midday
Thus , to make her act of mercy seem infinitely larger than it was , she was determined first to cast the Apple of Discord into this charming corner of Eden . The Apple of Discord , as every man knows , is the only thing a woman can throw with any accuracy . The artist snatched up his brushes , and ruined the painting forthwith , for all time . The foreground was , in his opinion , beyond redemption ; so , with a savage humor , he rapidly limned in a score of impossible trees , turned midday into sunset , with a riot of colors which would have made the Chinese New-year in Canton a drab and sober event in comparison . He hated Flora Desimone , as all Nora 's adherents most properly did , but with a hatred wholly reflective and adapted to Nora 's moods . `` You have spoiled it ! '' cried Celeste .