“I will introduce you to this young man, who has so much interested you, and all the world, in fact, I suppose.  He is living with us; and he will be a lion from to-day, I assure you,” said the judge, as soon as they were all seated.

“Thank you!  I was interested in—­in those two poor sisters.  One died—­what has become of the other?”

“She married my overseer, Gray; they are doing well.  They are in the city on a visit at present, stopping at the Farmer’s, opposite Center Market.”

“Who educated this young man?”

“Himself.”

“Did this unknown father make no provision for him?”

“None—­the rascal!  The boy was as poor as poverty could make him; but he worked for his own living from the time he was seven years old.”

Herman had feared as much, for he doubted the check he had written and left for Hannah had ever been presented and cashed, for in the balancing of his bankbook he never saw it among the others.

Meanwhile Ishmael had parted with his friends and gone home to the Washington House.  He knew that he had had a glorious success; but he took no vain credit to himself; he was only happy that his service had been a free offering to a good cause; and very thankful that it had been crowned with victory.  And when he reached home he went up to his little chamber, knelt down in humble gratitude, and rendered all the glory to God!

CHAPTER LVIII.

HERMAN BRUDENELL

  My son!  I seem to breathe that word,
    In utterance more clear
  Than other words, more slowly round
  I move my lips, to keep the sound
    Still lingering in my ear.

  For were my lonely life allowed
    To claim that gifted son,
  I should be met by straining eyes,
  Welcoming tears and grateful sighs
    To hallow my return.

  But between me and that dear son
    There lies a bar, I feel,
  More hard to pass, more girt with awe,
  Than any power of injured law,
    Or front of bristling steel.

  —­Milnes.

When the carriage containing Judge Merlin, Claudia, Beatrice, and Mr. Brudenell reached the Washington House the party separated in the hall; the ladies went each to her own chamber to dress for dinner, and Judge Merlin called a servant to show Mr. Brudenell to a spare room, and then went to his own apartment.

When Herman Brudenell had dismissed his attendant and found himself alone he sat down in deep thought.

Since the death of Nora he had been a wanderer over the face of the earth.  The revenues of his estate had been mostly paid over to his mother for the benefit of herself and her daughters, yet had scarcely been sufficient for the pride, vanity, and extravagance of those foolish women, who, living in Paris and introduced into court circles by the American minister, aped the style of the wealthiest among the French aristocracy, and indulged in the most expensive establishment, equipage, retinue, dress, jewelry, balls, etc., in the hope of securing alliances among the old nobility of France.