tate 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 assembled 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 reassured. 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;