diately prepared
to bleed him. The room, which, first filled with sorrowing soldiers
and their wives, not only excluded the necessary air, but impeded
action, was now urgently requested to be cleared, and none remained
but Mrs. Headley, Mrs. Elmsley, Mr. Ronayne's servant Catherine,
and Corporal Collins, who, having been relieved from his duty as
orderly, had entreated the surgeon to permit him to render what
service might be required during the young officer's illness. There
was no fastidious or misplaced delicacy here. Mrs. Headley had ever
felt as a mother towards the Virginian, Mrs. Elmsley as a sister,
and, even had this not been the case, the strong affection they
bore to his wife would have led them to attend the sick couch of
the husband. One supported his shoulder as he was raised in his
bed, the other took his extended hand, while Corporal Collins,
looking much paler and more frightened than either of them, held
the basin. If Von Voltenberg was not particularly given to fasting,
or loved the punch made of the horrid whiskey distilled in those
days in the west, he was, nevertheless, a skilful surgeon. With a
steady hand he now divided the vein, when forth gushed a stream of
blood so dark and discolored that the significant and triumphant
shake of the head which he gave clearly indicated what would have
been the result had the bleeding been delayed much longer.

Greatly relieved by the removal of the oppressive weight, the
unhappy ensign opened his eyes, and became sensible of objects,
but it was only that consciousness might render him even more keenly
alive to the horror of his position. Each article of furniture and
dress around the room brought increased desolation to his heart.
There was the harp Maria was wont to touch with such exquisite
grace. There was the dress she had thrown off to assume her riding
habit--for it will be recollected that the officers of that post
had no gilded suites of apartments at their command, but barely a
couple of barrack rooms for the married men, and one for the single.
Now a shoe caught his eye, now a glove, a hat, a slipper, her
dressing-case; even the tiny thimble with which she had worked the
linen upon his back; each and all of these, endearing yet painful
to the sight from the recollections they brought up, he glanced at
alternately, until his feelings were so wrought upon that he was
almost frantic.

"Take those things away!" he cried, starting up and pointing to
t