Page:The London Magazine, volume 8 (July–December 1823).djvu/534



Mr. Whelp was confounded at this decree: and as the readiest means of obtaining a revision of it, he sent in to the next sitting of the bench a copy of the bust which had previously been omitted. As bad luck would have it however, there happened on this occasion to be present an artist who had a rancorous enmity both to Mr. Whelp and to the modeler of the bust. This person, being asked his opinion, declared without scruple that the bust was as wretched a portrait as it was lamentable in its pretensions as a work of art; and that his youngest pupil would not have had the audacity to produce so infamous a performance unless he had an express wish to be turned neck and heels out of his house.

Upon this award of the conscientious artist,—out of regard to his professional judgment, the magistracy thought fit to impose silence upon their own senses which returned a very opposite award: and thus it happened that the former decision was affirmed. Now certainly Mr. Whelp had his remedy: he might appeal from the magistrate’s sentence. But this he declined—“No, no,” said he, “I know what I’m about: I shall want the magistrate once more; and I mustn’t offend him. I will appeal to public opinion: that shall decide between me and the old rogue of a merchant.”

And precisely in this way it was brought about that the late stamp-distributor Goodchild came to stand exposed to the public view in the centre window of the china-manufactory.

At the corner of this china-manufactory a beggar had his daily station,—which, except for his youth, which was now and then thrown in his teeth, was indeed a right pleasant sinecure. To this man Mr. Whelp promised a handsome present if he would repeat to him in the evening what the passers-by had said of the bust in the day-time. Accordingly at night the beggar brought him the true and comfortable intelligence that young and old had unanimously pronounced the bust a most admirable likeness of the late stamp-distributor Goodchild. This report was regularly brought for eight days: on the eighth Mr. Whelp was satisfied, and paid off his commissioner, the beggar.

The next morning Mr. Whelp presented himself at Mr. Goodchild’s to report the public approbation of his brother’s bust.

But here there was sad commotion. Mr. Goodchild was ill: and his illness arose from a little history which must here be introduced by way of episode.Mr. Goodchild had an only daughter named Ida. Now Miss Ida had begun, like other young ladies of her age, to think of marriage: nature had put it into her head to consider all at once that she was seventeen years of age. And it sometimes occurred to her that Mr. Tempest the young barrister, who occupied the first floor over the way, was just the very man she would like in the character of lover. Thoughts of the same tendency appeared to have occurred also to Mr. Tempest: Ida seemed to him remarkably well fitted to play the part of a wife; and, when he pretended to be reading the pandects at his window, too often (it must be acknowledged) his eyes were settled all the while upon Ida’s blooming face. The glances of these eyes did certainly cause some derangement occasionally in Ida’s sewing and netting. What if they did? Let her drop as many stitches as she would, the next day was long enough to take them up again.

This young man then was clearly pointed out by Providence as the partner of her future life. Ah! that her father would think so too! But he called him always the young visionary. And whenever she took a critical review of all their opposite neighbours, and fell as if by accident upon the domestic habits, re-