“And now, young gentleman, tell us what it all means.  For glad as we are to see you, and glad as you are to see us, we know very well that you did not take time to come here in the middle of the week merely to please yourself or us; pleasure not being your first object in life, Ishmael,” said Mr. Middleton.

“I regret to say, sir, that I came to tell you, I am going away on Monday morning,” replied Ishmael gravely, for at the moment he felt a very real regret at the thought of leaving such good and true friends.

“Going away!” exclaimed all the family in a breath, and in consternation; for this boy, with his excellent character and charming manners had always deeply endeared himself to all his friends.  “Going away!” they repeated.

“I am sorry to say it,” said Ishmael.

“But this is so unexpected, so sudden!” said Mrs. Middleton.

“What the grand deuce is the matter?  Have you enlisted for a soldier, engaged as a sailor, been seized with the gold fever?”

“Neither, sir; I will explain,” said Ishmael.  And forthwith he told all his plans and prospects, in the fewest possible words.

“And so you are going to Washington, to be Randolph Merlin’s clerk!  Well, Ishmael, as he is a thorough lawyer, though no very brilliant barrister, I do not know that you could be in a better school.  Heaven prosper you, my lad!  By the way, Ishmael, just before you came in, we were all talking of going to Washington ourselves.”

“Indeed! and is there really a prospect of your going?” inquired Ishmael, in pleased surprise.

“Well, yes.  You see the judge wishes a chaperone for his daughter this winter, and has invited Mrs. Middleton, and in fact all the family, to come and spend the season with them in Washington.  He says that he has taken the old Washington House, which is large enough to accommodate our united families, and ten times as many.”

“And you will go?” inquired Ishmael anxiously.

“Well, yes—­I think so.  You see, this place, so pre-eminently healthy during eight months of the year, is rather too much exposed and too bleak in the depth of winter to suit my wife.  She begins to cough already.  And as Claudia really does need a matronly friend near her, and as the judge is very anxious for us to come, I think all interests will be best served by our going.”

“I hope you will go very soon,” said Ishmael.

“In a week or ten days,” replied Mr. Middleton.

Ishmael soon after arose and took his leave, for he had a long walk before him, and a momentous interview with Hannah to brave at the end of it.

After tea that evening Ishmael broke the news to Reuben and Hannah.  Both were considerably startled and bewildered, for they, no more than the Middletons, had received any previous hint of the young man’s intentions.  And now they really did not know whether to congratulate Ishmael on going to seek his fortune or to condole with him for leaving home.  Reuben heartily shook hands with Ishmael and said how sorry he should be to part with him, but how glad he was that the young man was going to do something handsome for himself.