possible against publicity. Here he may or may not have erred. Certain it is,
however, that subsequently in the confidential talk of more than one or two
gunrooms and cabins he was not a little criticised by some officers, a fact
imputed by his friends, and vehemently by his cousin Jack Denton, to
professional jealousy of Starry Vere. Some imaginative ground for invidious
comment there was. The maintenance of secrecy in the matter, the confining all
knowledge of it for a time to the place where the homicide occurred - the
quarter-deck cabin; in these particulars lurked some resemblance to the policy
adopted in those tragedies of the palace which have occurred more than once in
the capital founded by Peter the Barbarian, great chiefly by his crimes.
    The case was such that fain would the Indomitable's captain have deferred
taking any action whatever respecting it further than to keep the foretopman a
close prisoner till the ship rejoined the squadron, and then submitting the
matter to the judgment of his admiral.
    But a true military officer is in one particular like a true monk. Not with
more of self-abnegation will the latter keep his vows of monastic obedience than
the former his vows of allegiance to martial duty.
    Feeling that unless quick action was taken on it, the deed of the
foretopman, as soon as it should be known on the gun-decks, would tend to awaken
any slumbering embers of the Nore among the crew, a sense of the urgency of the
case overruled in Captain Vere every other consideration. But though a
conscientious disciplinarian he was no lover of authority for mere authority's
sake. Very far was he from embracing opportunities for monopolising to himself
the perils of moral responsibility, none at least that could properly be
referred to an official superior, or shared with him by his official equals, or
even subordinates. So thinking, he was glad it would not be at variance with
usage to turn the matter over to a summary court of his own officers, reserving
to himself, as the one on whom the ultimate accountability would rest, the right
of maintaining a supervision of it, or formally or informally interposing at
need. Accordingly a drum-head court was summarily convened, he electing the
individuals composing it - the first lieutenant, the captain of marines, and the
sailing-master.
    In associating an officer of marines with the sea-lieutenant in a case
having to do with a sailor, the commander perhaps deviated from general custom.
He was prompted thereto by the circumstance that he took that soldier to be a
judicious person, thoughtful and not altogether incapable of grappling with a