Still will I, desperate as is my condition, point out that though “impertinent,” “venomous,” and “vulgar,” he claims me as his “master”――and, in the dock, bases his innocence upon such relation between us. In all humility, therefore, I admit that the outcome of my “silly vanity and incompetent mediocrity,” must be the incarnation: “OSCAR WILDE.” J. A. McN. WHISTLER. _Mea culpa!_ the Gods may perhaps forgive and forget. To you, _Truth_――champion of the truth――I leave the brave task of proclaiming again that the story of the lecture to the students of the Royal Academy was, as I told it to you, no fiction. In the presence of Mr Waldo Story did Oscar make his prayer for preparation; and at his table was he entrusted with the materials for his crime. You also shall again unearth, in the _Nineteenth Century Review_ of Jan. 1889, page 37, the other appropriated property, slily stowed away, in an article on “The Decay of Lying”――though why Decay! To shirk this matter thus is craven, doubtless; but I am awe-stricken and tremble, for truly, “the rage of the sheep is terrible!” J. A. McN. WHISTLER. JUST INDIGNATION OSCAR――How dare you! What means the disguise? Restore those things to Nathan’s, and never again let me find you masquerading the streets of my Chelsea in the combined costumes of Kossuth and Mr Mantalini! J. A. McN. WHISTLER. Upon seeing the Poet, in Polish cap and green overcoat, befrogged, and wonderfully befurred. * * * * * Transcriber’s Notes: ――Text in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_). ――Printer’s, punctuation, and spelling inaccuracies were silently corrected. ――Variable punctuation has been preserved (e.g. Mr/Mr.), where there is no predominant instance.