midnight
I am no Moses ; I am only a poor patient artist ; but it would be a fine thing if I were to cause some slender stream of beauty to flow in our thirsty land ! Do n't think me a monster of conceit , '' he went on , as he saw me smile at the avidity with which he adopted my illustration ; `` I confess that I am in one of those moods when great things seem possible ! This is one of my nervous nights -- I dream waking ! When the south wind blows over Florence at midnight it seems to coax the soul from all the fair things locked away in her churches and galleries ; it comes into my own little studio with the moonlight , and sets my heart beating too deeply for rest . You see I am always adding a thought to my conception ! This evening I felt that I could n't sleep unless I had communed with the genius of Buonarotti ! '' He seemed deeply versed in local history and tradition , and he expatiated _ con amore _ on the charms of Florence .