CHAPTER XV.
PATIENCE A MOST ESSENTIAL VIRTUE—TRUST WAS A GOOD MAN, BUT TRUST-NO-ONE A BETTER—A COMPETITION EITHER ATTRACTS OR DRIVES AWAY MEN OF TALENT—A STUDY FROM LIFE OF A LION BY MARROCCHETTI—ASSISTANT MODELLERS—SYDENHAM AND ITS WONDERS—ONE OF "ABEL'S" FINGERS—NEW JUDGMENT OF SOLOMON—AN IMPORTANT QUESTION—AN INDIAN WHO SPEAKS ABOUT THINGS AS THEY ARE—PROFESSOR PAPI AND THE FAILURE OF THE FIRST CAST IN BRONZE OF THE "ABEL"—A MEDICINE NOT SOLD BY THE CHEMIST.
I started at once, and it was well that I did so, for the vessel which had the case containing my model sprang a leak on account of the bad weather, had to stop at Malta, and arrived in London too late, as the term had expired for the presentation of these models. If it had not been for my having the bill of lading,—from which it was made clear that I had not only sent it in time, but a long time before I was required, and that this delay had occurred from circumstances entirely independent of my will,—my work would have been undoubtedly rejected. For this reason, and through the good offices of William Spence, it was accepted; and he made me acquainted with the royal commissioner of the exhibition as the person intrusted by the author of the work. When they proceeded to open the case the commissioner wished me to be present, that I might see in what state it had arrived—and it was a truly lamentable state! The ship, as I have already said, sprang a leak, and the water had entered the case and softened the plaster figures, so that they were dislodged from their places, and rolled about in the box in all directions. Heads were detached from their bodies, hands mutilated and broken, aquiline noses flattened out, the helmets had lost their plumes and front pieces. In fact, it was all a perfect hash! Besides this, as I had wrapped them up in cotton-wool and paper, and the salt water had penetrated and remained there for many days, they had gone through a sort of special chemical process, by which my sketch was coloured in the most varied and capricious way. Blue, red, and yellow were mixed up together with the most lively pleasantry; and if it had been done on purpose, one could not have reduced the poor work to a more wretched condition. I saw at once that I needed all the sang froid possible, so I did not utter a word, and ostentatiously showed a calm exterior that I did not really feel,—all the more because already the greater part of the models had been put in their places, and the exhibition and judgment on them were imminent. Fedi, who was present at this disaster, seeing me so cold, said to me, almost in a rage, "Why don't you get angry?"
MY SKETCH ARRIVES BROKEN TO PIECES.
"Why should I get angry?" I answered. "Shall I mend the matter by getting angry? On the contrary, see how well I shall manage, in a slow and orderly way. I remember to have read somewhere—I don't recollect where—that he who has to go up a steep ascent must take it slowly; and so shall I."
He was of the contrary opinion, and advised me rather to leave everything alone for the moment, to take a pleasant walk, and to set myself to work the next day with a fresh mind; and he himself, with praiseworthy thoughtfulness, offered to help me. But I held to my purpose, thanking him for his advice and offer to help me, as I felt confident that I should be able to do it all by myself. I then at once informed the commissioner for the exhibition that, as I was empowered by the author of the sketch, and was in his entire confidence, I intended immediately to set to work and restore it. As this gentleman commissioner understood not a word of French or Italian, William Spence, then a young man, was my interpreter. When he understood what it was I wanted, he called a gentleman who was looking at the models for competition, and spoke to him in a low voice in his own language; but my young mentor, who, besides his intelligence, had a fine sense of hearing, taking me aside, told me what orders the commissioner had given this gentleman.
REPARATION OF THE SKETCH.
It should be known that the English Government, among the articles regulating this competition, had made one which was most wise, as it partially guaranteed the artist who had not been able to accompany his sketch in person, and had no correspondents or friends who could act for him, to repair any chance damages to his work. For this they had appointed an able artist capable of making the required restorations. This, then, was what Spence told me: "The commissioner, as you see, called that gentleman to tell him to pay attention to what you are doing to this model, for although you have asserted yourself to be the person intrusted by the author of the work, yet he has not felt sure of it; and as you might also be a person who, with bad intentions, propose to damage it under pretence of restoring it, it was his duty to prevent this,—so he gave orders to that gentleman, in case he saw that your hand was guided by bad faith or incompetency, to make you leave off at once, and to set himself instead to work on it."