eplace.

"I guess I'll take a seat and work this out," said he. "I'm your uncle,
am I? I never should have known it, if you hadn't been so obliging as
to tell me, young man. Which branch of the family tree do you hang on
to?"

"Your sister had a son, Roger Ingleton. That's my name."

"Is that so? And you're the present Squire of Maxfield? Well, well.
When did you come to life again?"

"There was a false report of my death," said Ratman, glancing a little
nervously at the tutor, who was diligently removing the mud from his
riding-boots.

"Wal, it's singular. I never expected to see a nephew of mine again.
Why, how long is it, now, since I went over? Thirty-seven years if it's
a day."

"I can't remember that," said Ratman tentatively.

"Seeing you weren't born, you'd find it hard," said Mr Headland. "But,
say, by all accounts you were a troublesome boy."

"I was not all I might have been," replied Mr Ratman, beginning to wish
this cross-examination was over.

"Put it that way, certainly. You ran away, and left your mother, my
sister, with a broken heart, I've heard say."

"My father and I quarrelled, and I left home--yes."

Here the tutor quitted the fire and came to where the two men sat.

"Excuse my interrupting you, sir," said he to the stranger, "but your
conversation interests me. The fact is, the Squire married a second
time, and left a son, whose guardian I happen to be. By the old man's
will my ward is the heir. You will allow I have a right to feel
interested in this gentleman, who only discovered six months ago that he
was the lost elder brother."

The good American sat back in his chair and looked from Ratman to
Armstrong, and from Armstrong back to Ratman, in a state of painful
bewilderment.

"Now," said the tutor, "my ward feels a little curiosity about his elder
brother--only natural, is it not?--and I, as his legal guardian,
naturally share that curiosity."

"Why, certainly," said the Mayor, beginning to be interested.

Mr Ratman began to lose countenance, and fidgeted uncomfortably with
the forks and spoons.

"I have heard a little of this gentleman's romantic career," continued
the tutor, with his half-drawl. "He has been good enough to tell us, in
fact, that when he left home--by the way, when was that, Ratman?"

"When I know your right to ask me questions," growled Ratman, "I'll see
about answering them."

"Seems to me," said the Mayor, assuming judicial functions