of　itself；　and　is　easily　alleviated　by　fresh　interests；　and
  already；　in　the　letter　to　Frank　Scott；　there　are　two　words　of　hope：
  his　friends　in　London；　his　love　for　his　profession。　　The　last　might
  have　saved　him；　for　he　was　ere　long　to　pass　into　a　new　sphere；
  where　all　his　faculties　were　to　be　tried　and　exercised；　and　his
  life　to　be　filled　with　interest　and　effort。　　But　it　was　not　left　to
  engineering：　　another　and　more　influential　aim　was　to　be　set　before
  him。　　He　must；　in　any　case；　have　fallen　in　love；　in　any　case；　his
  love　would　have　ruled　his　life；　and　the　question　of　choice　was；　for
  the　descendant　of　two　such　families；　a　thing　of　paramount
  importance。　　Innocent　of　the　world；　fiery；　generous；　devoted　as　he
  was；　the　son　of　the　wild　Jacksons　and　the　facile　Jenkins　might　have
  been　led　far　astray。　　By　one　of　those　partialities　that　fill　men　at
  once　with　gratitude　and　wonder；　his　choosing　was　directed　well。　　Or
  are　we　to　say　that　by　a　man's　choice　in　marriage；　as　by　a　crucial
  merit；　he　deserves　his　fortune？　　One　thing　at　least　reason　may
  discern：　　that　a　man　but　partly　chooses；　he　also　partly　forms；　his
  help…mate；　and　he　must　in　part　deserve　her；　or　the　treasure　is　but
  won　for　a　moment　to　be　lost。　　Fleeming　chanced　if　you　will　（and
  indeed　all　these　opportunities　are　as　'random　as　blind　man's　buff'）
  upon　a　wife　who　was　worthy　of　him；　but　he　had　the　wit　to　know　it；
  the　courage　to　wait　and　labour　for　his　prize；　and　the　tenderness
  and　chivalry　that　are　required　to　keep　such　prizes　precious。　　Upon
  this　point　he　has　himself　written　well；　as　usual　with　fervent
  optimism；　but　as　usual　（in　his　own　phrase）　with　a　truth　sticking　in
  his　head。
  'Love；'　he　wrote；　'is　not　an　intuition　of　the　person　most　suitable
  to　us；　most　required　by　us；　of　the　person　with　whom　life　flowers
  and　bears　fruit。　　If　this　were　so；　the　chances　of　our　meeting　that
  person　would　be　small　indeed；　our　intuition　would　often　fail；　the
  blindness　of　love　would　then　be　fatal　as　it　is　proverbial。　　No；
  love　works　differently；　and　in　its　blindness　lies　its　strength。
  Man　and　woman；　each　strongly　desires　to　be　loved；　each　opens　to　the
  other　that　heart　of　ideal　aspirations　which　they　have　often　hid
  till　then；　each；　thus　knowing　the　ideal　of　the　other；　tries　to
  fulfil　that　ideal；　each　partially　succeeds。　　The　greater　the　love；
  the　greater　the　success；　the　nobler　the　idea　of　each；　the　more
  durable；　the　more　beautiful　the　effect。　　Meanwhile　the　blindness　of
  each　to　the　other's　defects　enables　the　transformation　to　proceed
  ＇unobserved；＇　so　that　when　the　veil　is　withdrawn　（if　it　ever　is；
  and　this　I　do　not　know）　neither　knows　that　any　change　has　occurred
  in　the　person　whom　they　loved。　　Do　not　fear；　therefore。　　I　do　not
  tell　you　that　your　friend　will　not　change；　but　as　I　am　sure　that
  her　choice　cannot　be　that　of　a　man　with　a　base　ideal；　so　I　am　sure
  the　change　will　be　a　safe　and　a　good　one。　　Do　not　fear　that
  anything　you　love　will　vanish；　he　must　love　it　too。'
  Among　other　introductions　in　London；　Fleeming　had　presented　a
  letter　from　Mrs。　Gaskell　to　the　Alfred　Austins。　　This　was　a　family
  certain　to　interest　a　thoughtful　young　man。　　Alfred；　the　youngest
  and　least　known　of　the　Austins；　had　been　a　beautiful　golden…haired
  child；　petted　and　kept　out　of　the　way　of　both　sport　and　study　by　a
  partial　mother。　　Bred　an　attorney；　he　had　（like　both　his　brothers）
  changed　his　way　of　life；　and　was　called　to　the　bar　when　past
  thirty。　　A　Commission　of　Enquiry　into　the　state　of　the　poor　in
  Dorsetshire　gave　him　an　opportunity　of　proving　his　true　talents；
  and　he　was　appointed　a　Poor　Law　Inspector；　first　at　Worcester；　next
  at　Manchester；　where　he　had　to　deal　with　the　potato　famine　and　the
  Irish　immigration　of　the　'forties；　and　finally　in　London；　where　he
  again　distinguished　himself　during　an　epidemic　of　cholera。　　He　was
  then　advanced　to　the　Permanent　Secretaryship　of　Her　Majesty's
  Office　of　Works　and　Public　Buildings；　a　position　which　he　filled
  with　perfect　competence；　but　with　an　extreme　of　modesty；　and　on　his
  retirement；　in　1868；　he　was　made　a　Companion　of　the　Bath。　　While
  apprentice　to　a　Norwich　attorney；　Alfred　Austin　was　a　frequent
  visitor　in　the　house　of　Mr。　Barron；　a　rallying　place　in　those　days
  of　intellectual　society。　　Edward　Barron；　the　son　of　a　rich　saddler
  or　leather　merchant　in　the　Borough；　was　a　man　typical　of　the　time。
  When　he　was　a　child；　he　had　once　been　patted　on　the　head　in　his
  father's　shop　by　no　less　a　man　than　Samuel　Johnson；　as　the　Doctor
  went　round　the　Borough　canvassing　for　Mr。　Thrale；　and　the　child　was
  true　to　this　early　consecration。　　'A　life　of　lettered　ease　spent　in
  provincial　retirement；'　it　is　thus　that　the　biographer　of　that
  remarkable　man；　William　Taylor；　announces　his　subject；　and　the
  phrase　is　equally　descriptive　of　the　life　of　Edward　Barron。　　The
  pair　were　close　friends；　'W。　T。　and　a　pipe　render　everything
  agreeable；'　writes　Barron　in　his　diary　in　1823；　and　in　1833；　after
  Barron　had　moved　to　London　and　Taylor　had　tasted　the　first　public
  failure　of　his　powers；　the　latter　wrote：　　'To　my　ever　dearest　Mr。
  Barron　say；　if　you　please；　that　I　miss　him　more　than　I　regret　him　…
  that　I　acquiesce　in　his　retirement　from　Norwich；　because　I　could
  ill　brook　his　observation　of　my　increasing　debility　of　mind。'　　This
  chosen　companion　of　William　Taylor　must　himself　have　been　no
  ordinary　man；　and　he　was　the　friend　besides　of　Borrow；　whom　I　find
  him　helping　in　his　Latin。　　But　he　had　no　desire　for　popular
  distinction；　lived　privately；　married　a　daughter　of　Dr。　Enfield　of
  Enfield's　SPEAKER；　and　devoted　his　time　to　the　education　of　his
  family；　in　a　deliberate　and　scholarly　fashion；　and　with　certain
  traits　of　stoicism；　that　would　surprise　a　modern。　　From　these
  children　we　must　single　out　his　youngest　daughter；　Eliza；　who
  learned　under　his　care　to　be　a　sound　Latin；　an　elegant　Grecian；　and
  to　suppress　emotion　without　outward　sign　after　the　manner　of　the
  Godwin　school。　　This　was　the　more　notable；　as　the　girl　really
  derived　from　the　Enfields；　whose　high…flown　romantic　temper；　I　wish
  I　could　find　space　to　illustrate。　　She　was　but　seven　years　old；
  when　Alfred　Austin　remarked　and　fell　in　love　with　her；　and　the
  union　thus　early　prepared　was　singularly　full。　　Where　the　husband
  and　wife　differed；　and　they　did　so　on　momentous　subjects；　they
  differed　with　perfect　temper　and　content；　and　in　the　conduct　of
  life；　and　in　depth　and　durability　of　love；　they　were　at　one。　　Each
  full　of　high　spirits；　each　practised　something　of　the　same
  repression：　　no　sharp　word　was　uttered　in　their　house。　　The　same
  point　of　honour　ruled　them；　a　guest　was　sacred　and　stood　within　the
  pale　from　criticism。　　It　was　a　house；　besides；　of　unusual
  intellectual　tension。　　Mrs。　Austin　remembered；　in　the　early　days　of
  the　marriage；　the　three　brothers；　John；　Charles；　and　Alfred；
  marching　to　and　fro；　each　with　his　hands　behind　his　back；　and
  'reasoning　high'　till　morning；　and　how；　like　Dr。　Johnson；　they
  would　cheer　their　speculations　with　as　many　as　fifteen　cups　of　tea。
  And　though；　before　the　date　of　Fleeming's　visit；　the　brothers　were
  separated；　Charles　long　ago　retired　from　the　world　at　Brandeston；
  and　John　already　near　his　end　in　the　'rambling　old　house'　at
  Weybridge；　Alfred　Austin　and　his　wife　were　still　a　centre　of　much
  intellectual　society；　and　still；　as　indeed　they　remained　until　the
  last；　youthfully　alert　in　mind。　　There　was　but　one　child　of　the
  marriage；　Anne；　and　she　was　herself　something　new　for　the　eyes　of
  the　young　visitor；　brought　up；　as　she　had　been；　like　her　mother
  before　her；　to　the　standard　of　a　man's　acquirements。　　Only　one　art
  had　she　been　denied；　she　must　not　learn　the　violin　…　the　thought
  was　too　monstrous　even　for　the　Austins；　and　indeed　it　would　seem　as
  if　that　tide　of　reform　which　we　may　date　from　the　days　of　Mary
  Wollstonecraft　had　in　some　degree　even　receded；　for　though　Miss
  Austin　was　suffered　to　learn　Greek；　the　accomplishment　was　kept
  secret　like　a　piece　of　guilt。　　But　whether　this　stealth　was　caused
  by　a　backward　movement　in　public　thought　since　the　time　of　Edward
  Barron；　or　by　the　change　from　enlightened　Norwich　to　barbarian
  London；　I　have　no　means　of　judging。
  When　Fleeming　presented　his　letter；　he　fell　in　love　at　first　sight
  with　Mrs。　Austin　and　the　life；　and　atmosphere　of　the　house。　　There
  was　in　the　society　of　the　Austins；　outward；　stoical　conformers　to
  the　world；　something　gravely　suggestive　of　essential　eccentricity；
  something　unpretentiously　breathing　of　intellectual　effort；　that
  could　not　fail　to　hit　the　fancy　of　this　hot…brained　boy。　　The
  unbroken　enamel　of　courtesy；　the　self…restraint；　the　dignified
  kindness　of　these　married　folk；　had　besides　a　particular　attraction
  for　their　visitor。　　He　could　not　but　compare　what　he　saw；　with　what
  he　knew　of　his　mother　and　himself。　　Whatever　virt