“Nes, I know,” as though there was little of interest to Marie-Celeste that was not sooner or later confided to him. “Did she tell you dat time, Mr. Selden, 'bout our Knight-of-de-Gartcr day?”
“Oh, yes, indeed.”
“And 'bout dis?” groping in the side-pocket of his sacque, and producing a little circle of blue ribbon.
“I can't quite make out what it is, Albert,” said Mr. Selden, peering anxiously at the rather indistinguishable little object.
“Well, dat's what it is and drawing up his kilt and the trouser leg underneath, Albert slipped the garter over his foot and up to its right place, just above the knee. This brought the gold lettering partly into view, and enabled Mr. Selden to grasp the situation.
“Oh, I see,” he said; “you made believe you were a little Knight of the Garter yourself.”
“Nes; just for a bit of fun, I made believe I was a little knight all dat day; but of course I didn't tell anybody, only Dorothy, who made it for me. But do you know,” very confidentially, “dat I felled asleep in de church beside Timothy, so dat de garter showed, and den de children teased me awfully 'bout it, and Marie-Celeste calls me her little knight now almost always. But you won't ever tell dat I told you why she calls me dat, will you?”
“No, I promise, Albert;” and Margaret coming in just then to announce luncheon, the blue garter was surreptitiously removed and left for the time being on the library table, and was not thought of again by its rightful owner. Mr. Selden, finding it there later in the afternoon, slipped it into his pocket, with an idea of the use he might some time make of it.
For the next three days, to Mr. Selden's delight and amusement, Albert was a constant visitor at the Little Castle, and when Saturday came he put in an appearance at a prematurely early hour, for fear, by any chance, the driving party should reach home before the time appointed; and as that was exactly what they did do, he congratulated himself very highly for his extraordinary forethought. Not but what he had full three hours to spare, only the Allyns, who were invited to luncheon at the Castle, failing to reach there before the arrival of the brake, he felt that nothing but his own timely precaution had spared him a similar disappointment.
“Dat sounds like dem,” said Albert for about the fiftieth time to Mr. Selden.