Part 3 (1/2)
Porcupine generally had an old friend with him, whom he had long known in the country, who had come to see the town, and who lodged in the same house. His name was Dobbin.
When Porcupine had made some advancement in the portrait, Lord Forestking and his friend, Sir Hyde, came one day to inspect it, attended by the ever meddling Mr. Munkey. His Lords.h.i.+p seated himself in a chair opposite the picture, and expressed himself very much satisfied with the likeness, declaring, that he never before knew that he was so handsome a fellow.
”The portrait is--ah--very well, and the painting is--ah--admirable,”
said Sir Hyde; ”but do not you think--ah--that the nose is a _leetle_ too long? and are you sure,” addressing Porcupine, ”that the left eye is not--ah--slightly awry?”
”I have not remarked it,” returned Mr. Porcupine, meekly.
”The colouring is excellent; but--ah--'pon my honour, I never saw his Lords.h.i.+p wear a coat of that tint; and do not you think the hair is _rayther_ darker than his Lords.h.i.+p's?”
”Perhaps,” suggested Mr. Porcupine, ”you would see it better in another light;” and he immediately moved the easel.
”Do you know,” said Mr. Munkey to Mr. Dobbin--they were at the other end of the room--”Sir Hyde Jungle is esteemed one of our finest critics in the arts? He has visited most of the great Continental galleries, and can tell you the dimensions of every celebrated picture, and the exact spot on which it is hung.”
”How _can_ one individual be the possessor of so much learning!” said Dobbin. ”I cannot even remember the dimensions of the common in my native village, though I have been round it often and often.”
”Oh! Sir Hyde is, as you remark, a possessor of great learning. He studies anatomy too, and is very fond of dissecting all kinds of animals. I am told that no professor at St. Bartholomew's can do it more rapidly.”
”What a wonderful individual!”
”Ah! now that I see it better,” said the Baronet, ”I think the hair as near right as it can be; but--ah--you have given his Lords.h.i.+p two--ah--curls on the left temple, which I do not think his Lords.h.i.+p ever has.”
”Would your Lords.h.i.+p wish to have them taken out?” inquired Porcupine.
”'Pon honour, Sir Hyde,” said his Lords.h.i.+p, ”I really think the portrait is a very good one; and I like those two curls so much, that I'll make my barber give them to me to-morrow morning.”
”I perfectly agree with your Lords.h.i.+p,” replied the connoisseur; ”and if Mr. Porcupine will but attend to the suggestions I have thrown out, this picture will make his fortune;” and the learned critic began to put on his gloves and seek his hat.
The Lord and the Baronet wished the artist good morning, and, with their attendant, departed.
Poor Porcupine threw himself into his chair, and gazed wistfully at the picture. His first thought was to thrust his foot through the canva.s.s, but the word ”suggestions” and ”make his fortune” rang in his ears, and he burst into a long loud laugh.
”He is very learned, that Sir Hyde Jungle,” observed his friend, Mr.
Dobbin, at the conclusion of the laugh.
”A very learned man,” said Porcupine.
”And did he not promise to make your fortune?”
”He did,” replied the artist; ”and if he can he may.”
The next time Sir Hyde saw the portrait, he thought the nose and the eyes were quite right--the tone of colour on the coat admirable--and the hair marvellously exact. The day after, Lady Jungle and several friends came to see the picture, and one gave Mr. Porcupine a commission for a portrait of her darling Wilhelmina. A rush of orders followed, and the great Sir Hyde Jungle did what the artist never believed, he kept his promise, and, by his wonderful talk, made Mr. Porcupine's fortune.