noon
Now and then the tip of his tail curled and uncurled with an indescribable effect of sensuousness . The green things in the window-box had grown luxuriantly , and now and then trailing vines tossed up past the window in the infrequent puffs of wind . The afternoon was very warm . The temperature had risen rapidly since noon . Down below the wide window ran the river , unseen except for a subtle , scarcely perceptible glow of the brilliant sunlight upon the water . It was a rather muddy stream , but at certain times it caught the sunlight and tossed it back as from the facets of brown jewels . The murmur of the river was plainly audible in the room .