Спрут: Калифорнийская история

           Budafterbudburstforth,whilethosealreadyopenedexpandedtofullmaturity.ThecolouroftheSeedranchdeepened.

           Onenight,afterhoursofwaiting,Vanameefeltuponhischeekthetouchofaprolongedpuffofwarmwind,breathingacrossthelittlevalleyfromouttheeast.ItreachedtheMissiongardenandstirredthebranchesofthepeartrees.Itseemedveritablytobecompoundedoftheveryessenceoftheflowers.Neverhadthearomabeensosweet,sopervasive.Itpassedandfaded,leavinginitswakeanabsolutesilence.Then,atlength,thesilenceofthenight,thatsilencetowhichVanameehadsolongappealed,wasbrokenbyatinysound.Alert,half-risenfromtheground,helistened;fornow,atlength,heheardsomething.Thesoundrepeateditself.Itcamefromnearathand,fromthethickshadowatthefootofthehill.Whatitwas,hecouldnottell,butitdidnotbelongtoasingleoneoftheinfinitesimilarnoisesoftheplacewithwhichhewassofamiliar.Itwasneithertherustleofaleaf,thesnapofapartedtwig,thedroneofaninsect,thedroppingofamagnoliablossom.Itwasavibrationmerely,faint,elusive,impossibleofdefinition;aminutenotchinthefine,keenedgeofstillness.

           Againthenightspassed.Thesummerstarsbecamebrighter.Thewarmthincreased.TheflowersoftheSeedranchgrewstillmore.Thefivehundredacresoftheranchwerecarpetedwiththem.

           Atlength,uponacertainmidnight,anewlightbegantospreadinthesky.Thethinscimitarofthemoonrose,veiledanddimbehindtheearth-mists.Thelightincreased.