smile. Maskull felt the fresh, mysterious thrill of mingled pain and
rapture of one who awakes from a deep sleep in midwinter and sees the
gleaming, dark, delicate colours of the half-dawn. The vision
smiled, kept still, and looked beyond him. He began to shudder, with
delight--and many emotions. As he gazed, his poetic sensibility
acquired such a nervous and indefinable character that he could
endure it no more; he burst into tears.

When he looked up again the image had nearly disappeared, and in a
few moments more he was plunged back into total darkness.

Shortly afterward a second statue reappeared. It too was
transfigured into a living form, but Maskull was unable to see the
details of its face and body, because of the brightness of the light
that radiated from them. This light, which started as pale gold,
ended as flaming golden fire. It illumined the whole underground
landscape. The rock ledges, the cliffs, himself and Corpang on their
knees, the two unlighted statues--all appeared as if in sunlight,
and the shadows were black and strongly defined. The light carried
heat with it, but a singular heat. Maskull was unaware of any rise
in temperature, but he felt his heart melting to womanish softness.
His male arrogance and egotism faded imperceptibly away; his
personality seemed to disappear. What was left behind was not
freedom of spirit or lightheartedness, but a passionate and nearly
savage mental state of pity and distress. He felt a tormenting
desire to serve. All this came from the heat of the statue, and was
without an object. He glanced anxiously around him, and fastened his
eyes on Corpang. He put a hand on his shoulder and aroused him from
his praying.