‘Amongst the most interesting of the wedding presents were a massive repeating chronometer, sent by the Fellows of Cambridge University, and a beautiful silver inkstand, the gift of one of Mr. Fawcett’s constituents at Brighton.’ [Illustration: HENRY FAWCETT AND MRS. FAWCETT] [Sidenote: Marriage.] The marriage of Fawcett did more to help him realise his ambitions and develop his intellectual abilities than any other event in his life. He used to say that he fell in love with his wife’s mind, but from this we must not imagine that she lacked personal charm and a vivacious sense of humour. Their affection rested on a strong foundation of common principles and interests and of the love of freedom and justice. A vivid impression of this unique and romantic couple is sketched for us in the accompanying story told by Lord Avebury.[1] Sir John Lubbock, as he then was, was waiting at the Railway Station on his way to Wiltshire, when his attention was called to a reserved compartment decorated gaily with flowers. On asking the station-master to explain this unusual phenomenon, he was informed that the compartment was reserved for Professor Fawcett and his bride, who were about to start on their wedding trip. [Sidenote: A Trio and a Wedding Trip.] Just then Fawcett loomed in sight, his little girlish bride hanging on his arm. Sir John tried to vanish, but Fawcett’s marvellous intuition had already detected his presence, and the blind man cried out in that voice which scorned concealment: ‘Hello, Sir John, I want you to meet my wife. We are going on our wedding trip; you must come along!’ Willy nilly, Sir John was seized by the giant and hustled after the bride into the beflowered compartment. Much embarrassed, he protested as best he could, and tried to extricate himself, but Fawcett would not hear of it, and insisted on his accompanying them upon their wedding trip. Sir John made another heroic effort for flight, but just then the guard slammed the door, and he was forced to form a third for a part of the honeymoon. This cordiality to his friends on all occasions was one of Fawcett’s chief characteristics. He could not imagine any one whom he liked being in the way; and his wife’s sense of fun always managed to make what might have been otherwise a difficult situation amusing and acceptable. For the honeymoon Fawcett had taken a small cottage at Alderbury. The country had been familiar to him when he was there as a schoolboy. Each day he took his bride on some new and lovely drive, stopping on the way to show her the views which he loved and so well remembered. [Sidenote: Mrs. Fawcett.] Mrs. Fawcett had been before her marriage deeply interested in the questions of social interest which absorbed Fawcett. She had his entire sympathy both in her independent work as a political economist and in her championship of woman suffrage.