:

"All that hurt me yesterday has become a source of admiration to me
to-day. Excess appears riches and plenty, tumult becomes orderly; and I
seem to see in these works the glorification of all that we are bound to
hold supreme in life: health, beauty, strength, love. Is not the
exaggerated splendour of these pictures a triumphant challenge, the
expression of a magnificent principle?"

We stood silent for a moment; then I added:

"We never actually realise all that we have in our minds; but one would
think that this man's life and work reached the farthest bounds of his
visions. Or else we are unable even to catch a glimpse of what he saw."

And, musing upon that mystery, our frail feminine imagination seemed to
us like a landscape fading into the mist: when the day is clear, we can
distinguish the chain of blue mountains whose summits touch the sky, but
our imagination, if it would not be lost in the haze, must keep to the
foreground, in the avenues laid out by man.

I resumed:

"We are very far, Rose, from the parsimony of the Primitives, each of
whose works contains almost a human life. In their room and in this, you
will find all the contradictory and complementary instruction which one
would like to give you. Over there, sobriety, patience, assiduous
effort, absolute conscientiousness in the smallest detail; life bowed in
all humility, but yet steadfast and fervent; imagination and beauty that
do not strive to shine: if you want a proof, look at the great number
that remained anonymous! Here, on the contrary, prodigality, exultant
love, blood coursing triumphantly through conquered veins. Rubens is the
apostle of wholehearted happiness. The biggest things seem easy when you
are in his presence. If ever you feel tired and ready to be
discouraged, you should come and look at him. Oh, I wonder, yes, I
wonder to what, to whom I owe this new enthusiasm? What have I seen,
what have I learnt? Through what chance acquaintance, what casual word,
what gesture or action, doubtless far removed from Rubens and his works,
did I suddenly enter into that wonderful kingdom?"

And, in fact, that is how it had happened. An unknown treasure falls
into the cup of emotion; and the level is raised. Oh, to feel the
long-slumbering sensation rise within one's self; to see that which was
obscure to us yesterday become crystal-clear to-day; to love more
passionately, to understand a little better, to know a little more: that
is, to