ville　de　Paris；　dont　je　faisais　partie。　　Jenkin　me　rejoignit。　　Je
  le　fis　entendre　par　mes　collegues；　car　il　etait　fondateur　d'une
  societe　de　salubrite。　　Il　eut　un　grand　succes　parmi　nous。　　Mais　ce
  voyaye　me　restera　toujours　en　memoire　parce　que　c'est　la　que　se
  fixa　defenitivement　notre　forte　amitie。　　Il　m'invita　un　jour　a
  diner　a　son　club　et　au　moment　de　me　faire　asseoir　a　cote　de　lui；　il
  me　retint　et　me　dit：　　'Je　voudrais　vous　demander　de　m'accorder
  quelque　chose。　　C'est　mon　sentiment　que　nos　relations　ne　peuvent
  pas　se　bien　continuer　si　vous　ne　me　donnez　pas　la　permission　de
  vous　tutoyer。　　Voulez…vous　que　nous　nous　tutoyions？'　　Je　lui　pris
  les　mains　et　je　lui　dis　qu'une　pareille　proposition　venant　d'un
  Anglais；　et　d'un　Anglais　de　sa　haute　distinction；　c'etait　une
  victoire；　dont　je　serais　fier　toute　ma　vie。　　Et　nous　commencions　a
  user　de　cette　nouvelle　forme　dans　nos　rapports。　　Vous　savez　avec
  quelle　finesse　il　parlait　le　francais：　　comme　il　en　connaissait
  tous　les　tours；　comme　il　jouait　avec　ses　difficultes；　et　meme　avec
  ses　petites　gamineries。　　Je　crois　qu'il　a　ete　heureux　de　pratiquer
  avec　moi　ce　tutoiement；　qui　ne　s'adapte　pas　a　l'anglais；　et　qui　est
  si　francais。　　Je　ne　puis　vous　peindre　l'etendue　et　la　variete　de
  nos　conversations　de　la　soiree。　　Mais　ce　que　je　puis　vous　dire；
  c'est　que；　sous　la　caresse　du　TU；　nos　idees　se　sont　elevees。　　Nous
  avions　toujours　beaucoup　ri　ensemble；　mais　nous　n'avions　jamais
  laisse　des　banalites　s'introduire　dans　nos　echanges　de　pensees。　　Ce
  soir…la；　notre　horizon　intellectual　s'est　elargie；　et　nous　y　avons
  pousse　des　reconnaissances　profondes　et　lointaines。　　Apres　avoir
  vivement　cause　a　table；　nous　avons　longuement　cause　au　salon；　et
  nous　nous　separions　le　soir　a　Trafalgar　Square；　apres　avoir　longe
  les　trotters；　stationne　aux　coins　des　rues　et　deux　fois　rebrousse
  chemie　en　nous　reconduisant　l'un　l'autre。　　Il　etait　pres　d'une
  heure　du　matin！　　Mais　quelle　belle　passe　d'argumentation；　quels
  beaux　echanges　de　sentiments；　quelles　fortes　confidences
  patriotiques　nous　avions　fournies！　　J'ai　compris　ce　soir　la　que
  Jenkin　ne　detestait　pas　la　France；　et　je　lui　serrai　fort　les　mains
  en　l'embrassant。　　Nous　nous　quittions　aussi　amis　qu'on　puisse
  l'etre；　et　notre　affection　s'etait　par　lui　etendue　et　comprise　dans
  un　TU　francais。
  CHAPTER　VII。　1875…1885。
  Mr　Jenkin's　Illness　…　Captain　Jenkin　…　The　Golden　Wedding　…　Death
  of　Uncle　John　…　Death　of　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Austin　…　Illness　and　Death　of
  the　Captain　…　Death　of　Mrs。　Jenkin　…　Effect　on　Fleeming　…
  Telpherage　…　The　End。
  AND　now　I　must　resume　my　narrative　for　that　melancholy　business
  that　concludes　all　human　histories。　　In　January　of　the　year　1875；
  while　Fleeming's　sky　was　still　unclouded；　he　was　reading　Smiles。
  'I　read　my　engineers'　lives　steadily；'　he　writes；　'but　find
  biographies　depressing。　　I　suspect　one　reason　to　be　that
  misfortunes　and　trials　can　be　graphically　described；　but　happiness
  and　the　causes　of　happiness　either　cannot　be　or　are　not。　　A　grand
  new　branch　of　literature　opens　to　my　view：　　a　drama　in　which　people
  begin　in　a　poor　way　and　end；　after　getting　gradually　happier；　in　an
  ecstasy　of　enjoyment。　　The　common　novel　is　not　the　thing　at　all。
  It　gives　struggle　followed　by　relief。　　I　want　each　act　to　close　on
  a　new　and　triumphant　happiness；　which　has　been　steadily　growing　all
  the　while。　　This　is　the　real　antithesis　of　tragedy；　where　things
  get　blacker　and　blacker　and　end　in　hopeless　woe。　　Smiles　has　not
  grasped　my　grand　idea；　and　only　shows　a　bitter　struggle　followed　by
  a　little　respite　before　death。　　Some　feeble　critic　might　say　my　new
  idea　was　not　true　to　nature。　　I'm　sick　of　this　old…fashioned　notion
  of　art。　　Hold　a　mirror　up；　indeed！　　Let's　paint　a　picture　of　how
  things　ought　to　be　and　hold　that　up　to　nature；　and　perhaps　the　poor
  old　woman　may　repent　and　mend　her　ways。'　　The　'grand　idea'　might　be
  possible　in　art；　not　even　the　ingenuity　of　nature　could　so　round　in
  the　actual　life　of　any　man。　　And　yet　it　might　almost　seem　to　fancy
  that　she　had　read　the　letter　and　taken　the　hint；　for　to　Fleeming
  the　cruelties　of　fate　were　strangely　blended　with　tenderness；　and
  when　death　came；　it　came　harshly　to　others；　to　him　not　unkindly。
  In　the　autumn　of　that　same　year　1875；　Fleeming's　father　and　mother
  were　walking　in　the　garden　of　their　house　at　Merchiston；　when　the
  latter　fell　to　the　ground。　　It　was　thought　at　the　time　to　be　a
  stumble；　it　was　in　all　likelihood　a　premonitory　stroke　of　palsy。
  From　that　day；　there　fell　upon　her　an　abiding　panic　fear；　that
  glib；　superficial　part　of　us　that　speaks　and　reasons　could　allege
  no　cause；　science　itself　could　find　no　mark　of　danger；　a　son's
  solicitude　was　laid　at　rest；　but　the　eyes　of　the　body　saw　the
  approach　of　a　blow；　and　the　consciousness　of　the　body　trembled　at
  its　coming。　　It　came　in　a　moment；　the　brilliant；　spirited　old　lady
  leapt　from　her　bed；　raving。　　For　about　six　months；　this　stage　of
  her　disease　continued　with　many　painful　and　many　pathetic
  circumstances；　her　husband　who　tended　her；　her　son　who　was
  unwearied　in　his　visits；　looked　for　no　change　in　her　condition　but
  the　change　that　comes　to　all。　　'Poor　mother；'　I　find　Fleeming
  writing；　'I　cannot　get　the　tones　of　her　voice　out　of　my　head。　。　。　I
  may　have　to　bear　this　pain　for　a　long　time；　and　so　I　am　bearing　it
  and　sparing　myself　whatever　pain　seems　useless。　　Mercifully　I　do
  sleep；　I　am　so　weary　that　I　must　sleep。'　　And　again　later：　　'I
  could　do　very　well；　if　my　mind　did　not　revert　to　my　poor　mother's
  state　whenever　I　stop　attending　to　matters　immediately　before　me。'
  And　the　next　day：　　'I　can　never　feel　a　moment's　pleasure　without
  having　my　mother's　suffering　recalled　by　the　very　feeling　of
  happiness。　　A　pretty；　young　face　recalls　hers　by　contrast　…　a
  careworn　face　recalls　it　by　association。　　I　tell　you；　for　I　can
  speak　to　no　one　else；　but　do　not　suppose　that　I　wilfully　let　my
  mind　dwell　on　sorrow。'
  In　the　summer　of　the　next　year；　the　frenzy　left　her；　it　left　her
  stone　deaf　and　almost　entirely　aphasic；　but　with　some　remains　of
  her　old　sense　and　courage。　　Stoutly　she　set　to　work　with
  dictionaries；　to　recover　her　lost　tongues；　and　had　already　made
  notable　progress；　when　a　third　stroke　scattered　her　acquisitions。
  Thenceforth；　for　nearly　ten　years；　stroke　followed　upon　stroke；
  each　still　further　jumbling　the　threads　of　her　intelligence；　but　by
  degrees　so　gradual　and　with　such　partiality　of　loss　and　of
  survival；　that　her　precise　state　was　always　and　to　the　end　a　matter
  of　dispute。　　She　still　remembered　her　friends；　she　still　loved　to
  learn　news　of　them　upon　the　slate；　she　still　read　and　marked　the
  list　of　the　subscription　library；　she　still　took　an　interest　in　the
  choice　of　a　play　for　the　theatricals；　and　could　remember　and　find
  parallel　passages；　but　alongside　of　these　surviving　powers；　were
  lapses　as　remarkable；　she　misbehaved　like　a　child；　and　a　servant
  had　to　sit　with　her　at　table。　　To　see　her　so　sitting；　speaking　with
  the　tones　of　a　deaf　mute　not　always　to　the　purpose；　and　to　remember
  what　she　had　been；　was　a　moving　appeal　to　all　who　knew　her。　　Such
  was　the　pathos　of　these　two　old　people　in　their　affliction；　that
  even　the　reserve　of　cities　was　melted　and　the　neighbours　vied　in
  sympathy　and　kindness。　　Where　so　many　were　more　than　usually
  helpful；　it　is　hard　to　draw　distinctions；　but　I　am　directed　and　I
  delight　to　mention　in　particular　the　good　Dr。　Joseph　Bell；　Mr。
  Thomas；　and　Mr。　Archibald　Constable　with　both　their　wives；　the　Rev。
  Mr。　Belcombe　（of　whose　good　heart　and　taste　I　do　not　hear　for　the
  first　time　…　the　news　had　come　to　me　by　way　of　the　Infirmary）；　and
  their　next…door　neighbour；　unwearied　in　service；　Miss　Hannah　Mayne。
  Nor　should　I　omit　to　mention　that　John　Ruffini　continued　to　write
  to　Mrs。　Jenkin　till　his　own　death；　and　the　clever　lady　known　to　the
  world　as　Vernon　Lee　until　the　end：　　a　touching；　a　becoming
  attention　to　what　was　only　the　wreck　and　survival　of　their
  brilliant　friend。
  But　he　to　whom　this　affliction　brought　the　greatest　change　was　the
  Captain　himself。　　What　was　bitter　in　his　lot；　he　bore　with　unshaken
  courage；　only　once；　in　these　ten　years　of　trial；　has　Mrs。　Fleeming
  Jenkin　seen　him　weep；　for　the　rest　of　the　time　his　wife　…　his
  commanding　officer；　now　become　his　trying　child　…　was　served　not
  with　patience　alone；　but　with　a　lovely　happiness　of　temper。　　He　had
  belonged　all　his　life　to　the　ancient；　formal；　speechmaking；
  compliment…presenting　school　of　courtesy；　the　dictates　of　this　code
  partook　in　his　eyes　of　the　nature　of　a　duty；　and　he　must　now　be
  courteous　for　two。　　Partly　from　a　happy　illusion；　partly　in　a
  tender　fraud；　he　kept　his　wife　before　the　world　as　a　still　active
  partner。　　When　he　paid　a　call；　he　would　have　her　write　'with　love'
  upon　a　card；　or　if　that　（at　the　moment）