SYMPATHY WITH ITALY 47 



road to Geneva. It appears it was scarce safe to 

 leave Paris for England. Charles Reade, with keen 

 dramatic gusto, had just smuggled himself out of 

 that city in the bottom of a cab. English gold had 

 been found on the insurgents, the name of England 

 was in evil odour ; and it was thus — for strategic 

 reasons, so to speak — that Fleeming found himself 

 on the way to that Italy where he was to complete 

 his education, and for which he cherished to the 

 end a special kindness. 



It was in Genoa they settled ; partly for the sake Sympathy 

 of the captain, who might there find naval com- 

 rades ; partly because of the Ruffinis, who had been 

 friends of Mrs. Jenkin in their time of exile and 

 were now considerable men at home; partly, in 

 fine, with hopes that Fleeming might attend the 

 University ; in preparation for which he was put 

 at once to school. It was the year of Novara ; 

 Mazzini was in Rome ; the dry bones of Italy were 

 moving ; and for people of alert and liberal sym- 

 pathies the time was inspiriting. What with exiles 

 turned Ministers of State, universities thrown open 

 to Protestants, Fleeming himself the first Protestant 

 student in Genoa, and thus, as his mother writes, 

 ' a living instance of the progress of liberal ideas ' — 

 it was httle wonder if the enthusiastic young 

 woman and the clever boy were heart and soul upon 

 the side of Italy. It should not be forgotten that 

 they were both on their first visit to that country ; 



