noon
Outside the sun gleamed and beat on the melting snow , which sent back quivery vibrations that smote the eyeballs like fire . The cattle shook the water from their sun-dazzled eyes , and turned their heads away from it , but it climbed steadily higher until it stood right over them , and blazing down upon the snowy world , defied old man Winter to his face . Pearl was never quite sure about it in after years . But that day she did not doubt her eyes , that star dust danced in the waves of sunshine ; that the gray snow birds played crack the whip outside the window ; that the willow hedge , palpitating in the sunshine , beat time with its silvery branches to the music that lilted through her heart ; that the blue in the sky was bluer than it had been , and the sunshine more golden than it ever was in the highest noon in highest June . She was quite sure it was so , for every spot of color within doors was glorified too . The roses in the cushions on the lounge glowed like a fire in the heart of a green wood ; the cat 's eyes gleamed like olivines , but of course Pearl knew from the way he rubbed his head against her shoulder as she sat on the lounge beside him , and from the way he blinked at her -- he knew , having no doubt in some occult cat-way , listened in on the phone ! There was no mistaking his swaggering air of importance -- he was in on it !