A bit awkward it was, to be sure, but I speedily took the situation in hand by formally presenting the two men, covering the palpable embarrassment of the host by explaining to his lordship the astounding ingenuity of the American luggage system. By the time I had deprived him of his check and convinced him that his box would be admirably recovered by a person delegated to that service, Belknap-Jackson, again in form, was apologizing to him for the squalid character of the station and for the hardships he must be prepared to endure in a crude Western village. Here again the host was annoyed by having to call repeatedly to his mechanician in order to detach him from a gossiping group of loungers. He came smoking a quite fearfully bad cigar and took his place at the wheel entirely without any suitable deference to his employer. His lordship during the ride rather pointedly surveyed me, being impressed, I dare say, by something in my appearance and manner quite new to him. Doubtless I had been feeling equal for so long that the thing was to be noticed in my manner. He made no comment upon me, however. Indeed almost the only time he spoke during our passage was to voice his astonishment at not having been able to procure the London _Times_ at the press-stalls along the way. His host made clucking noises of sympathy at this. He had, he said, already warned his lordship that America was still crude. “Crude? Of course, what, what!” exclaimed his lordship. “But naturally they’d have the _Times_! I dare say the beggars were too lazy to look it out. Laziness, what, what!” “We’ve a job teaching them to know their places,” ventured Belknap-Jackson, moodily regarding the back of his chauffeur which somehow contrived to be eloquent with disrespect for him. “My word, what rot!” rejoined his lordship. I saw that he had arrived in one of his peppery moods. I fancy he could not have recited a multiplication table without becoming fanatically assertive about it. That was his way. I doubt if he had ever condescended to have an opinion. What might have been opinions came out on him like a rash in form of the most violent convictions. “What rot not to know their places, when they must know them!” he snappishly added. “Quite so, quite so!” his host hastened to assure him. “A--dashed--fine big country you have,” was his only other observation. “Indeed, indeed,” murmured his host mildly. I had rather dreaded the oath which his lordship is prone to use lightly. Reaching the Belknap-Jackson house, his lordship was shown to the apartment prepared for him. “Tea will be served in half an hour, your--er--Brinstead,” announced his host cordially, although seemingly at a loss how to address him. “Quite so, what, what! Tea, of course, of course! Why wouldn’t it be? Meantime, if you don’t mind, I’ll have a word with Ruggles. At once.” Belknap-Jackson softly and politely withdrew at once.