“I thought you were even for that already. How about having thought I was a Dutchman?”
“I never,” said Babe laughingly. “That was Madeline. I’ve never seen a Dutchman that I know of, so I couldn’t think either way.”
“All right then. Anyhow I don’t mind your saying what you think. Yes, I did flunk—got to do senior year over again. You see I went with a crowd of fellows who were just there for the fun of it, and I got careless and began coaching too late. I believe you’re right about messing things.”
“John, Miss Hildreth wants to see her castle by moonlight,” called Mr. Dwight. “Do you think we could arrange it?”
“Why, there’s nothing to hinder if the moon’s willing—she is, isn’t she? Unless Mrs. Hildreth objects, at least. We could drive out right after tea, or we could drive out in the afternoon and have tea there. What do you say, Babbie?”
Babbie refused to be interested in tea. “I’m hoping my ghost will walk,” she explained. “I don’t think you gave her a fair trial. Ghosts prefer to walk by moonlight; it’s so much more becoming.”
“We’ll go day after to-morrow,” said Mr. Dwight. “That’s the night for a full moon.”
“And we’ll give the ghost the fairest kind of a fair trial,” added Madeline, and immediately engaged in a low-toned conversation with Mr. Dwight, who was convulsed with merriment at something she told him. The two kept quite by themselves all the rest of the way home, and when Babe demanded to know the joke, they only smiled mysteriously and said it would take too long to explain.
CHAPTER VII
THE GHOST OF DUNSTAFFNAGE
“Will I chaperon a moonlight expedition to your castle? Babbie dear, what mad scheme will you think of next?”