On one
of these Captain Blessington, assisted by the officer of
grenadiers, now seated the suffering and sobbing wife of
Halloway. His first care was to repair the disorder of
her dress; and never was the same office performed by
man with greater delicacy, or absence of levity by those
who witnessed it. This was the first moment of her
consciousness. The inviolability of modesty for a moment
rose paramount even to the desolation of her heart, and
putting rudely aside the hand that reposed unavoidably
upon her person, the poor woman started from her seat,
and looked wildly about her, as if endeavouring to identify
those by whom she was surrounded. But when she observed
the pitying gaze of the officers fixed upon her, in
earnestness and commiseration, and heard the benevolent
accents of the ever kind Blessington exhorting her to
composure, her weeping became more violent, and her sobs
more convulsive. Captain Blessington threw an arm round
her waist to prevent her from falling; and then motioning
to two or three women of the company to which her husband
was attached, who stood at a little distance, in front
of one of the block-houses, prepared to deliver her over
to their charge.
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