midday
In a vision as vivid as those that cross the brain in a sleepless night , he saw a dark , compact multitude wait , with breath suspended , to catch the notes that fell like raindrops from his fingers ; saw himself the all-conspicuous figure , as , with masterful gestures , he compelled the soul that lay dormant in brass and strings , to give voice to , to interpret to the many , his subtlest emotions . And he was overcome by a tremulous compassion with himself at the idea of wielding such power over an unknown multitude , at the latent nobility of mind and aim this power implied . Even when swinging back to the town , he had not shaken himself free of dreams . The quiet of a foreign midday lay upon the streets , and there were few discordant sounds , few passers-by , to break the chain of his thought . He had movement , silence , space . And as is usual with active-brained dreamers , he had little or no eye for the real life about him ; he was not struck by the air of comfortable prosperity , of thriving content , which marked the great commercial centre , and he let pass , unnoticed , the unfamiliar details of a foreign street , the trifling yet significant incidents of foreign life . Such impressions as he received , bore the stamp of his own mood .