The  king  seemed  greatly  pleased  with  the  inter-
view, and  at  its  ch>se  expressed  himself  obliged  by
the  interesting  information  which  the  engineer  had
communicated.  Shaking  hands  cordially  with  both
the  gentlemen,  and  wishing  them  success  in  their
important  undertakings,  he  bade  them  adieu.  As
they  were  leaving  the  palace  Mr.  Stephenson,
bethinking  him  of  the  model  by  which  he  had  just
been  illustrating  the  Belgian  coal-fields,  said  to
his  friend,  "  By  the  bye,  Sopwith,  I  was  afraid  the
king  would  see  the  inside  of  my  hat  ;  it's  a  shocking
bad  one!"  Little  could  George  Stephenson,  when
brakesman  at  a  coal-pit,  have  dreamt  that,  in  the
course  of  his  life,  he  should  be  admitted  to  an
interview  with  a  monarch,  and  describe  to  him  the
manner  in  which  the  geological  foundations  of  his
kingdom  had  been  laid  I

Mr.  Stephenscm  paid  a  second  visit  to  Belgium
in  the  course  of  the  same  year,  on  the  business  of
the  West  Flanders  Railway ;  and  he  had  scarcely
returned   from   it    ere   he  made    arrangements    to


NORTH    OF    SPAIN    RAILWAY  [CHAP  XV

proceed  to  Spain,  for  the  purpose  of  examining  and
reporting  upon  a  scheme  then  on  foot  for  construct-
ing "the  Royal  North  of  Spain  Railway."  A
concession  had  been  made  by  the  Spanish  Govern-
ment of  a  line  of  railway  from  Madrid  to  the  Bay
of  Biscay,  and  a  numerous  staff  of  engineers  was
engaged  in  surveying  it.  The  directors  of  the
Company  had  declined  making  the  necessary
deposits  until  more  favourable  terms  had  been
secured  ;  and  Sir  Joshua  Walmslcy,  on  their  part,
was  about  to  visit  Spain  and  press  the  Government
on  the  subject.  Mr.  Stephenson,  whom  he  con-
sulted, was  alive  to  the  difficulties  of  the  office
which  Sir  Joshua  was  induced  to  undertake,  and
offered  to  be  his  companion  and  adviser  on  the
occasion, — declining  to  receive  any  recompense
beyond  the  simple  expenses  of  the  journey.  He
could  only  arrange  to  be  absent  for  six  weeks,
and  set  out  from  England  about  the  middle  of  Sep-
tember, 1845.
