The sooner you square accounts and get rid of him the better." "Easier said than done," remarked the captain, and returned with a decided headache to Maxfield.
Roger, with Armstrong to nurse him, with Dr Brandram to attend him, with his own strong bias towards life to buoy him up, emerged slowly from the valley of the shadow of death, and in due time stood once more on his feet.

Weeks before that happened he had told and heard all that was to be said about his lost brother.

Dr Brandram had recounted the incident at Miss Jill's party, and he in turn had confided to his tutor his meeting with Fastnet, and the feeble clue in which that conference had resulted.
"Armstrong, old fellow," said he one day at the close of the year, "won't you help me in this?
I know you hate the business, and think me a fool for my pains.

I must do it, with you or without you, and would sooner do it with you.

In ten months it will be too late." "I hate the business, as you say, but you may count on me; only don't ask me to hail Mr Ratman as Squire of Maxfield, or subscribe a penny to his maintenance, a day before his claim is proved." "You are a brick; I was a cad ever to doubt it.