As the leaves stirred in the evening
breeze, this pattern shifted and twinkled; now, as the wind blew aside a
bunch of foliage, a lake of rosy gold would spring up on the wall; then,
as the breath of movement died, the green shadows grew thicker again
faintly stirring. Through the window to the south, which Hermann had
caused to be cut there, since the studio was not used for painting
purposes, Michael could see into the patch of high-walled garden, where
Mrs. Falbe was sitting in a low basket chair, completely absorbed in a
book of high-born and ludicrous adventures. She had made a mild attempt
when she found that Michael intended to wait for Sylvia's return to
entertain him till she came; but, with a little oblique encouragement,
remarking on the beauty and warmth of the evening, and the pleasure of
sitting out of doors, Michael had induced her to go out again, and leave
him alone in the studio, free to live over again that which, twenty-four
hours ago, had changed life for him.
He reconstructed it as he sat on the sofa and dwelt on the pearl-moments
of it. Just this time yesterday he had come in and found Sylvia alone.
She had got up, he remembered, to give him greeting, and just opposite
the fireplace they had come face to face.
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