The imitation of marble is effected in a similar manner to that of wood. For white marble, or rather, that which is slightly marked with dark veins, the walls are first whitewashed, and then washed with whiting and milk, to obtain a fine white surface. Lamp black, damp blue, Indian red, and some other colours, are then laid on with very fine pencils or brushes, in fine but irregular lines, so as to imitate the veins of the marble. _Sienna marble_ has a ground of yellow ochre; _Florentine marble_, one of white, black, and Indian red; _dove-coloured_ marble, one of light lead colour; and _black_ and _green_ marbles have the colours designated by their names. On these grounds are pencilled the light and delicate veins traversing the surface in every direction, according to the colour and character of the veins in the marble to be imitated. There are then various contrivances made use of, by which a softness is produced in all the veins; this is of more importance in marbling than in graining, since much of the beauty which we acknowledge to exist in marble is undoubtedly due to the exquisite softness with which its colours are blended. The kind of marble called _porphyry_ is imitated in a singular manner. This marble is spotted all over in various colours; and the imitation is therefore spotted. A ground is laid on of the proper colour, and a brush is dipped into a mixture of vermilion and white, and after being allowed to drain nearly dry, is struck against a piece of wood, by which a sprinkling of small spots falls on the surface. The brush is then dipped into another colour, and a similar process gives a second sprinkling. This is done a third and sometimes a fourth time, according to the colours of the spots in the marble to be imitated. The mica, quartz, and feldspar, in granite, are sometimes roughly imitated by similar means. Whatever be the kind of marble which is imitated, it is varnished after the marbling is completed, in order both to give it greater durability, and to imitate the beautiful polish which can be imparted to marble. Gilding, as an Interior Decoration. Supposing the internal decorations to have proceeded thus far, we may next say a few words about the costly material _gold_, as applied in furtherance of these embellishments. This is only of limited application, and in the better class of houses; but as gilt mouldings frequently form the finishing part of the papering of a room, and as the houses of most persons contain some articles which are gilt, we will give a slight description of the processes followed by the gilder, but without reference to any particular article of _furniture_, since that is a department into which we do not profess to enter.