Again he looked behind him, and the idea that he was not alone gained force.

Nevertheless the room was bright, brighter indeed in the afternoon than it ever was in the morning, for the window was towards the south, and though the first rays of the sun reached it at about eleven in the morning, the buildings afterwards darkened it again until the sun was in the west.

Moreover to-day, the weather had been changeable, and it had rained a little about noon.

Now the air was again clear, and the workshop was lit up so that the light penetrated even to the ancient cobwebs in the corners, and touched the wax models and casts on the shelves, and gilded the old wood of the door opposite with rich brown gold.

Marzio had a curtain of dusty grey linen which he drew across the lower part of the window to keep the sunshine off his work.
He was impatient with himself, and annoyed by the persistency of the impression that Paolo was in some way present in the place.