ut there is no earthly reason why that should
happen in this case."

"Have you got your maiden speech all cut and dried and ready to
deliver?"

"I have made some notes; but for the rest I shall trust to the
inspiration of the instant."

"Bad plan that. 'Spose the inspiration don't come? or 'spose you lose
your presence of mind? Better have your speech carefully written off,
and then, inspiration or no inspiration, you will be able to read, at
least."

"My notes are very carefully arranged; they contain the whole argument."

"And for the rest 'it shall be given ye in that hour, what ye shall
speak,'" said Beatrice earnestly.

They all arose and left the table.

"Thank you, dearest Bee," said Ishmael, as he passed her.

"God aid you, Ishmael!" she replied fervently.

He hurried upstairs to collect his documents, and then hastened to the
City Hall, where Mrs. Walsh and her children were to meet him.

He found them all in the ante-chamber of the courtroom, attended by a
bodyguard composed of Reuben, Hannah, and the landlady.

He spoke a few encouraging words to his client, shook hands with the
members of her party, and then took them all into the courtroom and
showed them their places. The plaintiff was not present. The judges had
not yet taken their seats. And the courtroom was occupied only by a few
lawyers, clerks, bailiffs, constables, and other officials.

In a few minutes, however, the judges entered and took their seats; the
crier opened the court, the crowd poured in, the plaintiff with his
counsel made his appearance, and the business of the day commenced.

I shall not give all the details of this trial; I shall only glance at a
few of them.

The courtroom was full, but not crowded; nothing short of a murder or a
divorce case ever draws a crowd to such a place.

The counsel for the plaintiff was composed of three of the oldest,
ablest, and most experienced members of the Washington bar. The first of
these, Mr. Wiseman, was distinguished for his profound knowledge of the
law, his skill in logic, and his closeness in reasoning; the second, Mr.
Berners, was celebrated for his fire and eloquence; and the third, Mr.
Vivian, was famous for his wit and sarcasm. Engaged on one side, they
were considered invincible. To these three giants, with the law on their
side, was opposed young Ishmael, with nothing but justice on his side.
Bad look-out for justice! Well, so it was in that great encounter
already al