All night long Ishmael struggled with the tempter.  In the morning he arose from his sleepless pillow unrefreshed and fevered.  He bathed his burning head, made his morning toilet, and sat down to read a portion of the Scripture, as was his morning custom, before beginning the business of the day.  The portion selected this morning was the fourth chapter of Matthew, describing the fast and the temptation of our Saviour.  Ishmael had read this portion of Scripture many times before, but never with such deep interest as now, when it seemed to answer so well his own spirit’s need.  With the deepest reverence he read the words: 

“When he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterwards an hungered.

“The devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them;

“And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

“Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan:  for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

“Then the devil leaveth him, and behold, angels came and ministered unto him.”

Ishmael closed the book and bowed his head in serious thought.

“Yes,” he said to himself; “I suppose it must be so.  The servant is not greater than the Master.  He was tempted in the very opening of his ministry; and I suppose every follower of him must be tempted in like manner in the beginning of his life.  I, also, here in the commencement of my professional career, am subjected to a great temptation, that must decide, once for all, whether I will serve God or Satan!  I, too, have had a long, long fast—­a fast from all the pleasant things of this world, and I am an hungered—­ah, very much hungered for some joys!  I, too, am offered success and honor and glory if I will but fall down and worship Satan in the form of the golden fee and the cruel brief held out to me.  But I will not.  Oh, Heaven helping me, I will be true to my highest convictions of duty!  Yes—­come weal or come woe, I will be true to God.  I will be a faithful steward of the talents he has intrusted to me.”

And with this resolution in his heart Ishmael went down into the library and commenced his usual morning’s work of answering letters and writing out law documents.  He found an unusual number of letters to write, and they occupied him until the breakfast bell rang.

After breakfast Ishmael returned to the library and resumed his work, and was busily engaged in engrossing a deed of conveyance when the door opened and Judge Merlin entered accompanied by a tall, dark-haired, handsome, and rather prepossessing-looking man, of about fifty years of age, whom he introduced as Mr. Walsh.

Ishmael arose to receive the visitor, and offer him a chair, which he took.

The judge declined the seat Ishmael placed for him, and said: