Belle and the dragon. An elfin comedy

...subdued and unobtrusive mellowing of purest gold. In its personal appearance and furnishings, it was likewise aureolineA bright yellow or golden color.. The brown stream that prattled over reddish-brown gravel at the back of the enchanted garden was more pleasant than the PactolusA river in ancient Lydia famous for the gold found in its sands. and twice as sunny. The sheep in the pastures beyond were as white as the flocks of ColchisThe destination of Jason and the Argonauts in their quest for the Golden Fleece., with coats like the fleece of Jason.

The warm wonder of the tiled church behind seemed sprinkled, on both roof and spire, with the red powder of alchemy. If alchemy were possible anywhere, the adeptAn expert or master in occult or alchemical knowledge. who set up his cruciblesContainers used for melting substances at very high temperatures. in Ravendale would surely succeed. At the very least, it was an imperial mint that produced the currency of the imagination. Artists and poets lived there, not to mention the Great Magician.

Few intellectual pleasures could compare with a visit to Ravendale. The windows of the best guest bedroom faced north, so the sun did not shine directly into the room. Instead, you would be awakened pleasantly by a generous spread of gentle light, softened by the kindness of tinted blinds. For a few moments, the awakening mind would seem to immerse itself deliciously in the fresh radiance of the morning, while the events of the previous night would rise to the surface of memory. These brief moments of conscious inactivity that follow hours of unconscious

sleep are often more refreshing and restful than sleep itself. It is then that the mind gathers its energy and surveys the half-unfolded goals of the coming day through the lingering atmosphere of dreams.

This was especially true in the guest bedroom at Ravendale. On any such morning, the view before you shone with joy and pleasantness. You would find yourself surrounded once again by the unique characters who once formed the charming circle living at the Briar Rose. These people were now associated with the bay trees, creepers, clematis bowers, glossy ivies, and magnificent magnolias of Ravendale. The move had been recently completed and was already recorded in literature; the circle’s honored poet had musically commemorated it as a divine event in a sonnet titled "The Great Departure."

The full importance of this move, as understood by the collective mind of Ravendale, can never be truly appreciated except by a chosen few. The world at large may occasionally glimpse its significance, but it will always lack the immense power of perception required to measure such a great advancement in style. And yet, an undeniable and uncommon elegance was visibly present in "The Briar Rose"—in its long, narrow rooms,