Whatever I did, I never neglected the first great obligation of making myself agreeable and amusing to everybody.

My social reputation as a good fellow began to stand as high at one end of the world as ever it stood at the other.

The months passed more quickly than I had dared to hope.

The expiration of my first year of transportation was approaching, and already pleasant hints of my being soon assigned to private service began to reach my ears.

This was the first of the many ends I was now working for; and the next pleasant realization of my hopes that I had to expect, was the arrival of Alicia.
She came, a month later than I had anticipated; safe and blooming, with five hundred pounds as the produce of her jewels, and with the old Crickgelly alias (changed from Miss to Mrs.Giles), to prevent any suspicions of the connection between us.
Her story (concocted by me before I left England) was, that she was a widow lady, who had come to settle in Australia, and make the most of her little property in the New World.