tion cut
and dried for submission upon his arrival home.

In conformity with his promise, he duly presented himself in Westminster
within twenty-four hours of his return to English soil, receiving an
enthusiastic welcome from his former confreres, and especially from
Bannister, whom he found busily engaged in plotting the result of the
soundings taken at Lake Titicaca. He was also effusively welcomed by
Mr Richards, who had already wrought himself into a state of
distraction in his futile endeavours to clear up those very obscurities
which formed the subject of Harry's notes. But with the return of
Escombe to the office the troubles of the chief draughtsman on that
account ceased, and he found himself once more able to sleep at night;
for Harry promptly made it clear that he held himself absolutely at Sir
Philip's disposal until the whole of the plans relating to the survey
should be completed. He presented himself at the office punctually at
ten o'clock every morning, and worked diligently throughout the day for
the succeeding two months until the entire work had been brought to a
satisfactory conclusion, and Sir Philip had written his report and
dispatched it with his proposals to the Chairman of the Peruvian
Corporation.

Whether those proposals will be carried into effect the future only can
tell, for they involve the expenditure of a formidable number of
millions. But it is safe to say that, if they are, Harry will take no
part in the work, his view being that, since he has no need to earn his
living, it would be wrong of him to accept a post and thus shut out
someone who has that need.

Still, he has the satisfaction of knowing that, although his future is
independent of the goodwill of any man, he so conducted himself during
the trying time of his service under Butler, and afterwards, while
working singlehanded, as to win the warmest approval and esteem of Sir
Philip Swinburne and the worthy Richards, the latter of whom is now wont
to quote Harry Escombe as the pattern and model of all engineering
pupils.

It is also due to Harry to mention that he made an early opportunity to
call upon Butler's widow for the purpose of personally acquainting her
with the details of the surveyor's unhappy end. But in doing this he
contrived so to modify the particulars of the story that, by judicious
omissions here and there, without any sacrifice of truth, he succeeded
in conveying an impression that was very comfortin