r, Ishmael approached and took his
seat at the table. The judge took his crutch and set it up in the
corner, saying:

"I see you have discarded one crutch, my boy! You will be able to
discard the other in a day or so."

"Yes, sir; I only retain this one in compliance with the injunctions of
the doctor, who declares that I must not bear full weight upon the
injured limb yet," replied Ishmael courteously.

No one could have supposed from the manner of the youth that he had not
been accustomed to mingle on equal terms in the best society.

Claudia poured out the tea. She was not deficient in courtesy; but she
could not bring herself, as yet, to speak to Ishmael with her usual ease
and freedom. When tea was over she excused herself and retired. Claudia
was not accustomed to seek Divine help. And so, in one of the greatest
straits of her moral experience, without one word of prayer, she threw
herself upon her bed, where she lay tossing about, as yet too agitated
with mental conflict to sleep.

Ishmael improved in health and grew in favor with his employer. He
walked daily from his chamber to the library without the aid of a
crutch. He took his meals with the family. And oh! ruinous extravagance,
he wore his Sunday suit every day! There was no help for it, since he
must sit in the judge's library and eat at the judge's table.

Claudia treated him well; with the inconsistency of girlish nature,
since she had felt such a revulsion towards him, and despite of it
resolved to be kind to him, she went to the extreme and treated him
better than ever.

The judge was unchanged in his manner to the struggling youth.

And so the time went on and the month of November arrived.

Ishmael kept the Rushy Shore schoolhouse in mind. Up to this time no
schoolmaster had been found to undertake its care. And Ishmael resolved
if it should remain vacant until his engagement with the judge should be
finished, he would then take it himself.

All this while Ishmael, true to the smallest duty, had not neglected
Reuben Gray's account-books. They had been brought to him by Gray every
week to be posted up. But it was the second week in November before
Ishmael was able to walk to Woodside to see Hannah's babes, now fine
children of nearly three months of age. Of course Ishmael, in the
geniality of his nature, was delighted with them; and equally, of
course, he delighted their mother with their praises.

The last two weeks in November were devo