And if he had not resumed his old place that night, he would have
done so the next day, when, after my father's departure, Mr
Holdsworth spoke about him with such just respect for his
character, such ungrudging admiration of his great mechanical
genius, that I was compelled to say, almost unawares,--

'Thank you, sir. I am very much obliged to you.'

'Oh, you're not at all. I am only speaking the truth. Here's a
Birmingham workman, self-educated, one may say--having never
associated with stimulating minds, or had what advantages travel
and contact with the world may be supposed to afford--working out
his own thoughts into steel and iron, making a scientific name
for himself--a fortune, if it pleases him to work for money--and
keeping his singleness of heart, his perfect simplicity of
manner; it puts me out of patience to think of my expensive
schooling, my travels hither and thither, my heaps of scientific
books, and I have done nothing to speak of. But it's evidently
good blood; there's that Mr Holman, that cousin of yours, made of
the same stuff'

'But he's only cousin because he married my mother's second
cousin,' said I.

'That knocks a pretty theory on the head, and twice over, too. I
should like to make Holman's acquaintance.'

'I am sure they would be so glad to see you at Hope Farm,' said
I, eagerly. 'In fact, they've asked me to bring you several