Having assured himself that there was no one else in the room, he discarded his mourning clothes, and put on a magnificent blue silk gown with baggy sleeves, upon which dragons were depicted, in rather lighter tones.  On his chest, he wore a square on which in multicoloured embroideries were represented the flying phoenix and the tiger, and the corners of which were filled in artistically with numerous scrolls.  He had also a rectangular jewelled metal belt, projecting both at his chest and at the back, and held in position by a ribbon on both sides of his body.  His cap was of the finest black horse-hair with wings fastened at the back.  He seemed most proud of his three white leather satchels, and a writing pad, which hung down from his left side, by wide white straps.  Into these straps, in time of war, is passed the sword of supreme command, and by them in time of peace is his high military rank made known.  His sword was a magnificent old blade, which had been handed down from his ancestors, and naturally he was very proud of it.  While showing it to me, he related the noble deeds, which had been accomplished by its aid, his eyes glistening all the time, but, as he was about to graphically describe in what way such and such an ancestor had done away with his foe, I, who am not at all fond of playing with razor-edged swords, thought it prudent to interrupt him by placing him in position for the picture.  As I posed him, he did not utter a word, nor wink an eye.  And during the whole of a sitting of nearly three hours he sat motionless and speechless, like a statue.

“It is finished,” I finally said, and he sprang up in a childish fashion and came over to look at the work.  His delight was unbounded, and he seized my hand and shook it for nearly half an hour; after which, he suddenly became grave, stared at the canvas, and then looked at the back of it.  He seemed horrified.

“What is it?” I inquired of His Royal Highness.

“You have not put in my jade decoration,” said he, almost in despair.

I had, of course, painted his portrait full face, and as the Coreans have the strange notion of wearing their decorations in the shape of a small button of jade, gold, silver or amber, behind the left ear, these did not appear thereon.  I then tried to remonstrate, saying that it was impossible in European art to accomplish such a feat as to show both front and back at once, but, as he seemed distressed at what to him seemed a defect, I made him sit again, and compromised the matter by making another large but rapid sketch of him from a side point of view, so as to include the decoration and the rest rather magnified in size.  It is from this portrait that the illustration is taken; for I corrected it as soon as he was out of sight.  But with this second portrait my Corean sitter was more grieved than ever, for, he remarked, now he could see the decoration, but not his other eye!