essive face, she added, smiling:

"You know we must begin to call you Mr. Worth some time, and there can
be no better time than this, when you make your first appearance in the
city and commence a new career in life."

"I had always hoped to be 'Ishmael' with my friends," he replied.

"'Times change and we change with them,' said one of the wisest of
sages," smiled Claudia.

"And coffee and muffins grow cold by standing; which is more to the
present purpose," laughed Judge Merlin, handing his daughter to her seat
at the head of the table, taking his own at the foot, and pointing his
guest to one at the side.

When all were seated, Claudia poured out the coffee and the breakfast
commenced. But to the discredit of the judge's consistency, it might
have been noticed that, after he had helped his companion to steak,
waffles, and other edibles, he resumed his newspaper; and, regardless
that coffee and muffins grew cold by standing, recommenced reading the
debates in Congress.

At length, when he finished reading and saw that his companions had
finished eating, he swallowed his muffin in two bolts, gulped his coffee
in two draughts, and started up from the table, exclaiming:

"Now, then, Ishmael, if you are ready?"

Ishmael arose, bowed to Claudia, and turned to follow his employer.

The judge led him upstairs to a sort of office or study, immediately
over the breakfast room, having an outlook over the Capitol grounds, and
fitted up with a few book-cases, writing desks, and easy-chairs.

The judge drew a chair to the central table, which was covered with
papers, and motioned Ishmael to take another seat at the same table. As
soon as Ishmael obeyed, Judge Merlin began to initiate him into his new
duties, which, in fact, were so much of the same description with those
in which he had been engaged at Tanglewood, that he very soon understood
and entered upon them.

The first few days of Ishmael's sojourn were very busy ones. There was a
great arrearage of correspondence; and he worked diligently, day and
night, until he had brought up all arrears to the current time.

When this was done, and he had but two mails to attend to in one day,
he found that five hours in the morning and five in the evening sufficed
for the work, and left him ample leisure for the pursuit of his legal
studies, and he devoted himself to them, both by diligent reading and by
regular attendance upon the sessions of the circuit court, where he