“Oliphant seems civilly disposed, and not inclined to interfere; and the girls—well they seem harmless enough. How do you like Tom?”
“Tom’s a nice, quiet, business-like boy,” said the tutor with a grin. “I’ll tell you more about him soon, but at present I have no time. I must catch the four o’clock train back to London.”
“What! What ever for?” exclaimed Roger, with falling face.
“Urgent private affairs. I shall be away perhaps a week,” said Mr Armstrong shortly, in a tone which discouraged Roger from making further inquiries.
“I’m awfully sorry,” said he; “I shall miss you specially just now.”
“If I could have taken any other time, I would,” said the tutor, busily throwing his things into his bag all the time; “but I am going to a death-bed.”
“Oh, Armstrong, I’m so sorry. Is it a relation?”
“As I regard relations, yes. Now I must go and make my apologies to your mother. I’ll come and see you before I go.”
He found the lady sitting in the library in consultation with Captain Oliphant. The table was spread with the late Squire’s papers and documents, concerning which the Captain was evincing considerable interest.
The tutor glared a little through his glass at the spectacle of this industry, and disposing of his co-trustee’s greeting with a half nod, accosted Mrs Ingleton.