Children clasped
their mothers' hands and said, "Mother, was it the poor quartermaster?"
and men who the day before had got help from the petty officers in the
preparation of costumes, said mournfully: "Fife the gunner was one of
them."
But who was the man first to go overboard--and who was it first gave the
alarm? There were rumours, but no one was sure. All at once I remembered
something peculiar in that cry of "Man overboard!" and it shocked me. I
hurried below, and went to the cabin of Boyd Madras. It was empty; but on
a shelf lay a large envelope, addressed to Hungerford and myself. I tore
it open. There was a small packet, which I knew contained the portrait he
had worn on his bosom, addressed to Mrs. Falchion; and the other was a
single sheet directed to me, fully written upon, and marked in the
corner: "To be made public."
So, he had disappeared from the play? He had made his exit? He had
satisfied the code at last? Before opening the letter addressed to me, I
looked round. His clothes were folded upon one of the berths; but the
garments of masquerade were not in the cabin. Had he then gone out of the
world in the garb of a mummer? Not altogether, for the false beard he had
worn the night before lay beside the clothes.
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