his captain. "Had the weight of her malediction fallen
on all else than my adored sister, I could have borne
the infliction, and awaited the issue with resignation,
if not without apprehension. But my poor gentle and
unoffending Clara,--alike innocent of the cause, and
ignorant of the effect,--what had she done to be included
in this terrible curse?--she, who, in the warm and generous
affection of her nature, had ever treated Ellen Halloway
rather as a sister than as the dependant she always
appeared." Again he covered his eyes with his hands, to
conceal the starting tears.

"De Haldimar," said Captain Blessington reprovingly, but
mildly, "this immoderate grief is wrong--it is unmanly,
and should be repressed. I can feel and understand the
nature of your sorrow; but others may not judge so
favourably. We shall soon be summoned to fall in; and I
would not that Mr. Delme, in particular, should notice
an emotion he is so incapable of understanding."

The hand of the young officer dropped from his face to
the hilt of his sword. His cheek became scarlet; and even
through the tears which he half choked himself to command,
there was an unwonted flashing from his blue eye, that
told how deeply the insinuation had entered into his
heart.

"Think you, Captain Blessington," he proudly retorted,
"there is an officer in the fort who should dare to taunt
me with my feelings as you have done? I came here, sir,