the Master of the
Robes. I only attend on really distinguished persons. Double-six, at
your service, Sir. Have you chosen your dress?'

'I'd like to wear the armour,' said Philip, holding it out. 'It seems
the right thing for a Knight,' he added.

'Quite so, sir. I confirm your opinion.'

He proceeded to dress Philip in a white tunic and to fasten the coat of
mail over this. 'I've had a great deal of experience,' he said; 'you
couldn't have chosen better. You see, I'm master of the subject of
dress. I am able to give my whole mind to it; my own dress being fixed
by law and not subject to changes of fashion leaves me free to think for
others. And I think deeply. But I see that you can think for yourself.'

You have no idea how jolly Philip looked in the mail coat and mailed
hood--just like a Crusader.

At the doorway of the dressing-room he met Lucy in a short white dress
and a coronal of pearls round her head. 'I always wanted to be a fairy,'
she said.

'Did you have any one to dress you?' he asked.

'Oh no!' said Lucy calmly. 'I always dress myself.'

'Ladies have the advantage there,' said Double-six, bowing and walking
backwards. 'The banquet is spread.'

It turned out to be spread on three tables, one along each side of a
great room, and one across the top of the room, on a dais--such a table
as that high one at which dons and distinguished strangers sit in the
Halls of colleges.

Mr. Noah was already in his place in the middle of the high table, and
Lucy and Philip now took their places at each side of him. The table was
spread with all sorts of nice-looking foods and plates of a
pink-and-white pattern very familiar to Philip. They were, in fact, as
he soon realised, the painted wooden plates from his sister's old dolls'
house. There was no food just in front of the children, only a great
empty bowl of silver.

Philip fingered his knife and fork; the pattern of those also was
familiar to him. They were indeed the little leaden ones out of the
dolls' house knife-basket of green and silver filagree. He hungrily
waited. Servants in straight yellow dresses and red masks and caps were
beginning to handle the dishes. A dish was handed to him. A beautiful
jelly it looked like. He took up his spoon and was just about to help
himself, when Mr. Noah whispered ardently, 'Don't!' and as Philip looked
at him in astonishment he added, still in a whisper, 'Pretend, can't
you? Have you never had a pretending banquet?