THE BOOK OF BETTY BARBER.
old friend of mine, and a bit of a tease, but really a very well-meaning”
“There, there, better soon,” said the Fraction. Then he whispered quickly, “Don’t forget the young lady in pink. Is she a friend of yours from Rhyme Land? Which is her piece of poetry?”
“So sorry,” said Lucy, “this is Miss Crimson Lake, from Paint Land—Thirteen-fourteenths.”
The Fraction made his very best bow, but Miss Crimson Lake, who had picked up the book and was turning over the leaves, did not trouble to curtsey; she only gave a slight nod, and murmured something about “a vulgar fraction, I think.”
“We were reading this book, you know,” said Lucy quickly, “the Book of Betty Barber.”
“Rather a stupid book,” said the Major, “a bit dull.”
“Oh, do you think so?” said Miss Crimson Lake, smiling. “There’s something about you on this page. Listen to this: ‘I think C Major is very dull.’ I suppose she means Major C,” and Miss Lake began to giggle.
“Hoity-toity,” said the Major, getting red in the face.
Miss Lake went on reading quickly, “‘I shall let my children play C Major sometimes with sharps and flats, sometimes without sharps and flats.’”
“Did ever any one” began the Major.
“One for you, my friend,” said the Fraction, laughing.
“Absurd! Ridiculous! Pre-pos-ter-ous!” cried the Major, getting more and more angry every minute. “Sharps and flats, indeed! Betty Barber! Stuff and rubbish! Fiddlestick-ends!”
“And here’s something about me,” said Miss Crimson Lake, who was trying to hide her smiles in the book. “What a sensible child she is!”
“Sensible child!” shouted the Major. “Pre-pos-ter-ous child!” and he began marching round and round the tree.
Lucy ran and peeped over Miss Crimson Lake’s shoulder.
4
