All he thought of was that upturned face with the strange unearthly light in its dark eyes, and the melody that swept over him.
A spell of coughing seized the rapt musician.

After it had passed, he lay forward on the organ a while, with his head bowed on his arms.

Then he straightened himself up wearily, and began pushing the stops back into their places.
The silence brought John Jay to his senses.

He crawled along the aisle and out of the door, blinkling like an owl as he came into the blinding sunshine.

Many experiences had convinced him that he was born under an unlucky star.