‘I am touched by the kind wish of the Guild conveyed to me in the resolution of yesterday. I am afraid a third attempt would be no more successful than the preceding. The unbiassed artist represents his subject as she is, not as she seems to be to those who are good enough to overlook her defects, and love her in spite of them. Still, if it is really wished that another attempt should be made, I will willingly sit once more.’
The work was entrusted to Mr. J. J. Shannon, R.A., who had proved his ability for the task by the portraits of Miss Clough and Miss Wordsworth. No effort was spared by the painter to realise Miss Beale at her best,[96] and she gave a good deal of time to sittings, which were employed also in listening to reading aloud. Dr. Illingworth’s Personality Human and Divine, a very favourite work of hers, was often chosen. Sometimes this work was displaced by Lorna Doone, which Miss Beale said ‘amused the painter.’ The Lady Principal was painted in her LL.D. robes, but also in her familiar head-dress, son petit bonnet de douairière. She is represented as looking up with the glance well known to those who had watched her when she lectured. The attitude, which is as much that of disciple as teacher, was fitly chosen.
The portrait was formally presented by the Duchess of Bedford on November 8, 1904, and with it an illuminated book containing the names of the donors. Miss Beale in her reply said:—
‘You have all come here moved by loyalty to your College. Loyalty is not a personal matter.... Tribute was due not to Tiberius but to Caesar; so you wanted a portrait of a Lady Principal—not of the person but of the representative,—and the Principal has a great advantage over the person in that the former lasts on when the latter passes away; loyalty outlasts life:—so I look on your gift as a page of College history. But not only have you brought a present for the College. I find also a beautiful book for my own personal self, not my official self, a record of affection from my children, which warms my heart, and makes me long to be more worthy of it.
‘But if the affection of those we love is an energising power, it produces a moral tension, not unmingled with fear.... He who recorded the names in the ancient church wrote: “Let us fear lest we also come short.” But as I have said, the Principal does not die. Like the Lama she is re-incarnated. In her, if the body dies, the esprit de corps survives, and I look forward to the time when another shall reign in my stead, ... and a procession of rulers greater than their ancestors ... shall see developments which we cannot foresee.’
For various reasons it was necessary to postpone the College Jubilee celebrations until May 1905. On this occasion a bust of Miss Beale was presented to the College by some admirers of her work who were not connected with it. A large new wing built for science teaching was opened by Lord Londonderry, then President of the Board of Education; and there were many distinguished guests. Two memorable speeches were made on this great occasion. One by the Chairman of the Council, Dr. Magrath, Provost of Queen’s College, Oxford, who made a brief but very sympathetic retrospect of the past history of the Ladies’ College. The other was from Mrs. Bryant, Head-mistress of the North London Collegiate School. She, as was fitting, looked forward to the future, and foreshadowed a large development of the work so well begun and established at Cheltenham. This Jubilee Day was the only public commemoration the Ladies’ College ever had. It was fitting that there should be one great public acknowledgment of Miss Beale’s work before the day came when she must leave it to the guidance of another.