Seven o'clock
She had demanded of him something he had not the power to accomplish , and she had called him a coward . And in his heart Thurston knew that it was unjust , and that he was not a coward . Thurston , dressed immaculately in riding clothes of the latest English cut , went airily down the stairs and discovered that he was not early , as he had imagined . Seven o'clock , he had told himself proudly , was not bad for a beginner ; and he had smiled in anticipation of Hank Graves ' surprise which was fortunate , since he would otherwise have been cheated of smiling at all . For Hank Graves , he learned from the cook , had eaten breakfast at five and had left the ranch more than an hour before ; the men also were scattered to their work . Properly humbled in spirit , he sat down to the kitchen table and ate his belated breakfast , while the cook kneaded bread at the other end of the same table and eyed Thurston with frank amusement . Thurston had never before been conscious of feeling ill at ease in the presence of a servant , and hurried through the meal so that he could escape into the clear sunshine , feeling a bit foolish in the unaccustomed bagginess of his riding breeches and the snugness of his leggings ; for he had never taken to outdoor sports , except as an onlooker from the shade of a grand stand or piazza .