A witty episodic tale follows a travelling portrait painter who markets ready-made likenesses and adapts features to suit buyers, arranging appearances rather than long sittings. As he hastens to rejoin his wife he confronts a pest quarantine, a rival practitioner, and a chain of comic mishaps involving impeded travel, local gossip, and eccentric inventions. The narrative combines satirical observations about artistic commerce and social vanity with lively characterization, humorous incident, and a fond taste for the strange and fantastical.