Page:Oswald Bastable and Others - Nesbit.djvu/199

Rh 'Yes,' said Lucy in a guilty whisper.

'Then hand over your tuppence,' said the dark gentleman,'and it's a bargain.' He snatched the coppers warm from her hand.

'Now,' he said, 'to-morrow morning you'll be as strong as Harry, and he'll be little and weak like you. Then you can hurt him as much as you like, and he won't be able to hurt back.'

'Oh!' said Lucy; 'but I'm not sure I want I think I'd like to change the spell, please.'

'No goods exchanged,' he said crossly; 'you've got what you asked for.'

'Thank you,' said Lucy doubtfully, 'but how am I?'

'It's entirely self-adjusting,' said nasty Mr. Doloro. 'No previous experience required,'

'Thank you very much,' said Lucy. 'Good She was going to say 'good-morning,' but it turned into 'good gracious,' because she was so very much astonished. For, without a moment's warning, the flower-shop had turned into the sweet-shop that she knew so well, and nasty Mr. Doloro had turned into the sweet-woman, who was asking what she wanted, to which, of course, as she had spent her twopence, the answer was 'Nothing.' She was already sorry that she