Marie Belloc Lowndes

“ Lily took the precious parcel, and put it at the bottom of her basket. Then she went downstairs.
“Well, Cristina, is there really nothing you want me to do?”
“I would like a pound of rice,” said Cristina hesitatingly. “And if you could get me such a thing, four fowls' livers; that is all, my little lady.”
After the girl had started on her solitary expedition, she debated with herself whether she should go off straight to the Hôtel Hidalgo or take it on her way back. She finally decided to go there first.
When about half-way down the hill she saw a woman coming slowly up towards her. ”

“ In fact, Lily could not doubt that Aunt Cosy was becoming really fond of her! But it was very disagreeable to feel that she was always being spied on. Again she grew hot at the thought of Aunt Cosy reading her letter from Angus Stuart. Well she knew that the Countess, with her curious, narrow ideas would think it a very peculiar letter for a girl to have received from a young man! Beppo was right about his parents. They were odd, eccentric people, very difficult to know. ”

“ Lily was indeed more than surprised at this request, for by this time she had come to realise how very particular foreigners are as to what a girl may or may not do. And that she, Lily, should go to the Hôtel Hidalgo, and ask for Beppo was just the sort of thing that all foreigners, Aunt Cosy included, would regard as a very improper thing to do. ”

“ She supposed that that would be her programme this morning, and she was glad to think there would be something to keep her busy, for she felt strung up, excited, and ill-at-ease, curiously unlike herself. ”

“ Then she took her cheque-book out of the only bag she ever kept locked, and caught up a pretty fancy basket, which had been a present from M. Popeau. He had bought it, full of fruit, at Marseilles, and she found it very useful when she did any little shopping either for herself or for Cristina. ”