Cuthbert and Marian touched its leaves. Just behind them stood their guardian angels. Even more intently than Cuthbert and Marian they bent their gaze on the little tree.
"But what kind of a tree is it?" asked Cuthbert.
Jacob spat in the road.
"Well, they tell me," he said, "as it's a olive. And they tell me as it's the seedling of the great-great-grandson of the first Ker-rismus tree of all."
He spat in the road again.
"Aye, of the very tree," he said, "as held Love's Innocence atween two thieves."
"I like the leaves of it," said Marian. "It's got wonderful leaves."
The two angels drew a little closer. The old horse began to shake his blinkers. So they bought the tree and carried it indoors.
Round the pot they bound some scarlet paper, and round the paper they twined a wreath of holly; and they placed the tree on a little table near the foot of the stairs in the front hall.
Said Cuthbert's angel, "This is a queer go."