“Can’t say I remember it,” said Fanny. “Go on, Sib. So Betty was standing there?”
“Yes, oh yes. I saw her in the distance. I was expecting to meet Clarice and Mary Moss; but they failed me, although they had faithfully promised to come. So when I saw Betty I could not resist running up to her; but when I got quite close I stood still.”
“Well, you stood still. Why?”
“Oh Fan, she was doing such a funny thing! She was bending down and looking over into the hollow of the tree. Then, all of a sudden, she thrust her hand in—far down—and took something out of the tree and looked at it. I could just catch sight of what it was——”
“Yes, go on. What was it? Don’t be afraid of me, Sib. I have a lot of chocolates in my pocket that I will give you presently.”
“Oh thank you, Fanny! It is nice to talk to you. I couldn’t see very distinctly what she had in her hand, only she was staring at it, and staring at it; and then she dropped it in again, right down into the depths of the tree; and I saw her bending more than ever, as though she were covering it up.”
“But you surely saw what it was like?”
“It might have been anything—I wasn’t very near then. I ran up to her, and asked her what it was.”
“And what did she say?”