“Iwokeup，Isay，becausethegirlhadstoppedfanningme。Iwasnotsurprisedtofindmyselfthereoranythingofthatsort，youunderstand。IdidnotfeelIhadfallenintoitsuddenly。Isimplytookitupatthatpoint。WhatevermemoryIhadofTHISlife，thisnineteenth-centurylife，fadedasIwoke，vanishedlikeadream。Iknewallaboutmyself，knewthatmynamewasnolongerCooperbutHedon，andallaboutmypositionintheworld。I’veforgottenalotsinceIwoke——there’sawantofconnection——butitwasallquiteclearandmatteroffactthen。“
Hehesitatedagain，grippingthewindowstrap，puttinghisfaceforwardandlookingupatmeappealingly。
“Thisseemsboshtoyou？“
“No，no！“Icried。“Goon。Tellmewhatthisloggiawaslike。“
“Itwasnotreallyaloggia——Idon’tknowwhattocallit。Itfacedsouth。Itwassmall。Itwasallinshadowexceptthesemicircleabovethebalconythatshowedtheskyandseaandthecornerwherethegirlstood。Iwasonacouch——itwasametalcouchwithlightstripedcushions-andthegirlwasleaningoverthebalconywithherbacktome。Thelightofthesunrisefellonherearandcheek。
Herprettywhiteneckandthelittlecurlsthatnestledthere，andherwhiteshoulderwereinthesun，andallthegraceofherbodywasinthecoolblueshadow。Shewasdressed——howcanIdescribeit？Itwaseasyandflowing。Andaltogetherthereshestood，sothatitcametomehowbeautifulanddesirableshewas，asthoughIhadneverseenherbefore。AndwhenatlastIsighedandraisedmyselfuponmyarmsheturnedherfacetome——“
Hestopped。
“Ihavelivedthree-and-fiftyyearsinthisworld。Ihavehadmother，sisters，friends，wife，anddaughters——alltheirfaces，theplayoftheirfaces，Iknow。Butthefaceofthisgirl——itismuchmorerealtome。IcanbringitbackintomemorysothatIseeitagain——Icoulddrawitorpaintit。Andafterall——“
Hestopped——butIsaidnothing。
“Thefaceofadream——thefaceofadream。Shewasbeautiful。Notthatbeautywhichisterrible，cold，andworshipful，likethebeautyofasaint；northatbeautythatstirsfiercepassions；butasortofradiation，sweetlipsthatsoftenedintosmiles，andgravegreyeyes。Andshemovedgracefully，sheseemedtohavepartwithallpleasantandgraciousthings——“
Hestopped，andhisfacewasdowncastandhidden。Thenhelookedupatmeandwenton，makingnofurtherattempttodisguisehisabsolutebeliefintherealityofhisstory。
“Yousee，Ihadthrownupmyplansandambitions，thrownupallIhadeverworkedforordesiredforhersake。Ihadbeenamastermanawaythereinthenorth，withinfluenceandpropertyandagreatreputation，butnoneofithadseemedworthhavingbesideher。
Ihadcometotheplace，thiscityofsunnypleasures，withher，andleftallthosethingstowreckandruinjusttosavearemnantatleastofmylife。WhileIhadbeeninlovewithherbeforeIknewthatshehadanycareforme，beforeIhadimaginedthatshewoulddare——thatweshoulddare，allmylifehadseemedvainandhollow，dustandashes。ItWASdustandashes。NightafternightandthroughthelongdaysIhadlongedanddesired——mysoulhadbeatenagainstthethingforbidden！
“Butitisimpossibleforonemantotellanotherjustthesethings。
It’semotion，it’satint，alightthatcomesandgoes。Onlywhileit’sthere，everythingchanges，everything。ThethingisIcameawayandleftthemintheirCrisistodowhattheycould。“
“Leftwhom？“Iasked，puzzled。
“Thepeopleupinthenorththere。Yousee——inthisdream，anyhow——
Ihadbeenabigman，thesortofmanmencometotrustin，togroupthemselvesabout。Millionsofmenwhohadneverseenmewerereadytodothingsandriskthingsbecauseoftheirconfidenceinme。
Ihadbeenplayingthatgameforyears，thatbiglaboriousgame，thatvague，monstrouspoliticalgameamidstintriguesandbetrayals，speechandagitation。Itwasavastwelteringworld，andatlastIhadasortofleadershipagainsttheGang——youknowitwascalledtheGang——asortofcompromiseofscoundrellyprojectsandbaseambitionsandvastpublicemotionalstupiditiesandcatchwords——
theGangthatkepttheworldnoisyandblindyearbyyear，andallthewhilethatitwasdrifting，driftingtowardsinfinitedisaster。
ButIcan’texpectyoutounderstandtheshadesandcomplicationsoftheyear——theyearsomethingorotherahead。Ihaditalldowntothesmallestdetails——inmydream。IsupposeIhadbeendreamingofitbeforeIawoke，andthefadingoutlineofsomequeernewdevelopmentIhadimaginedstillhungaboutmeasIrubbedmyeyes。
ItwassomegrubbyaffairthatmademethankGodforthesunlight。
Isatuponthecouchandremainedlookingatthewomanandrejoicing——
rejoicingthatIhadcomeawayoutofallthattumultandfollyandviolencebeforeitwastoolate。Afterall，Ithought，thisislife——loveandbeauty，desireanddelight，aretheynotworthallthosedismalstrugglesforvague，giganticends？AndIblamedmyselfforhavingeversoughttobealeaderwhenImighthavegivenmydaystolove。Butthen，thoughtI，ifIhadnotspentmyearlydayssternlyandausterely，Imighthavewastedmyselfuponvainandworthlesswomen，andatthethoughtallmybeingwentoutinloveandtendernesstomydearmistress，mydearlady，whohadcomeatlastandcompelledme——compelledmebyherinvinciblecharmforme——tolaythatlifeaside。
“’Youareworthit，’Isaid，speakingwithoutintendinghertohear；
’youareworthit，mydearestone；worthprideandpraiseandallthings。Love！tohaveYOUisworththemalltogether。’Andatthemurmurofmyvoicesheturnedabout。
“’Comeandsee，’shecried——Icanhearhernow——’comeandseethesunriseuponMonteSolaro。’
“IrememberhowIsprangtomyfeetandjoinedheratthebalcony。
Sheputawhitehanduponmyshoulderandpointedtowardsgreatmassesoflimestone，flushing，asitwere，intolife。Ilooked。
ButfirstInotedthesunlightonherfacecaressingthelinesofhercheeksandneck。HowcanIdescribetoyouthescenewehadbeforeus？WewereatCapri——“
“Ihavebeenthere，“Isaid。“IhaveclamberedupMonteSolaroanddrunkveroCapri——muddystufflikecider——atthesummit。“
“Ah！“saidthemanwiththewhiteface；“thenperhapsyoucantellme——youwillknowifthiswasindeedCapri。ForinthislifeIhaveneverbeenthere。Letmedescribeit。Wewereinalittleroom，oneofavastmultitudeoflittlerooms，verycoolandsunny，hollowedoutofthelimestoneofasortofcape，veryhighabovethesea。
Thewholeisland，youknow，wasoneenormoushotel，complexbeyondexplaining，andontheothersidethereweremilesoffloatinghotels，andhugefloatingstagestowhichtheflyingmachinescame。Theycalleditapleasurecity。Ofcourse，therewasnoneofthatinyourtimerather，Ishouldsay，ISnoneofthatNOW。Ofcourse。Now！——yes。
“Well，thisroomofourswasattheextremityofthecape，sothatonecouldseeeastandwest。Eastwardwasagreatcliff——athousandfeethighperhaps——coldlygreyexceptforonebrightedgeofgold，andbeyondittheIsleoftheSirens，andafallingcoastthatfadedandpassedintothehotsunrise。Andwhenoneturnedtothewest，distinctandnearwasalittlebay，alittlebeachstillinshadow。AndoutofthatshadowroseSolarostraightandtall，flushedandgoldencrested，likeabeautythroned，andthewhitemoonwasfloatingbehindherinthesky。Andbeforeusfromeasttoweststretchedthemany-tintedseaalldottedwithlittlesailingboats。
“Totheeastward，ofcourse，theselittleboatsweregreyandveryminuteandclear，buttothewestwardtheywerelittleboatsofgold——
shininggold——almostlikelittleflames。Andjustbelowuswasarockwithanarchwornthroughit。Thebluesea-waterbroketogreenandfoamallroundtherock，andagalleycameglidingoutofthearch。“
“Iknowthatrock，“Isaid。“Iwasnearlydrownedthere。ItiscalledtheFaraglioni。“
“IFaraglioni？Yes，shecalleditthat，“answeredthemanwiththewhiteface。“Therewassomestory——butthat——“
Heputhishandtohisforeheadagain。“No，“hesaid，“Iforgetthatstory。“
“Well，thatisthefirstthingIremember，thefirstdreamIhad，thatlittleshadedroomandthebeautifulairandskyandthatdearladyofmine，withhershiningarmsandhergracefulrobe，andhowwesatandtalkedinhalfwhisperstooneanother。Wetalkedinwhispersnotbecausetherewasanyonetohear，butbecausetherewasstillsuchafreshnessofmindbetweenusthatourthoughtswerealittlefrightened，Ithink，tofindthemselvesatlastinwords。
Andsotheywentsoftly。
“Presentlywewerehungryandwewentfromourapartment，goingbyastrangepassagewithamovingfloor，untilwecametothegreatbreakfastroom——therewasafountainandmusic。Apleasantandjoyfulplaceitwas，withitssunlightandsplashing，andthemurmurofpluckedstrings。Andwesatandateandsmiledatoneanother，andIwouldnotheedamanwhowaswatchingmefromatablenearby。
“Andafterwardswewentontothedancing-hall。ButIcannotdescribethathall。Theplacewasenormous——largerthananybuildingyouhaveeverseen——andinoneplacetherewastheoldgateofCapri，caughtintothewallofagalleryhighoverhead。Lightgirders，stemsandthreadsofgold，burstfromthepillarslikefountains，streamedlikeanAuroraacrosstheroofandinterlaced，like——
likeconjuringtricks。Allaboutthegreatcircleforthedancerstherewerebeautifulfigures，strangedragons，andintricateandwonderfulgrotesquesbearinglights。Theplacewasinundatedwithartificiallightthatshamedthenewbornday。Andaswewentthroughthethrongthepeopleturnedaboutandlookedatus，forallthroughtheworldmynameandfacewereknown，andhowIhadsuddenlythrownupprideandstruggletocometothisplace。Andtheylookedalsoattheladybesideme，thoughhalfthestoryofhowatlastshehadcometomewasunknownormistold。Andfewofthemenwhowerethere，Iknow，butjudgedmeahappyman，inspiteofalltheshameanddishonourthathadcomeuponmyname。
