X. -- THAT HANDSOME IS THAT HANDSOME DOES

ThosewhousethisproverbcanneverhaveseenMrs.Conrady.

Thesoul,ifwemaybelievePlotinus,isarayfromthecelestialbeauty.Asshepartakesmoreorlessofthisheavenlylight,sheinforms,withcorrespondingcharacters,thefleshlytenementwhichshechooses,andframestoherselfasuitablemansion.

AllwhichonlyprovesthatthesoulofMrs.Conrady,inherpre-existentstate,wasnogreatjudgeofarchitecture.

Tothesameeffect,inaHymninhonourofBeauty,divineSpenser,platonizing,sings——

"EverySpiritasitismorepure,

Andhathinitthemoreofheavenlylight,

*Swift

[p260]

Soitthefairerbodydothprocure

Tohabitin,anditmorefairlydight

Withcheerfulgraceandamiablesight.

Forofthesoulthebodyformdothtake:

Forsoulisform,anddoththebodymake."

ButSpenser,itisclear,neversawMrs.Conrady.

Thesepoets,wefind,arenosafeguidesinphilosophy;forhere,inhisverynextstanzabutone,isasavingclause,whichthrowsusalloutagain,andleavesusasmuchtoseekasever:——

"Yetoftitfalls,thatmanyagentlemind

Dwellsindeformedtabernacledrownd

Eitherbychance,againstthecourseofkind,

Orthroughunaptnessinthesubstancefound,

Whichitassumedofsomestubbornground,

Thatwillnotyielduntoherformsdirection,

Butisperformdwithsomefoulimperfection."

Fromwhichitwouldfollow,thatSpenserhadseensomebodylikeMrs.Conrady.

Thespiritofthisgoodlady——herpreviousanima——musthavestumbledupononeoftheseuntowardtabernacleswhichhespeaksof.Amorerebelliousmodityofclayforaground,asthepoetcallsit,nogentlemind——andsurehersisoneofthegentlest——everhadtodealwith.

Ponderinguponherinexplicablevisage——inexplicable,wemean,butbythismodificationofthetheory——wehaveetoaconclusionthat,ifonemustbeplain,itisbettertobeplainallover,than,amidstatolerableresidueoffeatures,tohangoutonethatshallbeexceptionable.NoonecansayofMrs.Conradyscountenance,thatitwouldbebetterifshehadbutanose.Itisimpossibletopullhertopiecesinthismanner.Wehaveseenthemostmaliciousbeautiesofherownsexbaffledintheattemptataselection.Thetoutensembledefiesparticularising.Itistooplete——tooconsistent,aswemaysay——toadmitoftheseinvidiousreservations.ItisnotasifsomeApelleshadpickedoutherealip——andthereachin——outofthecollecteduglinessofGreece,toframeamodelby.Itisasymmetricalwhole.Wechallengetheminutestconnoisseurtocavilatanypartorparcelofthecountenanceinquestion;tosaythatthis,orthat,isimproperlyplaced.Weareconvincedthattrueugliness,nolessthanisaffirmedoftruebeauty,istheresultofharmony.Likethattooitreignswithoutapetitor.NooneeversawMrs.Conrady,withoutpronouncinghertobetheplainestwomanthatheevermetwithinthecourseofhislife.Thefirsttimethatyouareindulgedwithasightofherface,isanerainyourexistenceeverafter.Youaregladtohaveseenit——likeStonehenge.Noonecanpretendtoforgetit.Nooneeverapologisedtoherfor[p261]meetingherinthestreetonsuchadayandnotknowingher:thepretextwouldhetoobare.Nobodycanmistakeherforanother.Nobodycansayofher,"IthinkIaveseenthatfacesomewhere,butIcannotcalltomindwhere."Youmustrememberthatinsuchaparlouritfirststruckyou——likeabust.Youwonderedwheretheownerofthehousehadpickeditup.Youwonderedmorewhenitbegantomoveitslips——somildlytoo!Nooneeverthoughtofaskinghertositforherpicture.Locketsareforremembrance;anditwouldbeclearlysuperfluoustohanganimageatyourheart,which,onceseen,canneverheoutofit.Itisnotameanfaceeither;itsentireoriginalityprecludesthat.Neitherisitofthatorderofplainfaceswhichimproveuponacquaintance.Someverygoodbutordinarypeople,byanunweariedperseveranceingoodoffices,putacheatuponoureyes:juggleoursensesoutoftheirnaturalimpressions;andsetusupondiscoveringgoodindicationsinacountenance,whichatfirstsightpromisednothingless.Wedetectgentleness,whichhadescapedus,lurkingaboutanunderlip.ButwhenMrs.Conradyhasdoneyouaservice,herfaceremainsthesame;whenshehasdoneyouathousand,andyouknowthatsheisreadytodoublethenumber,stillitisthatindividualface.Neithercanyousayofit,thatitwouldbeagoodfaceifitwasnotmarkedbythesmallpox——aplimentwhichisalwaysmoreadmissivethanexcusatory——foreitherMrs.Conradyneverhadthesmallpox;or,aswesay,tookitkindly.No,itstandsuponitsownmeritsfairly.Thereitis.Itishermark,hertoken;thatwhichsheisknownby.