alsh?" she inquired, palpitating with panic.

"No, madam," said Ishmael, in a sweet, reassured, and reassuring tone,
for compassion 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 God! 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
passion had exhausted itself.

Meanwhile one or two of the most sensitive little girls, seeing their
teacher weep, fell to crying for company; others whisp