Page:The book of Betty Barber (IA bookofbettybarbe00andr).pdf/136

 and that it could not be the right book. I looked inside, and there I saw sums, sums, sums, all marked with a big W.”

“And you took them to Sum Land to be put right. Go on,” said Thirteen-fourteenths.

Father William looked at him quite solemnly; then he stared at Minora.

“In my youth” he began.

“Dear Father William,” said Lucy quickly, “you left the book in Sum Land.”

“Ah, yes,” said Father William, “and I was on my way back to the tree to look for another book, when I met a most friendly, obliging Owl, quite an old Owl, and we had a most pleasant conversation about our youth.”

Lucy began coughing very loudly.

“I gave her some of my ointment,” said Father William, quickly feeling in his pockets, “some of thisDear me, dear me, I seem to have lost all my boxes.”

Thirteen-fourteenths took two boxes out of his pocket and gave them to the old gentleman, who smiled graciously.

“Thank you,” he said. ‘I told the Owl about your troubles, Lucy dear, and she advised me to go and fetch the book from Sum Land. She said she knew that it was the book you wanted, and she thought it would be a good plan to leave the book in Nonsense Land.”

“So you fetched it,” said Thirteen-fourteenths, interrupting again in spite of Lucy’s frowns, “only you left the covers behind.”

“And at the cross-roads I met you,” said Minora, “and tried to take it away from you.”

“And please give me the book this minute,” said Thirteen-fourteenths.

“No, please give it to me,” said Minora, “I promised to take it to Queen Harmony.”

“You shall take it nowhere,” said Thirteen-fourteenths, “I mean to tear it into ninety thousand bits this very minute.”

“I must have it,” said Minora. “Queen Harmony is angry 114