Roger Ingleton, Minor Part 33

He played football badly that afternoon, so that his young companion's opinion of him lowered considerably. Nor was either sorry when the ceremony was over, and the bell warned them to return to their quarters and prepare for the evening's festivities.

Mr Ratman dressed with special care, spending some time before the mirror in an endeavour to set off his person to the best advantage. As the reader has already been told, Mr Ratman retained some of the traces of a handsome youth. The fires of honour and sobriety were extinguished, but his well-shaped head and clear-cut features still weathered the storm, and suggested that if their owner was not good- looking now, he might once have been.

Perhaps it was a lingering impression of the lost Roger's portrait which made this vain gentleman adjust his curly locks and pose his head before the gla.s.s in a style not unlike his model. Whether that was so or not, the result appeared to satisfy him, and in due time, and not till after several of the guests had already arrived, he descended in state to the drawing-room.

It was the first festive gathering at Maxfield since the death of the late Squire, and a good deal of curiosity was manifest on the part of some of the guests both as to the heir and his new guardian.

Roger, nerved up to the occasion by his own spirit and the encouragement of his tutor, bore his inspection well, and won golden opinions from his future comrades and neighbours.

Captain Oliphant also acquitted himself well; and anything lacking in him was amply forgiven for the sake of his charming daughters, the elder of whom fairly took the "county" by storm.

Quite unconscious of the broken hearts which strewed her way, Rosalind, with the duties of hostess unexpectedly cast upon her by Mrs Ingleton's illness, exerted herself for the general happiness, and enjoyed herself in the task.

Despite Tom's forebodings, the evening went off brilliantly. The music was excellent, the amateur theatricals highly appreciated, and the dance all that could be desired. The loyal youth found no difficulty in palming his young sister off on half a dozen partners delighted to have the opportunity, and his head was fairly turned by the sudden popularity in which he found himself with visitors anxious for an introduction to the fair Rosalind.

"Oh, all serene," said he confidentially to one of those glowing youths.

"She's booked six or seven deep, but I'll work it for you if I can.

You hang about here, and I'll fetch her up."

But the luckless ones hung about in vain. For Tom's progress was intercepted by other candidates for the same favour, amidst whom the young diplomatist played fast and loose in a reprehensible manner.

"Promised _you_, did I?" demanded he of one. "Well, you'll have to square it up with that sandy-haired chap at the door. He says I promised _him_; but he's all wrong, for the one I _did_ promise is that little dapper chap there in the window. He's been waiting on and off since eight o'clock. Never you mind; you hang about here, and I'll work it if I-- Hullo! here's another one! I didn't promise you, did I? All right, old chappie. You lean up there against the wall, and I'll engineer it for you somehow. She's owing me a dance about eight down the list. You can have a quarter of it, if you like, and the other two chaps can go halves in the rest."

With which the unprincipled youth absconded into the supper-room.

"And who is that talking to your charming cousin?" asked a dowager who had succeeded in capturing Roger for five minutes in a corner.

"Oh, that's my tutor, Armstrong--the best fellow in the world."

"Evidently a great admirer of Miss Oliphant. No doubt the attraction is mutual?"

Roger laughed, and speculated on Armstrong's horror were he to hear of such a suggestion.

"And that gentleman talking to Captain Oliphant? What relation is he?"

"He? None at all. He's a Mr Ratman, an Indian friend of my guardian's."

"Dear me! I quite thought he was an Ingleton by his face--but I'm glad he is not; I dislike his appearance. Besides, he has already had more than is good for him."

"He's no great favourite," said Roger shortly.

Presently Captain Oliphant and his companion stepped up to where Rosalind and her partner stood.

"Mr Armstrong," said the former, "will you kindly see that the band gets supper after the next dance?"

The words were spoken politely, and Mr Armstrong, although he knew that the speaker's solicitude on behalf of the band was by no means as great as his desire to see the tutor's back, felt he could hardly refuse.

"Rosalind," said the Captain, looking significantly at his daughter, "Mr Ratman desires the pleasure of a dance, and will take you into the next room."

Rosalind tossed her head and flushed.

"Thank you; I am tired," said she. "I prefer not to dance at present."

"You are keeping Mr Ratman waiting, my dear."

The colour died out of the girl's face as, with a little shiver, she laid the tips of her fingers on her partner's arm.

"That's right," said that genial individual. "Do as you are told. You don't fancy it; but pa's word is law, isn't it?"

She said nothing, but the colour shot back ominously into her cheeks.

"And so you've run off and left us," pursued her partner, who rather enjoyed the situation, and was vain enough to appreciate the distinction of dancing with the belle of the evening. "So sorry. I quite envy the little vicar boys and girls--upon my honour I do. Very unkind of you to go just as I came. Never mind. 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.

"Fact is," pursued Mr Ratman, reverting to his previous topic, "ever since I saw you, Miss Rosalind, I said to myself--Robert Ratman, you have found the right article at last. You don't suppose I'd come all the way here from India, do you, if there weren't attractions?"

She kept a rigid silence, and went through the steps of the quadrille without so much as a look at the talker, Ratman was sober enough to be annoyed at this chilly disdain.

"Don't you know it's rude not to speak when you're spoken to, Miss Rosalind?" said he. "If you choose to be friends with me we shall get on very well, but you mustn't be rude."

She turned her head away.

"You aren't deaf, are you?" said he, becoming still more nettled. "I suppose if it was the heir of Maxfield that was talking to you you'd hear, wouldn't you? You'd be all smiles and nods to the owner of ten thousand a year, eh? Do you suppose we can't see through your little game, you artful little schemer? Now, will you speak or not?"

Her cheeks gave the only indication that she had heard this last polished speech as she gathered up her dress and swept out of the quadrille.

"Wait," said he, losing his temper, "the dance is not over."

She stepped quickly to a chair, and sat there at bay.

"Come back," said he, following her, "or I will make you. I won't be insulted like this before the whole room. Come back; do you hear?"

And he s.n.a.t.c.hed her hand.

Rosalind looked up, and as she did so she caught a distant vision of an eye-gla.s.s dropping from a gentleman's eye to the length of its cord. A moment after, Mr Ratman felt a hand close like a vice on his collar and himself almost lifted from the room. It was all done so quickly that the quadrille party were only just becoming aware that a couple had dropped out; and the non-dancers were beginning to wonder if Miss Oliphant had been taken poorly, when Robert Ratman was writhing in the clutches of his chastiser in the hall.

Mr Armstrong marched straight with his prey to the kitchen.

"Raffles," said he to the footman, "get me a horsewhip."