,” gasped Ellessdee.
“So we’ve come to find it,” said Sois.
“Up a tree, you know,” said Tare.
“Up a tree,” shouted Repeater.
“Not this tree, you know, but another one,” said Tret.
“It isn’t up a tree at all,” said Thirteen-fourteenths, “it is in Nonsense Land, and Father William has gone to fetch it.”
“That’s rubbish,”’ said Ellessdee.
“Nonsense!” shouted Tare.
“It’s up a tree,” said Tret.
“Up a tree,” called Repeater.
“They told us so,” explained Sois.
“If you would be quiet one minute, we could talk to you,” said Lucy.
“We can’t be quiet,” said Ellessdee, “we want to find it for him so badly, and we thought he would be pleased.”
“He made enough fuss when he lost it,” said Sois.
