AllofMikhailov’smobilefacebeamedatonce；hiseyessparkled。
Hetriedtosaysomething，buthecouldnotspeakforexcitement，andpretendedtobecoughing。LowaswashisopinionofGolenishchev’scapacityforunderstandingart，triflingaswasthetrueremarkuponthefidelityoftheexpressionofPilateasanofficial，andoffensiveasmighthaveseemedtheutteranceofsounimportantanobservationwhilenothingwassaidofmoreseriouspoints，Mikhailovwasinanecstasyofdelightatthisobservation。HehadhimselfthoughtaboutPilate’sfigurejustwhatGolenishchevhadsaid。
Thefactthatthisreflectionwasbutoneofmillionsofreflections，which，asMikhailovknewforcertain，wouldbetrue，didnotdiminishforhimthesignificanceofGolenishchev’sremark。HisheartwarmedtoGolenishchevforthisremark，andfromastateofdepressionhesuddenlypassedtoecstasy。
Atoncethewholeofhispicturelivedbeforehiminalltheindescribablecomplexityofeverythingliving。MikhailovagaintriedtosaythatthatwashowheunderstoodPilate，buthislipsquiveredintractably，andhecouldnotpronouncethewords。VronskyandAnnatoosaidsomethinginthatsubduedvoicewhichpartlytoavoidhurtingtheartist’sfeelingsandpartlytoavoidgivingloudutterancetosomethingsilly-soeasilydonewhentalkingofartpeopleuseatexhibitionsofpictures。Mikhailovfanciedthatthepicturehadmadeanimpressiononthemtoo。Hewentuptothem。
`HowmarvelousChrist’sexpressionis！’saidAnna。Ofallshesawshelikedthatexpressionmostofall，andshefeltthatitwasthecenterofthepicture，andsopraiseofitwouldbepleasanttotheartist。