“On the left was the sea, not the blue sea, the slate-colored sea, but a sea of jade, greenish, milky and solid beneath the deep-colored sky.
“I was so pleased with my work that I danced from sheer delight as I carried it back to the inn. I would have liked the whole world to see it at once. I can remember that I showed it to a cow that was browsing by the wayside, exclaiming as I did so: 'Look at that, my old beauty; you will not often see its like again.'
“When I had reached the house I immediately called out to Mother Lecacheur, shouting with all my might:
“'Hullo, there! Mrs. Landlady, come here and look at this.'
“The rustic approached and looked at my work with her stupid eyes which distinguished nothing and could not even tell whether the picture represented an ox or a house.
“Miss Harriet just then came home, and she passed behind me just as I was holding out my canvas at arm's length, exhibiting it to our landlady. The demoniac could not help but see it, for I took care to exhibit the thing in such a way that it could not escape her notice. She stopped abruptly and stood motionless, astonished. It was her rock which was depicted, the one which she climbed to dream away her time undisturbed.
“She uttered a British 'Aoh,' which was at once so accentuated and so flattering that I turned round to her, smiling, and said:
“'This is my latest study, mademoiselle.'
“She murmured rapturously, comically and tenderly:
“'Oh! monsieur, you understand nature as a living thing.'