im again, sir?" anxiously inquired Claudia.

"In the course of the evening. I am not going back home for some hours,
perhaps not for the night; I have a case at Gray's."

"Indeed! that is the reason, then, I suppose, why no one has answered my
message to come up and see Ishmael. But who is sick there?" inquired
Claudia.

"Mrs. Gray. Good-afternoon, Miss Merlin," said the doctor shortly, as he
walked out of the house attended by the judge.

Claudia went to the door of Ishmael's room and rapped softly.

Old Katie answered the summons.

"Can I come in now, Katie?" asked Miss Merlin, a little impatiently.

"Oh, yes, I s'pose so; I s'pose you'd die if you didn't!" answered this
privileged old servant, holding open the door for Claudia's admittance.

She passed softly into the darkened room, and approached the bedside.
Ishmael lay there swathed in linen bandages and extended at full length,
more like a shrouded corpse than a living boy. His eyes were closed and
his face was livid.

"Is he asleep?" inquired Claudia, in a tone scarcely above her breath.

"Sort o' sleep. You see, arter de doctor done set his arm an' leg, an'
splintered of 'em up, an' boun' up his wounds an' bruises, he gib him
some'at to 'pose his nerves and make him sleep, an' it done hev him into
dis state; which you see yourse'f is nyder sleep nor wake nor dead nor
libe."

Claudia saw indeed that he was under the effects of morphia. And with a
deep sigh of strangely blended relief and apprehension, Claudia sank
into a chair beside his bed.

And old Katie took that opportunity to slip out and eat her "bit of
dinner," leaving Claudia watching.

At the expiration of an hour Katie returned to her post. But Claudia did
not therefore quit hers. She remained seated beside the wounded boy. All
that day he lay quietly, under the influence of morphia. Once the judge
looked in to inquire the state of the patient, and on being told that
the boy still slept, he went off again. Late in the afternoon the doctor
came again, saw that his patient was at ease, left directions for his
treatment, and then prepared to depart.

"How is the sick woman at Gray's?" inquired Claudia.

"Extremely ill. I am going immediately back there to remain until it is
over; if I should be particularly wanted here, send there for me," said
the doctor.

"Yes; but I am very sorry Mrs. Gray is so ill! She is Ishmael's aunt.
What is the matter with her?"

"Humph!" answered the docto