"I--fear that I am not well," replied Ishmael, in a hollow voice, and with a haggard smile.
"What is it? Only exhaustion, I hope? You have been working too hard, and you never even left the courtroom to take any refreshments to-day.
You are too much in earnest, my young friend. You take too much pains.
You apply yourself too closely. Why, bless my life, you could floor us all any day with half the trouble! But you must always use a trip-hammer to drive tin tacks. Take my arm, and let us go and get something."
And the stout lawyer drew the young man"s arm within his own and led him to a restaurant that was kept on the same floor for the convenience of the courts and their officers and other habitues of the City Hall.
Wiseman called for the best old Otard brandy, and poured out half a tumblerful, and offered it to Ishmael. It was a dose that might have been swallowed with impunity by a seasoned old toper like Wiseman; but certainly not by an abstinent young man like Ishmael, who, yielding to the fatal impulse to get rid of present suffering by any means, at any cost, or any risk, took the tumbler and swallowed the brandy.
Ah, Heaven have mercy on the sorely-tried and tempted!
This was only the third gla.s.s of alcoholic stimulants that Ishmael had ever taken in the whole course of his life.
On the first occasion, the day of Claudia"s betrothal, the gla.s.s had been placed in his hand and urged upon his acceptance by his honored old friend, Judge Merlin.
On the second occasion, the morning of this day, of Claudia"s marriage, the gla.s.s had also been offered him by Judge Merlin.
And on the third occasion, this afternoon of the terrible day of trial and suffering, it was placed to his lips by the respectable old lawyer, Wiseman.
Alas! alas!
On the first occasion Ishmael had protested long before he yielded; on the second he had hesitated a little while; but on the third he took the offered gla.s.s and drank the brandy without an instant"s doubt or pause.
Lord, be pitiful!
And oh, Nora, fly down from heaven on wings of love and watch over your son and save him--from his friends!--lest he fall into deeper depths than any from which he has so n.o.bly struggled forth. For he is suffering, tempted, and human! And there never lived but one perfect man, and he was the Son of G.o.d.
"Well?" said old Wiseman as he received the gla.s.s from Ishmael"s hand and sat it down.
"I thank you; it has done me good; I feel much better; you are very kind," said Ishmael.
"I wish you would really think so, and go into partnership with me. My business is very heavy--much more than I can manage alone, now that I am growing old and stout; and I must have somebody, and I would rather have you than anyone else. You would succeed to the whole business after my death, you know."
"Thank you; your offer is very flattering. I will think it over, and talk with you on some future occasion. Now I feel that I must return home, while I have strength to do so," replied Ishmael.
"Very well, then, my dear fellow, I will let you off."
And they shook hands and parted.
Ishmael, feeling soothed, strengthened, and exhilarated, set off to walk home. But this feeling gradually pa.s.sed off, giving place to a weakness, heaviness, and feverishness, that warned him he was in no state to appear at judge Merlin"s dinner table.
So when he approached the house he opened a little side gate leading into the back grounds, and strayed into the shrubbery, feeling every minute more feverish, heavy, and drowsy.
At last he strayed into an arbor, quite at the bottom of the shrubberies, where he sank down upon the circular bench and fell into a deep sleep.
Meanwhile up at the house changes had taken place. The wedding guests had all departed. The festive garments had had been laid away. The decorated dining room had been shut up. The household had returned to its usual sober aspect, and the plain family dinner was laid in the little breakfast parlor. But the house was very sad and silent and lonely because its queen was gone. At the usual dinner-hour, six o"clock, the family a.s.sembled at the table.
"Where is Ishmael, uncle?" inquired Beatrice.
"I do not know, my dear," replied the judge, whose heart was sore with the wrench that had torn his daughter from him.
"Do you, papa?"
"No, dear."
"Mamma, have you seen Ishmael since the morning?"
"No, child."
"Nor you, Walter?"
"Nor I, Bee."
Mr. Brudenell looked up at the fair young creature, who took such thought of his absent son, and volunteered to say:
"He had a case before the Orphans" Court to-day, I believe. But the court is adjourned, I know, because I met the judge an hour ago at the Capitol; so I suppose he will be here soon."
Bee bowed in acknowledgment of this information, but she did not feel at all rea.s.sured. She had noticed Ishmael"s dreadful pallor that morning; she felt how much he suffered, and she feared some evil consequences; though her worst suspicions never touched the truth.
"Uncle," she said, blushing deeply to be obliged still to betray her interest in one whom she was forced to remember, because everyone else forgot him, "uncle, had we not better send Powers up to Ishmael"s room to see if he has come in, and let him know that dinner is on the table?"
"Certainly, my dear; go, Powers, and if Mr. Worth is in his room, let him know that dinner is ready."
Powers went, but soon returned with the information that Mr. Worth was neither in his room nor in the office, nor anywhere else in the house.
"Some professional business has detained him; he will be home after a while," said the judge.
But Bee was anxious, and when dinner was over she went upstairs to a window that overlooked the Avenue, and watched; but, of course, in vain.
Then with the restlessness common to intense anxiety she came down and went into the shrubbery to walk. She paced about very uneasily until she had tired herself, and then turned towards a secluded arbor at the bottom of the grounds to rest herself. She put aside the vines that overhung the doorway and entered.
What did she see?
Ishmael extended upon the bench, with the late afternoon sun streaming through a crevice in the arbor, shining full upon his face, which was also plagued with flies!
She had found him then, but how?
At first she thought he was only sleeping; and she was about to withdraw from the arbor when the sound of his breathing caught her ear and alarmed her, and she crept back and cautiously approached and looked over him.
His face was deeply flushed; the veins of his temples were swollen; and his breathing was heavy and labored. In her fright Bee caught up his hand and felt his pulse. It was full, hard, and slowly throbbing. She thought that he was very ill--dangerously ill, and she was about to spring up and rush to the house for help, when, in raising her head, she happened to catch his breath.
And all the dreadful truth burst upon Bee"s mind, and overwhelmed her with mortification and despair!
With a sudden gasp and a low wail she sank on her knees at his side and dropped her head in her open hands and sobbed aloud.
"Oh, Ishmael, Ishmael, is it so? Have I lived to see you thus? Can a woman reduce a man to this? A proud and selfish woman have such power so to mar G.o.d"s n.o.blest work? Oh, Ishmael, my love, my love! I love you better than I love all the world besides! And I love you better than anyone else ever did or ever can; yet, yet, I would rather see you stark dead before me than to see you thus! Oh, Heaven! Oh, Saviour! Oh, Father of Mercies, have pity on him and save him!" she cried.
And she wrung her hands and bent her head to look at him more closely, and her large tears dropped upon his face.