"No, madam," said Ishmael, in a sweet, rea.s.sured, and rea.s.suring tone, for compa.s.sion for her had restored confidence to him. "No, madam, I am not the counsel of Mr. Walsh."
"You--you come from court, then? Perhaps you are going to have the writ of habeas corpus, with which I have been threatened, served upon me? You need not! I won"t give up my children--they are my own! I won"t for twenty writs of habeas corpus," she exclaimed excitedly.
"But, madam--" began Ishmael soothingly.
"Hush! I know what you are going to say; you needn"t say it! You are going to tell me that a writ of habeas corpus is the most powerful engine the law can bring to bear upon me! that to resist it would be flagrant contempt of court, subjecting me to fine and imprisonment! I do not care! I do not care! I have contempt, a very profound contempt, for any court, or any law, that would try to wrest from a Christian mother the children that she has borne, fed, clothed, and educated all herself, and give them to a man who has totally neglected them all their lives. Nature is hard enough upon woman, the Lord knows! giving her a weaker frame and a heavier burden than is allotted to man! but the law is harder still--taking from her the sacred rights with which nature in compensation has invested her! But I will not yield mine!
There! Do your worst! Serve your writ of habeas corpus! I will resist it! I will not give up my own children! I will not bring them into court! I will not tell you where they are! They are in a place of safety, thank G.o.d! and as for me--fine, imprison, torture me as much as you like, you will find me rock!" she exclaimed, with her eyes flashing and all her little dark figure bristling with terror and resistance, for all the world like a poor little frightened kitten spluttering defiance at a big dog!
Ishmael did not interrupt her; he let her go on with her wild talk; he had been too long used to poor Hannah"s excitable nerves not to have learned patience with women.
"Yes, you will find me rock--rock!" she repeated; and to prove how much of a rock she was, the poor little creature dropped her head upon the desk, burst into tears, and sobbed hysterically.
Ishmael"s experience taught him to let her sob on until her fit of pa.s.sion had exhausted itself.
Meanwhile one or two of the most sensitive little girls, seeing their teacher weep, fell to crying for company; others whispered among themselves; and others, again, looked belligerent.
"Go tell him to go away, Mary," said the little one.
"I don"t like to; you go, Ellen," said another.
"I"m afraid."
"Oh! you scary things! I"ll go myself," said a third; and, rising, this little one came to the rescue, and standing up firmly before the intruder said:
"What do you come here for, making our teacher cry? Go home this minute; if you don"t I"ll run right across the street and fetch my father from the shop to you! he"s as big as you are!"
Ishmael turned his beautiful eyes upon this little champion of six summers, and smiling upon her, said gently:
"I did not come here to make anybody cry, my dear; I came to do your teacher a service."
The child met his glance with a searching look, such as only babes can give, and turned and went back and reported to her companions.
"He"s good; he won"t hurt anybody."
Mrs. Walsh having sobbed herself into quietness, wiped her eyes, looked up and said:
"Well, sir, why don"t you proceed with your business? Why don"t you serve your writ?"
"My dear madam, it is not my business to serve writs. And if it was I have none to serve," said Ishmael very gently.
She looked at him in doubt.
"You have mistaken my errand here, madam. I am not retained on the other side; I have nothing whatever to do with the other side. I have heard your story; my sympathies are with you; and I have come here to offer you my professional services," said Ishmael gravely.
She looked at him earnestly, as if she would read his soul. The woman of thirty was not so quick at reading character as the little child of six had been.
"Have you counsel?" inquired Ishmael.
"Counsel? No! Where should I get it?"
"Will you accept me as counsel? I came here to offer you my services."
"I tell you I have no means, sir."
"I do not want any remuneration in your case; I wish to serve you, for your own sake and for G.o.d"s; something we must do for G.o.d"s sake and for our fellow creatures". I wish to be your counsel in the approaching trial. I think, with the favor of Divine Providence, I can bring your case to a successful issue and secure you in the peaceful possession of your children."
"Do you think so? Oh! do you think so?" she inquired eagerly, warmly.
"I really do. I think so, even from the showing of the other side, who, of course, put the fairest face upon their own cause."
"And will you? Oh! will you?"
"With the help of Heaven, I will."
"Oh, surely Heaven has sent you to my aid."
At this moment the little school clock struck out sharply the hour of noon.
"It is the children"s recess," said the teacher. "Lay aside your books, dears, and leave the room quietly and in good order."
The children took their hoods and cloaks from the pegs on which they hung and went out one by one--each child turning to make her little courtesy before pa.s.sing the door. Thus all went out but two little sisters, who living at a distance had brought their luncheon, which they now took to the open front door, where they sat on the steps in the pleasant winter sunshine to eat.
The teacher turned to her young visitor.
"Will you sit down? And ah! will you pardon me for the rude reception I gave you?"
"Pray do not think of it. It was so natural that I have not given it a thought," said Ishmael gently.
"It is not my disposition to do so; but I have suffered so much; I have been goaded nearly to desperation."
"I see that, madam; you are exceedingly nervous."
"Nervous! why, women have been driven to madness and death with less cause than I have had!"
"Do not think of your troubles in that manner, madam; do not excite yourself, compose yourself, rather. Believe me, it is of the utmost importance to your success that you should exhibit coolness and self-possession."
"Oh, but I have had so much sorrow for so many years!"
"Then in the very nature of things your sorrows must soon be over.
Nothing lasts long in this world. But you have had a recent bereavement," said Ishmael gently, and glancing at her black dress; for he thought it was better that she should think of her chastening from the hands of G.o.d rather than her wrongs from those of men. But to his surprise, the woman smiled faintly as she also glanced at her dress, and replied:
"Oh, no! I have lost no friend by death since the decease of my parents years ago, far back in my childhood. No, I am not wearing mourning for anyone. I wear this black alpaca because it is cheap and decent and protective."
"Protective?"
"Ah, yes! no one knows how protective the black dress is to a woman, better than I do! There are few who would venture to treat with levity or disrespect a quiet woman in a black dress. And so I, who have no father, brother, or husband to protect me, take a shelter under a black alpaca. It repels dirt, too, as well as disrespect. It is clean as well as safe, and that is a great desideratum to a poor schoolmistress," she said, smiling with an almost childlike candor.
"I am glad to see you smile again; and now, shall we go to business?"
said Ishmael.