Edgerton smiled and stood with his left hand in his coat pocket, looking out at the flat field beyond, where half a dozen young people on lively ponies swung their mallets and cantered leisurely about in pretense of practice.
Presently Diana, Christine, and Inwood swung their ponies, and came driving pell-mell down the field after the ball.
"Your cousins seem to be up to anything," commented Rivett.
"They were bred to everything worth while."
"Oh! Is polo worth while, as you call it?"
"Do you wish to start such a complex discussion?" asked Edgerton, laughing.
"No; my wife will be here in a moment.... You're looking very pale, young man," he added abruptly. "Did that pony hurt you?"
"A little.... Mr. Rivett, do you need my services any longer?"
"I don't need anybody's services," said the little man dryly. "I never needed anybody in all my life—except my wife. There's no such thing as a necessary man. No man ever lived who couldn't be replaced.... What's the matter?"
Edgerton said slowly: "I thought I'd go back to town and hunt up a job."