Whenmymindhaddweltforsometimeonthisblissfulidea，itseemedtomethatImightperhapstestitbyanexertionofmywill。ThevisionhadbegunwhenmyfatherwasspeakingofourgoingtoPrague。Ididnotforamomentbelieveitwasreallyarepresentationofthatcity；Ibelieved——Ihopeditwasapicturethatmynewlyliberatedgeniushadpaintedinfieryhaste，withthecolourssnatchedfromlazymemory。SupposeIweretofixmymindonsomeotherplace——Venice，forexample，whichwasfarmorefamiliartomyimaginationthanPrague：perhapsthesamesortofresultwouldfollow。IconcentratedmythoughtsonVenice；I
stimulatedmyimaginationwithpoeticmemories，andstrovetofeelmyselfpresentinVenice，asIhadfeltmyselfpresentinPrague。
Butinvain。IwasonlycolouringtheCanalettoengravingsthathunginmyoldbedroomathome；thepicturewasashiftingone，mymindwanderinguncertainlyinsearchofmorevividimages；Icouldseenoaccidentofformorshadowwithoutconsciouslabourafterthenecessaryconditions。Itwasallprosaiceffort，notraptpassivity，suchasIhadexperiencedhalfanhourbefore。Iwasdiscouraged；butIrememberedthatinspirationwasfitful。
ForseveraldaysIwasinastateofexcitedexpectation，watchingforarecurrenceofmynewgift。Isentmythoughtsrangingovermyworldofknowledge，inthehopethattheywouldfindsomeobjectwhichwouldsendareawakeningvibrationthroughmyslumberinggenius。Butno；myworldremainedasdimasever，andthatflashofstrangelightrefusedtocomeagain，thoughIwatchedforitwithpalpitatingeagerness。
Myfatheraccompaniedmeeverydayinadrive，andagraduallylengtheningwalkasmypowersofwalkingincreased；andoneeveninghehadagreedtocomeandfetchmeattwelvethenextday，thatwemightgotogethertoselectamusicalbox，andotherpurchasesrigorouslydemandedofarichEnglishmanvisitingGeneva。Hewasoneofthemostpunctualofmenandbankers，andIwasalwaysnervouslyanxioustobequitereadyforhimattheappointedtime。