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Chapter 16
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Accordinglywesetaboutourwork.UnderMr.Trelawny’sguidance,andaidedbytheservants,wetookfromtheouthousesgreatpacking-cases.Someofthesewereofenormousstrength,fortifiedbymanythicknessesofwood,andbyironbandsandrodswithscrew-endsandnuts.Weplacedthemthroughoutthehouse,eachclosetotheobjectwhichitwastocontain.Whenthispreliminaryworkhadbeeneffected,andtherehadbeenplacedineachroomandinthehallgreatmassesofnewhay,cotton-wasteandpaper,theservantsweresentaway.Thenwesetaboutpacking.
Noone,notaccustomedtopacking,couldhavetheslightestideaoftheamountoftheamountofworkinvolvedinsuchataskasthatinwhichinwewereengaged.FormyownpartIhadhadavagueideathattherewerealargenumberofEgyptianobjectsinMr.Trelawny’shouse;butuntilIcametodealwiththemseriatimIhadlittleideaofeithertheirimportance,thesizeofsomeofthem,oroftheirendlessnumber.Farintothenightweworked.Attimesweusedallthestrengthwhichwecouldmusteronasingleobject;againweworkedseparately,butalwaysunderMr.Trelawny’simmediatedirection.Hehimself,assistedbyMargaret,keptanexacttallofeachpiece.
Itwasonlywhenwesatdown,utterlywearied,toalong-delayedsupperthatwebegantorealisedthatalargepartoftheworkwasdone.Onlyafewofthepacking-cases,however,wereclosed;foravastamountofworkstillremained.