Dickens as Sir Charles Coldstream
Sir Charles is hero of a farce Used Up, adapted from the French by Dion Boucicault. Wrongly suspected of murder, he disguises himself as a ploughboy and is protected by the farmer's daughter Mary. Their love for each other gives him a purpose in life, hitherto lacking. Dickens played Sir Charles in amateur productions of 1848, 1851 and 1852. Also an actor in the play, Augustus Egg painted this scene in 1849 and gave it to Dickens.
Paiting by Augustus Egg RA (1816-63)