I hurried off and found my poor rejected sitter waiting with a thick stick, the presence of which he began to explain before I could make my apologies to him. He told me that he had bought the weapon, not in self-defence, or with an idea of attack, but because he thought it was most characteristic of him. I then had to interrupt him with my excuses which was a most disagreeable task. "Oh," he said, "that's only an excuse for not putting me in. I see it." He flushed very red and showed a little temper, for he had been endeavouring for some time to be placed upon the list of subjects in _Vanity Fair_ and without success. After some discussion, during which, in some sympathy with his annoyance, I anxiously watched the stick, he slunk out of the studio with an air greatly different from the spruce and upright demeanour of his arrival.[4] An awkward predicament in which I was the innocent arbitrator came about through a very gross caricature by another artist (I do not remember whom) of Mr. Pigott the censor of plays and a very old friend; I believe it was unpleasant, for he wrote to me and said he wished he had been put in my hands. I do not know whether I am wrong in saying so, but it was rather odd his writing to ask my advice, for he was strongly in favour of suing _Vanity Fair_ for libel. At all events I called upon him and advised him to ignore the matter. He reassured me by saying, "Well, I've already come to that conclusion myself since writing my letter. I've seen my solicitors who gave me the same advice, but I still wish I'd been done by you." A friend of mine came to me once and said, "You simply must make a drawing of 'Piggy' Palk, he's such a splendid subject--have you ever seen him? I'm sure if you had you couldn't resist making a caricature of him." "Very well," I said. "Give me an opportunity of meeting him--what's he like?" "I must introduce you to him first, we'll get up a little dinner--he shall be there--at the Raleigh Club. We'll introduce you as 'Mr. Spy'--don't forget that he wears an eyeglass, because he's nothing without it." When the evening came I was placed on the opposite side of the table to the young man, where I had a good opportunity of studying his features, which were diminutive, with the exception of his ears which were enormous. I waited and waited for the eyeglass to appear (for as my friend had truly said, his face was nothing without it), and finally got up from dinner full of disappointment. There were several other guests who were quite aware of my identity, and all attempted to help me in my object, but without success, a fact which created no little amusement among us.