"Mrs. Jenyns taking a peep into Fairlie's Box" — fifth illustration for William Harrison Ainsworth's "The Spendthrift: A Tale" (1855-57)

Mrs. Jenyns taking a peep into Fairlie's Box

Phiz

Dalziel

May 1856

Steel-engraving

15.2 cm high by 9.9 cm wide, vignetted, facing 172 in volume

The Spendthrift, first published in Bentley's Miscellany, Part 12 (Chapters 27-29).

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Scanned image and text by Philip V. Allingham.

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Passage Illustrated: The Devious Actress Acquires Vital Financial Information

[Mr. Fairlie] had just brought his labours to an end, — apparently to his entire satisfaction, for as he closed the ponderous ledger and fastened its brazen clasps, a triumphant smile played upon his countenance. He then turned round in his chair, unlocked the strong-box, and was in the act of placing a bundle of papers within it, when the side door was have alluded to suddenly opened, and admitted Mrs. Jenyns.

The smile on the steward's countenance instantly faded away, and gave place to a very different expression. He did not like to be disturbed, and showed his displeasure.

What business have you to come in by that door, madam?" he exclaimed, sharply. "You know it's against orders. I must beg you to withdraw. I am particularly engaged at this moment."

The pretty actress, however, paid no attention to what he said, but springing forward, arrested him before he could shut down the lid of the chest.

"I've often longed to see the contents of that strong-box," she cried, "and now I can gratify my curiosity. What's here?" she added, snatching at some parchments, and carrying them off towards the window. [Chapter XXVII, "Showing how Mrs. Jenyns took a peep into Mr. Fairlie's Strong-box; and what she got by doing so," 171-72]

Commentary: Comic Interlude between the Crusty Steward and the Sharp-Witted Actress

Although Phiz does not give the young actress a particularly astute expression, the sharp-witted Mrs. Jenyns as a female Eiron disguises her wiliness artfully, suggesting that Ainsworth's model was William Makepeace Thackeray's Becky Sharp, the anti-heroine of Vanity Fair (1847). Adopting a fatuous manner to catch the steward off-guard, Mrs. Jenyns cleverly seizes upon documents that suggest the steward is lending dissolute young aristocrats substantial amounts of money so that he can, when they inevitably default, seize their assets. Thus, the unscrupulous and ironically named Fairlie acquires lands worth twice what he is laying out to help the young aristocrats cover their gambling debts. Phiz and Ainsworth employ the "streaky-bacon" method of plot construction, alternating a serious scene such as the confrontation at White's Chocolate House with a humorous scene here.

Working methods

Bibliography

Ainsworth, William Harrison. The Spendthrift: A Tale. (1860). Illustrated by Phiz; engraved by the Dalziels. Ainsworth's Works. London & New York: George Routledge, 1882.

Lester, Valerie Browne. Phiz: The Man Who Drew Dickens. London: Chatto and Windus, 2004.

Vann, J. Don. "The Spendthrift in Bentley's Miscellany, January 1855 — January 1857." Victorian Novels in Serial. New York: Modern Language Association, 1985. 30.

Worth, George. William Harrison Ainsworth. New York: Twayne, 1972.

Created 29 December 2019

Last modified 14 October 2020