"There,at the foot of yonder nodding beech,That wreathes its old fantastic roots so high,His listless length at noontide he would stretch,And pore upon the brook that babbles by."Only he was studying so deeply you could almost feel what was in his mind,and it was not about the brook at all,even if one ran close.Soon he began talking.
"Not so bad!"he said."You might think worse.I admit the cleanliness,I strive for decency,I delight in being humanely interesting,even for an hour;you might think worse,much worse!
You might consider me a `clown.'`A country clod.'Rather a lowdown,common thing,a `clod,'don't you think?And a `clown'!
And `gross'on top of that!"
"What can you mean?"asked the Princess.
"Since you don't seem to share the estimate of me,I believe I'll tell you,"said Laddie."The other day I was driving from the gravel pit with a very heavy load.The road was wide and level on either side.A man came toward me on horseback.Now the law of the road is to give half to a vehicle similar to the one you are driving,but to keep all of it when you are heavily loaded,if you are passing people afoot or horseback.The man took half the road,and kept it until the nose of his horse touched one of the team I was driving.I stopped and said:`Good morning,sir!
Do you wish to speak with me?'He called angrily:`Get out of my way,you clod!'`Sorry sir,but I can't,'I said.`The law gives me this road when I am heavily loaded,and you are on foot or horseback.'""What did he do?"asked the Princess.
And from the way she looked I just knew she guessed the man was the same one I thought of.
"He raised his whip to strike my horse,"said Laddie.
"Ah,surely!"said the Princess."Always an arm raised to strike.And you,Man?What did you do?"she cried eagerly.
"I stood on my load,suddenly,"said Laddie,"and I called:
`Hold one minute!'"
"And he?"breathed the Princess.
"Something made him pause with his arm still raised.I said to him:`You must not strike my horse.It never has been struck,and it can't defend itself.If you want to come a few steps farther and tackle me,come ahead!I can take it or return it,as I choose.'""Go on!"said the Princess.
"That's all,"said Laddie,"or at least almost all.""Did he strike?"
"He did not.He stared at me a second,and then he rode around me;but he was making forceful remarks as he passed about `country clods,'and there was an interesting one about a `gross clown.'What you read made me think of it,that is all."The Princess stared into the beech branches for a time and then she said:"I will ask your pardon for him.He always had a domineering temper,and trouble he had lately has almost driven him mad;he is scarcely responsible at times.I hesitate about making him angry.""I think perhaps,"said Laddie,"I would have done myself credit if I had recognized that,and given him the road,when he made a point of claiming it.""Indeed no!"cried the Princess."To be beaten at the game he started was exactly what he needed.If you had turned from his way,he would have considered you a clod all his life.Since you made him go around,it may possibly dawn on him that you are a man.You did the very best thing."Then she began to laugh,and how she did laugh.
"I would give my allowance for a quarter to have seen it,"she cried."I must hurry home and tell mother.""Does your mother know about me?"he demanded."Does she know that you come here?"The Princess arose and stood very tall and straight.
"You may beg my pardon or cease to know me,"she said."Whatever led you to suppose that I would know or meet you without my mother's knowledge?"Then she started toward the entrance.
"One minute!"cried Laddie.
A leap carried him to her side.He caught her hands and held them tight,and looked straight into her eyes.Then he kissed her hands over and over.I thought from the look on her face he might have kissed her cheek if he had dared risk it;but he didn't seem to notice.Then she stooped and kissed me,and turned toward home,while Laddie and I crossed the woods to the west road,and went back past the schoolhouse.I was so tired Laddie tied the strings together and hung my shoes across his shoulders and took me by the arm the last mile.
All of them were at home when we got there,and Miss Amelia came to the gate to meet us.She was mealy-mouthed and good as pie,not at all as I had supposed she would be.I wonder what Laddie said to her.But then he always could manage things for every one.That set me to wondering if by any possible means he could fix them for himself.I climbed to the catalpa to think,and the more I thought,the more I feared he couldn't;but still mother always says one never can tell until they try,and I knew he would try with every ounce of brain and muscle in him.I sat there until the supper bell rang,and then I washed and reached the table last.The very first thing,mother asked how I bruised my face,and before I could think what to tell her,Leon said just as careless like:"Oh she must have run against something hard,playing tag at recess."Laddie began talking about Peter coming that night,and every one forgot me,but pretty soon I slipped a glance at Miss Amelia,and saw that her face was redder than mine.
