The dazzling light was getting through the window in my compartment. I could bearly keep my eyes open; the heat, the wriggling of the train running on the steel rails, some whispered words heard from time to time, gave ma a mood of both euphoric consciousness and annoying lack of occupation. I was sitting by the window; yet my glance did not fall upon the picture that was rewinding beyond it, so fast that if I looked thither I could scarcely distinguish some trees scattered on a deserted field and the blue sky. It was an image that was not worth my attention.
In the compartment, there were three persons traveling along with me: an old man and an old woman, probably husband and wife, and a young gentleman sitting next to me. He was reading something and was so absorbed by the book that I could observe him closely without being seen: fine hands hiding the strength of a tiger when needed despite the gentleness and grace in holding the book, the chest a bit suntanned in contrast with the white shirt which had two buttons undone, the face that was to make a more astonishing impression. Under the mutinous black hair, there was the profile of a serene forehead that buried two blue eyes. There was no feature of his face expressing more faithfully the felicity or the sorrow of his soul than his smile. There was something ineffable in it that enchanted me so much that I should have dreaded its power. Or so I thought then because during the ten minutes in which I kept looking at his face, I didn’t see him smile not just once.
Then, it occurred me the thought that I knew that charming gentleman but where from, I didn’t dare to ask myself. I had a strange feeling of déjà-vu.
Suddenly, some noises on the corridor awakened me from the wistfulness: the crowded train bore no people nor luggage and yet they were thronging for a seat. I turned my head and avoided another look at the gentleman fearing I would drown myself again in that exulting mood. I fastened my glance to the window and was overwhelmed to see a different picture than the first one: the dazzling light which meanwhile had turned into reddish sparkles was now flooding a violet sky with no trace of cloud: it was the sunset…