"No, sir; certainly she must not. I will bind Mr. Middleton to secrecy before I tell him anything about it."
"Yes, and—stop a moment! You had better just show him these letters. They will speak for themselves and save you the trouble. Tell him that we know no more than these letters reveal."
"I will do so, Judge Merlin."
"And now, Ishmael, I must return to my hotel, where I expect to meet my old friend, General Tourneysee. When do you start for St. Mary's?"
"Within an hour from this."
"Well, then, call at the hotel on your way and take leave of me."
"I will do so."
"Good-by, for the present," said the judge, shaking hands with his young friend.
As soon as Judge Merlin had left the office Ishmael sank down into his chair and yielded up his mind to intense thought.
It was true, then, the terrible presentiment of evil that had haunted his imagination in regard to Claudia was now realized! The dark storm cloud that his prophetic eye had seen lowering over her had now burst in ruin on her head! How strange! how unexplainable by human reason were these mysteries of the spirit! But Ishmael lost no time in fruitless speculations. He arose quickly and rang the bell.