“Quite so. Does it not occur to you, Captain, that a simple solution of the difficulty would be for Mrs Ingleton to send her boy to college?”
“Mrs Ingleton,” said the Captain, “is unfortunately incapable of regarding this subject in any light but that of her son’s likings. And Roger Ingleton, minor, is infatuated.”
“Humph!” said the lawyer, “I thought so. Then I agree with you, it will be useful to institute a few inquiries.”
“Leave that to me,” said the captain. “By the way, what about that piece of land you were speaking of?”
“Ah!” said the lawyer, making as near an approach to a blush as he could muster, “the fact is, Hodder’s lease falls in next week. He has had it at a ridiculously low figure, and is not a profitable tenant.”
“That is the old dotard who is always croaking about Maxfield in the days before the Flood?”
“Well, almost as remote a period. He was here in the time of the late squire’s father. At any rate his lease falls in; and I happen to know a person who is willing to give twenty per cent more for the land than he pays. I can’t tell you his name,” said the lawyer, looking sufficiently conscious, “but I happen to know he would be a better tenant to Maxfield than the old man.”
Mr Pottinger amused himself with making a little mystery about a matter that was no secret to Captain Oliphant. That gallant gentleman knew as well as the lawyer did that Mr Pottinger himself, whose land adjoined Hodder’s, was the eligible tenant in question.
“There will be no difficulty about that, Pottinger. Of course, you must give Hodder the option of offering your friend’s price. If he does not, it is clearly the duty of the executors to take the better tenant.”
He took up his hat and turned to go.