I turned round ... Lightly rising from the earth, she floated by, and suddenly she raised both hands above her head. The head and hands and shoulders glowed for an instant with warm, corporeal light; living sparks gleamed in the dark eyes; a smile of mysterious tenderness stirred the reddening lips.... A lovely woman had suddenly arisen before me.... But as though dropping into a swoon, she fell back instantly and melted away like vapour. I remained passive. When I recovered myself and looked round me, it seemed to me that the corporeal, pale-rosy colour that had flitted over the figure of my phantom had not yet vanished, and was enfolding me, diffused in the air.... It was the flush of dawn. All at once I was conscious of extreme fatigue and turned homewards. As I passed the poultry-yard, I heard the first morning cackling of the geese (no birds wake earlier than they do); along the roof at the end of each beam sat a rook, and they were all busily and silently pluming themselves, standing out in sharp outline against the milky sky. From time to time they all rose at once, and after a short flight, settled again in a row, without uttering a caw.... From the wood close by came twice repeated the drowsy, fresh chuck-chuck of the black-cock, beginning to fly into the dewy grass, overgrown by brambles.... With a faint tremor all over me I made my way to my bed, and soon fell into a sound sleep. XI The next night, as I was approaching the old oak, Alice moved to meet me, as if I were an old friend. I was not afraid of her as I had been the day before, I was almost rejoiced at seeing her; I did not even attempt to comprehend what was happening to me; I was simply longing to fly farther to interesting places. Alice’s arm again twined about me, and we took flight again. ‘Let us go to Italy,’ I whispered in her ear. ‘Wherever you wish, my dear one,’ she answered solemnly and slowly, and slowly and solemnly she turned her face towards me. It struck me as less transparent than on the eve; more woman-like and more imposing; it recalled to me the being I had had a glimpse of in the early dawn at parting. ‘This night is a great night,’ Alice went on. ‘It comes rarely--when seven times thirteen ...’ At this point I could not catch a few words. ‘To-night we can see what is hidden at other times.’ ‘Alice!’ I implored, ‘but who are you, tell me at last?’ Silently she lifted her long white hand. In the dark sky, where her finger was pointing, a comet flashed, a reddish streak among the tiny stars. ‘How am I to understand you?’ I began, ‘Or, as that comet floats between the planets and the sun, do you float among men ... or what?’ But Alice’s hand was suddenly passed before my eyes.... It was as though a white mist from the damp valley had fallen on me.... ‘To Italy! to Italy!’ I heard her whisper. ‘This night is a great night!’ XII