The Life of Sir Rowland Hill and the

426
LIFE OF SIR ROWLAND HILL.
closed door. They were evidently settling which should be spokesman.
Probably F., although much the junior, volunteered his
services, as, when they re-appeared holding one another by the
hand, in a tone of deep solemnity, as befitted the occasion, he
said, '
Grandpapa, why did you beat Trottie ? ' The old man was
delighted with the child's courage in thus calling him to account ;
and, bidding the lads come close to him, reminded them that any
noise made his head ache ; that, should either of them make any
noise, he should never think of beating them, but should ask them
to be more careful for the future, well knowing that they would
attend to his wishes ; but that it would be of no use to talk to
Trottie, who must either be kept out of his room altogether, which
their grandmamma would not like, or must be taught, by means of
the little switch, not to bark there. The boys retired fully satisfied
with the explanation."
Outside his own circle, Death, while it so long
passed him by, was very busy. Old friends, men
eminent in science or in public life, he saw pass away
before him. He once spoke to me with deep feeling
of certain old men who, whenever they met him, had
always received him with the greatest warmth. Of
his friend Colonel Torrens, whom he had known years
before as the chairman of the South Australian Com-
" He
mission, he has left the following brief record :
was eminent as a writer on political economy, and was
one of the founders of the Political Economy Club.
He was many years in Parliament, and was chairman
of the South Australian Commission when I was
secretary. I had known him previously, but this
made our acquaintance intimate, and led to a friend-
which continued till his death. When on his
ship
death-bed, at the age of eighty-four, he wrote me a
most affectionate letter, expressing his desire that a
connection even then contemplated between his family
and mine should be realised ; and a year or two later
this was done, to the great satisfaction of my wife and
myself, by the marriage of my son with one of the