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Updated: June 10, 2025
For a moment, as he met its gaze, it seemed to grow older and coarser the light died out of the eyes, the mouth lost its strength, the lines of shame and vice came out on the brow. Then the old face looked out again the face of the lost Roger Ingleton. "Ratman my brother!" he groaned to himself. Then of a sudden he seemed to see it all.
Mr Ratman began to lose countenance, and fidgeted uncomfortably with the forks and spoons. "I have heard a little of this gentleman's romantic career," continued the tutor, with his half-drawl. "He has been good enough to tell us, in fact, that when he left home by the way, when was that, Ratman?" "When I know your right to ask me questions," growled Ratman, "I'll see about answering them."
"What do you mean?" said Ratman with a yawn. "Why, you claim a certain name, and you have to prove your claim. Roger has got the romantic notion into his head that if his elder brother can be found, that brother shall have the property. He is more than half inclined to credit your story already. You have to satisfy two other persons, of whom I am one. Do you understand?"
"Scarcely anything only to make a little communication to the War Office, give a few instructions to the Sheriff, write a paragraph or two to the county papers, and tell a few interesting anecdotes to your charming daughters." Captain Oliphant started to his feet with a smothered exclamation. "Not the last, Ratman! I'm in your clutches; but for Heaven's sake don't bring them into it!"
A further motive was to evade a possible return of his dear friend Mr Ratman, whose abrupt departure from Maxfield had both perplexed and relieved him.
But if your mind is made up, I know it is no use my setting up my authority against your self-will. Therefore, to relieve you of the sin of disobedience to your father's wishes, I withdraw my refusal to your proposal. You may do as you like. Good night!" The sun, when it peeped through the blinds next morning, found Mr Robert Ratman wide awake.
The voice was that of Mr Ratman. What brought him here at this moment, to extinguish, perhaps, the little gleam of courage that flickered in the breast of his wretched dupe? For a moment the captain was tempted to run like a thief from a policeman; but his very desperation came to his rescue. "What do you want here, Ratman?" "Hullo, it's Oliphant! Here's a piece of luck.
You may think you've a snug berth here, and flatter yourself you pass for a saint with your pupil and his mamma, but, let me tell you, I could open their eyes to a thing or two which would alter their opinion, as well as the opinion of certain young lady friends who " "Who do not require the assistance of Robert Ratman to keep them out of bad company," retorted the tutor, hotly for him.
At the end of the following week these two nice gentlemen presented themselves at Maxfield. Captain Oliphant had written for the brougham to meet them, and as Tom and Jill were in it, Mr Ratman was spared the embarrassment of meeting the whole household at one time.
Thoroughly ruffled for this was the last train to town Mr Ratman vented his wrath on the world in general, and the railway officials in particular, even including in his objurgations an unlucky passenger who had arrived by the train and shared with him the uninterrupted possession of the platform.
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