Page:Frank Owen - The Scarlett Hill, 1941.djvu/317

RV 312 (VICTORY) presents that flowed to her: an ancient coral necklace from Persia which she treasured because coral is the emblem of longevity; delightful miniature drawings on rice paper of flowers, people, ships and butterflies; a magnificent lacquer black bronze mirror decorated with four twigs, flowers and fruit; a carved ivory set of chessmen, with a droll little king who seemed to be smiling; an old silver chain with twelve links representing the Buddhist "Wheel of Life;" a goblet of gilt silver, oval shaped, with cover, finely engraved with floral scrolls, among which were three flying birds. Sometimes they seemed to be in one spot, sometimes in another; silver hairpins, with solid gold tops beaten into the form of a reclining lion; gorgeous rugs, musk laden, of unrivaled delicacy of tone, yellow and blue that shone with luminosity, soft reds, lush greens; a veritable fortune in jades, a green jade bird, a gray jade fish, a white jade horse, a brown jade ring; jades, emeralds, lapis lazuli, diamonds in endless variety. But occasionally he sent her a simple verse written in grass characters upon a square of silk;

These verses she treasured more than all the elaborate gifts for they had been copied in An Lu-shan's own RV 312 (312)