how　exquisite　life　had　once　been！　how　gorgeous　in　its　pomp　and　decoration！　even　to　read　of　the　luxury　of　the　dead　was　wonderful。
  then　he　turned　his　attention　to　embroideries　and　to　the　tapestries　that　performed　the　office　of　frescoes　in　the　chill　rooms　of　the　northern　nations　of　europe。　as　he　investigated　the　subject　and　he　always　had　an　extraordinary　faculty　of　being　absolutely　absorbed　for　the　moment　in　whatever　he　took　uphe　was　almost　saddened　by　the　reflection　of　the　ruin　that　time　brought　on　beautiful　and　wonderful　things。　he；　at　any　rate；　had　escaped　that。　summer　followed　summer；　and　the　yellow　jonquils　bloomed　and　died　many　times；　and　nights　of　horror　repeated　the　story　of　their　shame；　but　he　was　unchanged。　no　winter　marred　his　face　or　stained　his　flowerlike　bloom。　how　different　it　was　with　material　things！　where　had　they　passed　to？　where　was　the　great　crocus…coloured　robe；　on　which　the　gods　fought　against　the　giants；　that　had　been　worked　by　brown　girls　for　the　pleasure　of　athena？　where　the　huge　velarium　that　nero　had　stretched　across　the　colosseum　at　rome；　that　titan　sail　of　purple　on　which　was　represented　the　starry　sky；　and　apollo　driving　a　chariot　drawn　by　white；　gilt…reined　steeds？　he　longed　to　see　the　curious　table…napkins　wrought　for　the　priest　of　the　sun；　on　which　were　displayed　all　the　dainties　and　viands　that　could　be　wanted　for　a　feast；　the　mortuary　cloth　of　king　chilperic；　with　its　three　hundred　golden　bees；　the　fantastic　robes　that　excited　the　indignation　of　the　bishop　of　pontus　and　were　figured　with　〃lions；　panthers；　bears；　dogs；　forests；　rocks；　huntersall；　in　fact；　that　a　painter　can　copy　from　nature〃；　and　the　coat　that　charles　of　orleans　once　wore；　on　the　sleeves　of　which　were　embroidered　the　verses　of　a　song　beginning　〃madame；　je　suis　tout　joyeux；〃　the　musical　acpaniment　of　the　words　being　wrought　in　gold　thread；　and　each　note；　of　square　shape　in　those　days；　formed　with　four　pearls。　he　read　of　the　room　that　was　prepared　at　the　palace　at　rheims　for　the　use　of　queen　joan　of　burgundy　and　was　decorated　with　〃thirteen　hundred　and　twenty…one　parrots；　made　in　broidery；　and　blazoned　with　the　kings　arms；　and　five　hundred　and　sixty…one　butterflies；　whose　wings　were　similarly　ornamented　with　the　arms　of　the　queen；　the　whole　worked　in　gold。〃　catherine　de　m茅dicis　had　a　mourning…bed　made　for　her　of　black　velvet　powdered　with　crescents　and　suns。　its　curtains　were　of　damask；　with　leafy　wreaths　and　garlands；　figured　upon　a　gold　and　silver　ground；　and　fringed　along　the　edges　with　broideries　of　pearls；　and　it　stood　in　a　room　hung　with　rows　of　the　queens　devices　in　cut　black　velvet　upon　cloth　of　silver。　louis　xiv　had　gold　embroidered　caryatides　fifteen　feet　high　in　his　apartment。　the　state　bed　of　sobieski；　king　of　poland；　was　made　of　smyrna　gold　brocade　embroidered　in　turquoises　with　verses　from　the　koran。　its　supports　were　of　silver　gilt；　beautifully　chased；　and　profusely　set　with　enamelled　and　jewelled　medallions。　it　had　been　taken　from　the　turkish　camp　before　vienna；　and　the　standard　of　mohammed　had　stood　beneath　the　tremulous　gilt　of　its　canopy。
  and　so；　for　a　whole　year；　he　sought　to　accumulate　the　most　exquisite　specimens　that　he　could　find　of　textile　and　embroidered　work；　getting　the　dainty　delhi　muslins；　finely　wrought　with　gold…thread　palmates　and　stitched　over　with　iridescent　beetles　wings；　the　dacca　gauzes；　that　from　their　transparency　are　known　in　the　east　as　〃woven　air；〃　and　〃running　water；〃　and　〃evening　dew〃；　strange　figured　cloths　from　java；　elaborate　yellow　chinese　hangings；　books　bound　in　tawny　satins　or　fair　blue　silks　and　wrought　with　fleurs…de…lys；　birds　and　images；　veils　of　lacis　worked　in　hungary　point；　sicilian　brocades　and　stiff　spanish　velvets；　georgian　work；　with　its　gilt　coins；　and　japanese　foukousas；　with　their　green…toned　golds　and　their　marvellously　plumaged　birds。
  he　had　a　special　passion；　also；　for　ecclesiastical　vestments；　as　indeed　he　had　for　everything　connected　with　the　service　of　the　church。　in　the　long　cedar　chests　that　lined　the　west　gallery　of　his　house；　he　had　stored　away　many　rare　and　beautiful　specimens　of　what　is　really　the　raiment　of　the　bride　of　christ；　who　must　wear　purple　and　jewels　and　fine　linen　that　she　may　hide　the　pallid　macerated　body　that　is　worn　by　the　suffering　that　she　seeks　for　and　wounded　by　self…inflicted　pain。　he　possessed　a　gorgeous　cope　of　crimson　silk　and　gold…thread　damask；　figured　with　a　repeating　pattern　of　golden　pomegranates　set　in　six…petalled　formal　blossoms；　beyond　which　on　either　side　was　the　pine…apple　device　wrought　in　seed…pearls。　the　orphreys　were　divided　into　panels　representing　scenes　from　the　life　of　the　virgin；　and　the　coronation　of　the　virgin　was　figured　in　coloured　silks　upon　the　hood。　this　was　italian　work　of　the　fifteenth　century。　another　cope　was　of　green　velvet；　embroidered　with　heart…shaped　groups　of　acanthus…leaves；　from　which　spread　long…stemmed　white　blossoms；　the　details　of　which　were　picked　out　with　silver　thread　and　coloured　crystals。　the　morse　bore　a　seraphs　head　in　gold…thread　raised　work。　the　orphreys　were　woven　in　a　diaper　of　red　and　gold　silk；　and　were　starred　with　medallions　of　many　saints　and　martyrs；　among　whom　was　st。　sebastian。　he　had　chasubles；　also；　of　amber…coloured　silk；　and　blue　silk　and　gold　brocade；　and　yellow　silk　damask　and　cloth　of　gold；　figured　with　representations　of　the　passion　and　crucifixion　of　christ；　and　embroidered　with　lions　and　peacocks　and　other　emblems；　dalmatics　of　white　satin　and　pink　silk　damask；　decorated　with　tulips　and　dolphins　and　fleurs…de…lys；　altar　frontals　of　crimson　velvet　and　blue　linen；　and　many　corporals；　chalice…veils；　and　sudaria。　in　the　mystic　offices　to　which　such　things　were　put；　there　was　something　that　quickened　his　imagination。
  for　these　treasures；　and　everything　that　he　collected　in　his　lovely　house；　were　to　be　to　him　means　of　forgetfulness；　modes　by　which　he　could　escape；　for　a　season；　from　the　fear　that　seemed　to　him　at　times　to　be　almost　too　great　to　be　borne。　upon　the　walls　of　the　lonely　locked　room　where　he　had　spent　so　much　of　his　boyhood；　he　had　hung　with　his　own　hands　the　terrible　portrait　whose　changing　features　showed　him　the　real　degradation　of　his　life；　and　in　front　of　it　had　draped　the　purple…and…gold　pall　as　a　curtain。　for　weeks　he　would　not　go　there；　would　forget　the　hideous　painted　thing；　and　get　back　his　light　heart；　his　wonderful　joyousness；　his　passionate　absorption　in　mere　existence。　then；　suddenly；　some　night　he　would　creep　out　of　the　house；　go　down　to　dreadful　places　near　blue　gate　fields；　and　stay　there；　day　after　day；　until　he　was　driven　away。　on　his　return　he　would　sit　in　front　of　the　her　times；　with　that　pride　of　individualism　that　is　half　the　fascination　of　sin；　and　smiling　with　secret　pleasure　at　the　misshapen　shadow　that　had　to　bear　the　burden　that　should　have　been　his　own。
  after　a　few　years　he　could　not　endure　to　be　long　out　of　england；　and　gave　up　the　villa　that　he　had　shared　at　trouville　with　lord　henry；　as　well　as　the　little　white　walled…in　house　at　algiers　where　they　had　more　than　once　spent　the　winter。　he　hated　to　be　separated　from　the　picture　that　was　such　a　part　of　his　life；　and　was　also　afraid　that　during　his　absence　some　one　might　gain　access　to　the　room；　in　spite　of　the　elaborate　bars　that　he　had　caused　to　be　placed　upon　the　door。
  he　was　quite　conscious　that　this　would　tell　them　nothing。　it　was　true　that　the　portrait　still　preserved；　under　all　the　foulness　and　ugliness　of　the　face；　its　marked　likeness　to　himself；　but　what　could　they　learn　from　that？　he　would　laugh　at　any　one　who　tried　to　taunt　him。　he　had　not　painted　it。　what　was　it　to　him　how　vile　and　full　of　shame　it　looked？　even　if　he　told　them；　would　they　believe　it？
  yet　he　was　afraid。　sometimes　when　he　was　down　at　his　great　house　in　nottinghamshire；　entertaining　the　fashionable　young　men　of　his　own　rank　who　were　his　chief　panions；　and　astounding　the　county　by　the　wanton　luxury　and　gorgeous　splendour　of　his　mode　of　life；　he　would　suddenly　leave　his　guests　and　rush　back　to　town　to　see　that　the　door　had　not　been　tampered　with　and　that　the　picture　was　still　there。　what　if　it　should　be　stolen？　the　mere　thought　made　him　cold　with　horror。　surely　the　world　would　know　his　secret　then。　perhaps　the　world　already　suspected　it。
  for；　while　he　fascinated　many；　there　were　not　a　few　who　distrusted　him。　he　was　very　nearly　blackballed　at　a　west　end　club　of　which　his　birth　and　social　position　fully　entitled　him　to　bee　a　member；　and　it　was　said　that　on　one　occasion；　when　he　was　brought　by　a　friend　into　the　smoking…room　of　the　churchill；　the　duke　of　berwick　and　another　gentleman　got　up　in　a　marked　manner　and　went　out。　curious　stories　became　current　about　him　after　he　had　passed　his　twenty…fifth　year。　it　was　rumoured　that　he　had　been　seen　brawling　with　foreign　sailors　in　a　low　den　in　the　distant　parts　of　whitechapel；　and　that　he　consorted　with　thieves　and　coiners　and　knew　the　mysteries　of　their　trade。　his　extraordinary　absences　became　notorious；　and；　when　he　used　to　reappear　again　in　society；　men　would　whisper　to　each　other　in　corners；　or　pass　him　with　a　sneer；　or　look　at　him　with　cold　searching　eyes；　as　though　they　were　determined　to　discover　his　secret。
  of　such　insolences　and　attempte