Gradually the
officers now moved away in the same noiseless manner in
which they had approached, either in pursuance of their
several duties, or to make their toilet of the morning.
Two only of their number remained near the couch of death.
"Poor unfortunate De Haldimar!" observed one of these,
in a low tone, as if speaking to himself; "too fatally,
indeed, have your forebodings been realised; and what I
considered as the mere despondency of a mind crashed into
feebleness by an accumulation of suffering, was, after
all, but the first presentiment of a death no human power
might avert. By Heaven! I would give up half my own being
to be able to reanimate that form once more,--but the
wish is vain."
"Who shall announce the intelligence to his sister?"
sighed his companion. "Never will that already nearly
heart-broken girl be able to survive the shock of her
brother's death. Blessington, you alone are fitted to
such a task; and, painful as it is, you must undertake
it. Is the colonel apprised of the dreadful truth, do
you know?"
"He is. It was told him at the moment of our arrival last
night; but from the little outward emotion displayed by
him, I should be tempted to infer he had almost anticipated
some such catastrophe.
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