a　sum　in　arithmetic。　　I　do　not　think　he　quite　succeeded；　but　I　must
  own　myself　no　fit　judge。　　Fleeming　and　I　were　teacher　and　taught　as
  to　the　principles；　disputatious　rivals　in　the　practice；　of　dramatic
  writing。
  Acting　had　always；　ever　since　Rachel　and　the　Marseillaise；　a
  particular　power　on　him。　　'If　I　do　not　cry　at　the　play；'　he　used　to
  say；　'I　want　to　have　my　money　back。'　　Even　from　a　poor　play　with
  poor　actors；　he　could　draw　pleasure。　　'Giacometti's　ELISABETTA；'　I
  find　him　writing；　'fetched　the　house　vastly。　　Poor　Queen　Elizabeth！
  And　yet　it　was　a　little　good。'　　And　again；　after　a　night　of
  Salvini：　　'I　do　not　suppose　any　one　with　feelings　could　sit　out
  OTHELLO；　if　Iago　and　Desdemona　were　acted。'　　Salvini　was；　in　his
  view；　the　greatest　actor　he　had　seen。　　We　were　all　indeed　moved　and
  bettered　by　the　visit　of　that　wonderful　man。　…　'I　declare　I　feel　as
  if　I　could　pray！'　cried　one　of　us；　on　the　return　from　HAMLET。　…
  'That　is　prayer；'　said　Fleeming。　　W。　B。　Hole　and　I；　in　a　fine
  enthusiasm　of　gratitude；　determined　to　draw　up　an　address　to
  Salvini；　did　so；　and　carried　it　to　Fleeming；　and　I　shall　never
  forget　with　what　coldness　he　heard　and　deleted　the　eloquence　of　our
  draft；　nor　with　what　spirit　（our　vanities　once　properly　mortified）
  he　threw　himself　into　the　business　of　collecting　signatures。　　It
  was　his　part；　on　the　ground　of　his　Italian；　to　see　and　arrange　with
  the　actor；　it　was　mine　to　write　in　the　ACADEMY　a　notice　of　the
  first　performance　of　MACBETH。　　Fleeming　opened　the　paper；　read　so
  far；　and　flung　it　on　the　floor。　　'No；'　he　cried；　'that　won't　do。
  You　were　thinking　of　yourself；　not　of　Salvini！'　　The　criticism　was
  shrewd　as　usual；　but　it　was　unfair　through　ignorance；　it　was　not　of
  myself　that　I　was　thinking；　but　of　the　difficulties　of　my　trade
  which　I　had　not　well　mastered。　　Another　unalloyed　dramatic　pleasure
  which　Fleeming　and　I　shared　the　year　of　the　Paris　Exposition；　was
  the　MARQUIS　DE　VILLEMER；　that　blameless　play；　performed　by
  Madeleine　Brohan；　Delaunay；　Worms；　and　Broisat　…　an　actress；　in
  such　parts　at　least；　to　whom　I　have　never　seen　full　justice
  rendered。　　He　had　his　fill　of　weeping　on　that　occasion；　and　when
  the　piece　was　at　an　end；　in　front　of　a　cafe；　in　the　mild；　midnight
  air；　we　had　our　fill　of　talk　about　the　art　of　acting。
  But　what　gave　the　stage　so　strong　a　hold　on　Fleeming　was　an
  inheritance　from　Norwich；　from　Edward　Barron；　and　from　Enfield　of
  the　SPEAKER。　　The　theatre　was　one　of　Edward　Barron's　elegant
  hobbies；　he　read　plays；　as　became　Enfield's　son…in…law；　with　a　good
  discretion；　he　wrote　plays　for　his　family；　in　which　Eliza　Barron
  used　to　shine　in　the　chief　parts；　and　later　in　life；　after　the
  Norwich　home　was　broken　up；　his　little　granddaughter　would　sit
  behind　him　in　a　great　armchair；　and　be　introduced；　with　his　stately
  elocution；　to　the　world　of　dramatic　literature。　　From　this；　in　a
  direct　line；　we　can　deduce　the　charades　at　Claygate；　and　after
  money　came；　in　the　Edinburgh　days；　that　private　theatre　which　took
  up　so　much　of　Fleeming's　energy　and　thought。　　The　company　…　Mr。　and
  Mrs。　R。　O。　Carter　of　Colwall；　W。　B。　Hole；　Captain　Charles　Douglas；
  Mr。　Kunz；　Mr。　Burnett；　Professor　Lewis　Campbell；　Mr。　Charles
  Baxter；　and　many　more　…　made　a　charming　society　for　themselves　and
  gave　pleasure　to　their　audience。　　Mr。　Carter　in　Sir　Toby　Belch　it
  would　be　hard　to　beat。　　Mr。　Hole　in　broad　farce；　or　as　the　herald
  in　the　TRACHINIAE；　showed　true　stage　talent。　　As　for　Mrs。　Jenkin；
  it　was　for　her　the　rest　of　us　existed　and　were　forgiven；　her　powers
  were　an　endless　spring　of　pride　and　pleasure　to　her　husband；　he
  spent　hours　hearing　and　schooling　her　in　private；　and　when　it　came
  to　the　performance；　though　there　was　perhaps　no　one　in　the　audience
  more　critical；　none　was　more　moved　than　Fleeming。　　The　rest　of　us
  did　not　aspire　so　high。　　There　were　always　five　performances　and
  weeks　of　busy　rehearsal；　and　whether　we　came　to　sit　and　stifle　as
  the　prompter；　to　be　the　dumb　（or　rather　the　inarticulate）
  recipients　of　Carter's　dog　whip　in　the　TAMING　OF　THE　SHREW；　or
  having　earned　our　spurs；　to　lose　one　more　illusion　in　a　leading
  part；　we　were　always　sure　at　least　of　a　long　and　an　exciting
  holiday　in　mirthful　company。
  In　this　laborious　annual　diversion；　Fleeming's　part　was　large。　　I
  never　thought　him　an　actor；　but　he　was　something　of　a　mimic；　which
  stood　him　in　stead。　　Thus　he　had　seen　Got　in　Poirier；　and　his　own
  Poirier；　when　he　came　to　play　it；　breathed　meritoriously　of　the
  model。　　The　last　part　I　saw　him　play　was　Triplet；　and　at　first　I
  thought　it　promised　well。　　But　alas！　the　boys　went　for　a　holiday；
  missed　a　train；　and　were　not　heard　of　at　home　till　late　at　night。
  Poor　Fleeming；　the　man　who　never　hesitated　to　give　his　sons　a
  chisel　or　a　gun；　or　to　send　them　abroad　in　a　canoe　or　on　a　horse；
  toiled　all　day　at　his　rehearsal；　growing　hourly　paler；　Triplet
  growing　hourly　less　meritorious。　　And　though　the　return　of　the
  children；　none　the　worse　for　their　little　adventure；　brought　the
  colour　back　into　his　face；　it　could　not　restore　him　to　his　part。　　I
  remember　finding　him　seated　on　the　stairs　in　some　rare　moment　of
  quiet　during　the　subsequent　performances。　　'Hullo；　Jenkin；'　said　I；
  'you　look　down　in　the　mouth。'　…　'My　dear　boy；'　said　he；　'haven't
  you　heard　me？　　I　have　not　one　decent　intonation　from　beginning　to
  end。'
  But　indeed　he　never　supposed　himself　an　actor；　took　a　part；　when　he
  took　any；　merely　for　convenience；　as　one　takes　a　hand　at　whist；　and
  found　his　true　service　and　pleasure　in　the　more　congenial　business
  of　the　manager。　　Augier；　Racine；　Shakespeare；　Aristophanes　in
  Hookham　Frere's　translation；　Sophocles　and　AEschylus　in　Lewis
  Campbell's；　such　were　some　of　the　authors　whom　he　introduced　to　his
  public。　　In　putting　these　upon　the　stage；　he　found　a　thousand
  exercises　for　his　ingenuity　and　taste；　a　thousand　problems　arising
  which　he　delighted　to　study；　a　thousand　opportunities　to　make　these
  infinitesimal　improvements　which　are　so　much　in　art　and　for　the
  artist。　　Our　first　Greek　play　had　been　costumed　by　the　professional
  costumer；　with　unforgetable　results　of　comicality　and　indecorum：
  the　second；　the　TRACHINIAE；　of　Sophocles；　he　took　in　hand　himself；
  and　a　delightful　task　he　made　of　it。　　His　study　was　then　in
  antiquarian　books；　where　he　found　confusion；　and　on　statues　and
  bas…reliefs；　where　he　at　last　found　clearness；　after　an　hour　or　so
  at　the　British　Museum；　he　was　able　to　master　'the　chiton；　sleeves
  and　all'；　and　before　the　time　was　ripe；　he　had　a　theory　of　Greek
  tailoring　at　his　fingers'　ends；　and　had　all　the　costumes　made　under
  his　eye　as　a　Greek　tailor　would　have　made　them。　　'The　Greeks　made
  the　best　plays　and　the　best　statues；　and　were　the　best　architects：
  of　course；　they　were　the　best　tailors；　too；'　said　he；　and　was　never
  weary；　when　he　could　find　a　tolerant　listener；　of　dwelling　on　the
  simplicity；　the　economy；　the　elegance　both　of　means　and　effect；
  which　made　their　system　so　delightful。
  But　there　is　another　side　to　the　stage…manager's　employment。　　The
  discipline　of　acting　is　detestable；　the　failures　and　triumphs　of
  that　business　appeal　too　directly　to　the　vanity；　and　even　in　the
  course　of　a　careful　amateur　performance　such　as　ours；　much　of　the
  smaller　side　of　man　will　be　displayed。　　Fleeming；　among　conflicting
  vanities　and　levities；　played　his　part　to　my　admiration。　　He　had
  his　own　view；　he　might　be　wrong；　but　the　performances　（he　would
  remind　us）　were　after　all　his；　and　he　must　decide。　　He　was；　in　this
  as　in　all　other　things；　an　iron　taskmaster；　sparing　not　himself　nor
  others。　　If　you　were　going　to　do　it　at　all；　he　would　see　that　it
  was　done　as　well　as　you　were　able。　　I　have　known　him　to　keep　two
  culprits　（and　one　of　these　his　wife）　repeating　the　same　action　and
  the　same　two　or　three　words　for　a　whole　weary　afternoon。　　And　yet
  he　gained　and　retained　warm　feelings　from　far　the　most　of　those　who
  fell　under　his　domination；　and　particularly　（it　is　pleasant　to
  remember）　from　the　girls。　　After　the　slipshod　training　and　the
  incomplete　accomplishments　of　a　girls'　school；　there　was　something
  at　first　annoying；　at　last　exciting　and　bracing；　in　this　high
  standard　of　accomplishment　and　perseverance。
  III。
  It　did　not　matter　why　he　entered　upon　any　study　or　employment；
  whether　for　amusement　like　the　Greek　tailoring　or　the　Highland
  reels；　whether　from　a　desire　to　serve　the　public　as　with　his
  sanitary　work；　or　in　the　view　of　benefiting　poorer　men　as　with　his
  labours　for　technical　education；　he　'pitched　into　it'　（as　he　would
  have　said　himself）　with　the　same　headlong　zest。　　I　give　in　the
  Appendix　a　letter　from　Colonel　Fergusson；　which　tells　fully　the
  nature　of　the　sanitary　work　and　of　Fleeming's　part　and　success　in
  it。　　It　will　be　enough　to　say　here　that　it　was　a　scheme　of
  p