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ON HIS WAY THROUGH THE WORLD l6l
He loved to be amongst beautiful women and aristocratical men.
Philip Firmin, with his Republican notions and downright bluntness
of behaviour to all men of rank superior to him, had a grand high
manner of his own ; and if he had scarce twopence in his pocket,
would have put his hands in them with as much independence as
the greatest dandy who ever sauntered on Pall Mall pavement.
What a coolness the fellow had ! Some men may, not unreasonably,
have thought it impudence. It fascinated Ridley. To be such a
man ; to have such a figure and manner ; to be able to look society
in the face, slap it on the shoulder, if you were so minded, and
hold it by the button—what would not Ridley give for such powers
and accomplishments ? You will please to bear in mind, I am not
saying that J. J. was right, only that he was as he was. I hope
we shall have nobody in this story without his little faults and
peculiarities. Jarman was quite right when he said Ridley loved
fine company. I believe his pedigree gave him secret anguishes.
He would rather have been gentleman than genius ever so great ;
but let you and me, who have no weaknesses of our own, try and
look charitably on this confessed foible of my friend.
J. J. never thought of rebuking Philip for being idle. Phil
was as the lilies of the field, in the painter's opinion. He was not
called upon to toil or spin ; but to take his ease, and grow and bask
in sunshine, and be arrayed in glory. The little clique of painters
knew what Firming means were. Thirty thousand pounds of his
own. Thirty thousand pounds down, sir; and the inheritance of
his father's immense fortune ! A splendour emanated from this
gifted young man. His opinions, his jokes, his laughter, his song
had the weight of thirty thousand down, sir ; and &c. &c. What
call had he to work ? Would you set a young nobleman to be an
apprentice % Philip was free to be as idle as any lord, if he liked.
He ought to wear fine clothes, ride fine horses, dine off plate, and
drink champagne every day. J. J. would work quite cheerfully
till sunset, and have an eightpenny plate of meat in Wardour Street
and a glass of porter for his humble dinner. At the " Haunt," and
similar places of Bohemian resort, a snug place near the fire was
always found for Firmin. Fierce Republican as he was, Jarman
had a smile for his lordship, and used to adopt particularly dandified
airs when he had been invited to Old Parr Street to dinner.
I daresay Philip liked flattery. I own that he was a little weak
in this respect, and that you and I, my dear sir, are, of course, far
his superiors. J. J., who loved him, would have had him follow
his aunt's and his cousin's advice, and live in better company ; but
I think the painter would not have liked his pet to soil his hands
with too much work, and rather admired Mr. Phil for being idle.
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