The deaf mute had certainly heard his reply to the knock, for
he had heeded it instantly, and he smiled at the manner in which the
conspirator had "given himself away." The scullion presented his tablet
to the captain with a very deferential bow.
"There is an error in the copy of the letter you gave me--in the
extract. If you will give me the original letter from Mr. Warnock,
I will correct the mistake," Christy read on the tablet. It was not
impossible that he had made a mistake in copying his letter; but the
object of Mulgrum in desiring to see the original of the letter from
England was sufficiently apparent. "Bring me my copy of the letter,"
he wrote on the tablet, and handed it back to the owner.
The captain took from his desk a bundle of letters and selected one,
which he opened and laid on the table, though not where his copyist
could see it. Mulgrum returned and presented him the letter, pointing
out the mistake he had discovered. He looked at the blind letter, and
then at the other. There was certainly an error, for his letter said
"and they comprise about one of crew of each vessel." This was nonsense,
for he had accidentally omitted the word "half" after "one.
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