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INTRODUCTION xliii
you were engaged, as I did not think it would be of any use for you
to see him.' About this time Mr. Thackeray was beginning to
find it troublesome to draw on the wood the illustrations for ' The
Adventures of Philip,' which was then passing through the magazine,
and two or three of the drawings had been made on paper, and
afterwards redrawn on wood, but not to Mr. Thackeray's satisfaction.
" When Mr. Walker paid another visit to Cornhill, and I saw
his drawings," Mr. Smith writes, "it occurred to me that here
was the artist who would redraw Mr. Thackeray's designs satisfactorily.
I mentioned the subject to Mr. Walker, and understood
him to accept the idea ; but his nervous agitation was almost
painful, and although I did my best to set him at his ease, he left
65 Cornhill without my being sure whether my suggestion, that he
should make drawings from Mr. Thackeray's designs, was acceptable
to him or not.
" I mentioned the subject to Mr. Thackeray, who said, ' Bring
him here, and we shall soon sec whether he can draw.'
" An arrangement was made for me to call for Mr. Walker, and
drive him to Mr. Thackeray's house in Onslow Square, early one
morning towards the end of 1860. The drive was a silent one,
Mr. Walker's agitation being very marked. When we went up to
Mr. Thackeray, he saw at once how nervous the young artist was,
and addressed himself in the kindest manner to remove his shyness.
After a little time he said, ' Can you draw ? Mr. Smith says you
can !' ' Y—e—e—s, I think so,' said the young man, who was
within a few years to excite the admiration of the whole world
by the excellence of his drawings. ' I'm going to shave,' said Mr.
Thackeray, * would you mind drawing my back ?' Mr. Thackeray
went to his toilet table and commenced the operation, while Mr.
Walker took a sheet of paper and began his drawing—I looking
out of the window, in order that he might not feel that he was
being watched. I think Mr. Thackeray's idea of turning his back
towards him was as ingenious as it was kind ; for I believe that if
Mr. Walker had been asked to draw his face instead of his back,
he would hardly have been able to hold his pencil. The result
was presumably satisfactory to Thackeray, as he soon afterwards
asked Mr. Walker to make a second drawing of his back as a study
for the initial letter of the ' Roundabout Papers.' "