THE BATH ROAD 



71 



Miss Burney however, who had not the advantage of 

 reading Tennyson, jumped up and ran to h'sten whence 

 the sound proceeded. She found it came from the 

 next room, where the overture to the Biiono Figlitiola 

 was being performed — a piece not often heard, so far as 

 I can learn, at the Promenade Concerts, Covent Garden. 

 Mrs. Thrale however though hardly for this reason, 

 determined to know from whom it came, and tapped at 

 the door. And who confronted her when it was opened .'* 

 A young highwayman of the Paul Clifford type, with pale 

 face, eyes full of music, and pockets full of pistols } Not 

 at all. But a very handsome girl with fine dark hair upon 

 a finely-formed forehead ; and at the same moment 

 another girl advanced, and obligingly and gracefully 

 invited the intruders in and gave them chairs. And who 

 were these houris } Miss Burney soon discovered that 

 they w^ere the daughters of the hostess and born and bred 

 at Devizes. " Oh, what a surprise ! " 



" But though these pretty girls struck us much," she 

 writes, " the wonder of the family was yet to be pro- 

 duced. This was their brother, a most lovely boy of ten 

 years of age, who seems to be not merely the wonder of 

 their family, but of the times, for his astonishing skill at 

 drawing. They protest he has never had any instruc- 

 tion, yet showed us some of his productions, that were 

 really beautiful." 



The future Sir Thomas had ample opportunities at 

 the Bear for keeping his hand in. His father used to use 

 him now as a stimulant to his guests, now as a sedative. 

 Instead of offering lame excuses when the roast had 

 gone wrong, or saying that a bad bottle of claret was 

 simply " sick from a journey," this original in the way 

 of a host, used simply to introduce his son to the 

 malcontents, and in a moment where there had been 

 disgust there was wonder. At the simple talisman, 

 " Gentlemen, here's my son ; will you have him recite 

 from the poets or take your portraits } " the most con- 

 firmed bald-headed grumbler ceased his monotonous 



