X. -- THAT HANDSOME IS THAT HANDSOME DOES
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.