364 PERSONAL EE COLLECTIONS OF 



from the heart.' He began, and the world already 

 knows what he said. I attended more to the aspect ot 

 the audience than to the speech of the orator, which 

 contained nothing new to me. I could, however, mark 

 its influence on the palpitating crowd below. They 

 were stirred as if by subterranean fire. For an hour 

 and a half he held them spellbound, and when he ended 

 the emotion previously pent up burst forth in a roar of 

 acclamation. With a joyful heart and clear conscience 

 I could redeem my promise to Mrs. Carlyle. From the 

 nearest telegraph-office I sent her a despatch of three 

 words : 'A perfect triumph,' and returned towards the 

 hall. Noticing a commotion in the street, I came up 

 with the crowd. It was no street brawl ; it was not the 

 settlement of a quarrel, but a consensus of acclamation, 

 cheers and ' bravos,' and a general shying of caps into 

 the air ! Looking ahead I saw two venerable old men 

 walking slowly arm-in-arm in advance of the crowd. 

 They were Carlyle and Erskine. The rector's audience 

 had turned out to do honour to their hero. Nothing in 

 the whole ceremony affected Carlyle so deeply as this 

 display of fervour in the open air. 



All this was communicated by letter to Mrs. Carlyle; 

 and as I shared the general warmth of the time, it 

 is to be assumed that my letters were of the proper 

 temperature. She, at all events, wrote warmly enough 

 about me afterwards. Wound up, as she had been, to 

 such an intense pitch of anxiety, the thin-spun life was 

 almost * slit ' by the telegram. Her joy was hysterical. 

 But after a little time, aided by the loving care of 

 friends, she shook away all that was abnormal in her 

 happiness. She dined that evening with John Forster. 

 Dickens and Wilkie Collins were of the party. She 

 entered the drawing-room exultant, waving the telegram 

 in the air. Warm felicitations were not wanting, and 



