of ribbon. It was a slow
deliberate march, the approach of a fond mistress stretching her golden
limbs, drawing nigh to the alcove with rhythmic motion, with voluptuous
lingering, which roused intense desire. At length, towards two o'clock,
the sheet of sunlight left the last armchair, climbed along the
coverlet, and spread over the bed like loosened locks of hair. To its
glowing fondling Serge surrendered his wasted hands: with his eyes
half-closed, he could feel fiery kisses thrilling each of his fingers;
he lay in a bath of light, in the embrace of a glowing orb. And when
Albine leaned over smiling, 'Let me be,' he stammered, his eyes now
shut; 'don't hold me so tightly. How do you manage to hold me like this
in your arms?'

But the sun crept down the bed again and slowly retreated to the left;
and as Serge watched it bend once more and settle on chair after chair,
he bitterly regretted that he had not kept it to his breast. Albine
still sat upon the side of the bed, and the pair of them, an arm round
each other's neck, watched the slow paling of the sky. At times a mighty
thrill seemed to make it blanch. Serge's languid eyes now wandered over
it more freely and detected in it exquisite tints of which he had never
dreamed. It was not all blue, but rosy blue, lilac blue, tawny blue,
living flesh, vast and spotless nudity heaving like a woman's bosom
in the breeze. At every glance into space he found a fresh
surprise--unknown nooks, coy smiles, bewitching rounded outlines, gauzy
veils which were cast over the mighty, glorious forms of goddesses
in the depths of peeping paradises. And with his limbs lightened by
suffering he winged his way amid that shimmering silk, that stainless
down of azure. The sun sank lower and lower, the blue melted into purest
gold, the sky's living flesh gleamed fairer still, and then was slowly
steeped in all the hues of gloom. Not a cloud--nought but gradual
disappearance, a disrobing which left behind it but a gleam of modesty
on the horizon. And at last the broad sky slumbered.

'Oh, the dear baby!' exclaimed Albine, as she looked at Serge, who had
fallen asleep upon her neck at the same time as the heavens.

She laid him down in bed and shut the windows. Next morning, however,
they were opened at break of day. Serge could no longer live without the
sunlight. His strength was growing, he was becoming accustomed to the
gusts of air which sent the alcove curtains flying. Even the azure, t