"There are other forms of athletics I don"t hate nearly as much,"
Lefferts went on to Crane, "swimming, for instance, and sailing, and even walking isn"t so bad. It doesn"t need so much preparation, and getting up early in the morning, and all that sort of thing."
"Fortunately, I know what"s best for him," said Cora.
"She makes me think she does," said the poet, still plaintively.
Crane wanted to ask Cora where and how she had acquired this rather agreeable responsibility, but he had no opportunity before they were off.
He and Cora started together, less, perhaps, from chivalry on Burton"s part than because of his desire to watch the performance of the mare, but in the course of the run they became separated, and he finally jogged home alone.
He dismounted in the stable-yard and stood watching one of the grooms loosening the saddle-girths, while he and the head man discussed the excellent conduct of his own horses as compared with the really pitiable showing of other people"s, and debated whether the wretched deterioration in a certain Canadian bay horse ridden that day by the Master of Hounds was owing to naturally poor conformation on the part of the horse, or deplorable lack of judgment on the part of the rider.
In the midst of these absorbing topics, Crane suddenly became aware that Smithfield was waiting for him at the gateway. He stopped short in what he was saying.
"You wanted to speak to me, Smithfield?"
"When you"ve finished, sir."
Crane had finished, he said, and turned in the direction of the house with the butler at his side.
"There"s been a terrible disturbance at the house, sir, since you went out this morning."
"Oh, my powers!" cried Burton. "What has been happening now?"
Smithfield was stepping along, throwing out his feet and resting on the ball of his foot with the walk that Mrs. Falkener had so much admired.
"Well, sir," he said, "the trouble has been between Mr. Tucker and Brindlebury."
Crane groaned.
"I don"t defend the boy, sir. I fear he forgot his place."
"Look here, Smithfield," said Crane, "candidly, now, what is the matter with all of you? You know you really are a very queer lot."
Thus appealed to, Smithfield considered.
"Well, sir," he said, "I think the trouble--as much as any one thing is the trouble--is that we"re young, and servants oughtn"t to be young.
They should be strong, healthy, hard working, but not young; for youth means impulses, hopes of improvement, love of enjoyment, all qualities servants must not have." The man spoke entirely without bitterness, and Crane turning to him said suddenly:
"Smithfield, what do you think about cla.s.s distinctions?"
For the first time, Smithfield smiled.
"I think, sir," he said, "that if they were done away with, I should lose my job."
"Well, by heaven, if I were you, then," cried Crane, with unusual feeling, "I"d get a job that wasn"t dependent on a lie, for if I believe anything it is that all these dissimilarities between rich and poor, and men and women, and black and white, are pretty trivial as compared with their similarities. It"s my opinion we are all very much alike, Smithfield," and Crane, as he spoke, was astonished at the pa.s.sion for democracy that stirred within him.
"That, sir," replied Smithfield, "if you forgive my saying it, is the att.i.tude toward democracy of some one who has always been at the top.
There must be distinctions, mustn"t there, sir, and you would probably say that the ideal distinction was along the line of merit--that every one should have the place in the world that he deserves. But, dear me, sir, that would be very cruel. So many of us would then be face to face with our own inferiority. Now, as things are, I can think that it"s only outside conditions that are keeping me down, and that I should make as good or even better a master, begging your pardon, than you, sir. But under a true democracy, if I were still in an inferior position, I should have to admit I belonged there, which I don"t admit at all now, not at all."
"But how about my not admitting that I"m a master?" said Crane.
"In one sense, perhaps you are not, sir," answered Smithfield. "For, after all, some training is necessary to be a servant, particularly a butler, but for the exercise of the functions of the higher cla.s.ses, no training at all seems to be required. Curious, isn"t it, sir? Utterly unskilled labor is found only among the very rich and the very poor."
The conversation had brought them to the house, without the case of Brindlebury having been further discussed. Suddenly realizing this, Crane stopped at the foot of the steps.
"Now, what is it that"s happened?" he asked.
Smithfield showed some embarra.s.sment.
"I"m afraid, sir," he said, "that some rather hot words pa.s.sed. In fact--I do so much regret it, sir, but I fear Brindlebury actually raised his hand against Mr. Tucker."
It was a triumph of self-control that not a muscle of Burton"s face quivered at this intelligence.
"If that is true," he said, "the boy will have to go, of course."
"I had hoped you might wish to hear both sides, sir."
"No," answered Crane. "I might hear what Brindlebury had to say, or I might understand without hearing, or I might know that I should have done the same in his place, or, even, going a step farther, I might think him right to have done it, but the fact remains that I can"t keep a servant who strikes a guest of mine. That"s a cla.s.s distinction, Smithfield, but there it is."
Smithfield bowed.
"If I might suggest, sir, perhaps you do not understand rightly how Mr.
Tucker--"
"Nothing like that, Smithfield. Tell the boy to go, go this afternoon.
Pay him what"s right and get him out." He ran up the steps, but turned half-way and added with a smile: "And you know there really isn"t anything you could tell me about Mr. Tucker that I haven"t known a great deal longer than any of you have."
He went in. Tucker and Mrs. Falkener were sitting side by side in the drawing-room, with that unmistakable air of people who expect, and have a right to expect, that they should be given an opportunity to tell their troubles. The only revenge that Crane permitted himself, if indeed revenge can be used to describe so mild a punishment, was that he continued to ignore their perfectly obvious grumpiness.
"Well," he said, "you look cozy. Hope you"ve had as good a day as we have."
Tucker opened his mouth to say "We have not," but Crane was already in full description of the run, undaunted by the fact that neither of his listeners, if they were indeed listeners, could be induced to manifest enough interest in his story to meet his eye.
"I"m glad some one has enjoyed the day," said Tucker, as Crane paused to light a cigarette. He laid an unmistakable emphasis on the words "some one."
Crane patted him on the shoulder.
"Thanks, Tuck," he said; "I believe that"s true. I believe you are glad.
Yes, we had a good day--three foxes, and your daughter, Mrs. Falkener, went like a bird. She"s a wonderful horsewoman--not only looks well herself, but makes the horse look well, too."
At this Mrs. Falkener"s manner grew distinctly more cheerful, and she asked:
"And, by the way, where is Cora?"
Tucker, annoyed at the desertion on the part of his ally, pressed his hand over his eyes and sighed audibly, but no one noticed him.
"I took a wrong turn in search of a short cut and lost the rest of them," said Crane. "But she"ll be back directly. She"s perfectly safe.
She was with Eliot, our neighbor, and a fellow named Lefferts, whom she seemed to know."