cook-shop in Shoreditch. Of course, when I went to inquire, my
gentleman had vanished. I'm sick of asking the interminable question,
`Does So-and-so live here?' The present cook-man, however, remembered
the queer name as that belonging to his predecessor, and informed me
that, not having made the business pay over here, he had decamped two
years ago without saying good-bye to his creditors, and announced his
intention of starting a _cafe_ in Paris. This, then, is my off-chance.
Unless he has changed his name, I should be able to discover him in
Paris; and if he turns out to be the man who once lived at Number 2 Long
Street, he may be able to tell me something about the Callots; and the
Callots, if by a miracle I can find them, may be able to tell me
something about Rogers, the Ghost in _Hamlet_. I only wish you were
coming to back me up, but, from what you say, I would ever so much
rather you remained on the spot at Maxfield. I hope it will be possible
to help Oliphant out of his fix. Try. You'd better write to the _Poste
Restante_ at Paris. Remember me at home.

"Yours ever,--

"R. Ingleton."

The tutor read this letter with a somewhat troubled countenance. It
proved to him that his ward was desperately in earnest in his uphill
quest, and it filled him with some concern to feel that he himself was
not, where he should have liked to be, at the boy's side.

But to leave Maxfield at present seemed impossible. Rosalind claimed
his help on behalf of her father; and the possibility that any day Mr
Ratman might turn up and court exposure decided the tutor to remain
where he was. Another motive for this step was a haunting perplexity as
to the hallucination under which he had apparently laboured with regard
to the estate accounts. He never flattered himself he was a
particularly good man of business, but it puzzled him to explain why a
few weeks ago there should have appeared to be discrepancies and
irregularities to the tune of several hundred pounds, whereas now
everything was in startling apple-pie order.

Much to Mr Pottinger's annoyance, he took to visiting the honest
lawyer's office every other day, and spent hours in trying to discover
where it was he had made his great mistake. Mr Pottinger was unable to
render him any assistance; and the captain, when once he referred to the
subject, only smiled pityingly and advised him to take a few lessons in
the elements of finance; which advice, to do him ju