Such a reversion to type had taken place in Oscar Wilde.

It must be inferred perhaps that the old pagan Greek in him was stronger than the Christian virtues which had been called into being by the discipline and suffering of prison.

Little by little, as he began to live his old life again, the lessons learned in prison seemed to drop from him and be forgotten.

But in reality the high thoughts he had lived with, were not lost; his lips had been touched by the divine fire; his eyes had seen the world-wonder of sympathy, pity and love and, strangely enough, this higher vision helped, as we shall soon see, to shake his individuality from its centre, and thus destroyed his power of work and completed his soul-ruin.

Oscar's second fall--this time from a height--was fatal and made writing impossible to him.