The artist shut himself in and bolted the door, glad to be alone with the prospect of not being disturbed during the whole afternoon.

He seemed not to hesitate about the work he intended to do, for he immediately took in hand the crucifix, laid it upon the table, and began to study it, using a lens from time to time as he scrutinised each detail.

His rough hair fell forward over his forehead, and his shoulders rounded themselves till he looked almost deformed.
He had suffered very strong emotions during the last twenty-four hours--enough to have destroyed the steadiness of an ordinary man's hand; but with Marzio manual skill was the first habit of nature, and it would have been hard to find a mental impression which could shake his physical nerves.

His mind, however, worked rapidly and almost fiercely, while his eyes searched the minute lines of the work he was examining.
Uppermost in his thoughts was a confused sense of humiliation and of exasperation against his brother.

The anger he felt had nearly been expressed in a murderous deed not more than two or three hours earlier, and the wish to strike was still present in his mind.