Page:Nollekens and His Times, Volume 2.djvu/106

 taining immense property, which he continued constantly to advertise for a considerable time before it was owned ; and then the only thing he would receive beyond the advertising ex- penses was a buck, which the gentleman sup- plied him with annually. During the time that Grarrick was Manager of Drury-lane Theatre, he carried a two-foot rule, like a carpenter, in a small pocket made purposely for it. Once in crossing Roubiliac's stone-yard,' he pinched him by the elbow, and bade him mind how he would frighten that red- headed countryman who was sawing stone. Upon creeping towards the fellow, he kept lowering himself, at the same time putting on one of his tragedy looks, and partly drawing out bis two-foot rule, as he would a pistol to shoot him. In that attitude he remained for some time, disappointed and motionless, until the Yorkshireman stopped his sawing, and after squirting out his tobacco-water, coolly said, " What trick do you intend to be at next?"* Upon Mr. Koubiliac's death, his premises were taken by Read, the most deficient in talent of all his pupils, but who, like a trunk-maker or plumber and glazier, regularly advertised him- self as the successor of Mr. Roubiliac ; modestly concluding, that by occupying his studio, the