Caius was not unheedful of the force of that soft but absolute
assertion, but he must needs speak, if he spoke at all, from his own
point of view, not hers.
"I suppose," he said, "that the truth is there is something upon the
rock that strikes us as a resemblance, and our imagination furnishes the
detail that perfects the picture."
"In that case would you not see one thing and I another?"
Now for the first time his eyes followed hers, and on the gray rock
immediately opposite he suddenly perceived a picture, without definite
edge it is true, but in composition more complete than anything he had
seen before. What had formerly delighted him had been, as it were, mere
sketches of one thing or another scattered in different places, but here
there was a large group of figures, painted for the most part in varied
tints of gray, and blue, and pink.
In the foreground of this picture a young man and young woman, radiant
both in face and apparel, stood before a figure draped in priestly
garments of sober gray. Behind them, in a vista, which seemed to be
filled with an atmosphere of light and joy, a band of figures were
dancing in gay procession, every line of the limbs and of the light
draperies suggesting motion and glee. How did he know that some of these
were men, and some were women? He had never seen such dresses as they
wore, which seemed to be composed of tunics and gossamer veils of blue
and red.
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