s soon as he got home he gradually broke to
Hannah the news of Ishmael's accident, softening the matter as much as
possible, softening it out of all truth, for when the anxious woman
insisted on knowing exactly the extent of her nephew's injuries, poor
Reuben, alarmed for the effect upon his wife's health, boldly affirmed
that there was nothing worse in Ishmael's case than a badly sprained
ankle, that confined him to the house! And it was weeks longer before
Hannah heard the truth of the affair.

The next day Claudia Merlin repeated her visit to Ishmael, and remained
with him for half an hour.

And from that time she visited his room daily, increasing each day the
length of her stay.

Ishmael's convalescence was very protracted. The severe injuries that
must have caused the death of a less highly vitalized human creature
really confined Ishmael for weeks to his bed and for months to the
house. It was four weeks before he could leave his bed for a sofa. And
it was about that time that Hannah got out again; and incredulous,
anxious, and angry all at once, walked up to Tanglewood to find out for
herself whether it was a "sprained ankle" only that kept her nephew
confined there.

Mrs. Gray was shown at once to the convalescent's room, where Ishmael,
whose very breath was pure truth, being asked, told her all about his
injuries.

Poor Hannah wept tears of retrospective pity; but did not in her inmost
heart blame Gray for the "pious fraud" he had practiced with the view of
saving her own feelings at a critical time. She would have had Ishmael
conveyed immediately to Woodside, that she might nurse him herself; but
neither the doctor, the judge, nor the heiress would consent to his
removal; and so Hannah had to submit to their will and leave her nephew
where he was. But she consoled herself by walking over every afternoon
to see Ishmael.

Claudia usually spent several hours of the forenoon in Ishmael's
company. He was still very weak, pale, and thin. His arm was in a sling,
and as it was his right arm, as well as his right leg that had been
broken, he could not use a crutch; so that he was confined all day to
the sofa or the easy-chair, in which his nurse would place him in the
morning.

Claudia devoted herself to his amusement with all a sister's care. She
read to him; sung to him, accompanying her song with the guitar; and she
played chess--Ishmael using his left hand to move the pieces.

Claudia knew that this gif