New problems which he was
endowed to solve, vistas of new enquiry which he was fitted to
explore, opened before him continually. His gifts had found their
avenue and goal. And with this pleasure of effective exercise,
there must have sprung up at once the hope of what is called by the
world success. But from these low beginnings, it was a far look
upward to Miss Austin: the favour of the loved one seems always
more than problematical to any lover; the consent of parents must
be always more than doubtful to a young man with a small salary and
no capital except capacity and hope. But Fleeming was not the lad
to lose any good thing for the lack of trial; and at length, in the
autumn of 1857, this boyish-sized, boyish-mannered, and
superlatively ill-dressed young engineer, entered the house of the
Austins, with such sinkings as we may fancy, and asked leave to pay
his addresses to the daughter. Mrs. Austin already loved him like
a son, she was but too glad to give him her consent; Mr. Austin
reserved the right to inquire into his character; from neither was
there a word about his prospects, by neither was his income
mentioned.
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