And Julian,
absorbed, devoured the wide and glowing scene with his eyes, which were
attracted especially by the living flames that were half veiled and half
revealed beneath the feet of Margaret. The music of the orchestra rippled
faintly, and then it seemed to Julian that, as if in answer, there
rippled up from the golden stairs and from the hidden company of flames
that faint, thin riband of shadowy fire which had already so strangely
been with him in the dawn and in the dusk. It came from beneath the
pausing feet of the girl who blessed Faust, and trembled upwards slowly
above her glittering hair. Julian felt a burning sensation at his heart,
as if the tiny fire found its way there. He turned round sharply,
withdrawing his arm from Cuckoo's waist with an abruptness that startled
her.
"Valentine!" he exclaimed in a whisper. "There; now you see it."
Valentine leaned to him.
"See what?"
"The flame. It's no fancy. It's no chimera. Look, it is mounting up
behind Margaret. Watch it, Valentine, and tell me what it is."
"I see nothing."
Julian stared into his eyes, as if to make certain that he really spoke
the truth. Then Valentine asked of Cuckoo:
"Miss Bright, can you see this flame of which Julian speaks?"
Cuckoo answered, with the roughness that always came to her in the
company of alarm:
"Not I.
Pages:
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300