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He would naturally have asked Tregear, but from Tregear he had for the last week or two been, not perhaps estranged, but separated. He had been much taken up with racing. He had gone down to Chester with Major Tifto, and under the Major's auspicious influences had won a little money; and now he was very anxiously preparing himself for the Newmarket Second Spring Meeting.
In this our young friend was not bound to concern himself. The other affected the Beargarden Club; and, as Lord Silverbridge had introduced the Major, he could hardly forbear from the expression of an opinion. There was a meeting of the subscribers to the hunt in the last week of October. At that meeting Major Tifto told his story.
I'll show it you when we get in! asking whether Tifto was fit to be the depositary of the intimacy of the Runnymede hunt! And then Tif's letter; I almost wept over that." "How could he have had the audacity to write at all?" "He said that 'him and me had been a good deal together. Unfortunately that was true. Even now I am not quite sure that he lamed the horse himself."
Then Silverbridge allowed himself to make an appointment, and an hour was named at which Tifto might call in Carlton Terrace. He felt that he almost owed some reparation to the wretched man, whom he had unfortunately admitted among his friends, whom he had used, and to whom he had been uncourteous. Exactly at the hour named the Major was shown into his room.
He himself had not found the horse lame under him, but had been so hustled and hurried out of the saddle by Tifto and the groom that he had not thought on that matter till he was questioned. So far the story told by Tifto and the groom was corroborated by the boy, except as to the horse's actual lameness. So far the story was believed by all men, except in regard to the actual lameness.
He wasn't going to meddle or make. What he had said had been taken amiss." This was hard upon Tifto, who had taken nothing amiss. "Square be d !" There was a great deal in the lesson there enunciated which demanded consideration. Hitherto the Major had fought his battles with a certain adherence to squareness.
And so far it was true. Then, according to Tifto and the groom, the other foot was looked at, but nothing was seen. This other foot, the near fore-foot, was examined by the groom, who declared himself to be so flurried by the lameness of such a horse at such a time, that he hardly knew what he saw or what he did not see.
Tifto had felt himself to have been treated like a servant. Hardly an excuse had even been made. He had been simply told that he was not wanted. He was apt sometimes to tell himself that he knew on which side his bread was buttered. But perhaps he hardly knew how best to keep the butter going. There was a little pride about him which was antagonistic to the best interests of such a trade as his.
There were men of this sort who supported Major Tifto; but then there was a general opinion that the Runnymede hunt would come to an end unless a new Master could be found. Then in the first week in November a special meeting was called at the Beargarden, at which Lord Silverbridge was asked to attend. "It is impossible that he should be allowed to remain in the club."
"I don't think it can be good for any man to have much to do with Major Tifto. I suppose Silverbridge knows what he's about." Here was an opportunity which might have been used. It would have been so easy for her to glide from the imperfections of the brother to the perfections of the sister. But she could not bring herself to do it quite at once.
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