"You. Look sharp!"
"I tell you, Ratman, I haven't any money. You can't get blood out of a
stone."
"Then you must give me a bill--at a month."
"No, no! I won't begin that," said the captain, who had fibre enough
left in him to know that a bill was the first plunge into an unknown
region of financial difficulty. "If you're bent on ruining me in any
case, for heaven's sake do it at once and have done with it. Remember,
you bring down more than me. Whatever I may be, they don't deserve it."
"For their sake, then, give me the bill. Bless you, any one can put his
hand to paper. Consider yourself lucky I don't insist on taking it out
in hard cash."
It was no use arguing or protesting with a man like this. The captain
flung himself miserably into a chair and scrawled out the ill-omened
document.
Ratman snatched it up with a grunt of triumph.
"That's more like," said he. "What's the use of all that fuss? Plenty
of things can happen in a month. Order the dogcart in half an hour."
The abrupt departure of Captain Oliphant's guest might have excited more
remark than it did, had not another departure from Maxfield that same
day thrown it somewhat into the shade.
True to her promise, or rather threat, Miss Rosalind had packed up her
things and had them transported to the Vicarage.
It was not without a pang that she uprooted herself from her
surroundings in Maxfield, or bore the protests of Roger, the tears of
Jill, and the chaff of Tom for her desertion.
"It's not that you're not all awfully kind," said she to the first that
afternoon, when the party was assembled in his room. "You are too
kind--that's why I'm going."
"If a little of the opposite treatment would induce you to stay," said
Roger, "I'd gladly try it. Don't you think it's a little unkind of her
to go when we all want her to stay--eh, Armstrong?"
"That depends," said Mr Armstrong diplomatically. "I should be
inclined to say no, myself."
"Thank you, Mr Armstrong, I'm glad I've got one person to back me up.
Every one else is down on me--auntie, father, Roger, Jill, Tom--"
"I'm not down on you," put in Tom. "I think it's rather larks your
going to the Vicarage. No more of that beastly art class for us. But
if you want to know who's down on you, it's jolly old Ratman. I've just
been to see him off in the tantrums to London. I asked him to be sure
and be back for Roger's birthday, and he said he'd try, if his black eye
was well enough. That must have been a ripping clean shot of yours,
Armstrong. He'll get over it all right, you bet. He was grinning about
it already, and said he'd have a return some day. I asked him if he
didn't think Rosalind was a stunner (one's got to be civil to fellows,
you know), and he said `Rather,' and envied the kids at the Vicarage. I
don't. You always make yourself jolly civil to other people, but I
don't come in for much of it, nor does Jill."
"I can't bear your going away," said Jill, with tears in her eyes; "I'll
be so lonely. But it would be far worse if Mr Armstrong were to go
away too. You'll stay, won't you, dear Mr Armstrong?"
Dear Mr Armstrong jerked his eye-glass by way of assent, and said he
was sure everybody would miss Miss Oliphant and-- and he would say good-
bye now, as he had some letters to get off by the post.
Miss Rosalind, who had just been thinking a little kindly of the tutor,
stiffened somewhat at this abrupt exit, and thought Mr Armstrong might
at least have offered to escort her over to her new quarters.
To tell the truth, that poor gentleman would have given a finger off his
hand for the chance, and retired to his room very dejected about the
whole business--so dejected that he fidgeted about his room a good while
before he noticed a note addressed to himself, in Captain Oliphant's
hand, lying on the table. He opened it and read--
"Mr Frank Armstrong is informed that his services as tutor to Roger
Ingleton will not be required after this day month, the 25th _prox_.
Mr Armstrong is at liberty to remain at Maxfield until that date, or
may leave at once on accepting a month's wages in lieu of notice.--For
the Executors of Roger Ingleton,--
"Edward Oliphant."
The tutor's lips curled into a grim smile as he perused this pleasing
document, and then tossed it into the waste-paper basket. He relieved
his feelings with a few chords on the piano, and then, after a few more
uneasy turns in his room, went off to call on his co-trustee.
On his way down-stairs he met Rosalind and her escort about to take
their departure.
"Come along with us, do!" said Tom. "We're just going to trot Rosalind
over to her diggings, and then we can have a high old lark in the
paddock on our way back."
"The programme is not attractive, Thomas," said the tutor. "Good-bye
again, Miss Oliphant."
Captain Oliphant had already bidden his daughter a tender farewell, and
was enjoying a cigar in the library.
"Oh," said he, as the tutor entered, "you got my note, did you, sir?"
"I did, thanks."
"Well, sir?"
"That was the question I was about to ask you. Excuse my saying it, but
it was a very foolish note for a man in your position to write. Did
Mrs Ingleton--"
"Mrs Ingleton has decided, on my advice, to send her son to Oxford. I
have recently been there, and made inquiries."
"Indeed! I'll join you in your smoke, if you don't mind," and the tutor
drew a chair up to the table and filled his pipe.
Captain Oliphant was considerably disconcerted at this cool reception of
his piece of news; but, warned by previous experiences, he forbore to
bluster.
"I think the life will suit him. He is wasting his time here."
"If his health improves sufficiently," said the tutor, "there is a good
deal to be said in favour of the University."
"You think so, do you?" said his co-guardian drily. "You are an Oxford
man yourself, I understand."
"Yes; I was at --- College."
"So I heard from a friend of mine there, who remembered your name."
Mr Armstrong twitched his glass a little and puffed away.
"Yes," said the captain, encouraged by this slight symptom of
uneasiness; "I heard a good deal about you up there, as it happened."
"Kind of you to take so much interest in me. You ascertained, of
course, that I left Oxford in debt and without a degree?"
This was check again for the captain, who had counted upon this
discovery as an effective bombshell for his side.
"As regards Roger, however," proceeded the tutor, reaching across for
the captain's ash-tray, "I would advise Balliol in preference to--"
"We shall not need to trouble you for your advice."
"But I shall most certainly give it."
By this time Captain Oliphant's self-control was rapidly evaporating.
He was beginning to feel himself a little small, and that always annoyed
him.
"Look here, Mr Frank Armstrong," said he, leaning back in his chair,
and trying hard to look superior, "it is just as well for you and me to
understand one another. I have heard what sort of figure you cut at
Oxford, and the disgrace in which you left the University. Allow me to
say, sir, that it reflects little credit on your honour that you should
have imposed on your late employer, and taken advantage of his weak
health and faculties to foist yourself upon his family under false
colours."
"Will you oblige me with a light?" interposed Mr Armstrong.
"You are under a delusion if you think I am not perfectly well
acquainted with your disreputable antecedents. Let me tell you, sir,
that a music-hall cad is not a fitting companion for a lad of Roger's
rank and expectations."
"I perfectly agree with you. But really this has very little to do with
our arrangements for Roger's future."
"Do you mean to deny, sir, that you were a music-hall singer?"
"By no means. I was. On the whole, I rather enjoyed the vocation at
the time. I look upon that and the year (about which you apparently
have not been fortunate enough to learn anything) during which I was
tutor and private secretary in the family of the Hon. James Welcher--
the most notorious blackleg in the kingdom--as two of the most
interesting episodes in my career."
"I can believe it. And, before you devoted your energies to singing
disreputable songs to the blackguards of the East End--"
"Pardon me. I was particular. My songs were for the most part of the
classical order; but what were you saying?"
"I was saying," said the captain, now fairly dropping the dignified, and
falling back on the abusive, "what were you before that?"
"Really, Captain Oliphant, you have been so acute and successful so far,
I would not on any account deprive you of the satisfaction of
discovering what little more remains to complete my humble biography by
your own exertions. Meanwhile, as to Roger's college; had you leisure
when at Oxford to make any inquiries as to that rather important
question?"
"Oblige me by addressing your conversation to some one else, sir. I am
not disposed to be asked questions by an adventurer and sharper, who--"
The tutor's face blackened, the glass fell from his eye, and he rose to
his feet so suddenly that the chair on which he had been sitting fell
back violently.
Captain Oliphant turned pale and started to his feet too in an attitude
of self-defence and retreat. But the tutor only walked over to the
fireplace to knock out his ashes into the fender, and then, resuming his
glass, said quietly--
"I beg your pardon; I interrupted you." Captain Oliphant did not pursue
the subject, and presently retired, leaving his co-trustee master of the
situation.
"Strange," said the latter to himself when the enemy had gone, "what a
look he has of his daughter. The resemblance was distinctly fortunate
for him five minutes ago."