Triplet gave her a knife, and looked confused, while she cut away the face of the picture, and by dint of scraping, cutting, and measuring, got her face two parts through the canvas. She then made him take his brush and paint all round her face, so that the transition might not be too abrupt. Several yards of green baize were also produced. This was to be disposed behind the easel, so as to conceal her.
Triplet painted here, and touched and retouched there. While thus occupied, he said, in his calm, resigned way: "It won't do, madam. I suppose you know that?"
"I know nothing," was the reply: "life is a guess. I don't think we could deceive Roxalana and Lucy this way, because their eyes are without colored spectacles; but, when people have once begun to see by prejudices and judge by jargon what can't be done with them? Who knows? do you? I don't; so let us try."
"I beg your pardon, madam; my brush touched your face."
"No offense, sir; I am used to that. And I beg, if you can't tone the rest of the picture up to me, that you will instantly tone me down to the rest. Let us be in tune, whatever it costs, sir."
"I will avail myself of the privilege, madam, but sparingly. Failure, which is certain, madam, will cover us with disgrace."
"Nothing is certain in this life, sir, except that you are a goose. It succeeded in France; and England can match all Europe for fools. Besides, it will be well done. They say Davy Garrick can turn his eyes into bottled gooseberries. Well, Peg Woffington will turn hers into black currants. Haven't you done? I wonder they have not come. Make haste!"
"They will know by its beauty I never did it."
"That is a sensible remark, Trip. But I think they will rather argue backward; that, as you did it, it cannot be beautiful, and so cannot be me. Your reputation will be our shield."
"Well, madam, now you mention it, they are like enough to take that ground. They despise all I do; if they did not--"
"You would despise them."
At this moment the pair were startled by the sound of a coach. Triplet turned as pale as ashes. Mrs. Woffington had her misgivings; but, not choosing to increase the difficulty, she would not let Triplet, whose self-possession she doubted, see any sign of emotion in her.
"Lock the door," said she, firmly, "and don't be silly. Now hold up my green baize petticoat, and let me be in a half-light. Now put that table and those chairs before me, so that they can't come right up to me; and, Triplet, don't let them come within six yards, if you can help it. Say it is unfinished, and so must be seen from a focus."
"A focus! I don't know what you mean."
"No more do I; no more will they, perhaps; and if they don't they will swallow it directly. Unlock the door. Are they coming?"
"They are only at the first stair."
"Mr. Triplet, your face is a book, where one may read strange matters.
For Heaven's sake, compose yourself. Let all the risk lie in one countenance. Look at me, sir. Make your face like the Book of Daniel in a Jew's back parlor. Volto Sciolto is your cue."
"Madam, madam, how your tongue goes! I hear them on the stairs. Pray don't speak!"
"Do you know what we are going to do?" continued the tormenting Peggy.
"We are going to weigh goose's feathers! to criticise criticism, Trip--"
"Hush! hush!"
A grampus was heard outside the door, and Triplet opened it. There was Quin leading the band.
"Have a care, sir," cried Triplet; "there is a hiatus the third step from the door."
"A _gradus ad Parnassum_ a wanting," said Mr. Cibber.
Triplet's heart sank. The hole had been there six months, and he had found nothing witty to say about it, and at first sight Mr. Cibber had done its business. And on such men he and his portrait were to attempt a preposterous delusion. Then there was Snarl, who wrote critiques on painting, and guided the national taste. The unlucky exhibitor was in a cold sweat. He led the way, like a thief going to the gallows.
"The picture being unfinished, gentlemen," said he, "must, if you would do me justice, be seen from a--a focus; must be judged from here, I mean."
"Where, sir?" said Mr. Cibber.
"About here, sir, if you please," said poor Triplet faintly.
"It looks like a finished picture from here," said Mrs. Clive.
"Yes, madam," groaned Triplet.
They all took up a position, and Triplet timidly raised his eyes along with the rest. He was a little surprised. The actress had flattened her face! She had done all that could be done, and more than he had conceived possible, in the way of extracting life and the atmosphere of expression from her countenance. She was "dead still!"
There was a pause. Triplet fluttered. At last some of them spoke as follows:
_Soaper._ "Ah!"
_Quin._ "Ho!"
_Clive._ "Eh!"
_Cibber._ "Humph!"
These interjections are small on paper, but as the good creatures uttered them they were eloquent; there was a cheerful variety of dispraise skillfully thrown into each of them.
"Well," continued Soaper, with his everlasting smile.
Then the fun began.
"May I be permitted to ask whose portrait this is?" said Mr. Cibber slyly.
"I distinctly told you, it was to be Peg Woffington's," said Mrs. Clive.
"I think you might take my word."
"Do you act as truly as you paint?" said Quin.
"Your fame runs no risk from me, sir!" replied Triplet.
"It is not like Peggy's beauty! Eh?" rejoined Quin.
"I can't agree with you," cried Kitty Clive. "I think it a very pretty face; and not at all like Peg Woffington's."
"Compare paint with paint," said Quin. "Are you sure you ever saw down to Peggy's real face?"
Triplet had seen with alarm that Mr. Snarl spoke not; many satirical expressions crossed his face, but he said nothing. Triplet gathered from this that he had at once detected the trick. "Ah!" thought Triplet, "he means to quiz them, as well as expose me. He is hanging back; and, in point of fact, a mighty satirist like Snarl would naturally choose to quiz six people rather than two."
"Now I call it beautiful!" said the traitor Soaper. "So calm and reposeful; no particular expression."
"None whatever," said Snarl.