Page:The Lark - E Nesbit, 1922.djvu/262



had not thought of that. "I will give you the address this evening," she said. And in the evening it was, "Oh, I'm so sorry—I'll give you the address in the morning."

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble I should be so glad if I could have it now," said Miss Antrobus. "I usually write my letters at night."

"Certainly," said Lucilla, and went straight to the mahogany bureau and began to fumble in the pigeon-holes. Miss Antrobus followed her.

"It's very kind of you to look for it now," she said; "but surely it's not among those paper patterns?"

"I don't know where it is," said Lucilla, shutting the secretaire lid with what was almost a bang. "Perhaps it's upstairs—I'll go and look," and she fled.

She returned very soon with an envelope on which she had written:


 * "Miss Lucas,
 * at Mrs. Scott's,
 * 247, Hill Street, Bath.

"Thank you so much," said Miss Antrobus. "Hill Street? Whereabouts is it?"

"I don't know, I'm sure," said the badgered Lucilla. "I've never been to Bath"; but she felt quite safe because she had taken the precaution to consult Miss Austin's "Persuasion" before deciding on an address for her aunt at Bath.

"May I have the address too?" asked Mr. Tombs. "I