The only circumstances which the sailor could recollect or discover
from his papers in connection with such a story were, that a woman
bearing the name which Alwyn had mentioned as fictitious certainly
did come aboard for a voyage he made about that time; that she took
a common berth among the poorest emigrants; that she died on the
voyage out, at about five days' sail from Plymouth; that she seemed
a lady in manners and education. Why she had not applied for a
first-class passage, why she had no trunks, they could not guess,
for though she had little money in her pocket she had that about her
which would have fetched it. 'We buried her at sea,' continued the
captain. 'A young parson, one of the cabin-passengers, read the
burial-service over her, I remember well.'
The whole scene and proceedings darted upon Alwyn's recollection in
a moment. It was a fine breezy morning on that long-past voyage
out, and he had been told that they were running at the rate of a
hundred and odd miles a day. The news went round that one of the
poor young women in the other part of the vessel was ill of fever,
and delirious. The tidings caused no little alarm among all the
passengers, for the sanitary conditions of the ship were anything
but satisfactory. Shortly after this the doctor announced that she
had died. Then Alwyn had learnt that she was laid out for burial in
great haste, because of the danger that would have been incurred by
delay.
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