SIR WILLIAM THOMSON 81 



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 associa- 

 tion, Fleeming brought the valuable element of a 

 practical understanding ; but he never thought 

 or spoke of himself where Sir William was in ques- 

 tion ; 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, Fleem- 

 ing'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. 



