Roger Ingleton, Minor Part 27

"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 bl.u.s.ter.

"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 gla.s.s 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 bombsh.e.l.l 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 cla.s.sical 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 gla.s.s 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 att.i.tude 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 gla.s.s, 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."

CHAPTER TWELVE.

A WINDFALL FOR THE CAPTAIN.

The impending birthday festivities at Maxfield were a topic of interest to others than merely the residents at the manor-house. There, indeed, the prospect was considerably damped by the failing health of Mrs Ingleton and the absence of Rosalind from the scene of action. The burden of the arrangements fell upon the tutor, who only half relished the duties of _major domo_, and heartily wished the uncomfortable date was past. Mrs Ingleton, however, ill as she was, was intent on celebrating the occasion in a manner becoming the hospitable traditions of the house of which her son was now the head, and accordingly, a large party of the neighbouring gentry was invited for the occasion.

Among the uninvited guests one individual was antic.i.p.ating the event with considerable interest. This was Robert Ratman, Esquire, as he lounged comfortably on a sofa at the "Grand Hotel" in London, and perused a letter which had just reached him by the post.

"I shall have to get you to take another bill in place of the one I gave you, due on the 26th. The fact is, I forgot that was the day of my ward's twentieth birthday, when there are to be celebrations at Maxfield," ("What on earth has that to do with it?" grunted the reader).

"If you will take my advice you will postpone your return here till after that date. In any case, please understand I am unable to attend to money matters at present. It may interest you to know that the tutor is under notice to leave," (here the reader uttered a not very complimentary expletive), "also that I am on the best of terms with the fair widow.

"E.O."

"Thinks I'm a fool, does he?" grunted Mr Ratman; "I shall have to undeceive him there."

So he laid down his cigar and wrote--

"Dear Teddy,--It sounds very nice, but it's not good enough. You've mistaken your man, my boy. You'll have to stump up 100 on the day, and I'll wait a month for the rest and interest. I shall be on the spot to receive it and join in the festivities. If you are not lying, you deserve credit for getting rid of the tutor. See he is packed off before I come; and see I get no more impertinence from those brats of yours, unless you wish trouble to their father.

"Yours,--

"R.R."