antageous character of the opening afforded him by Mr Richards's
proposal, had become so far reconciled to the prospect of the separation
that they were able to speak of it calmly and to conceal the heartache
from which both were suffering. So on the following morning Mrs
Escombe and Lucy were enabled to sally forth with cheerful countenance
and more or less sprightly conversation as they accompanied the lad to
town to assist him in the purchase of his special outfit, the larger
portion of which was delivered at The Limes that same evening, and at
once unpacked for the purpose of being legibly marked and having all
buttons securely sewn on by two pairs of loving hands.

The following three weeks sped like a dream, so far as the individual
chiefly interested was concerned; during the day he was kept continually
busy by Mr Butler in the preparation of lists of the several
instruments, articles, and things--from theodolites, levels, measuring
chains, steel tapes, ranging rods, wire lines, sounding chains, drawing
and tracing paper, cases of instruments, colour boxes, T-squares, steel
straight-edges, and drawing pins, to tents, camp furniture, and
saddlery--and procuring the same. The evenings were spent in packing
and re-packing his kit as the several articles comprising it came to
hand, diversified by little farewell parties given in his honour by the
large circle of friends with whom the Escombes had become acquainted
since their arrival and settlement in Sydenham. At length the
preparations were all complete; the official impedimenta--so to speak--
had all been collected at Sir Philip Swinburne's offices in Victoria
Street, carefully packed in zinc-lined cases, and dispatched for
shipment in the steamer which was to take the surveyors to South
America. Escombe had sent on all his baggage to the ship in advance,
and the morning came when he must say good-bye to the two who were
dearest to him in all the world. They would fain have accompanied him
to the docks and remained on board with him until the moment arrived for
the steamer to haul out into the river and proceed upon her voyage; but
young Escombe had once witnessed the departure of a liner from
Southampton and had then beheld the long-drawn-out agony of the
protracted leave taking, the twitching features, the sudden turnings
aside to hide and wipe away the unbidden tear, the heroic but futile
attempts at cheerful, light-hearted conversation, the false alarms wh