26 LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY cHAP. I 



people had been talking about the propriety of recognising 

 your life-long work in some way or other ; that, as you 

 would not have anything else, a dinner had been sug- 

 gested, and finally asked me to inquire whether you 

 would accept that expression of goodwill. Of course I 

 said I would, and I asked accordingly. 



After you had assented I spoke to several of our 

 friends who were at the Athenaeum, and wrote to Lockyer. 

 I believe a strong committee is forming, and that we 

 shall have a scientific jubilation on a large scale ; but I 

 have purposely kept in the background, and confined 

 myself, like Bismarck, to the business of " honest broker." 



But of course nothing (beyond preliminaries) can be 

 done till you name the day, and at this time of year it is 

 needful to look well ahead if a big room is to be secured. 

 So if you can possibly settle that point, pray do. 



There seems to have been some oversight on my wife's 

 part about the invitation, but she is stating her own case. 

 We go on a visit to Mrs. Darwin to Cambridge on 

 Saturday week, and the Saturday after that I am bound 

 to be at Eton. 



Moreover, I have sacrificed to the public Moloch so 

 far as to promise to take the chair at a public meeting in 

 favour of a Free Library for Marylebone on the 7th, 

 As Wednesday's work at the Geological Society and the 

 soirde knocked me up all yesterday, I shall be about 

 finished I expect on the 8th. If you are going to be 

 at Hindhead after that, and would laave us for a day, it 

 would be jolly ; but I cannot be away long, as I have 

 some work to finish before I go abroad. 



I never was so uncomfortable in my life, I think, as 



on Wednesday when L was speaking, just in front 



of me, at the University. Of course I was in entire 

 sympathy with the tenor of his speech, but I was no less 

 certain of the impolicy of giving a chance to such a 

 master of polished putting-down as the Chancellor, 

 You know Mrs. Carlyle said that Owen's sweetness 



