The House of The Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne Chapter 6 Page 14

altogether. They are conscious of looking very unamiable, I suppose, and therefore hate to be seen.”

“If you would permit me,” said the artist, looking at Phoebe, “I should like to try whether the daguerreotype can bring out disagreeable traits on a perfectly amiable face. But there certainly is truth in what you have said. Most of my likenesses do look unamiable; but the very sufficient reason, I fancy, is, because the originals are so. There is a wonderful insight in Heaven’s broad and simple sunshine. While we give it credit only for depicting the merest surface, it actually brings out the secret character with a truth that no painter would ever venture upon, even could he detect it.

There is, at least, no flattery in my humble line of art.