with these gorgeous shadow-shapes.

Oscar had already found his public, a public capable of appreciating
the very best he could do. As soon as "The Importance of Being
Earnest" was produced it had an extraordinary success, and success of
the best sort. Even journalist critics had begun to cease exhibiting
their own limitations in foolish fault-finding, and now imitated their
betters, parroting phrases of extravagant laudation.

Oscar took the praise as he had taken the scandal and slander, with
complacent superiority. He had changed greatly and for the worse: he
was growing coarser and harder every year. All his friends noticed
this. Even M. Andre Gide, who was a great admirer and wrote, shortly
after his death, the best account of him that appeared, was compelled
to deplore his deterioration. He says:

"One felt that there was less tenderness in his looks, that there was
something harsh in his laughter, and a wild madness in his joy. He
seemed at the same time to be sure of pleasing, and less ambitious to
succeed therein. He had grown reckless, hardened and conceited.
Strangely enough he no longer spoke in fables...."

His brother Willie made a similar complaint to Sir Edward Sullivan.
Sir Edward writes:

"William Wilde told me, when Oscar was in prison, that the
only trouble between him and his brother was caused by
Oscar's inordinate vanity in the period before his
conviction. 'He had surrounded himself,' William said, 'with
a gang of parasites who praised him all day long, and to
whom he used to give his cigarette-cases, breast pins, etc.,
in return for their sickening flattery. No one, not even I,
his brother, dared offer any criticism on his works without
offending him.'"

If proof were needed both of his reckless contempt for public opinion
and the malignancy with which he was misjudged, it could be found in
an incident which took place towards the end of 1894. A journal
entitled _The Chameleon_ was produced by some Oxford undergraduates.
Oscar wrote for it a handful of sayings which he called "Phrases and
Philosophies for the Use of the Young." His epigrams were harmless
enough; but in the same number there appeared a story entitled "The
Priest and the Acolyte" which could hardly be defended. The mere fact
that his work was printed in the same journal called forth a storm of
condemnation though he had never seen the story before it was
published nor had he any