ellows, of whom Buller had recent
information through Penryhn, who lived near his people at home.

"I know about Robarts," said Crawley; "he is in the Oxford eleven; but
there is your chum Penryhn, what is he doing?"

"Oh, he is in a government office in Somerset House. Not a large
income, but safe, and rounded off with a pension. Better than our line,
so far as money goes anyhow."

"I suppose so; but I should not like office work. And Smith, Old
Algebra, have you heard of him?"

"Yes, he is mathematical master at a big school."

"And Gould?"

"Why, don't you know? It was in all the papers. Gould's father smashed
and died suddenly; did not leave his family a penny. Some friends got
Lionel Gould a clerkship in some counting-house; his sister Clarissa,
your old friend, you know, supports herself and her mother by the
stage."

"Dear, dear, I am sorry for them; it must be precious hard when they
were used to such luxury. And that chap Edwards, have you ever heard of
him?"

"Oh, yes, he is at Cambridge, and intends to take orders when he gets
his degree."

"I hope it will keep him out of mischief; I always fancied he might come
to grief, he was such a weak beggar."

"Yes, he was, and is still, I hear. But he has had the luck to get into
the clutches of a man who keeps him straight; a fellow as good as gold,
and earnest enough to make all the Edwardses in the country believe in
him."

"Lucky for Edwards; if he marries a stiffish sort of wife with the same
opinions he will live and die a saint. Saurin would have made the other
thing of him. By the by, have you ever heard anything of that fellow?"

"Not lately. He had a row with his uncle and guardian, and went to
Australia, I believe; but I have heard nothing of him for years."

They chatted late into the night, and when Crawley went to bed his heart
smote him to remember how little he had thought of his mother.

The _Serapis_ was to sail on the following day at noon, so when Crawley
had seen his gunners safely embarked, and the two friends had reported
themselves at the little office outside the saloon, had traversed that
lofty palatial apartment (how different from the cabins of the old
troop-ships!), carefully removing their caps as a placard directed them,
had made acquaintance with the little cabin which they were to share
together, and had stowed away their minor properties within it, they
took a last turn on shore, principally to get one or