SUNSET AT ST. AIGULF. l')7 



the Esterel range glowing in the light of the setting sun. 

 It was a brilliant evening, still and mild, one of those 

 evenings which awaken feelings of happiness in the 

 human soul. Xot a breath of air stirred the leaves on 

 the trees. Dark clouds, surrounded b\' golden ra^'s. were 

 rellected in the lake of \'illepa\-. From the thicket b-\- 

 the slrore birds \\e\v up, frightened at our approach. ^Fhe^' 

 rose into the air and seemed to trace dark streaks across 

 the bright e^'ening skw The clouds in the ^vest assumed 

 a crimson hue, and the water, too. Hushed with their 

 rertected light. It looked strangeh" like a lake of blood, 

 and the dark reed thicket bordered it with black, ^^'e 

 continued our walk to the beach. Soon the western sk^' 

 was ablaze and tlie Montagues des Alaures sho\\ed like 

 a giant in the fiery glow. "^Phe trees of the forest looked 

 black against the bright background, as though their 

 outlines were traced with crayon. T'hen tlie sky ]:)alcd. 

 On the glittering waves of the sea the white ra\-s of 

 the tirst stars began to mix with the red afterglow. 

 When we reached the beach it was alread\' so dark 

 that we could no longer distinguish the outline of the coast. 

 The sky was strewn with stars and seemed to scatter 

 innumerable lights upon the sea. We listened to the 

 surging and sighing of the \\'a\'es and wondered wh\- 

 this land-encircled sea forc\'er makes its plaint. Is it 

 grief for all the suffering which takes place along its 

 shores? This spot also is called a=fter the Saint who 

 was mart\'red on the lies de Lerins. Several times we 

 seemed to hear footsteps, but it was onl\- a ripe iir-cone 

 falling to the ground, or a \\a\'e, larger than usual. 



