Mrs. Crocker turned to her husband.
"Well, Bingley?" she said, a steely tinkle in her voice.
"Well, Eugenia?" said Mr. Crocker.
A strange light was shining in Mr. Crocker's mild eyes. He hadseen a miracle happen that night. He had seen an even moreformidable woman than his wife dominated by an even meeker manthan himself, and he had been amazed and impressed by thespectacle. It had never even started to occur to him before, butapparently it could be done. A little resolution, a littledetermination . . . nothing more was needed. He looked at Mr.
Pett. And yet Mr. Pett had crumpled up Eugenia's sister withabout three firm speeches. It could be done. . . .
"What have you to say, Bingley?"Mr. Crocker drew himself up.
"Just this!" he said. "I'm an American citizen, and the way I'vefigured it out is that my place is in America. It's no goodtalking about it, Eugenia. I'm sorry if it upsets your plans, butI--am--not--going--back--to--London!" He eyed his speechless wifeunflatteringly. "I'm going to stick on here and see the pennantrace out. And after that I'm going to take in the World'sSeries."Mrs. Crocker opened her mouth to speak, closed it, re-opened it.
Then she found that she had nothing to say.
"I hope you'll be sensible, Eugenia, and stay on this side, andwe can all be happy. I'm sorry to have to take this stand, butyou tried me too high. You're a woman, and you don't know what itis to go five years without seeing a ball game; but take it fromme it's more than any real fan can stand. It nearly killed me,and I'm not going to risk it again. If Mr. Pett will keep me onas his butler, I'll stay here in this house. If he won't, I'llget another job somewhere. But, whatever happens, I stick to thisside!"Mr. Pett uttered a whoop of approval.
"There's always been a place for you in my house, old man!" hecried. "When I get a butler who--""But, Bingley! How can you be a butler?""You ought to watch him!" said Mr. Pett enthusiastically. "He's awonder! He can pull all the starchy stuff as if he'd lived withthe Duke of Whoosis for the last forty years, and then go rightoff and fling a pop-bottle at an umpire! He's all right!"The eulogy was wasted on Mrs. Crocker. She burst into tears. Itwas a new experience for her husband, and he watched herawkwardly, his resolute demeanour crumbling under this unexpectedassault.
"Eugenia!"Mrs. Crocker wiped her eyes.
"I can't stand it!" she sobbed. "I've worked and worked all theseyears, and now, just as success has nearly come--Bingley, _do_come back! It will only be for a little longer."Mr. Crocker stared.
"A little longer? Why, that Lord Percy Whipple business--I knowyou must have had excellent reasons for soaking him, Jimmy, butit did put the lid on it--surely, after that Lord Percy affairthere's no chance--?""There is! There is! It has made no difference at all! Lord Percycame to call next day with a black eye, poor boy!--and said thatJames was a sportsman and that he wanted to know him better! Hesaid he had never felt so drawn towards any one in his life andhe wanted him to show him how he made some blow which he called aright hook. The whole affair has simply endeared James to him,and Lady Corstorphine says that the Duke of Devizes read theaccount of the fight to the Premier that very evening and theyboth laughed till they nearly got apoplexy."Jimmy was deeply touched. He had not suspected such a sportingspirit in his antagonist.
"Percy's all right." he said enthusiastically. "Dad, you ought togo back. It's only fair.""But, Jimmy! Surely _you_ can understand? There's only a gameseparating the Giants and the Phillies, with the Braves comingalong just behind. And the season only half over!"Mrs. Crocker looked imploringly at him.
"It will only be for a little while, Bingley. Lady Corstorphine,who has means of knowing, says that your name is certain to be inthe next Honours List. After that you can come back as often asyou like. We could spend the summer here and the winter inEngland, or whatever you pleased."Mr. Crocker capitulated.
"All right, Eugenia. I'll come.""Bingley! We shall have to go back by the next boat, dear. Peopleare beginning to wonder where you are. I've told them that youare taking a rest in the country. But they will suspect somethingif you don't come back at once."Mr. Crocker's face wore a drawn look. He had never felt soattached to his wife as now, when she wept these unexpected tearsand begged favours of him with that unfamiliar catch in hervoice. On the other hand . . . A vision rose before him of thePolo Grounds on a warm afternoon. . . . He crushed it down.
"Very well," he said.
Mr. Pett offered a word of consolation.
"Maybe you'll be able to run over for the World's Series?"Mr. Crocker's face cleared.
"That's true.""And I'll cable you the scores every day, dad," said Jimmy.
Mrs. Crocker looked at him with a touch of disapproval cloudingthe happiness of her face.
"Are you staying over here, James? There is no reason why youshould not come back, too. If you make up your mind to changeyour habits--""I have made up my mind to change them. But I'm going to do it inNew York. Mr. Pett is going to give me a job in his office. I amgoing to start at the bottom and work my way still further down."Mr. Pett yapped with rapture. He was experiencing something ofthe emotion of the preacher at the camp-meeting who sees theSinners' Bench filling up. To have secured Willie Partridge, whomhe intended to lead gradually into the realms of high finance byway of envelope-addressing, was much. But that Jimmy, with achoice in the matter, should have chosen the office filled himwith such content that he only just stopped himself from dancingon his bad foot.
"Don't worry about me, dad. I shall do wonders. It's quite easyto make a large fortune. I watched uncle Pete in his office thismorning, and all he does is sit at a mahogany table and tell theoffice-boy to tell callers that he has gone away for the day. Ithink I ought to rise to great heights in that branch ofindustry. From the little I have seen of it, it seems to havebeen made for me!"
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