for　their　visitor。　　He　could　not　but　compare　what　he　saw；　with　what
  he　knew　of　his　mother　and　himself。　　Whatever　virtues　Fleeming
  possessed；　he　could　never　count　on　being　civil；　whatever　brave；
  true…hearted　qualities　he　was　able　to　admire　in　Mrs。　Jenkin；
  mildness　of　demeanour　was　not　one　of　them。　　And　here　he　found　per
  sons　who　were　the　equals　of　his　mother　and　himself　in　intellect　and
  width　of　interest；　and　the　equals　of　his　father　in　mild　urbanity　of
  disposition。　　Show　Fleeming　an　active　virtue；　and　he　always　loved
  it。　　He　went　away　from　that　house　struck　through　with　admiration；
  and　vowing　to　himself　that　his　own　married　life　should　be　upon　that
  pattern；　his　wife　（whoever　she　might　be）　like　Eliza　Barron；　himself
  such　another　husband　as　Alfred　Austin。　　What　is　more　strange；　he
  not　only　brought　away；　but　left　behind　him；　golden　opinions。　　He
  must　have　been　…　he　was；　I　am　told　…　a　trying　lad；　but　there　shone
  out　of　him　such　a　light　of　innocent　candour；　enthusiasm；
  intelligence；　and　appreciation；　that　to　persons　already　some　way
  forward　in　years；　and　thus　able　to　enjoy　indulgently　the　perennial
  comedy　of　youth；　the　sight　of　him　was　delightful。　　By　a　pleasant
  coincidence；　there　was　one　person　in　the　house　whom　he　did　not
  appreciate　and　who　did　not　appreciate　him：　　Anne　Austin；　his　future
  wife。　　His　boyish　vanity　ruffled　her；　his　appearance；　never
  impressive；　was　then；　by　reason　of　obtrusive　boyishness；　still　less
  so；　she　found　occasion　to　put　him　in　the　wrong　by　correcting　a
  false　quantity；　and　when　Mr。　Austin；　after　doing　his　visitor　the
  almost　unheard…of　honour　of　accompanying　him　to　the　door；　announced
  'That　was　what　young　men　were　like　in　my　time'　…　she　could　only
  reply；　looking　on　her　handsome　father；　'I　thought　they　had　been
  better　looking。'
  This　first　visit　to　the　Austins　took　place　in　1855；　and　it　seems　it
  was　some　time　before　Fleeming　began　to　know　his　mind；　and　yet
  longer　ere　he　ventured　to　show　it。　　The　corrected　quantity；　to
  those　who　knew　him　well；　will　seem　to　have　played　its　part；　he　was
  the　man　always　to　reflect　over　a　correction　and　to　admire　the
  castigator。　　And　fall　in　love　he　did；　not　hurriedly　but　step　by
  step；　not　blindly　but　with　critical　discrimination；　not　in　the
  fashion　of　Romeo；　but　before　he　was　done；　with　all　Romeo's　ardour
  and　more　than　Romeo's　faith。　　The　high　favour　to　which　he　presently
  rose　in　the　esteem　of　Alfred　Austin　and　his　wife；　might　well　give
  him　ambitious　notions；　but　the　poverty　of　the　present　and　the
  obscurity　of　the　future　were　there　to　give　him　pause；　and　when　his
  aspirations　began　to　settle　round　Miss　Austin；　he　tasted；　perhaps
  for　the　only　time　in　his　life；　the　pangs　of　diffidence。　　There　was
  indeed　opening　before　him　a　wide　door　of　hope。　　He　had　changed　into
  the　service　of　Messrs。　Liddell　&　Gordon；　these　gentlemen　had　begun
  to　dabble　in　the　new　field　of　marine　telegraphy；　and　Fleeming　was
  already　face　to　face　with　his　life's　work。　　That　impotent　sense　of
  his　own　value；　as　of　a　ship　aground；　which　makes　one　of　the　agonies
  of　youth；　began　to　fall　from　him。　　New　problems　which　he　was
  endowed　to　solve；　vistas　of　new　enquiry　which　he　was　fitted　to
  explore；　opened　before　him　continually。　　His　gifts　had　found　their
  avenue　and　goal。　　And　with　this　pleasure　of　effective　exercise；
  there　must　have　sprung　up　at　once　the　hope　of　what　is　called　by　the
  world　success。　　But　from　these　low　beginnings；　it　was　a　far　look
  upward　to　Miss　Austin：　　the　favour　of　the　loved　one　seems　always
  more　than　problematical　to　any　lover；　the　consent　of　parents　must
  be　always　more　than　doubtful　to　a　young　man　with　a　small　salary　and
  no　capital　except　capacity　and　hope。　　But　Fleeming　was　not　the　lad
  to　lose　any　good　thing　for　the　lack　of　trial；　and　at　length；　in　the
  autumn　of　1857；　this　boyish…sized；　boyish…mannered；　and
  superlatively　ill…dressed　young　engineer；　entered　the　house　of　the
  Austins；　with　such　sinkings　as　we　may　fancy；　and　asked　leave　to　pay
  his　addresses　to　the　daughter。　　Mrs。　Austin　already　loved　him　like
  a　son；　she　was　but　too　glad　to　give　him　her　consent；　Mr。　Austin
  reserved　the　right　to　inquire　into　his　character；　from　neither　was
  there　a　word　about　his　prospects；　by　neither　was　his　income
  mentioned。　　'Are　these　people；'　he　wrote；　struck　with　wonder　at
  this　dignified　disinterestedness；　'are　these　people　the　same　as
  other　people？'　　It　was　not　till　he　was　armed　with　this　permission；
  that　Miss　Austin　even　suspected　the　nature　of　his　hopes：　　so
  strong；　in　this　unmannerly　boy；　was　the　principle　of　true　courtesy；
  so　powerful；　in　this　impetuous　nature；　the　springs　of　self…
  repression。　　And　yet　a　boy　he　was；　a　boy　in　heart　and　mind；　and　it
  was　with　a　boy's　chivalry　and　frankness　that　he　won　his　wife。　　His
  conduct　was　a　model　of　honour；　hardly　of　tact；　to　conceal　love　from
  the　loved　one；　to　court　her　parents；　to　be　silent　and　discreet　till
  these　are　won；　and　then　without　preparation　to　approach　the　lady　…
  these　are　not　arts　that　I　would　recommend　for　imitation。　　They　lead
  to　final　refusal。　　Nothing　saved　Fleeming　from　that　fate；　but　one
  circumstance　that　cannot　be　counted　upon　…　the　hearty　favour　of　the
  mother；　and　one　gift　that　is　inimitable　and　that　never　failed　him
  throughout　life；　the　gift　of　a　nature　essentially　noble　and
  outspoken。　　A　happy　and　high…minded　anger　flashed　through　his
  despair：　　it　won　for　him　his　wife。
  Nearly　two　years　passed　before　it　was　possible　to　marry：　　two　years
  of　activity；　now　in　London；　now　at　Birkenhead；　fitting　out　ships；
  inventing　new　machinery　for　new　purposes；　and　dipping　into
  electrical　experiment；　now　in　the　ELBA　on　his　first　telegraph
  cruise　between　Sardinia　and　Algiers：　　a　busy　and　delightful　period
  of　bounding　ardour；　incessant　toil；　growing　hope　and　fresh
  interests；　with　behind　and　through　all；　the　image　of　his　beloved。
  A　few　extracts　from　his　correspondence　with　his　betrothed　will　give
  the　note　of　these　truly　joyous　years。　　'My　profession　gives　me　all
  the　excitement　and　interest　I　ever　hope　for；　but　the　sorry　jade　is
  obviously　jealous　of　you。'　…　'〃Poor　Fleeming；〃　in　spite　of　wet；
  cold　and　wind；　clambering　over　moist；　tarry　slips；　wandering　among
  pools　of　slush　in　waste　places　inhabited　by　wandering　locomotives；
  grows　visibly　stronger；　has　dismissed　his　office　cough　and　cured
  his　toothache。'　…　'The　whole　of　the　paying　out　and　lifting
  machinery　must　be　designed　and　ordered　in　two　or　three　days；　and　I
  am　half　crazy　with　work。　　I　like　it　though：　　it's　like　a　good　ball；
  the　excitement　carries　you　through。'　…　'I　was　running　to　and　from
  the　ships　and　warehouse　through　fierce　gusts　of　rain　and　wind　till
  near　eleven；　and　you　cannot　think　what　a　pleasure　it　was　to　be
  blown　about　and　think　of　you　in　your　pretty　dress。'　…　'I　am　at　the
  works　till　ten　and　sometimes　till　eleven。　　But　I　have　a　nice　office
  to　sit　in；　with　a　fire　to　myself；　and　bright　brass　scientific
  instruments　all　round　me；　and　books　to　read；　and　experiments　to
  make；　and　enjoy　myself　amazingly。　　I　find　the　study　of　electricity
  so　entertaining　that　I　am　apt　to　neglect　my　other　work。'　　And　for　a
  last　taste；　'Yesterday　I　had　some　charming　electrical　experiments。
  What　shall　I　compare　them　to　…　a　new　song？　a　Greek　play？'
  It　was　at　this　time　besides　that　he　made　the　acquaintance　of
  Professor；　now　Sir　William；　Thomson。　　To　describe　the　part　played
  by　these　two　in　each　other's　lives　would　lie　out　of　my　way。　　They
  worked　together　on　the　Committee　on　Electrical　Standards；　they
  served　together　at　the　laying　down　or　the　repair　of　many　deep…sea
  cables；　and　Sir　William　was　regarded　by　Fleeming；　not　only　with　the
  'worship'　（the　word　is　his　own）　due　to　great　scientific　gifts；　but
  with　an　ardour　of　personal　friendship　not　frequently　excelled。　　To
  their　association；　Fleeming　brought　the　valuable　element　of　a
  practical　understanding；　but　he　never　thought　or　spoke　of　himself
  where　Sir　William　was　in　question；　and　I　recall　quite　in　his　last
  days；　a　singular　instance　of　this　modest　loyalty　to　one　whom　he
  admired　and　loved。　　He　drew　up　a　paper；　in　a　quite　personal
  interest；　of　his　own　services；　yet　even　here　he　must　step　out　of
  his　way；　he　must　add；　where　it　had　no　claim　to　be　added；　his
  opinion　that；　in　their　joint　work；　the　contributions　of　Sir　William
  had　been　always　greatly　the　most　valuable。　　Again；　I　shall　not
  readily　forget　with　what　emotion　he　once　told　me　an　incident　of
  their　associated　travels。　　On　one　of　the　mountain　ledges　of
  Madeira；　Fleeming's　pony　bolted　between　Sir　William。　and　the
  precipice　above；　by　strange　good　fortune　and　thanks　to　the
  steadiness　of　Sir　William's　horse；　no　harm　was　done；　but　for　the
  moment；　Fleeming　saw　his　friend　hurled　into　the　sea；　and　almost　by
  his　own　act：　　it　was　a　memory　that　haunted　him。
  CHAPTER　IV。　　1859…1868。
  Fleeming's　Marriage　…　His　Ma