glittering jet black ringlets shading her snowy forehead, shadowy
eyes, and damask cheeks!

She closed the door as softly as she had opened it, and advanced into
the room.

Old Katie arose from some obscure corner and placed a chair for her near
the head of Ishmael's bed on his right side.

Claudia sank gently into this seat and turned her face towards Ishmael,
and attempted to speak; but a sudden, hysterical rising in her throat
choked her voice.

Her eyes had taken in all at a glance!--the splintered leg, the bandaged
arm, the plastered chest, the ashen complexion, the sunken cheeks and
the hollow eyes of the poor youth; and utterance failed her!

But Ishmael gently and respectfully pressed the hand she had given him,
and smiled as he said:

"It is very kind of you to come and see me, Miss Merlin. I thank you
earnestly." For, however strong Ishmael's emotions might have been, he
possessed the self-controlling power of an exalted nature.

"Oh, Ishmael!" was all that Claudia found ability to say; her voice was
choked, her bosom heaving, her face pallid.

"Pray, pray, do not disturb yourself, Miss Merlin; indeed I am doing
very well," said the youth, smiling. The next instant he turned away his
face; it was to conceal a spasm of agony that suddenly sharpened all his
features, blanched his lips, and forced the cold sweat out on his brow.
But Claudia had seen it.

"Oh, I fear you suffer very much," she said.

The spasm had passed as quickly as it came. He turned to her his smiling
eyes.

"I fear you suffer very, very much," she repeated, looking at him.

"Oh, no, not much; see how soon the pain passed away."

"Ah! but it was so severe while it lasted! I saw that it caught your
breath away! I saw it, though you tried to hide it! Ah! you do suffer,
Ishmael! and for me! me," she cried, forgetting her pride in the excess
of her sympathy.

The smile in Ishmael's dark blue eyes deepened to ineffable tenderness
and beauty as he answered softly:

"It is very, very sweet to suffer for--one we esteem and honor."

"I am not worth an hour of your pain!" exclaimed Claudia, with something
very like self-reproach.

"Oh, Miss Merlin, if you knew how little I should value my life in
comparison with your safety." Ishmael paused; for he felt that perhaps
he was going too far.

"I think that you have well proved how ready you are to sacrifice your
life for the preservation, not only of your friends, but of your very
fo