"Yes!" said the young man, after a pause. "When you return to England, you will see--Lady Vincent!" The name was uttered with a gasp. "Tell her what you have told me--the history of your acquaintance with my mother; your mutual love; your private marriage, and the unforeseen misfortune that wrecked your happiness! Tell her how pure and noble and lovely my young mother was! that her ladyship may know once for all Nora Worth was not"--Ishmael covered his face with his hands, and caught his breath, and continued--"not, as she said, 'the shame of her own sex and the scorn of ours'; that her son is not 'the child of sin,' nor 'his heritage dishonor!'" And Ishmael dropped his stately head upon his desk, and sobbed aloud; sobbed until all his athletic form shook with the storm of his great agony. Herman Brudenell gazed at him--appalled. Then, rising, he laid his hand on the young man's shoulder, saying: "Ishmael! Ishmael! don't do so! Calm yourself, my son; oh, my dear son, calm yourself!" He might as well have spoken to a tempest. Sobs still shook Ishmael's whole frame. "Oh, Heaven! oh, Heaven! Would to the Lord I had never been born!" cried Herman Brudenell, in a voice of such utter woe that Ishmael raised his head and struggled hard to subdue the storm of passion that was raging in his bosom. "Or would that I had died the day I met Nora, and before I had entailed all this anguish on you!" continued Herman Brudenell, amid groans and sighs. "Don't say so, my father! don't say so! You were not in fault. You were as blameless as she herself was; and you could not have been more so," said Ishmael, wiping his fevered brow, and looking up. "My generous son! But did Claudia--did Lady Vincent use the cruel words you have quoted, against your mother and yourself?" "She did, my father. Oh, but I have suffered!" exclaimed Ishmael, with shaking voice and quivering features. "I know you have; I know it, Ishmael; but you have grandly, gloriously conquered suffering," said Mr. Brudenell, with enthusiasm. "Not quite conquered it yet; but I shall endeavor to do so," replied the young man, who had now quite regained his self-possession. And another pause fell between them. Ishmael leaned his head upon his hand and reflected deeply for a few moments. Then, raising his head, he said: "My father, for her sake, our relationship must remain a secret from all the world, with the few exceptions of those intimate friends to whom you can explain the circumstances, and even to them it must be imparted in confidence. You will tell Lady Vincent, that her ladyship may know how false were the calumnies she permitted herself to repeat; and Judge Merlin and Mr. Middleton, whose kindness has entitled them to the confidence, for their own satisfaction." "And no one else, Ishmael?"