M. TR^LAT'S LETTER 207 



sunshine of popularity still further softened him. 

 He was a bit of a porcupine to the last, still shedding 

 darts ; or rather he was to the end a bit of a school- 

 boy, and must still throw stones ; but the essential 

 toleration that underlay his disputatiousness, and 

 the kindness that made of him a tender sicknurse 

 and a generous helper, shone more conspicuously 

 through. A new pleasure had come to him ; and 

 as with all sound natures, he was bettered by the 

 pleasure. 



I can best show Fleeming in this later stage Letter 

 by quoting from a vivid and interesting letter Tr^iat. 

 of M. Emile Trelat's. Here, admirably expressed, 

 is how he appeared to a friend of another nation, 

 whom he encountered only late in life. M. Trelat 

 will pardon me if I correct, even before I quote 

 him ; but what the Frenchman supposed to flow 

 from some particular bitterness against France was 

 only Fleeming's usual address. Had M. Trelat 

 been Italian, Italy would have fared as ill ; and 

 yet Italy was Fleeming's favourite country. 



Vous savez comment j*ai connu Fleeming Jenkin ! 

 C'etait en mai 1878. Nous etions tous deux membres 

 du jury de I'Exposition Universelle. On n*avait rien 

 fait qui vaille k la premiere seance de notre classe, qui 

 avait eu lieu le matin. Tout le monde avait parle et 

 reparle pour ne rien dire. Cela durait depuis huit 

 heures ; il etait midi. Je demandai la parole pour une 

 motion d'ordre, et je proposai que la seance fut levee k 



