Ishmael listened under protest to this story that was forced upon his unwilling ears.  At its end, when the narrator was waiting to see what impression he had made upon his young hearer, and what comment the latter would make, Ishmael calmly arose, took the brief from the table and put it into the hands of Mr. Walsh, saying, with a dignity—­aye, even a majesty of mien rarely found in so young a man: 

“Take your brief, sir; nothing on earth could induce me to touch it!”

“What! not after the full explanation I have given you?” exclaimed the man in naive surprise.

“If I had entertained a single doubt about the propriety of refusing your brief before hearing your explanation, that doubt would have been set at rest after hearing it,” said the young barrister sternly.

“What do you mean, sir?” questioned the other, bristling up.

“I mean that the case, even by your own plausible showing, is one of the greatest cruelty and injustice,” replied Ishmael firmly.

“Cruelty and injustice!” exclaimed Mr. Walsh, in even more astonishment than anger.  “Why, what the deuce do you mean by that?  The woman is my wife! the children are my own children!  And I have a lawful right to the possession of them.  I wonder what the deuce you mean by cruelty and injustice!”

“By your own account, you left your wife nine years ago without provocation, and without making the slightest provision for herself and her children; you totally neglected them from that time to this; leaving her to struggle alone and unaided through all the privations and perils of such an unnatural position; during all these years she has worked for the support and education of her children; and now, at last, when it suits you to live with her again, you come back, and finding that you have irrecoverably lost her confidence and estranged her affections, you would call in the aid of the law to tear her children from her arms, and coerce her, through her love for them, to become your slave and victim again.  Sir, sir, I am amazed that any man of—­I will not say honor or honesty, but common sense and prudence—­should dare to think of throwing such a case as that into court,” said Ishmael earnestly.

“What do you mean by that, sir?  Your language is inadmissible, sir!  The law is on my side, however!”

“If the law were on your side, the law ought to be remodeled without delay; but if you venture to go to trial with such a case as this, you will find the law is not on your side.  You have forfeited all right to interfere with Mrs. Walsh, or her children; and I would earnestly advise you to avoid meeting her in court.”

“Your language is insulting, sir!  Judge Merlin held a different opinion from yours of this case!” exclaimed Mr. Walsh, with excitement.

“Judge Merlin could not have understood the merits of the case.  But it is quite useless to prolong this interview, sir; I have an engagement at ten o’clock and must wish you good-morning,” said Ishmael, rising and ringing the bell, and then drawing on his gloves.