ave lost all faith in myself."

"Have you no relatives, Mayne?" said Mrs John, gravely. "There are
people who could help you to some engagement?"

I shook my head.

"None that I know of," I said.

"And when we are gone what will you do?"

"Obtain some situation, I hope."

"You hope, my boy. It is a poor prospect, that. I do not like to say,
come with us to this new land, though I believe any enterprising lad
would be sure to make his way."

"Then why shouldn't I come?"

"Because prosperity will have to be fought for, and obtained at so great
a cost. Civilisation has to be left behind. It will be a rough life."

"But if a delicate lady could bear it, why should not I?"

"I have told you why I could bear it," she said, smiling. "You must not
judge hastily, Mayne. I am afraid to say come."

"Would you both like me to come?" I said, looking from one to the
other.

"For our own sakes, yes. For yours we are afraid to speak," said Mrs
John, and her husband nodded his acquiescence in her words.

"Then I shall come," I said, firmly. "Not with you. I shall go by
sea."

"You will go?" cried Mr John, looking at me wonderingly.

"Yes, sir; and perhaps I shall get there first."

"But, my dear boy, how?"

"I don't know, sir," I said, laughing; "I am going to talk to a man I
know, and--Oh, I had forgotten!"

"Forgotten what?"

"Esau," I said, "the lad who worked with me in the office."

Mr John looked at his wife in a perplexed way.

"Let us think about it all," said Mrs John. "This companion of yours--
Esau--do you like him?"

"Oh, yes," I cried; "he has always been most kind, and he wants to go
with me--for us to be together."

I did not grasp it so well then as I did afterwards, though I had an
undefined feeling that my fellow clerk's company would not be agreeable
to them; and when I left them that night, it was with the feeling that
it was quite certain that my new friends would start, possibly before
the month was out; while as far as I was concerned, my prospects were
very much as they were.

CHAPTER EIGHT.

A STARTLING ANNOUNCEMENT.

That night when I got back to Camberwell, I found that not only had
supper been ready above an hour, but Mrs Dean and Esau were both
waiting for me to join them.

"I thought we'd make a sort of a party of it," said Esau, "only not ask
anybody, so that we could enjoy ourselves, though if that policeman was
anywhere near, and old Dingle wasn't so f