Page:The book of Betty Barber (IA bookofbettybarbe00andr).pdf/65



tree was therea very large, beautiful tree, tooand the work was there; but Lucy was neither sitting under the tree nor “sewing as long as her eyes could see.” She was walking up and down the garden, looking very serious and very solemn.

“Caw, caw,” called the Rooks, who lived up in the tree.

Lucy made no answer.

“Caw, caw, caw!” called the Rooks very loudly.

Lucy looked up at them.

“I don’t think I can cut you out,” she said, “I love to see you fly over my head.”

“Cut us out! What is she talking about?” said the Rooks.

“She said something to us about cutting,” said the tall pink Foxglove.

“Oh, I’ve been cut out,” said the Work, “it’s quite all right!”

“Excuse me,” said Lucy, waking up from her dream, “it isn’t all right, it’s all wrong.”

“What is all wrong? Tell us all about it,” said the Violets, curtseying.

Lucy frowned. For the first time in her life she wished the Violets would not curtsey; she wished they would dance a hornpipe or jump, do anything but curtsey. She felt quite sick and tired of seeing the Violets curtsey, and she could not help thinking that if she were sick of her own Violets it was not very surprising that Betty Barber was sick of her.

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