"Ishmael!"
"Yes. Why?"
"Papa, make some excuse and get rid of him. I must not, cannot, will not, meet him now!" she exclaimed, in a half breathless voice of ill-suppressed excitement.
The judge looked at his daughter wistfully, painfully, for a moment, and then, as something like the truth in regard to Claudia's feelings broke upon him, he replied very gravely:
"My dear, you need not meet him; and he has saved me the embarrassment of sending him away. He has gone, if I mistake not."
"If you 'mistake' not. There must be no question of this, sir! See! and if he has not gone, tell him to go directly!"
"Claudia!"
"Oh, papa, I am nearly crazy! Go!"
The judge stepped out into the hall and made the necessary inquiries.
And Jim gave Ishmael's message.