Household words, No. 17, July 20, 1850 : A weekly journal

A solitary bachelor living in the damp chambers of the Temple opens the tale, balancing his legal career with a restless, dream‑filled mind. He spends his evenings listening to sparrows and rain, while his days are filled with visits to galleries, discussions of famous pictures, and a quiet devotion to the Royal Academy. His narration is peppered with literary allusions and gentle humor, giving listeners a vivid sense of a 19th‑century London where art and law intersect in unexpected ways.

One stormy afternoon, while crossing the Thames on a cheap steamboat, he spots a shabby, threadbare figure standing beneath the funnel. That brief, electric gaze triggers a cascade of associations—characters from novels, historical icons, even the very notion of a portrait—leaving the narrator bewildered and convinced he has glimpsed something far beyond ordinary life. The encounter sets the stage for a haunting reflection on the mysteries that linger at the edge of art and imagination.