from everything, but in touch with the earth, the good, beautiful, green
earth. And--must I avow it?--there was, besides, a little
curiosity which retained me at the residence of Mother Lecacheur. I
wished to become acquainted a little with this strange Miss Harriet and
to know what transpires in the solitary souls of those wandering old
English women.

"We became acquainted in a rather singular manner. I had just finished a
study which appeared to me to be worth something, and so it was, as it
sold for ten thousand francs fifteen years later. It was as simple,
however, as two and two make four and was not according to academic
rules. The whole right side of my canvas represented a rock, an enormous
rock, covered with sea-wrack, brown, yellow and red, across which the sun
poured like a stream of oil. The light fell upon the rock as though it
were aflame without the sun, which was at my back, being visible. That
was all. A first bewildering study of blazing, gorgeous light.

"On the left was the sea, not the blue sea, the slate-colored sea, but a
sea of jade, greenish, milky and solid beneath the deep-colored sky.

"I was so pleased with my work that I danced from sheer delight as I
carried it back to the inn. I would have liked the whole world to see it
at once. I can remember that I showed it to a cow that was browsing by
the wayside, exclaiming as I did so: 'Look at that, my old beauty; you
will not often see its like again.'

"When I had reached the house I immediately called out to Mother
Lecacheur, shouting with all my might:

"'Hullo, there! Mrs. Landlady, come here and look at this.'