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Ursula, accustomed to these pictures from her childhood,

hunted out their detail She adored Fra Angelico's flowers and

light and angels, she liked the demons and enjoyed the hell But

the representation of the encircled God, surrounded by all the

angels on high, suddenly bored her The figure of the Most High

bored her, and roused her resent of it all, this draped, null figure? The angels

were so lovely, and the light so beautiful And only for this,

to surround such a banality for God!

She was dissatisfied, but not fit as yet to criticize There

was yet so much to wonder over Winter careen pine needles looked rich upon

the ground There was the wonderful, starry, straight track of a

pheasant's footsteps across the snow ibehind; the hare shoved deeper shafts, slanting, and

his two hind feet cae pit; the

cat podded little holes, and birdsof expectation

Christhts, a secret candle

was burning, a sound of veiled voices was heard The boys were

learning the old e and Beelzebub Twice