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AN AUCTION-ROOM EPISODE. 43

From “Memoirs of a Bashful Gentleman. "

AN AUCTION-ROOM EPISODE.


 * I pity bashful men, who feel the pain

of fancied scorn and undeserv'd disdain, And bear the marks upon a blushing face, Of needless shame, and self-impos'd disgrace. "

COWPER.




 * I POSTED to London with an intention of procuring some papers of consequence from my solicitor, and having engaged apartments for a fortnight at Mivart's, 1 proceeded to dip a little into the gaieties of the metropolis.

In the course of some days after my arrival, 1 received a letter from Westmoreland; it was from my uncle, and ran as follows: -

“MY DEAR BOY-The most fortunate circumstance in the world has occurred. You will perceive by the Post, of Saturday, that the celebrated collection of the late Earl is about

to be brought to the hammer; and I find that the Raffaelle, a picture of the most exquisite beauty, and pure as the day it was painted, is included in the sale. It is the very gem which his lordship succeeded in carrying off from me in Italy; it formed the principal ornament of the Palavacini Gallery, at Rome, and I offered, as a first bidding, two thousand guineas for its possession; but, while in deliberation, his lordship, a wonderful connoisseur, stepped in, unknown to me, laid down two thousand five hundred, and became the happy owner of this unrivalled morceau. It was dirt-cheap, actually dirt-cheap, and when I heard of the purchase, I made overtures to the Earl upon the subject, but, as I might have anticipated, he flatly refused to part with his acquisition.

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“I presume that his heir, a wild young fellow, has no taste for these wonders of art, and I rejoice in his wretched apathy, as I may now complete my cabinet by crowning it with this brilliant. Oblige me, therefore, my dear boy, by going immediately to C's, and reconnoitring the picture; you will know it at once, as it bears every trace of the master: the subject is a Holy Family; ' it is marked ' 37 ' in the catalogue, and is duly deposited in a mahogany case, with plate-glass, and green silk curtains before it. As the sale does not come on until three days after you receive this, you will have plenty of time to indulge yourself with dwelling upon this inestimable chef d'œuvre, and I would recommend you to look in at C's two or three times a-day, as you pass to the clubs, that you may be able to fully appreciate it. You will have the goodness to attend on the day of sale, and bid for me; and as the first rate connoisseurs will be there, a sharp competition must take place; but remember I would not, upon any account, re-lose this specimen, which I consider of more value than my whole collection. Bid fearlessly; it may, and will most probably run to two or three thousand guineas; but at all events secure it.

“I have some suspicion that the Duke of L-, who, as well as myself, was disappointed at Rome, of the purchase, will be at the sale, but I cannot precisely ascertain whether he is in England or not.

“Adieu, my dear Felix; if it were not for a malicious fit of the gout that prevents my moving an inch, I would save you this trouble, by posting to town. Lewis will arrive at Mivart's the day after the sale, with every thing necessary to preserve the painting from injury, and as he thoroughly understands my peculiar mode of packing, I will send him in a chaise, expressly to convey the picture to me.

“Your affectionate Uncle, “RICHARD RIVERS. ““P. S.-I almost forgot to say that Maria sends her love to you. "

As I deciphered this hurried, yet elaborate illustration of my uncle's reigning passion, I could not help denouncing the desire that imposed upon me so public and particular a duty, in an auction-room, where the circumstance of my entering into a headlong contest for the pearl of a priceless collection, would render me the object of universal surmise and scrutiny. Over and over again, I wished all the Raffaelles in the Vatican at the bottom of the sea; and had it not been for the sweet message, so unceremoniously thrust into a postscript, I could have torn the letter into fragments, with vexation. As it was, 1 enclosed it, tremblingly, in my note-case, and sallied forth to take a peep at this “gem, ““this “brilliant, “this “unrivalled bijou. “I went unfashionably early, in order to spare my weakness, and with an aspect of infinite sourness, greeted the unoffending idol of my uncle's adoration, with a momentary glance-then looking hastily round the room, hurried away.

The important day arrived, and under an overwhelming sense of the part I had to sustain, I directed my way to C-' s. Turning into King-street, I found a double line of splendid equipages extending from the auction-room to the square, and a throng of liveried lacquies at the door: the distinguished fame of the collection, added to the high rank of the deceased collector, had made it a point with the titled and fashionable world to attend. Almack's was rivalled in

its very face. The staircase was sown thickly with dukes, and marquesses, and earls, old dowagers and young heiresses, dashing officers of