detail the lady's
dress, as he had long ago described it to her husband, which description
corresponded in every particular with the dress worn by Emmeline on the
evening of their parting.

Before proceeding to the other side of the Atlantic to continue his
inquiries there, the puzzled and distracted Alwyn set himself to
ascertain the address of Captain Wheeler, who had commanded the _Western
Glory_ in the year of Alwyn's voyage out, and immediately wrote a letter
to him on the subject.

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. And next the funeral scene rose
before him, and the prominent part that he had taken in that solemn
ceremony. The captain had come to him, requesting him to officiate, as
there was no chaplain on board. This he had agreed to do; and as the sun
went down with a blaze in his face he read amidst them all assembled: 'We
therefore commit her body to the deep, to be turned into corruption,
looking for the resurrection of the body when the sea shall give up her
dead.'

The captain also forwarded the addresses