re 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."

Raffles took in the situation at once, and in half a minute was across
at the stable.

As he returned with the whip he met Mr Armstrong in the yard, holding
his victim much as a cat would hold a rat, utterly indifferent to his
oaths, his kicks, or his threats.

"Thanks," said the tutor, as he took the whip; "go in and shut the door.
Now, sir, for you!"

"Touch me if you dare!" growled Ratman; "it will be the worse for you
and every one. Do you know who I am! I'm--I'm,"--here he pulled
himself up and glared his enemy in the face--"_I'm Roger Ingleton_!"

It spoke worlds for the tutor's self-possession that in the start
produced by this announcement he did not let his victim escape. It
spoke still more for his resolution that, having heard it, he continued
his horsewhipping to the bitter end before he replied--

"Whoever you are, sir, that will teach you how to behave to a lady."

"You fool!" hissed Ratman, with an oath, getting up from the ground;
"you'll be sorry for this. I'll be even with you. I'll ruin you. I'll
turn your precious ward out of the place. 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.

When, ten minutes later, the tutor, with eye-glass erect, strolled back
into the drawing-room, no one would have supposed that he had been
horsewhipping an enemy or making a discovery on which the fate of a
whole household depended. His thin, compressed lips wore their usual
enigmatic lines; his brow was as unruffled as his shirt front.

"Dear Mr Armstrong, where have you been?" cried Jill, pouncing on him
at the door; "I've been hunting for you everywhere. You promised me,
you know." And the little lady towed off her captive in triumph.

The remainder of the evening passed uneventfully until at eleven o'clock
the festivities in the drawing-room gave place to the more serious
business of the "county" supper, at which, in a specially-erected tent,
about one hundred guests sat down.

Tom had taken care to procure an early and advantageous seat for the
occasion, and, with one of the vicar's daughters under his