Evening capital., 1890-12-15

upon the walk. their slender limbs
scarce clothed by v0rdure, while the
giant honeysacklc. climbing OH the
house wall, exhaled delicious, sugared
breaths, and seemed to cause To hover
through the warm. clear night per-
fumed soul
lie began to breathe deep, drinking
the air as drunkarls drink their wine,
and he walked slo ly, being raviShed.
aStounded, and almost obliviouS of his
niece.
As soon as he came into the open
country he stopped to contemplate the
whole plain. so inundated by this ca
nessing radiance, so drowned in the
tender and languishing charm of the
serene nights. At every instant the
frogs threw into space their short me-
tallic notes. and tie distant nightin-
gales mingled with the seduction of
the moonlight that fitful music of
theirs which brings no thoughts but
dreams. that light and vibrant melody
of theirs which is composed of kisses.
The Able continued his course, his
courage failing, he knew not why.
He fell. as it were, enfeebled, and sud-
denly exhausted; he had a great desire
to sit down, to pause here, TO praise
God in all His works.
Down there, following the bends of
the little river, wound great line of
poplars On and about the banks,
wrapping all the tortuouS watercourse
with a kind of light. transparent wad-
ding, hung suspended a fine mist, q
white yap0r which the moon-rays
crossed and silvered, and caused to
CLEAN.
1ft,o ,,,.;ac4 ,No,,snl . 80 o,xo;,, ,>o,,o
trated to the bottom of his soul by a
strong and growing emotion.
And doubt. a vague meaSiness
seized ON him; he perceived that one
of those questions, which he sometimes
put to himself. was now being born.
Why had God done this? Since the
night is destined for sleep, for un-
consciousne s for repose, for fOrgetful-
ness of everything, why then make it
more charming than the day, sweeter
than the dawns and the sunsets? And
this slow seductive star, more poetical
than the sun, and so discreet that it
seems designed TO light up things too
delicate, too mysterious for the great
luminary-why was it to come to
brighten all the shades?
Why did not the cleverest of all
songsters go to rest like the others
And why did he himself to singing
in the vaguely troubling dark?
Why this half-veil over the world
Why these quiverings of the heart,
this emotion of the soul, this languour
of the body
Why this display of seductions
which mankind never sees, being
asleep in bed? For whom was in
tended this sublime spectacle, this
flood of poetry poured from heaven
to earth !?
And the Able did not understand at
all.
But now, see, down there along the
edge of the field appeared two shadows
walking side by side under the arched
roof of the trees all soaked in glitter
ing mist.
The man was taller and had his
arm about his mistress neck, and
from time to time he kissed her ON the
forehead. They animated suddenly
the lifeless landscape, which enveloped
them like a divine frame made ex-
pressly for this. They seemed, these
two, like one being, the being for whom
was destined this calm and silent
night; and they came up toward the
priest like living answer vouchsafed
by his Master to his question.
He stood stock still, quite over
whelmed. and with beating heart.
And he thought to see here some Bible
story. like the loves of Ruth and Boaz,
the accomplishment of the will of the
Lord in one of those great scenes
talked of in the holy books.
Through his head began to hum the
versicles of the Song of Songs, the
ardent cries, the calls of the body, all
the passionate poetry of that poem
which burns with tenderness and love.
And he said to himself, "G0d per-
haps has made such nights as this to
rlothe with the ideal the loves Of men,
He withdrew before this couple, who
went ever arm in arm. For all that
it was really his niece; but now he
asked himself if he was not about to
disobey God. And does not God in
decd permit love, since he surrounds
it yisibly with splendor such as this
And he fed in amaze. almost
ashamed. as If he had penetrated into
temple whore he had not the right
to go.