Page:The book of Betty Barber (IA bookofbettybarbe00andr).pdf/109

 “Where did the book come from?” asked the Fraction.

“Where did it come from?” asked Tare, looking at Tret.

“Why, Ellessdee found it,” said Sois, “and it was about the worst day’s work Ellessdee ever did. But here he comes with the book.”

Ellessdee marched through the door up the hall, holding what looked like a very thin book in his hand.

Thirteen-fourteenths stared at it. Thirteen-fourteenths rubbed his eyes, Thirteen-fourteenths would have shouted, but his breath suddenly all disappeared. He couldn’t shout, he could only open his mouth and gasp. For the exercise book in Ellessdee’s hands was no ordinary book at all, it was the most extraordinary book that ever existed. It was the Book of Betty Barber!

Thirteen-fourteenths stretched out his hand; but Ellessdee took no notice of him, he held up the book slowly and solemnly, and opened it. There was a shout from everyone in the hall, a shout not of joy, not of sadness, not of horror, but of surprise, wonderful surprise. There were no pages inside the book! The pages were all gone, only the covers were left!

Thirteen-fourteenths fell back in his seat and groaned, but all the others began to talk.

“Where have the pages gone?” said Tare.

“I thought the cover was loose when I had the book,” said Sois.

“The cover was loose,” shouted Repeater, and his voice could be heard above all the others.

“Now, isn’t it queer?” said Ellessdee.

“Where was the book?” asked Tret.

“Under a big stone just outside,” said Ellessdee, “in the place in which I found it first of all.”

Thirteen-fourteenths was beginning to recover. Never before had he felt so disappointed. For one moment he thought his search was at an end, for one moment he had pictured himself returning in triumph to the Major, Half-term, and Minora, and the others, to tell them he had found the book. It was indeed a blow to discover that not the book itself, but only the covers, were 89