heds were erected,
and such portions of the cargoes on board the merchantmen as would be
likely to find a sale, were landed.

Before the end of the week, Mr. Ferguson had received an answer to his
telegram. Three days previously he had received a wire: "Have written
fully." The letter came via Marseilles. After congratulations at the
escape of himself and the staff, Mr. Partridge wrote:

"As you say that the house and warehouse are entirely destroyed, with
all contents, there can be nothing for you and the clerks to do; and
you had best return, at once, to England. I will make the best
arrangements that I can for you all.

"As I have a plan of the ground, I have already instructed an architect
to prepare a sketch for rebuilding, on a larger scale than before. The
insurance companies are sending out agents to verify claims. Looking at
your last report, it seems to me that the loss of goods, as well as
that of buildings, will be fully covered. Should any of the staff
determine to remain in Alexandria, and to take their chance of finding
something to do, you are authorized to pay them three months' salary,
and to promise to reinstate them, as soon as we reopen.

"I anticipate no further disturbances, whatever. A strong force is
being sent out, and there can be no doubt that Arabi will be crushed,
as soon as it is ready to take the field."

Other directions followed, but these were only amplifications of those
mentioned.

"What do you think, Annie?" Gregory said, when Ferguson had read to his
staff that portion of the letter that concerned them. "Shall we take
the three months' pay and remain here, or shall we go back to England?"

"What do you think, yourself?"

"There are two lights in which to look at it, Annie. First, which would
be best for us? And secondly, which shall we like best? Of course, the
first is the more difficult point to decide. You see, Partridge doesn't
say that we shall be kept on; he only says that he will do his best for
us. I don't think that there is any chance of his keeping us on at full
pay. If he intended to do so, it would have been cheaper for him to
give us our pay here, in which case he would save our passages back to
England and out again. I think we could not reckon on getting anything
like full pay, while we were in England, and you know I have lost faith
in my literary powers. I think I have improved, but I certainly should
not like, after our last experience, to trust to that