Портрет Дориана Грея

           HehadthemysteriousjuruparisoftheRioNegroIndians,thatwomenarenotallowedtolookat, andthatevenyouthsmaynotseetilltheyhavebeensubjectedtofastingandscourging,andtheearthenjarsofthePeruvians thathavetheshrillcriesofbirds,andflutesofhumanbonessuchasAlfonsodeOvalleheardinChili, andthesonorousgreenjaspersthatarefoundnearCuzcoandgiveforthanoteofsingularsweetness. Hehadpaintedgourdsfilledwithpebblesthatrattledwhentheywereshaken; thelongclarinoftheMexicans,intowhichtheperformerdoesnotblow,butthroughwhichheinhalestheair; theharshtureoftheAmazontribes,thatissoundedbythesentinelswhositalldaylonginhightrees, andcanbeheard,itissaid,atadistanceofthreeleagues;theteponaztli,thathastwovibratingtonguesofwood,andisbeatenwithsticks thataresmearedwithanelasticgumobtainedfromthemilkyjuiceofplants;theyotl-bellsoftheAztecs,thatarehunginclusterslikegrapes;andahugecylindricaldrum,coveredwiththeskinsofgreatserpents,liketheonethatBernalDiazsawwhenhewentwithCortesintotheMexicantemple, andofwhosedolefulsoundhehasleftussovividadescription. Thefantasticcharacteroftheseinstrumentsfascinatedhim,andhefeltacuriousdelightinthethought thatArt,likeNature,hashermonsters,thingsofbestialshapeandwithhideousvoices. Yet,aftersometime,heweariedofthem, andwouldsitinhisboxattheOpera,eitheraloneorwithLordHenry,listeninginraptpleasureto"Tannhäuser," andseeinginthepreludetothatgreatworkofartapresentationofthetragedyofhisownsoul. 

           Ononeoccasionhetookupthestudyofjewels,andappearedatacostumeballasAnnedeJoyeuse,AdmiralofFrance, inadresscoveredwithfivehundredandsixtypearls.