'Dates and places correspond,' I exclaimed. 'The description is true. She had dark amber hair. Her height might be as it is here stated.'
'And then there is the letter O,' said Mr. Norman, observing that I paused.
'How am I to find out if among the clothes she took were such a dress and jacket as the body was found clothed in?'
At this moment my father entered. He immediately observed that I was deeply agitated, and glanced from me to Mr. Norman. The latter bowed, then turned to me and, begging me to keep the newspaper, and to command his services in any direction in which I could render them profitable, withdrew.
I handed the paper to my father, who read the account with a face of astonishment and dismay.
'Is it credible?' he cried. 'Is it a hoax, d'ee think? Or some story vamped up, for—for—? But,' he cried, turning his glasses again upon the paper, 'they name the ship and her captain, they give dates, they say that the body was to be buried on that day,' looking at the date of issue. 'Is it conceivable that a body would float, apparelled as this woman's was?'
'If the story is no lie, then a body thus apparelled was found floating,' I answered.
'You had better send the paper at once to Sir Mortimer,' said my father.
'I'll run down with it, but first I'll see Mr. Butcher and Wall. How am I to find out if Marie had a serge dress and that sort of jacket?' I reflected, and then said, 'Father, I must have the whole day, I cannot work, I wish to satisfy myself by some inquiries before seeing Sir Mortimer, and then I may resolve to go to the Cape.'
He gazed at me with mild astonishment, then put his hand caressingly on my shoulder, and told me I should go where I pleased and do what I liked; he advised me, however, not to act precipitately; the Cape was a long way off! What good could I do there, even supposing the body brought to Cape Town by the schooner should prove to be Marie?'