and
how I wish I were! It is not a part that is generally much liked by
actresses, or that excites much enthusiasm in the public; there are
no violent situations with which to (what is called) "bring the
house down." Even the climax of the piece, the trial scene, I
should call, as far as Portia is concerned, rather grand and
impressive than strikingly or startlingly effective; and with the
exception of that, the whole character is so delicate, so nicely
blended, so true, and so free from all exaggeration, that it seems
to me hardly fit for a theater, much less one of our immense
houses, which require acting almost as _splashy_ and coarse in
color and outline as the scene-painting of the stage is obliged to
be. Covent Garden is too large a frame for that exquisite,
harmonious piece of portrait painting. This is a long lecture, but
I hope it will not be an uninteresting one to you; and now let me
tell you something of my dresses, which cost my poor mother sad
trouble, and were really beautiful. My first was an open skirt of
the palest pink levantine, shot with white and the deepest
rose-color (it was like a gown made of strawberries and cream), the
folds of which, as the light fell upon them, produced the most
beautiful shades of shifting hues possible. The under-dress was a
very pale blue satin, brocaded with silver, of which my sleeves
were likewise made; the fashion of the costume was copied from
sundry pictures of Titian and Paul Veronese--the pointed body, cut
square over the bosom and shoulders, with a full white muslin shirt
drawn round my neck, and wide white sleeves within the large blue
and silver brocade ones. _Comprenez-vous_ all this? My head was
covered with diamonds (_not real_; I'm anxious for my character),
and what delighted me much more was that I had jewels in the roses
of my shoes. I think if I had been Portia I never would have worn
any ornaments but two large diamonds in my shoe bows. You see, it
shows a pretty good stock of diamonds and a careless superiority to
such possessions to wear them on one's feet. Now pray don't laugh
at me, I was so enchanted with my fine shoes! This was my first
dress; the second was simply the doctor's black gown, with a
curious little authentic black velvet hat, which was received with
immense