Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: September 10, 2025
"The whole in five minutes or there'll be interest to add!" retorted Mr Ratman. With a groan Captain Oliphant flung down the second bank-note on the table. "Take it, you coward! and may it help you to perdition!" "Thanks, very much," said Ratman, carefully putting away the money. "I'm not going to ask you where the money came from. That would be painful.
"What do you mean?" demanded Mr Ratman, taking an easy-chair and helping himself to a cigar from the captain's box. "It's you who are keeping it up, I fancy. I'll trouble you to drop the Ratman." The captain laughed unpleasantly. "As you like," said he. "Now to business. Of course, you're ready to make good these little bills," and he pulled four or five blue slips from his pocket. "No, I'm not.
"I am fool enough to believe there is something in the story," said Roger; "at any rate I must follow it up. If this Ratman is my brother " The tutor, who himself was showing signs of irritation, laughed abruptly. "It may be a joke to you, but it is none to me," said Roger angrily. "It may not concern you " "It concerns me very much," said the tutor.
It was a letter from Ratman, reminding him that a certain bill was falling due on the following day, and requiring him, on pain of exposure, to honour it. Roger's letter was in the same hand. It was dated London, a day or two back. Ratman said "Dear Brother, I received your letter and enclosure. It is what I expected from you, but I hope it is not to be the last.
"I believe his fancy is utterly groundless; besides which, if the person he believes to be the missing brother is really Roger Ingleton, to discover him would mean disgrace to Maxfield, and an injury to the name of Ingleton." "What! Mr Armstrong, do you mean to say " "I mean to say that Mr Robert Ratman claims to be the lost elder brother, and that Roger credits the story.
I'll teach that girl " An ominous crack of the tutor's whip cut short the end of the sentence, and Mr Ratman left the remainder of his threats to the imagination of his audience.
Not far away, is it? We shall see lots of one another." At this moment, just as the band was striking up for a quadrille, Jill came up. "Have you seen dear Mr Arm O Rosalind! how can you dance with that man?" Mr Ratman laughed. "Very well, missy. I'll pay you out. You shall dance with me, see if you don't, before the evening is out." Before which awful threat Jill fled headlong to seek the tutor.
"You choose a strange time, sir," said he, "for coming here with this story, when the heir and his guardians are both away." "I supposed my brother was here," said Ratman. "In any case he knows who I am; so does your friend the tutor, Dr Brandram." "Oh, why do you stop talking to that hateful man instead of coming, and enjoying the party?" pleaded Jill.
Had Roger guessed that the friend on whom so much devotion was to be expended was Mr Robert Ratman, he would have displayed a good deal more curiosity than he did as to his guardian's business. As it was, he was not sorry to be left thus to his own devices. "You know your way to the club by this time," said the captain. "Make yourself at home there and keep out of mischief."
He astonished his visitor with an account of the surprise visit of Mr Ratman a few days previously, and of that gentleman's astounding claims to the name of Ingleton. "What!" exclaimed the captain, "you mean to say that scoundrel actually claimed to be the lost son? I always had a high opinion of his impudence, but I never imagined it capable of that.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking