“I don’t know what you call pain; but if dis’ere aint pain, I don’t want to set no worser de longest day as ever I live!” exclaimed Katie, who stood by the bedside wiping the deathly dew from the icy brow of the sufferer.

“But you see—­it lasts so short a time—­it is already gone,” gasped Ishmael faintly.  “It is no sooner come than gone,” he added, with a smile.

“And no sooner gone, nor come again!  And a-most taking of your life when it do come!” said Katie, placing a cordial to the ashen lips of the sufferer.

The stimulant revived his strength, brought color to his cheeks and light to his eyes.

Ishmael’s next visitor was Reuben Gray, who was admitted to see him for a few minutes only.  This was Reuben’s first visit to the invalid, and as under the transient influence of the stimulant Ishmael looked brighter than usual, Reuben thought that he must be getting on remarkably well, and congratulated him accordingly.

Ishmael smilingly returned the compliment by wishing Gray joy of his son and daughter.

Reuben grinned with delight and expatiated on their beauty, until it was time for him to take leave.

“Your Aunt Hannah don’t know as you’ve been hurt, my boy; we dar’n’t tell her, for fear of the consequences.  But now as you really do seem to be getting on so well, and as she is getting strong so fast, and continually asking arter you, I think I will just go and tell her all about it, and as how there is no cause to be alarmed no more,” said Reuben, as he stood, hat in hand, by Ishmael’s bed.

“Yes, do, Uncle Reuben, else she will think I neglect her,” pleaded Ishmael.

Reuben promised, and then took his departure.

That was the last visit Ishmael received that day.

Reuben kept his word, and as 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.